The Sacramento Kings missed out on both Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, as the Toronto Raptors eventually traded the two forwards to the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks, respectively. The Kings have been seeking to make an upgrade to bolster their chances for a deep 2024 playoff run. They are reportedly ready to put together packages involving Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter, and Davion Mitchell to raise their ceiling in the postseason.
The Kings still have a respectable 27-19 record, good for 5th in the West. However, with the competition so tight in the conference, they could easily fall into the play-in tournament picture, which is a step backward from the 2022-23 season, where they finished as the 3rd seed.
Sacramento has the assets to make a deal. With that, let's lay out a dream scenario for the Kings ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline.
Kings dream scenario 1: Trade with the Brooklyn Nets
In this dream scenario, the Kings could address some of their needs in terms of wing depth in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets could conduct a firesale of their veterans ahead of the deadline with Dorian Finney-Smith, guard/forward Royce O'Neale, and guard Spencer Dinwiddie as the most likely trade candidates.
Sam Amick of The Athletic recently heard rumblings about Finney-Smith and O'Neale being linked to Sacramento. There is a viable pathway for the Kings to trade for both.
Potential trade package the Kings can swing to the Nets:
Sacramento Kings receive: Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O'Neale
Brooklyn Nets receive: Harrison Barnes, Sasha Vezenkov, 2026 1st round pick, and two 2nd round picks
In this deal, the Kings will send veteran forward Harrison Barnes, Sasha Vezenkov, a first round pick, and two second round picks to the Nets to acquire Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O'Neale.
The addition of two solid 3-and-D wings like Finney-Smith and O'Neale would give Sacramento's 17th-ranked defense a nice boost. At the same time, they would also provide decent floor spacing on the perimeter offensively.
Both are capable shooters who can benefit off catch-and-shoot opportunities generated by Fox and Sabonis' elite playmaking. On the season, Finney-Smith is making 38.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes and has knocked down 42.5 percent of his corner looks. O'Neale, meanwhile, is a career 38.1 percent sniper from long distance and made 40.3 percent of his corner triples while playing with the Utah Jazz.
Defensively is where both Nets wings can make more impact. Finney-Smith's defensive versatility and length should make him a good frontcourt partner beside Domantas Sabonis, while O'Neale should give them more defensive grit and energy on the perimeter.
Kings dream scenario 2: Trade with the Washington Wizards
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report wrote about every team's biggest need ahead of the trade deadline. For the Kings, he mentioned that they need a backup point guard. Perhaps the best available reserve on the market (though he's been a starter this season) is Tyus Jones of the Washington Wizards.
ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst recently mentioned on his podcast, Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective, that the Wizards are “most likely” to trade Jones among all their players. The Kings should pounce on acquiring the 6-foot-1 guard to address their need for a high-level backup point guard to run the second unit.
Sacramento could send Kevin Huerter, whose numbers are down this season but is playing well as of late, to Washington to acquire Jones. The Kings could get away with a straight swap since Huerter is two years younger, or they could offer an additional second-round pick to sweeten the pot.
Jones would fit perfectly in Sacramento as his playmaking would allow Malik Monk to thrive more playing off the ball, instead of serving as the de facto second unit facilitator. The 27-year-old is one of the most efficient floor generals in the NBA. Once again, Jones is leading the league with an assist-to-turnover of 7.2.
Kings could swing bigger
While they're at it, the Kings could swing for a bigger trade with the Wizards. What if they also go after Kyle Kuzma? After all, the Kings are apparently “fans” of the Wizards forward.
Sacramento could include Davion Mitchell, Trey Lyles, and Chris Duarte along with a future first round pick and multiple seconds to complete the blockbuster trade.
Overall, the deal would look like this:
Sacramento Kings receive: Kyle Kuzma and Tyus Jones
Brooklyn Nets receive: Kevin Huerter, Davion Mitchell, Trey Lyles, Chris Duarte, 2028 1st round pick, multiple 2nd round picks
Kuzma would give the Kings another legitimate scoring threat who can get buckets in a hurry. On the season, he is leading the Wizards with 22.0 points with an effective field goal percentage of 51.3 percent. Though he isn't shooting as efficiently as desired, playing beside Fox and Sabonis should allow him to get more open shots, which should improve his percentages.
If the Kings go for both deals, their rotation would look like this:
Guards: De'Aaron Fox, Tyus Jones, Malik Monk
Forwards: Kyle Kuzma, Keegan Murray, Royce O'Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith
Centers: Domantas Sabonis, Alex Len, Javale McGee
That's as deep as any team in the Western Conference which gives them upgrades around the wings and on the perimeter. The Kings could still swing a deal for a big man, but with this rotation, Sacramento could compete with the very best in the West. This roster is very flexible and versatile, as well, which gives head coach Mike Brown a ton of lineup options.
However, it would cost the Kings a steep price to put this roster together. They could opt to go with just one trade to keep some of their assets in tow, in case a bigger star becomes available in the future. But nonetheless, the pathway could be there for Sacramento to go all in this season.
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