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The Sacramento Kings were faced with a huge decision concerning the future of the franchise when De'Aaron Fox and his camp told them that he wouldn't be signing a new contract with the team. Fox even singled out the San Antonio Spurs as his preferred trade destination, and on Sunday night, he got his wish — with the Spurs trading for a Kings star in a huge coup that would now pair an All-Star point guard in his prime (and one of the most clutch players in the association) with a nascent superstar in Victor Wembanyama.
But with the Kings looking to remain semi-competitive, they had to prioritize getting a trade return that would help them remain afloat even after dealing Fox away. At present, they have a .500 record (24-24), and with the team rallying around interim head coach Doug Christie after the controversial firing of Mike Brown, there remains plenty of hope in Sacramento that they'll make the playoffs. To that end, they traded for Zach LaVine — a former All-Star who's in the middle of a bounce-back season following an injury-ravaged 2023-24 campaign.
If anything, the Kings achieved some sort of roster-construction balancing act in trading Fox away for a package headlined by LaVine. This establishes Domantas Sabonis as the team's primary offensive hub, while DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk will be doing the bulk of ballhandling duties. LaVine could then slot in as more of a secondary ballhandler, and he could then orbit the three-point line as a souped-up version of Kevin Huerter — one of the pieces they traded away to the Bulls.
But there could very well be a trade for the Kings to make, what with their continued win-now mandate. Alas, it's not quite clear if there's a deal available for them that could help push them into a higher tier of contention.
Should the Kings trade DeMar DeRozan?
It's not exactly too promising of a sign that the Kings will be reuniting DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. They did not have much success in the Windy City, although Lonzo Ball's injury did change the trajectory of that Bulls team. Regardless, LaVine is a much better fit alongside DeRozan on paper, with LaVine being less in need of the ball than De'Aaron Fox ever was.
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DeRozan is a talented player, make no mistake about it, but there are legitimate questions regarding whether or not he's the kind of player the Kings need. The Kings decided to gamble on putting together as much talent as they could, and DeRozan is in the middle of another solid season, putting up 22-4-4 thus far for the 2024-25 campaign, but with the scoring load set to be handled by Malik Monk and LaVine, a more complementary piece might be a better fit for Sacramento.
But it's hard to envision the Kings giving up on DeRozan not even a full season into his stint with the team. Nothing is impossible in the NBA anymore after the Luka Doncic bombshell, but with the Kings looking to remain competitive while keeping their fans satisfied, it will be a hard sell to give up on someone who's been as productive as DeRozan has been this season.
What trade should Sacramento pull off?
It will be difficult for the Kings to pull off any more trades without giving up someone that they truly value. One would think that Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan won't be going anywhere, and so will Malik Monk. This would automatically take them out of the sweepstakes for Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter Cam Johnson, as trading for Johnson, at the minimum, would require Sacramento to trade away DeRozan or Monk (and at this point, they're better off reuniting the former Bulls duo since Zach LaVine is already one of the best off-ball weapons in the league).
Keegan Murray could be a trade chip, but the Kings organization remains high on the sweet-shooting forward even though he's been struggling through the worst shooting season of his career. There is also a sense that Sacramento may be selling low on Murray if they do decide to move on from him prior to this year's deadline.
That brings the Kings' assets down to Trey Lyles, Devin Carter, and Keon Ellis — a package that adds up to around $14 million. At this point, they are better off keeping the three, especially with Carter and Ellis showing a ton of promise.
If there's one more trade the Kings would and could pull off, it's to bring in Johnson from the Nets, but after bringing in LaVine, that may not be as realistic as it was.
