The NBA trade deadline is almost here and so far the trade market has been suspiciously quiet. OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam have left Toronto, Steven Adams is now in Houston, Terry Rozier has made his way to Miami, and the Pistons and Wizards exchanged some players.
Other than that, no major move has been made, and we’re all waiting for the other shoe to drop. All season long, the Kings have been mentioned as one of the teams expected to make a significant move.
Most of all, they need size and defense, but high-level 3-and-D players don’t grow on trees. Jerami Grant and Mikal Bridges are not on the trade market, and Harrison Barnes has been playing well lately, so it will be tough to find an upgrade.
Right now, it looks like the Kings will make a smaller move to reshape their supporting cast or wait until the summer rather than making a big splash at the trade deadline.
They have still been connected to several players, however, so let’s grade three Kings’ trade deadline targets from no-brainer to risky move.
Royce O’Neale would be a solid addition to the Kings’ supporting cast
As mentioned before, the Kings need size, defense, and experience, preferably in the form of a good three-point shooter. Brooklyn’s Royce O’Neale fits that job description.
He is versatile, playing the shooting guard, small forward, and power forward for the Nets this season. As a defender, he has matched up with Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, and Paolo Banchero among other high-level opponents.
The Kings could really use that versatility on both ends of the floor. Their bench is not very strong beyond Malik Monk and Trey Lyles, especially defensively. Keegan Murray is the Kings’ best wing defender other than Kessler Edwards, who barely plays, and could desperately use some help.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported the Kings’ interest in O’Neale as well as what it might cost to get him. The price is set at multiple second-round picks, which is not a bad deal for a solid role player who checks almost all of the Kings’ boxes.
There are some small issues, however. First of all, O’Neale’s three-point shooting has been down this season, as he is averaging only 36.6 percent from beyond the arc on 5.3 attempts per game. Last season, he averaged almost 39 percent, however, so maybe he can get back to that.
Secondly, O’Neale will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer, and the Kings would have to convince him to stick around. If the team is winning and he is content with his role, that should not be the biggest problem in the world, though.
Either way, O’Neale could help the Kings win right now by strengthening their defense and supporting cast.