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With all of the talent on their roster this season, the Sacramento Kings are not having the kind of success they were looking for. They are now 18-34 and are out of the Western Conference playoff picture.
Despite having players such as De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield, Tyrese Haliburton, Davion Mitchell, and several key role players, the Kings have not performed as expected. It’s difficult to say why a team with this talent struggles, but their below-average defense can likely be blamed for a lot of their problems.
Given that Buddy Hield was almost dealt during the previous offseason, there have been several speculations that the Sacramento Kings are interested in dealing him once again.
Let’s take a look at four trades that the Sacramento Kings may consider for Buddy Hield in order to either assist a rebuild or if they want to maintain some of their key players by retooling around them.
While all of these deals may be difficult, some contending teams will overspend and will have to give back a large package because of the players’ salaries. Not all of these moves are likely, but contending clubs will try everything possible to improve, which might lead to some unusual deals, as we have seen in the past.
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Best Trades The Kings Must Make For Buddy Hield
Kings get: Reggie Bullock, Dwight Powell, Josh Green
Mavs get: Buddy Hield
Although this isn’t the best offer the Kings can get for Buddy Hield, it is something they should consider. If the Mavericks truly believe they need that clutch three-point shooter to win in the playoffs, they may toss in a draft pick or two. Dallas is one of the NBA’s worst 3-point shooting teams, so they’ll be seeking for players that can spread the floor and assist Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in the playoffs.
From the standpoint of the Kings, it isn’t a horrible deal because they would be obtaining three players that are more than capable of playing in this league and giving serviceable minutes.
Kings get: Dennis Schroder, Josh Richardson, Aaron Nesmith, 2024 first-round pick
Celtics get: Buddy Hield
The Boston Celtics are in a similar situation as the Dallas Mavericks, since they are one of the league’s worst 3-point shooting teams. While the Celtics may not have the assets to acquire a player like Buddy Hield, this could be something that they are interested in because Dennis Schroder has shown that he can be an above-average player at times throughout his career, and Josh Richardson and Aaron Nesmith are still young and have the potential to be decent players one day. When you consider that they’d be getting two young players and a first-round draft pick, it’s possible that this is something the Kings want to do if they’re trying to rebuild.
Kings get: Evan Fournier, Obi Toppin, future draft pick
Knicks get: Buddy Hield
The New York Knicks will do everything possible at this year’s deadline to give Madison Square Garden fans what they wanted heading into the season. But, while he may not be the type of player who can step in for the Knicks and become a star, Hield is surely someone who can assist this struggling squad. It’s possible that their decision to move Obi Toppin may be questioned, but the Knicks have shown that you never know what they’re going to do, and this might benefit the Kings if they let him go.
If the Kings are going to make all of the changes that are expected to be made, they will need someone to play the 4-5 position, and Obi Toppin can do just that. He is still early in his career and has the ability to be an All-Star type of player if his development is right.
Kings get: Jerami Grant
Pistons get: Buddy Hield, 2025-2nd round pick, 2026 2nd round-pick
The Kings would be most interested in this move, but only if they aren’t going to trade many of their core players and instead attempt to retool around De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. Recent rumors have suggested that both of these players might be the only ones who stay in Sacramento, and if that is the case, a trade like this could be made.
Only if the Kings are serious about winning a championship in the near future will they make this trade. If this club believes it will be forced into another rebuilding phase in the near future, this trade would be counterproductive since they would want and need all of the draft picks they can get.
It’ll be fascinating to see what kind of package Buddy Hield receives before the deadline this year. He is without a doubt one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA, but his contract is not team-friendly, and many teams will have to offer back a large package for Sacramento to get a trade done.