The Sacramento Kings opted for continuity over major trades or signings this offseason, and there's wisdom behind that decision. With so many teams in the Western Conference once again having to build chemistry on the fly with a new cast of characters, Sacramento is hoping that internal growth and improved chemistry will have them sitting near the top of the standings once again.
Of course, that doesn't mean the Kings have to be completely done looking for upgrades. If there's one trade the Kings should target this offseason before training camp rolls around, it's to provide some extra frontcourt insurance behind Domantas Sabonis and pick up another player who can help space the floor.
The one trade candidate the Sacramento Kings should target is Utah Jazz F/C Kelly Olynyk.
Olynyk is a perfect fit in Sacramento for a few reasons. Most importantly, he fills a roster need. The Kings replaced Richaun Holmes (now with the Dallas Mavericks) this offseason with veteran Nerlens Noel, who represents an upgrade defensively over incumbent backup big Alex Len. Noel's defense can help anchor the second unit, but he offers next to nothing offensively.
Enter Olynyk, who started 68 games last year for the Utah Jazz. Olynyk was highly regarded by Jazz coach Will Hardy for being “the connective tissue” for the Jazz on both ends of the court, and you can imagine how he could do the same for Sacramento. The 32-year-old could reasonably operate at the high post (3.7 assists) and run a lot of the same actions the Kings run with Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox, or he could take over the Trey Lyles role as a spot-up shooter in transition (39.4 percent from 3) and small-ball 5 defensively. Sacramento was a juggernaut offensively in those smaller lineups, and Olynyk is an even better shooter and decision-maker than Lyles.
Olynyk is on an expiring contract and wouldn't jeopardize Sacramento's long-term plans. He wouldn't be taking important developmental minutes from anyone on the roster unless the Kings have plans on playing Euroleague MVP Sasha Vezenkov in really small lineups, so there's minimal risk in adding him.
What would it take?
The biggest blockade to trading for Olynyk is negotiating with Utah executive Danny Ainge, who understands trade leverage better than anyone. While Olynyk isn't a keeper long-term for the Jazz and is a luxury after the acquisition of John Collins, Ainge knows that Olynyk will become an even more valuable trade chip at the deadline, where contenders needing frontcourt help might be more willing to fork over a valuable draft pick to add the playoff-tested shooter.
That actually might work in Sacramento's favor, however. The Kings have plenty of draft picks to play with, and Trey Lyles won't be eligible to be traded until after January 15th. As the only real salary-matching option on Sacramento's roster in a trade for Olynyk (expiring deal worth $12.1 million), getting Olynyk to Sacramento without moving Lyles would be difficult and/or counter-intuitive.
Is Kelly Olynyk enough?
Is the juice worth the squeeze? Lyles is the far better defender in space, but Olynyk's offensive skill puts it over the top, as he's a significantly better playmaker and a better shooter than Lyles in a bigger package.
There's no reason for Sacramento to make any major overhauls to the roster. The Kings had the most efficient offense in basketball last season, and there may be a big leap coming for second-year forward Keegan Murray. The addition of Vezenkov, who looks more than ready for the NBA, could bolster an already dangerous bench unit. Davion Mitchell is only going to get better.
This is a roster primed to keep moving forward on the back of an unstoppable two-man game between Fox and Sabonis, but now it's about making smaller upgrades to non-core pieces at affordable prices. Upgrading from Lyles to Olynyk, and further eliminating some of the need to play Noel and Len, is a small enough change to preserve chemistry, but big enough to make a real on-court difference. Patience is likely needed, but Kelly Olynyk would be a great trade target for the Sacramento Kings.
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