Across the league, the Sacramento Kings are expected to make big moves before the trade deadline. But the same rumors flew during the offseason, and nothing happened. If the Kings don't make trades now, they play through the rest of the season with the squad they have and plan for what's next.
With a current record of 13 wins and 25 losses, the Kings are one of the worst teams in the league. They're barely hanging on to 14th in the Western Conference. If the Pelicans pick up one more win and the Kings keep losing, Sacramento will find themselves back in dead last in short order.
In an attempt to right the ship, general manager Scott Perry has hit the reset button and is attempting to rebuild the team. It's the only way things are going to get better. To do that, Sacramento needs to make some big trades, and they might not get them done before the deadline.
The trade deadline is bearing down on the Kings
December 15th is the unofficial start to the trade season, as most contracts signed in the offseason become open for trades. That all comes to an end on February 5th, when trades are shut down, and the rosters are locked in for the rest of the season through the postseason.
The Kings have made it clear that they are open to trades on pretty much everyone on the team. That being said, they really want to move Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan. They all have big contracts and don't fit the new defense-first model brought in by Doug Christie.
Rumors have been flying about the Kings throughout trade season, particularly when it comes to Sabonis. The problem is that nothing concrete has happened yet. Sacramento is running out of time before they can't make any trades, and they are stuck with their current roster, Sabonis and all.
How it plays out for the Kings from here
There's still time for Sacramento to get trades done before the deadline. If they don't, it's not the end of the rebuild. The 2026 NBA Draft is coming up, as is free agency. And the Kings have 10 players who will be free agents this year in one form or another, including LaVine's player option.
Assuming LaVine chooses to stay, the worst-case scenario is that he and DeRozan remain with the Kings until their contracts are up in 2027 and Sabonis leaves in 2028. While that limits big moves, Sacramento can still make adjustments to the supporting cast around them.
The trade deadline is important, particularly for teams who are contenders now. That's definitely not the Kings. Perry has been clear that the rebuild is a long-term process, and it's bigger than one trade deadline. Making smart roster moves is far more important to Sacramento's future.