The NBA Trade Deadline is Thursday, February 8th. With the deadline rapidly approaching, it makes sense to look around the landscape and assess where everything stands.
Rumored Targets
The Sacramento Kings have been connected at various times to many targets, but it still feels like nobody is exactly sure what Monte McNair will do, if anything. OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam were rumored targets over the last year or so, but Siakam was acquired by the Indiana Pacers and OG was acquired by the New York Knicks. Both players are thriving in their new spots, especially OG who has completely transformed the Knicks season. It’s a bit painful to see, even if the Kings may not have had any realistic way to beat New York’s trade package.
The Kings have also been rumored to be interested in Jerami Grant and/or Matisse Thybulle, but the latest reports suggest Portland is in no hurry to deal either player. Are the Trail Blazers posturing, or are they really going to keep the core together for the rest of the year?
From the Bulls, I’m sure the Kings are among the dozen teams interested in acquiring Alex Caruso, but Chicago has reportedly shown no interest in moving him. And we can officially count out Zach LaVine as a trade target after he opted for season-ending surgery on Saturday. LaVine would have been a precarious fit with the Kings anyway, and the risk plus his contract would have made me pretty nervous.
Finally, we have Kyle Kuma. The Kings have been linked to Kuzma for years, dating back to the failed Buddy Hield trade that would have brought Kuzma to the Kings. The Washington Wizards had reportedly been seeking multiple first round picks for Kuzma, but reports this last week have suggested that the Wizards asking price might be coming down as the deadline nears. Still, the Wizards don’t have a need to unload Kuzma. His contract will only continue to become more attractive as it declines year over year. The Wizards can hold him and remain confident there will be a market for him in the summer or in seasons to come. If the Kings do make a big move, Kuzma seems like the most likely target at this point.
Team Needs
If we’d written this column a month ago, or even two weeks ago, we might’ve been talking about the need to upgrade over Harrison Barnes or Kevin Huerter. But both players have emerged from their early season slumps and reminded us why they were such critical parts of the Beam Team last season. Harrison Barnes in particular has really stepped up his game lately. When Barnes is aggressive and involved in the offense, the Kings are simply a better team:
14-2 this season when Barnes shoots at least 10 shots
— Jillian Adge (@JillAdge) February 4, 2024
As it stands today, the Kings biggest need is clearly some sort of bench upgrade. I don’t see Malik Monk or Trey Lyles going anywhere, but both players have been inconsistent this season. When one or both of them isn’t playing well, the Kings have been getting killed in their bench minutes. I don’t know that the Kings will look at upgrading the backup center spot, either. JaVale McGee and Alex Len have both had stretches where they’re effective, despite their limitations.
We’ve heard for most of the year that Davion Mitchell is available in trades, and I’ll be surprised if he’s still on the Kings at this time next week. He needs a new situation, a new offense, a fresh start. I still believe Davion can be a solid NBA player, but I don’t think he fits what the Kings need as a backup point guard.
Aside from backup point guard, the other glaring need is another wing. The Kings need someone who can spell Barnes and Keegan Murray without being an a net negative. The Chris Duarte gamble hasn’t paid off, and Kessler Edwards is a solid defender but doesn’t give you any offense. Sasha Vezenkov hasn’t had the immediate impact I’d hoped he would, though he has had some nice moments. But even when he’s playing well, and playing better defense than I expected from him, he’s not a real wing as much as he’s a stretch four.
So what will the Kings do?
This is the million dollar question, and I really don’t know. Given the front office’s hesitation to disrupt the team’s chemistry and cohesion, I’ll be surprised if we see a big splash. I think a small move or two swapping out bench pieces for different bench pieces is far more likely. And as much as I’d like a blockbuster move to vault the Kings into true contender status, I’m trying not to get my hopes up. McNair has shown himself to be far more patient than Kings fans, and we’re probably in for another display of caution and patience rather than unabashed ambition.
