The second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs is officially off and running with organizations being a step closer to hoisting the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy. Unfortunately for some, the dream is already over. That is the case for the Sacramento Kings. On Sunday, they were eliminated by the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors in seven games in the first round.
Sacramento had one of the most surprising campaigns of the 2022-23 season. It finished 48-34 and secured the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Most importantly, the team clinched a playoff spot for the first time after a 16-year hiatus.
In the first round of the postseason, the Kings squared off against the Warriors with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Despite winning the first two games of the series, they could not capitalize on their strong start. Sacramento would end up losing Game 7 at home 120-100, officially ending its comeback year.
Now with eyes on the future, the front office will have some tough decisions to make. The team is projected to be about $50 million over the cap with some rotational pieces testing the market this summer. Because of that, the Kings might need to part ways with some players in order to clear some cap space.
With that being said, here is one player the Sacramento Kings should consider trading in the 2023 NBA offseason.
1 player the Sacramento Kings must trade in the 2023 NBA offseason: Richaun Holmes
Despite the team’s success this season, there are still some areas that it could improve. One of them is the depth at the center position.
Behind All-Star Domantas Sabonis, the Kings utilized many players with backup center minutes. In the playoffs, Trey Lyles led the way with 16.9 minutes a night and averaged 6.6 points. Alex Len also played some important minutes before falling out of the rotation. In the regular season, Chimezie Metu and Richaun Holmes also split the backup minutes.
However, in the postseason, both Metu and Holmes failed to crack the rotation. Most notably, Richaun Holmes did not make a single appearance for the team in the series versus the Warriors.
After being an important part of the team for the previous three years, the Bowling Green product lost his role in the rotation in 2022-23. He appeared in just 42 games and averaged 8.3 minutes a night. He scored 3.1 points with 1.9 boards. For comparison. In his last season as a full-time starter, he averaged 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in 29.2 minutes.
Holmes is still under contract for the 2023-24 season and has a player option for 2024-25. The problem is that he will be making over $12 million per year, which could make things difficult in a trade.
Still, he could be a valuable backup center for a playoff team. Even with his high salary, Holmes can provide important minutes off the bench, allowing the starting center to rest for a longer period.
For example, the Boston Celtics could use a third center in their depth behind Al Horford and Robert Williams III. Holmes could also be the main reserve for Nic Claxton with the Brooklyn Nets.
If a contender does not want to trade for Richaun Holmes, the Kings should still try to get his salary off the books. With Sabonis and Malik Monk entering the final year of their contracts, the front office already needs to be thinking about clearing cap space for their new deals in 2024.
All things considered, Richaun Holmes is the main player the Kings should explore trading in the 2023 offseason. Since he is out of the rotation, getting rid of his salary now could be more beneficial down the line for the team.
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