One of the Sacramento Kings' top targets ahead of the NBA trade deadline is now off the market. The Kings lost out on the Pascal Siakam sweepstakes when the Indiana Pacers acquired the All-Star forward from the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday afternoon. Sacramento's desire to land Siakam is no secret. But, unfortunately, both the Kings and the Raptors just couldn't agree on a workable deal that would have sent the Cameroonian to the capital of California. The dream of having a big three of De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Pascal Siakam is now dead.
With Siakam now off the table, the Kings are likely to head towards a Plan B. Sacramento should remain a major player on the trade market as it looks to bolster its chances to make a deeper playoff run than it did last season.
The Kings are reportedly looking to make upgrades across their roster. Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter, and Davion Mitchell are the three players who have been floated around in most trade scenarios involving Sacramento. Those three, in particular, have seen their roles decline this season, so it's no surprise that Barnes, Huerter, and Mitchell find themselves in trade rumors.
Their dip in production hasn't helped the Kings improve from last season, where they finished as the third seed in the Western Conference. From finishing with the best offensive rating in NBA history last year, Sacramento now finds itself in the middle of the pack at No. 14. Likewise, their defense also hasn't taken a major leap to compensate for the drop in offense.
While the Kings are still in decent shape at 6th in the West standings, they still have needs to address if they want to take a step towards progress.
Harrison Barnes upgrade
Barnes has been a solid veteran and has been the ultimate professional in guiding this young, up-and-coming Kings squad over the past couple of seasons. While Sacramento values what the 31-year-old brings as a veteran mentor, his on-court contributions just aren't what the Kings need right now.
Barnes' playing time and production have dropped this 2023-24 season. He averaged 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 2022-23. Those numbers are now down to 10.8 points and 2.8 rebounds this season.
By trading for Siakam, the Kings particularly wanted to upgrade Barnes' power forward spot. Sacramento looked to make him the centerpiece of the package that could have landed them the newest Pacers star. Last week, the Kings and Raptors reportedly had discussions on a potential Siakam deal, but Sacramento eventually pulled out of the talks.
Kings trade targets
Now, the Kings could look to other trade options to upgrade from Harrison Barnes. The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor detailed out a viable Plan B for Sacramento. He identified Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant and Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic as potential trade targets.
And he noted a pathway where the Kings could get both of them.
“In theory, the Kings could send Barnes and Mitchell with picks to Portland for Grant,” O'Connor wrote. “And send Huerter with picks to Detroit for Bogdanovic.”
That's certainly a viable plan should everything fall into place.
Grant offers solid two-way play with an ability to create his own shot and also serve as spot-up shooter from beyond the arc. He also offers versatility and length on the defensive side of the floor. Unfortunately, reports came out recently that the Blazers are not expected to make Grant available in trade talks ahead of the NBA trade deadline. But in case they do, the Kings should pounce on looking to trade for him. Certainly, Grant will be an upgrade over Barnes.
Bogdanovic, meanwhile, despite being 34 years old, is still a productive and efficient scorer in the NBA. He is averaging 19.8 points per game this season on 47.0 percent field goal shooting and 40.8 percent three-point shooting. The Pistons could very well embark on a fire sale at the NBA trade deadline and acquiring a 25-year-old shooter like Huerter could be a solid return for an aging forward like Bogdanovic.
A 3-and-D guard
Apart from a Harrison Barnes upgrade, the Kings could also use a 3-and-D guard to pair with De'Aaron Fox in the Kings' starting backcourt. Kevin Huerter's production and efficiency from beyond the arc has taken a dip this season, so Sacramento might also look to make an upgrade at his spot. While he has regained his spot in the starting lineup, Huerter did momentarily lose his starting job to Chris Duarte.
Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso could be the perfect trade target for Sacramento. Caruso is one of the most elite perimeter defenders in the NBA. Likewise, he has also become a solid marksman from beyond the arc this season. On the year, he is connecting on 41.5 percent of his three-pointers on a decent 4.1 attempts per game.
The Bulls, however, reportedly has no intention to trade Caruso. The organization still reportedly views the 29-year-old as an importance piece for what they intend to establish in Chicago, even if they are engulfed in rumors ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Nonetheless, if the Bulls come to their senses and embark on a firesale. the Kings should have Caruso on top of their list of targets.
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