NBA trade deadline: Can the Kings make a move to help the team’s playoff push?
The Kings were 3 1/2 games out of eighth place in the Western Conference with a 17-24 record on Jan. 25, 2006, when they finalized the deal that sent Peja Stojakovic to the Indiana Pacers for Ron Artest.
Their best years were behind them, but the move to acquire a physical defensive stopper at small forward quickly paid off. After Artest, who later changed his named to Metta World Peace, joined the Kings, they won 15 of their next 22 and made the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. That was the eighth consecutive postseason appearance for the Kings — and also their last.
Thirteen years later, the Kings (24-24) are trying to end the NBA’s longest postseason drought. Their best years are ahead of them, it seems, but they are 1 1/2 games out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference. A savvy move before the Feb. 7 NBA trade deadline could be what they need to make a playoff push.
“Our job is to try to improve our team if we see something that makes sense,” Kings general manager Vlade Divac said.
Divac and his front-office staff have put the team in a strong position to be a major player before the deadline. With $11 million in available cap space, they are the only team in the league under the salary cap. They can take on more salary than they send out in a trade or use the cap space to absorb a bad contract in exchange for assets.
The Kings also have nearly $37 million in expiring contracts that could be attractive to teams trying to clear cap space for this summer’s free-agent bonanza. Zach Randolph, a 37-year-old power forward who has not suited up this season, is making $11.7 million. Starting small forward Iman Shumpert ($11 million), backup center Kosta Koufos ($8.7 million) and reserve guard Ben McLemore ($5.5 million) also could be used as trade pieces.
Sacramento might also be willing to entertain offers for starting center Willie Cauley-Stein, who is in the final year of his rookie-scale contract. Cauley-Stein could become a restricted free agent this summer if the Kings don’t sign him to a contract extension. In that case, the Kings would have to match another team’s offer or watch Cauley-Stein walk away without receiving anything in return.
The only players the Kings are unlikely to include in trade talks are guards De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic and rookie big men Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles III. The front office regards those players as the young core of a team that could become a top contender in the coming years.
So what can the Kings do to acquire a player who would vault them into the playoffs now without mortgaging the future? That’s a more complicated question. And, unfortunately for the Kings, it might be a much shorter answer.
In addition to the eight teams at the top of each conference, there are three teams within 2 1/2 games of the eighth spot in the East and five teams within four games of the eighth spot in the West. Essentially, there are 24 teams in playoff contention and only six that are seemingly out of the race.
Rarely have there been so many buyers and so few sellers leading up to the trade deadline. That could drive up prices and push some teams out of the market.
Divac will prioritize his long-term vision and cap flexibility over any short-term solutions in trade talks, but he’s willing to deal should the right trade arise.
The Kings have been shopping for size and length at small forward and a veteran point guard who can reduce Fox’s heavy workload. They could also try to bring in another big man — ideally one who rebounds, defends and runs the floor — particularly if they plan to part ways with Cauley-Stein.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported two weeks ago the Kings were discussing a deal that would have sent Randolph to the New York Knicks for center Enes Kanter. League sources told The Bee those talks quickly broke down, possibly because the Knicks were unwilling to take another of Sacramento’s expiring contracts.
Marc Stein of the New York Times later reported the Kings expressed interest in Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeremy Lin, who is averaging 10.8 points and 3.6 assists in a backup role. Lin will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but he would make sense as a short-term rental for the Kings.
Sacramento reportedly pursued Washington Wizards small forward Otto Porter Jr. in free agency and trade talks over the past couple of years. The Wizards have an alarming salary-cap situation and desperately need to reduce payroll, but they are still in playoff contention and might not be willing to part with Porter, a strong defender who averages 13 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Another small forward the Kings could pursue is Harrison Barnes, who is averaging 17.9 points and shooting 39.6 percent from 3-point range for the Dallas Mavericks. At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, Barnes could be an ideal fit for Sacramento.
The Phoenix Suns have the greatest surplus of small forwards, including T.J. Warren, Kelly Oubre Jr., Josh Jackson and Mikal Bridges. Warren and Oubre would be the most attractive options for the Kings, but neither is a particularly good defender.
An under-the-radar target for the Kings could be JaMychal Green of the Memphis Grizzlies, who are finally listening to offers for franchise fixtures Mike Conley and Marc Gasol as they look to rebuild around rookie Jaren Jackson Jr.
Green is listed as a 6-9, 227-pound power forward, but when Kings coach Dave Joerger was in Memphis, he once said he felt Green was more of a small forward who was playing out of position. Green is averaging 10.4 points and 6.7 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game. He’s shooting a career-best 39.3 percent from beyond the arc.
“He’s active,” Joerger told The Birmingham News in 2016. “How many guys this year has he run down from behind, guards, especially, (and) the bigs as well? He plays with a lot of heart. ... I love him.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2019 at 5:22 PM.