Subscribe
Follow Us
News flash everybody: the Sacramento Kings are popular now. Or at least, their players are, which is more than they could have said less than seven years ago.
The Kings, contrary to popular convention and belief, have drafted and dealt surprisingly well over the past few years. De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Richaun Holmes, Tyrese Halliburton, and Marvin Bagley III are all valuable pieces on a very intriguing roster.
Luckily for potential suitors, the Kings have only declared Fox and Halliburton, possibly the steal of this year’s draft, as untouchable in potential deals.
That’s not to say, however, that the other pieces won’t come with hefty price tags of their own.
According to multiple insider sources, Barnes has gotten a lot of interest as a secondary playmaker and scorer from multiple playoff-bound teams hoping to keep up with the potential output of the Lakers and the Nets. Holmes has garnered the same attention after a career year thus far.
Both players are in the middle of their primes, and while Sacramento is looking lottery-bound for another year, it is apparently looking for multiple picks and youth in return for either of the two. According to Bleacher Report, Sacramento brass believes that the team is only a few moves away from playoff contention itself. If that’s the case, then the price tag is justifiable, but it calls into question the viability of both Barnes and Holmes as primary pieces going forward beyond their value as trade chips.
Another player that is potentially on the block is Bailey, who, according to the same speculation on Bleacher Report, is actively seeking greener pastures himself. After all, it was only a couple of years ago that the big man was picked over Luka Doncic of all people, so teams will be intrigued to see what he can do before his monetary price tag skyrockets.
But no, the Kings will undoubtedly try to keep Bagley as much as they can. His two-way potential and good shooting base provide way too much synergy with Fox and Halliburton for them to not want to see how well they work together.
This leaves the shooters Hield and Bjelica. Hield will undoubtedly be too expensive for other teams on name recognition alone, but Bjelica has potential as a trade piece. He’s already asked to have been dealt, and only costs $7 million per year. A shooter of his caliber offers a lot to playoff contenders hoping to keep up with true title contenders, and the relatively small price of a second-round pick and some youth would definitely entice a few months to the flame.
The Celtics are a primary contender for the sharpshooter and can offer the exact youth that Sacramento is requesting in Romeo Langford. If they are somehow able to package another piece, they could possibly snag Holmes as well to upgrade an old and raggedy Tristan Thompson.
With all this said, it’s kind of fun to see the Kings with so much intriguing talent on their roster. The team is long removed from the days of Boogie Cousins and spare parts, and if they play their cards right, they could be poised to make a run a few years from now in what could be a wide-open Western Conference.
