NBA Trade Machine: Hypothetical trades for every Sacramento Kings player
Momentum is gathering for the NBA to resume, but there’s still no guarantee the Kings will be a part of the restart. Even if they are, it would be months before they take the court. And that potential return might only last a handful of games rather than the 19 regular-season contests unplayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
That means Kings fans are going to have to get creative and entertain themselves with some far-fetched forms of basketball talk for the foreseeable future. But just because an idea is bold doesn’t mean it’s not useful. Understanding trade value can be enlightening, even if it doesn’t come with authentic intention to pull the trigger.
That’s what this list is all about. What could the Kings get for the players on Sacramento’s roster? How about their draft picks? Consider these questions seriously and you might learn something or form a valuable opinion. Heck, you might even find a trade worth doing. NBA front offices discuss matters like this all the time, though they don’t discuss it.
What follows are my best attempts to find a deal for every tradeable asset in Sacramento’s war chest. That means upcoming free agents Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kent Bazemore, Alex Len, Harry Giles and Yogi Ferrell will not be included, but everything else is fair game.
When listing picks, the most likely draft slot will be shown, but keep in mind that the lottery will shake that up. Finally, none of these trades can be made until the start of the new league year, though they can be agreed to once the offseason is underway.
With those disclaimers out of the way, let’s dive right into the action.
Marvin Bagley to the Washington Wizards
Sacramento gets: Thomas Bryant, 2020 first-rounder (Pick 9)
Washington gets: Marvin Bagley
While the Kings are unlikely to explore trading Bagley, the emergence of Richaun Holmes has made it less than unthinkable. There’s no question Bagley has tons of potential, but Holmes is better right now and the two don’t work together on the court at the same time. If Sacramento could get a rotation-level big man and a top-10 pick, the Kings should consider it.
This could be a great opportunity for the Wizards as well. While he has lost some sticker value after two seasons limited by injury, Bagley’s upside is better than what Washington can hope to add in the draft or free agency. He could be a good selling point to try to get Bradley Beal to stay in town. And if Beal leaves, Bagley is young enough to be part of a new core in Washington.
2020 first-rounder to the Chicago Bulls
Sacramento gets: Lauri Markkanen
Chicago gets: 2020 first-rounder (Projected pick 12)
The Bulls are going through lots of managerial changes and it’s hard to know exactly how that will reflect on the roster. Markkanen was not shy about his frustration with the last regime. The Bulls could smooth everything over with their recent moves, but it might be simpler to just cut ties. A lottery pick could make that decision simple.
The Kings tried and failed to add a sharp-shooting big man in Dewayne Dedmon last offseason. If they can pry Markkanen away from the Bulls, they could get everything they had hoped for with Dedmon and more. Markkanen is seven years younger than Dedmon and has a much more complete game. A frontcourt of Bagley and Markkanen would be an offensive marvel.
Buddy Hield to the Orlando Magic
Sacramento gets: Aaron Gordon
Orlando gets: Buddy Hield
If Hield were to be traded, the goal would be to alleviate the logjam with Bogdanovic at shooting guard. The best solution would be to find a player to slot into a forward position. Aaron Gordon fits that mold and is surprisingly young at 24. This is a trade the Kings should be interested in, as Gordon would round out Sacramento’s lineup nicely.
Of all NBA teams, the Magic might be the first to jump at the prospect of adding Hield. They have only one starter shooting above 33 percent from 3-point range this season and Hield would solve that problem instantly. If Markelle Fultz is Orlando’s point guard of the future, they’re going to need a sharpshooter like Hield as his backcourt partner.
Richaun Holmes to the Boston Celtics
Sacramento gets: Vincent Poirier, 2020 first-rounder (Pick 17)
Boston gets: Richaun Holmes, 2020 second-rounder (Pick 35)
Holmes broke out this season in sensational fashion, but there’s a problem. The Kings are still invested in Bagley, and the two have redundant playing styles. Neither are good passers nor shooters, so one is likely to be stuck as a backup. If the Kings stay committed to Bagley, then they should consider exploring trades for Holmes.
Due to his small contract, the easiest route for a Holmes trade is probably a draft pick. The Celtics have a hole at the center position and Holmes could make them the second-best team in the Eastern Conference. That could be worth the 17th pick in a weak draft as long as the Kings send back a quality second-rounder. If not, the Celtics could offer pick 26 instead.
Nemanja Bjelica to the Milwaukee Bucks
Sacramento gets: Ersan Ilyasova, 2020 first-rounder (pick 19)
Milwaukee gets: Nemanja Bjelica, 2020 second-rounder (pick 35)
Bjelica is in a similar contract situation to Holmes, but is less likely to be traded. He is a unique piece of the Kings roster as the only big man that can shoot. However, he is the oldest player on the roster at 32 and has never been particularly athletic. If Sacramento is worried about his game declining, they could try to go young by swapping him for a draft pick.
