The Sacramento Kings, for the lack of a better description, are a huge mess. The roster that had all the feel-good vibes in it, the one that captured the imagination of fans by lighting the beam, winning the Pacific Division, and snapping their playoff drought, is all but gone. Only Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk, and Keon Ellis remain from that roster, as the team has been taken over a mishmash of talent that the coaching staff, despite their best efforts, couldn't seem to make work.
One of those players who hasn't been as impactful as the Kings thought he'd be is Zach LaVine. Sacramento, in the aftermath of De'Aaron Fox's official trade request, wanted to remain competitive, which is why they prioritized getting back another All-Star-caliber player in return for their franchise talent. But with Fox under contract for another season, the Kings conceivably could have waited until the offseason before they entertained offers.
Instead, the Kings wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. They got LaVine, who, while remaining one of the best pure scorers in the NBA, has struggled as well to stand out in the mess that is the Sacramento roster.
Considering how lost this Kings team is, especially in the stacked West, it makes sense for them to finally pull the plug on this roster and start over from scratch. A fire sale would benefit this aimless Kings team greatly, and LaVine could be someone who departs if the team decides to go that direction.
If LaVine becomes available for trade yet again, there should be some interest in him even though it'd be difficult to trade him away considering how much he's making. Nevertheless, here are destinations that make sense for the two-time All-Star.
3. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are currently in the middle of an 11-game winning streak, as they have taken the next step in their rise towards contention behind another leap from Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. While they have mostly taken advantage of an easy schedule thus far, stringing together those wins is never an easy task — not when Cunningham and Duren have missed their fair share of games.
One would think that there is plenty of room for the Pistons to grow yet. Jaden Ivey is yet to return from his injury, and once he does, the Pistons' offense would be more dynamic, giving Cunningham even more space to work with. Daniss Jenkins is already stepping up at the two — imagine someone who's more polished on offense and provides more size on defense starting alongside Cunningham. That's Ivey in a nutshell.
Considering all the factors, it's highly unlikely that the Pistons make any seismic moves. Shaking up the roster of an 11-2 team could be a recipe for disaster, and is quite unnecessary as well. Be that as it may, LaVine's skillset would be perfect for this Pistons team. In an ideal world without cap figures to take into consideration, he'd be an incredible player to have in the backcourt alongside Cunningham.
LaVine is a career 39.2 percent shooter from deep, and on healthy volume as well. This season, he's shooting over 42 percent from beyond the arc on 7.5 attempts per game, making him one of the most efficient volume marksmen in the association.
Sure, the Pistons do have Duncan Robinson to fill that sniper role that Detroit sorely needs. But unlike Robinson, LaVine is a much more well-rounded scorer. His athleticism makes him a weapon in transition, which, alongside Cunningham, could be used by the Pistons to maximum effect. He can hunt his own shots off the dribble as well, giving Detroit a reliable shot-creator whenever Cunningham needs a breather.
The Pistons are a rarity — they can take on LaVine's money without squandering that much depth. They can surrender Tobias Harris and Caris LeVert (after December 15) and be able to acquire the Kings guard. But do not expect the Pistons to shake up the roster when they've been rolling all year.
2. Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers are fading fast; they've lost three games in a row and are finding it difficult to get stops amid Jrue Holiday's injury. Their depth is a major concern. Scoot Henderson has been out all season, Matisse Thybulle and Blake Wesley are nursing injuries, Damian Lillard won't be back until next season, and Jerami Grant even missed Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns with an illness.
If anything, the Blazers don't need to squander more depth just to bring someone like LaVine is. LaVine is not an impactful defender anyway; the Blazers currently rank 22nd in defensive rating, which is quite concerning for a team whose identity was supposed to be built on defense.
But in the NBA, there is such a thing called as feedback loop on defense. When a team struggles to execute offensively, this can adversely affect their ability to get stops since they're not consistently defending in the halfcourt.
Acquiring LaVine won't fix the Blazers' biggest issues. But he'll provide a jolt of offense for a team that relies so much on Deni Avdija, Holiday, and Grant to create open looks.
Alas, getting LaVine to boost the offense may not be financially possible for the Blazers without a three-team trade structure. They'll find it difficult to match the $47.1 million that's needed to pull off a trade with the Kings, as they'll have to at least give up one of Holiday or Grant (which they may not want to do) to make that happen.
1. Los Angeles Clippers
Speaking of teams that are fading, the clock is ticking on the Clippers. They have a 4-10 record at the moment and are sitting in 11th place in the Western Conference standings. They don't have their own first-round pick for next year, and are currently without Kawhi Leonard, who is nursing lower-body injuries at the moment. Derrick Jones Jr. will also be out for multiple weeks.
Just to make matters worse, the Clippers are emerging as big-time losers in the Norman Powell trade. Powell is breathing fire with the Miami Heat, while John Collins has been struggling thus far in LA. Bradley Beal, the designated Powell replacement, is done for the year after undergoing hip-replacement surgery.
The Clippers, simply put, have been one of the worst teams in the league. They're the oldest team in the NBA for good measure. It's becoming difficult to find positives for LA, other than perhaps James Harden being a legit star who's trying his best to carry this shallow, injury-ravaged, and decrepit squad.
By all statistical measures, the Clippers have been one of the worst teams in the NBA thus far this season. They have a net rating of – 4.6, which means that they're as bad as their record suggests, and it's their defense that's proving to be their undoing. They are allowing an unseemly 118.5 points per 100 possessions, which is simply criminal considering how elite their defense was last year.
Now, LaVine won't be anything close to being a savior for this Clippers team. But he'd at least help Harden shoulder a major offensive burden, especially amid Leonard's absence. Harden is being torn apart by this heavy burden he's carrying; LaVine would at least help with that. They need another ballhandling scorer, especially with Chris Paul being washed, and LaVine fits the bill.
Bill Simmons floated a LaVine trade idea that could make sense for the Clippers, so long as they manage to make it legal under the CBA.
