The 2021-22 NBA season is off to an ominous start for Marvin Bagley III, as it concerns his future with the Sacramento Kings. Bagley has been phased out of head coach Luke Walton's rotation so much so that he has played just 10 minutes in the Kings' first four regular season games.

With an uncertain role in their rotation, continued rumors surrounding his future with the team and the Kings not getting what they signed up for when they selected Bagley with the second pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, a divorce is surely in the works. Despite the bumpy ride to date, Bagley is still a skilled player who has the chance to find success on a different team.

The Duke product is a bouncy frontcourt player who's adept at scoring inside and has the ability to score off the dribble. Across his three full seasons in the NBA, Bagley has averaged a combined 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. A restricted free agent at the end of the season, the Kings should have a handful of teams inquiring about Bagley.

Here are three Marvin Bagley trade destinations that make sense.

Marvin Bagley trade destinations

3) Dallas Mavericks

Trade proposal

Mavericks receive: Marvin Bagley

Kings receive: Josh Green, Dwight Powell and Mavericks' 2026 first-round draft pick

The Mavericks are trying to win the Western Conference, and that entails being all ears at the NBA trade deadline for ways to bolster their roster. Marvin Bagley would be a compelling addition to head coach Jason Kidd's rotation.

Dallas has a lot of efficient and capable shooters including their star player, Luka Doncic. Bagley brings a precise skillset to the table that their rotation doesn't possess, being an athletic inside finisher. He can serve as the backup center and/or be on the floor at the end of games if he jells in their rotation.

Bagley wouldn't get in anybody's way, as he'd attract a defensive body inside while the team's outside snipers live out on the perimeter and Doncic attacks the rack. When the latter does as such, it could draw a double-team, opening up Bagley for an easy inside bucket. As for what the Mavericks would be surrendering to get Bagley, Green has never consistently cracked their rotation and Powell is one of many big men present; they can afford to trade one or two interior players.

From the Kings' point of view, they get a capable shooter in Green and a future first-rounder that could be used for another trade along with Powell. All that said, the Mavericks trying to get Kristaps Porzingis back to being a premier scoring threat could halt the front office from acquiring players who could theoretically hinder that revival.

2) Indiana Pacers

Trade proposal

Pacers receive: Marvin Bagley

Kings receive: Jeremy Lamb, Miami Heat's 2022 second-round draft pick and San Antonio Spurs' 2023 second-round draft pick

Regardless of whether the Pacers fire on all cylinders or fall flat on their face this season, a midseason trade for Bagley is worthwhile for their sake.

Indiana is a little thin in its frontcourt, especially with rookie Isaiah Jackson's recent knee injury. Bagley would be the first big man off the bench, entering the game for either Domantas Sabonis or Myles Turner. In the scenario that Bagley backs up Sabonis, he gives head coach Rick Carlisle a skillset with some offensive similarities to Sabonis as he gets a lot of points at or around the rim.

The fascinating part of Bagley's arrival would be whether he sticks with the Pacers long term. Turner has been a rumored trade candidate for the better part of the last three years, and Sabonis has become one of the better big men in the NBA.

If Bagley thrives in the Pacers' offense, perhaps they trade Turner for draft capital in the offseason while extending Bagley and starting him next to Sabonis? It would be a resourceful way for them to limit payroll a bit while adding more youth and deepening their rotation.

Meanwhile, the Kings can find out whether Lamb fits their wing rotation prior to hitting free agency while adding more draft picks. What could prevent this swap from taking place is the Pacers being hell-bent on playing out the season with their current roster with the belief that they'll turn a corner in the standings.

1) San Antonio Spurs

Top Marvin Bagley Trade Destinations Proposal

Spurs receive: Marvin Bagley

Kings receive: Thaddeus Young and Spurs' 2022 first-round draft pick

The Spurs have a lot of enticing players, most of which reside in their backcourt rotation and/or out on the perimeter. Bagley would be a savvy gamble for the Spurs.

Jakob Poeltl has come into his own as a smooth, reliable center, but the Spurs could use more inside depth, whether it be getting another big man next to Poeltl or having someone split time with him. Bagley would make an impact for the Spurs in the halfcourt offensively, providing them with a player who can score around the basket. All the while, he's still just 22, which bodes well with a collectively young team.

As is, the Spurs probably aren't a top-eight seed in the Western Conference, but it's not a pipe dream, if you will, for them to prove that notion wrong. Dejounte Murray and Derrick White are talented guards. Keldon Johnson is only going to improve. Lonnie Walker has become a steady scorer. Devin Vassell has the upside to be an elite shooter. Rookie Joshua Primo is an efficient shooter. As previously alluded to, Poeltl is a reliable commodity.

Maybe Bagley is the piece that puts this Spurs' core over the top? He'd be arriving in San Antonio with something to prove. If Bagley excels in head coach Gregg Popovich's system, they can re-sign him in the offseason.

Given their quantity of youth, the Spurs can afford to move their upcoming first-rounder, which presumably gives the Kings the chance to add a young player of their choosing in the 2022 NBA Draft. They can also look to get more picks for Young.