Milwaukee loves big shooters and they don’t mind older players. The Bucks want to win now and don’t have a lot of time to develop rookies from a weak draft class. Bjelica would be an instant upgrade over Ilyasova. Watching Bjelica bomb 3s while Giannis Antetokounmpo dominates inside the arc would be incredibly fun.
Harrison Barnes to the Indiana Pacers
Sacramento gets: Myles Turner
Indiana gets: Harrison Barnes, 2020 second-rounder (Pick 35)
Outside of De’Aaron Fox, Barnes is the least likely Kings player to be traded. That’s not because he is the second-best player but simply because he’s the only true forward on the team. Trading him would create a huge hole in the middle of Sacramento’s roster, but if the Kings commit to addressing that in the draft and free agency, then a trade might be possible.
Taking that risk would only be worth it for a franchise-changing player. Turner could be just that. His combination of interior defense and shooting would be a perfect match with Fox and Bagley. The only reason he could be available is the emergence of All-Star center Domantas Sabonis. The Pacers might consider swapping Turner for a forward like Barnes if they can get a decent draft pick as well.
Cory Joseph to the Detroit Pistons
Sacramento gets: Tony Snell
Detroit gets: Cory Joseph
Joseph is a quality backup point guard, but he is not an essential part of the Kings future. Sacramento is unlikely to shop him and he won’t have much value with his inflated contract. The only reasonable trade target in this situation would be a similarly overpaid small forward. It might be a lateral move, but the Kings have struggled to land players like Snell in the past.
Snell would be a capable backup for Barnes. He’s a decent defender and is shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range this season. An added advantage here would be a diversification of options in the draft for Sacramento. This year has a guard-heavy lottery and the Kings could find a solid backup point guard in the first round.
Jabari Parker to the Atlanta Hawks
Sacramento gets: 2020 second-rounder (Pick 52)
Atlanta gets: Jabari Parker, 2020 second-rounder (Pick 35)
Parker came to Sacramento in the deal that dumped Dedmon to the Hawks. He played only 15 minutes for the Kings and has a player option for way too much money next season. If the Kings move on from him, it will be in another salary dump, and it might just be in another trade with the Hawks.
Atlanta has a ton of cap space, probably more than it can use effectively. The Hawks clearly don’t have a problem taking players back who recently left and they are young enough to value second-round picks. Moving up 17 spots in the second round could be worth taking on Parker. And saving $6.5 million would be worth it for Sacramento, too.
Justin James to the New York Knicks
Sacramento gets: 2020 second-rounder (Pick 38)
New York gets: Justin James, 2020 second-rounder (Pick 53)
James is another player who is highly unlikely to be traded. He has yet to make a big enough impression on the league to garner interest, and he is on such a small contract that he can’t be used to acquire many players. The only move here would be using him to move up in the second round of the draft, which is not particularly exciting.
The Knicks are the most likely takers in a scenario like this. For New York, it could represent a two-for-one swap of young prospects, which would help to fill out an unstable roster. The Knicks only have five players with fully guaranteed contracts next season and they want to stay flexible going forward. Adding cheap young players would accomplish that.
2020 second-rounders to the Los Angeles Lakers
Sacramento gets: 2020 first-rounder (Pick 29)
Los Angeles gets: 2020 second-rounders (Picks 35, 43, 53)
It’s pretty difficult to trade into the first round of the draft using only second-rounders, but the Kings have the ammunition this year. Just because they can doesn’t mean they should, but Sacramento needs to closely monitor any prospects falling in the draft. If one of their favorite targets is available at pick 25 or later, they should aggressively try to consolidate their picks.
The Lakers are among the most likely teams to bite. They have only one pick, but might prefer two or three cheap options to soak up roster spots. Picking in the first round means locking in two years of guaranteed money. The Lakers value flexibility and every dollar matters in their pursuit of a championship. Sacramento’s longtime enemy could be a friend on draft night.
De’Aaron Fox to the Cleveland Cavaliers
Sacramento gets: Darius Garland, 2020 first-rounder (Pick 2), future first-rounder
Cleveland gets: De’Aaron Fox
I saved Fox for last because the chance the Kings trade him is exactly zero. However, as a pure thought exercise, this presents an interesting debate. Would it be better to look for a simple swap of exciting young point guards, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Ja Morant, or go for a complete rebuild by acquiring a stockpile of draft picks?
My vote goes for the latter. Starting over would be heartbreaking for a Kings team that feels closer than ever to getting back in the playoffs, but the current version of the Kings does not have championship potential. Going full Philadelphia 76ers and trusting the process could result in a higher ceiling, though it would probably cost a lot of people their jobs.
This trade is representative of many ideas on this list. They are not predictions or even recommendations. But it is worthwhile to consider the value of every player within the trade market. Aggressive moves should be openly discussed, even if nothing comes of them. That’s especially true for a team like the Kings, who must find a way to make a leap forward.
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 4:00 AM.