Kings trade season: Is a splashy move coming? Can they deal Bagley, Hield, Fox or Holmes?
The Dec. 15 start date has passed, which means it’s unofficially trade season in the NBA. That makes it a crucial time for Sacramento Kings general manager Monte McNair, who is operating under the mandate of ending the team’s 15-year playoff drought this spring.
The situation is awfully tricky. The Kings entered Friday as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference before getting thumped by the Grizzlies and were missing star guard Ja Morant to an ankle injury. Sacramento doesn’t have a roster that can push contenders in a seven-game series.
They would likely have to part with what could be very valuable draft capital to find players that could improve the roster this season, while also shipping out a player or two already in the rotation, such as Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield and/or Richaun Holmes, assuming they don’t push all their chips in and move De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton, their two best players and most valuable assets.
The playoff mandate makes McNair’s job difficult. Many executives in the Kings’ position would strip the roster for as many draft picks as possible and bottom out to position for the lottery. That way, they could develop a group of young players on affordable contracts and build something sustainable for the long haul — and give themselves the option of cashing out all those assets if a star player sprung available in a trade.
In theory, Fox could net Sacramento a good player and handful of draft picks. The same is true for Haliburton. Barnes, a dependable wing, might be valuable to a contender, while Holmes has value as an efficient big man who will make between $10 and $13 million through 2025. The Kings nearly traded Hield to the Lakers over the offseason before L.A. decided to get Russell Westbrook instead.
Combined, Fox, Barnes, Hield and Holmes would clear some $80 million in cap space, leaving McNair a blank canvas if he decided to tear it all down and build from scratch. That quartet hasn’t gotten the Kings much this season. Breaking it up would leave Haliburton and Davion Mitchell, promising young players on rookie contracts, to build around.
The Kings’ roster lacks shooting at just about every position and is nowhere near good enough defensively to overcome that problem. It’s guard-heavy, lacks wings and doesn’t have forwards or center that can consistently stretch the floor to create space for the guards. Fox has shown flashes, but he hasn’t elevated those around him or improved enough as a 3-point shooter to be considered a sure-fire star yet.
But becoming sellers doesn’t seem likely under owner Vivek Ranadive, who has made it clear he wants postseason basketball to be played at Golden 1 Center sooner rather than later, even if getting there makes it more difficult to build something sustainable beyond this season.
What about Bagley?
The No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft, Marvin Bagley III, is likely playing his last season for the Kings, who would shock the league if they made the qualifying offer for next season. And Sacramento would have to attach a draft pick to get another team to take on the remainder of his $11.3 million salary for the rest of the season.
Before landing in the COVID-19 health and safety protocol this week, Bagley appeared in just 13 games this season, averaging 8.1 points and 6.7 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game. That Sacramento drafted Bagley and passed on Luka Doncic and Trey Young will haunt the franchise for a long, long time, while exemplifying the team’s nightmarish draft history of the last decade-plus.
Is Ben Simmons a possibility?
The Athletic reported in September the Kings would be unwilling to include Fox or Haliburton in any deal for Philadelphia 76ers disgruntled star Ben Simmons, a 6-foot-10 distributor who is also among the best defenders in the NBA.
It’s almost Christmas and Simmons hasn’t stepped on the court this season amid the drama behind the scenes in Philadelphia. But things could be heating up. ESPN reported the 76ers are trying to land a top-25 player while considering two- and three-team trades.
Could the Kings be involved? That would depend on their willingness to part with Fox and/or Haliburton. Even then, would Simmons be happy in Sacramento? Do the Kings have enough scoring to take advantage of his passing? Simmons would be a clear upgrade defensively and would give Sacramento their best defensive option to guard other stars they’ve had in years.
But believing Simmons would come in, change the culture (in a positive way) and get the team to the playoffs is a tough, tough sell. That’s if the Kings even have pieces the 76ers want.
What other players might be available?
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner is one of the league’s best rim protectors and also shoots threes at a respectable clip. There’s been speculation about his long-term fit next to Domantas Sabonis which could lead to Indiana moving the 25-year-old. But are the Kings dramatically better in the short and long term if they send the Pacers the compensation it would require?
Would the New Orleans Pelicans think about trading 24-point scorer Brandon Ingram? They could be in flux with Zion Williams’ injury status becoming more problematic by the day. But that would likely take Fox or Haliburton and draft picks to make that happen.
Atlanta swing man Cam Reddish has the talent and size the Kings’ roster lacks on the wing, but he’s struggled to score efficiently since entering the league. The Hawks might try to move him and use his 37.5% shooting clip from distance this season as a selling point. But Reddish isn’t the type to change the trajectory of a season.
Maybe the Cavaliers might finally be willing to trade Kevin Love, who would give Sacramento a badly needed floor spacer that could work in the front court. But he’s making over $31 million this season. Perhaps Cedi Osman, who’s shooting 40% from deep, would be the Cavalier shooter worth targeting.
Taurean Prince? Thaddeus Young? Kevin Knox? Malik Beasley? Those are hardly names that are going to move the needle for the Kings this season, even if they could provide short-term upgrades to the roster.
Here’s a shot in the dark. What about Minnesota Timberwolves star center Karl-Anthony Towns? The Wolves have only appeared in one playoff series since Towns was drafted and there’s a feeling a breakup might be coming. Perhaps Towns paired with Fox or Haliburton could be a duo for the Kings to build around for the long haul. That’s the type of trade the Kings need to consider if they’re intent on avoiding rebuilding mode.
Of course, the big fix to all their problems would be drafting a real star instead of paying three players (Fox, Barnes and Hield) a combined $71.5 million only to be working hard just to get into the play-in tournament.
