Kings make measured moves with ‘damn near every player’ on the table in NBA trade talks
One of the NBA’s premier player agents surveyed the landscape as the winds of change billowed across the league on the eve of the trade deadline.
Forty-three players, more than a dozen draft picks and millions in cash considerations were about to be swapped in 16 trades that would be completed in the frenzied final hours leading up to Thursday’s deadline. Many more players were being discussed among front office executives in proposals that didn’t get to the finish line.
“Every team is talking about damn near every player,” the agent said.
That certainly seemed to be the case in Sacramento, where Kings general manager Monte McNair and his staff were engaged in talks on multiple fronts. At least eight players were the subject of trade talks and public speculation. Only De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton were viewed as untouchable.
In the end, McNair didn’t make any of the big moves involving Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III or Richaun Holmes, who will be a restricted free agent this summer. However, McNair did make a series of smaller moves to improve the team’s length, athleticism, defense and depth.
The Kings traded Cory Joseph to the Detroit Pistons and Nemanja Bjelica to the Miami Heat in separate deals to acquire Delon Wright, Terence Davis, Maurice Harkless and Chris Silva. Then to make room on the roster, Sacramento waived Jabari Parker and Mfiondu Kabengele, who was acquired Monday in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.
None of these trades will vault the Kings (20-25) to the top of the Western Conference, but they might put them in a better position to make a run at the playoffs over the last 27 games. After winning five of their last six games, including Thursday’s 141-119 victory over the Golden State Warriors, the Kings are tied for 11th in the West, two games behind the Warriors for the final play-in spot.
Here’s a closer look at each of these moves, what they could mean for the team and what McNair said about Sacramento’s newest Kings when the trades were officially announced Thursday night.
Wright stuff
The Kings traded Joseph to the Pistons along with a 2024 second-round draft pick in exchange for Wright. The 28-year-old combo guard who could really add something to Sacramento’s backcourt, potentially easing the burden on Fox at both ends of the floor.
Wright is a solid player who is averaging 10.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds in his sixth NBA season out of Utah. He is most comfortable as a pass-first point guard, but he has good size at 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds and offers positional versatility with 53% of his career minutes at point guard and 44% at shooting guard. His ability to work as a primary or secondary playmaker fits what the Kings are doing with Fox and Haliburton.
Wright doesn’t offer a lot in terms of perimeter shooting, but he shot a career-high 37% from 3-point range last season and is shooting 34.8% this season. Wright is good at getting into the paint, finishing around the rim and creating for teammates. He also takes a great deal of pride in his defense. With a wingspan listed between 6-6 ½ and 6-7 ½, he uses his length and anticipation to generate deflections and steals.
“We are excited to welcome Delon to the Kings family and to add his experience, defensive length, ability to create opportunities in the lane and capacity to finish strong to our backcourt,” McNair said. “At the same time, we thank Cory for his contributions to the team, veteran leadership and remarkable durability. A consummate professional and respected mentor, we wish Cory and his family all the best moving forward.”
Size and length
The Kings traded Bjelica to the Heat for Harkless and Silva, adding size, length and depth to their frontcourt.
Harkless, 27, is a 6-foot-7, 220-pound small forward with an incredible 7-2 wingspan. Silva, 24, is a 6-foot-8, 234-pound power forward with a 6-11 wingspan and a 37-inch vertical.
Neither has played a significant role for the Heat this season, but both could help the Kings. Harkless is capable of playing either forward position. Silva can provide backup minutes at power forward or center.
Harkless has bounced around over the past two seasons after enjoying his best years with the Portland Trail Blazers from 2015-19. Silva is still trying to establish himself as a player after going undrafted out of South Carolina in 2019.
“We are pleased to add Maurice and Chris to the team and welcome them to Sacramento,” McNair said. “Each player brings depth, defensive presence and athleticism to the wing and frontcourt. We also thank Nemanja for his contributions to the team during his career in Sacramento. His veteran presence has been invaluable, and we wish the very best for him and his family.”
Bench scoring
The Kings traded a 2021 second-round draft pick to the Raptors in exchange for Davis, a 23-year-old shooting guard who earned a role with a 53-win Raptors team after going undrafted out of Ole Miss in 2019.
Davis appeared in 106 games for the Raptors, averaging 7.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 16.1 minutes per game. He was an NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection in 2020, but he has faced off-court issues since he was arrested in October following an alleged incident of domestic violence involving his 20-year-old girlfriend.
The 6-foot-4, 201-pound shooting guard is an explosive athlete and a capable scorer. He had a 31-point game against the Chicago Bulls last season and scored 22 in a game against the Celtics earlier this month. Davis is also a physical and rangy defender with good size and an impressive 6-9 wingspan.
“Terence is a talented young player that adds depth and scoring ability to our backcourt,” McNair said. “We are excited to see what he brings to Sacramento.”
This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 11:54 AM.
