The NBA Trade Deadline is February 8th, about two weeks away. The big question hovering over the Sacramento Kings for the next two weeks is what, if anything, Monte McNair will do to improve the Kings prior to the deadline. Normally, for anyone team in Sacramento’s situation it would simply be assumed that the team would make a move. After all, the Kings are a good but far from great team with clear flaws, and in the middle of a bit a stumble (Monday’s win over Atlanta notwithstanding). But Monte McNair has not been one to do what’s expected.
McNair has stood firm at multiple key junctures. For years it was expected that the Kings would trade Harrison Barnes at the deadline, and yet Barnes remains. It was thought that the Kings would get upgrades at last year’s trade deadline, yet the Kings held pat. It was thought that the Kings could make a splash in free agency this summer, as the Kings would not project to have cap space again anytime in the near future, and yet the Kings opted to extend Domantas Sabonis, re-sign Harrison Barnes, and mostly run it back with the same core.
The argument in favor of these moves, or lack thereof, has been twofold. There’s the regular argument that it takes two to tango. You can’t force another team to trade with you. And while that is true, you can incentivize teams to trade with you by including additional assets, which the Kings have not been able to do to get deals across the finish line. The other argument is that we don’t want the Kings to include additional assets. The idea that sometimes the best move is the move you don’t make, and that patience and prudence are the way to go. But this is the NBA, and there’s no trophy for having the most disciplined evaluative process. The NBA is judged by wins and losses. If, time and time again, teams aren’t willing to trade players for what you feel is a fair return, then perhaps the Kings are overvaluing their assets. If one GM doesn’t like your offer, maybe you’re just dealing with Masai. If no teams like your offer, maybe you’ve become Masai.
Anyone watching the Kings right now can see that they have issues. The defense is still non-existent, the team regularly fails to close out games, and the team starts too many games with a complete lack of urgency. The vibes are off. A shake up is needed.
While I understand that the Kings need to avoid making a big mistake, they also need to avoid failure by complacency. The Kings banked on internal improvement and cohesiveness, and it isn’t working. The team is, at best, as good as they were last season, although several key indicators suggest the Kings are worse despite having the same record. But the rest of the West got better. Growth isn’t linear, but growth also is not promised. Windows in the NBA are never open as long as we think they will be, and teams can fall apart just as quickly as they rise.
The Kings gain nothing by waiting. Sure, players may become available next summer that aren’t available at the deadline, we see it happen every year. But if the Kings lack the assets now to land a big splash, there’s nothing to suggest their assets will be better this summer. The Kings will not have cap space. The Kings will not have their first round pick this year (unless they fall out of the playoffs or lose in the play-in). The cupboard isn’t bare right now, the Kings have their future picks and various salaries for matching purposes, but the cupboard isn’t getting anything added to it either.
I do not envy the Kings front office right now. They have a solid core that isn’t good enough to carry the rest of the roster.
The Kings need to make a move. Find a way to make this team better, or risk watching the season slip away.
