The Sacramento Kings are off to a predictably uneven start. Their 3-7 record is good for 11th in the West. This team is totally capable of maintaining a Play-In push, but it’s worth wondering if such a goal is worthwhile at this stage. We know what this Kings team is – and what it isn’t. Eventually, even the most chronically inept front office in major American sports is going to realize that yeah, this ain’t working.
It seems that moment of reckoning is upon us. Sacramento radio host Carmichael Dave believes change is around the corner, and that the Kings will reshape the roster and focus on the future if the Kings’ downward spiral persists (narrator: it will sure as hell persist).
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This is not a definitive declaration of Sacramento’s impending rebuild, but it’s a hint at important changes behind the scenes. For too long, the Kings have accepted sustained mediocrity over the momentary lull inherent to rebuilding. This core’s hopes of doing anything special ended as soon as Mike Brown hit the road.
Sacramento has plenty of talent. Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, despite their well-documented shortcomings, are all productive, established stars who can greatly impact winning in the right situation.
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The goal for Sacramento should be to move off all three veterans by the deadline and start ‘Pining for Peterson’ – or whatever slogan we want to ascribe to this year’s tank brigade. Of course, this could all prove moot, it’s the Kings. But if Sacramento does finally hit the reset button, here’s how it might play out.
Kings swap bad contracts with Pelicans, send Zach LaVine to NOLA
Of Sacramento’s core pieces, Zach LaVine will be the most difficult to move – as evidenced by Chicago’s months of struggle trying to find a taker before the Kings bravely stepped in. LaVine is an excellent player, there’s no doubt about it, but skepticism has taken root after a career of toiling on bad teams. It’s impossible to blame LaVine for the rampant incompetence that followed him from Chicago to Sacramento, but after more than a decade of losing basketball, there just isn’t a reference point for what LaVine looks like in a winning context.
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That said, the New Orleans Pelicans are the most incompetent front office in the NBA under Joe Dumars, giving Sacramento a potential out. The Kings aren’t going to get major value back for LaVine, but even shuffling between bad contracts could be worth it, especially if the Pelicans cough up a promising young center in Yves Missi to sweeten the pot.
Dejounte Murray is still recovering from knee surgery. Jordan Poole has struggled out of the gate in NOLA. The Kings can hope to rebuild their value, as both figure to put up flashy numbers without stacking too many W’s. Missi gives the Kings an actual piece to fold into their long-term plans. New Orleans has its long-term starting five in Derik Queen, so Dumars shouldn’t cling too tightly to Missi. That’s not a player he drafted.
This isn’t a sexy move, but it could prove beneficial if Sacramento can flip Murray and/or Poole later on while Missi develops into a steadfast rotational big.
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Kings send DeMar DeRozan to Mavericks and invest in Max Christie
The price for DeMar DeRozan won’t be what Kings fans hope for, but he’s still a useful vet in the right situation. The Dallas Mavericks finally canned Nico Harrison and are in the market for big changes. There is a palpable desperation in Dallas and swapping the hollow husk of Klay Thompson for DeRozan could prove beneficial.
Few teams need halfcourt shot creation more than the Mavs. DeRozan can take Cooper Flagg off the ball and put him in more advantageous spots offensively. DeRozan should be a nice two-man partner for Anthony Davis, too. When Kyrie Irving gets back, the Mavs will have a nice variety of scorers and passers. DeRozan’s defensive limitations are what they are, but Dallas has the roster – on paper – to shield him on that end.
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Thompson isn’t a major piece for the Kings, but it’s worth eating his salary for a chance to develop Max Christie into a primetime wing. Christie might be the biggest bright spot of the disastrous Luka Doni trade. He’s a smooth perimeter shot-maker who could thrive in an elevated role for Sacramento.
Kings fans may bemoan watching Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson (reunion!) every other day for the next year-plus, but trust me. That team isn’t winning enough games to compromise their tank efforts, and any unexpected positive play can be parlayed into more trade capital down the road.
Kings can actually get something by sending Domantas Sabonis to Celtics
This would completely remake the Boston Celtics roster and change how Joe Mazzulla runs his offense, but the Celtics clearly don’t plan taking the year off while Jayson Tatum rehabs his torn Achilles. This gives Boston the firepower to stick around in a wide-open East while also giving them a boost upon Tatum’s return in 2027.
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Sabonis addresses the gaping void in the Celtics frontcourt. He can run two-man actions with Derrick White and Jaylen Brown, opening up fun new wrinkles as Boston leans more into mid-range and interior scoring. Keon Ellis is more than a toss-in, too. He’s a monster defender and a nice supplementary ball-handler to help keep the Celtics’ backcourt afloat.
Sabonis has his limitations, particularly as a defender, but if there’s any coach who can find the proper workaround and maximize Sabonis’ strengths, it’s Mazzulla, who’s already doing the most with an extremely flawed roster.
Sacramento has too many guards at this point, but Anfernee Simons and (especially) Payton Pritchard are actual building blocks, in theory. Pritchard’s diminutive status is a limitation, but he’s so gifted as a shooter. He can anchor the Kings’ offense for a while. The rest are trade bait and veteran placeholders, nothing more.
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One more trade to balance the Kings roster
Yes, yes, too many guards. The Kings can absolutely get value for Malik Monk, whose trade value was a hot-button topic all summer. Monk is shooting the lights out (again) to start the season and he’s becoming a genuine on-ball playmaker. The Orlando Magic still needs more perimeter firepower to help out Desmond Bane, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Monk can step in and provide major minutes.
Devin Carter probably finds himself with less of a clear path to minutes on a team already leaning on Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black and (one day) Jase Richardson, but Carter’s defensive anticipation and offensive connector traits make for a nice buy-low investment.
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In exchange, Sacramento can bet on Jett Howard’s development as a sharpshooting wing and hope to restore the value of Jonathan Isaac, who’s a game-wrecking defender at his peak. But mainly, the Kings pocket a distant future first-round pick that could prove valuable down the line, all while clearing the deck for Pritchard, Simons, Murray and Poole. You can’t say this Kings team won’t get buckets. But you can say they probably lose a bunch, which is ultimately a positive.
Cue the video.
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Go get that man, Sacramento.
This article was originally published on www.fansided.com as Here’s how the Kings can trade their stars and begin anew.
