Ranking all 14 Sacramento Kings players by trade value
By Mat Issa
Tier #3: One or More Second Round Picks
Kings Players In This Category: Trey Lyles and Colby Jones
Okay, so we've finally gotten to a tier where the players are actually worth some assets. This group of players isn't good enough to command a coveted first round pick or even a flock of second rounders, but they are good enough to nab you one (or a couple) of seconds.
In this category, I have Trey Lyles and Colby Jones. As the way I have them listed suggests, I think Lyles could command more on the open market than Jones.
Jones will be entering his sophomore campaign in 2024-25. During his rookie year, he flashed some promise (especially as a secondary rim protector), and he still has three years on his team-friendly contract (he won't be taking up more than 1.51% of his team's salary cap until at least 2027). However, he was drafted in the second round (34th overall), and he is already 22 (limiting his window for growth). So, it is hard to argue that he would get more than one second round pick from another team.
On the flip side, Lyles is one of the most underrated bench players in the NBA. At 6'10 with the ability to shoot (38.4% from three), attack closeouts (73rd percentile in drives true shooting, per Thinking Basketball database), and offer some secondary rim protection (47th percentile in block rate last year), Lyles gives you what every team is looking for – functional size. Plus, he's only making eight million dollars next season (and he's on an expiring contract).
A team with a need for a player like Lyles would definitely cough up two or three seconds. But since he isn't an elite bench player/solid starter, that's probably the most the Kings could get for him.