NBA Insider Claims the Kings Could Look to Trade for a Star
Despite not making any jaw-dropping moves in the off-season, the Sacramento Kings have built a roster that they are confident can contend for a championship. Bringing back nine of their top 11 scorers from their historic 2022-23 season was a strategic move by the front office.
The Kings are successfully building around their All-Star duo of G De'Aaron Fox and C Domantas Sabonis, showing minimal signs of wanting to acquire a third star via trade or free agency. Sacramento drafted F Keegan Murray with the 4th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, expecting him to develop to form a "big three" next to Fox and Sabonis.
Although they feel like they have an impressive roster with great depth, does that rule them out of making a trade? Shams Charania of The Athletic told viewers on the Run It Back show that he thinks the Kings could be a team to look out for on the trade market (via @RunItBackFDTV | X):
"I think [the Kings] are in position [to make trades]. They have a couple of tradeable contracts, Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter, these guys are locked in long-term. They're in that contract range, 16, 17, 18 plus million, where you can put together contracts for a star. Two guys that they had conversations on over the summer and had varying degrees of interest in: OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, both with the [Toronto] Raptors. They really inquired a few times on OG Anunoby, I think that's a guy they have interest in. Both players are expected to be free agents next summer, but overall, I think with tradeable contracts, with all their draft assets, this is a team that is going to have a lot of flexibility moving forward.
Kings fans spent the majority of the 2023 off-season hoping Sacramento would make a move for Anunoby but were ultimately disappointed. Anunoby, 26, is an impressive two-way forward on a struggling Raptors squad, starting the season 1-3. If the Raptors are looking to blow it up before their stars hit free agency, both Anunoby and Siakam could be on the block.
The Kings are in a good position with their current roster, but acquiring Anunoby for the right price could propel them to the next level. A core group of Fox, Anunoby, Sabonis, Murray, and G Malik Monk could make the Kings a favorite to win the 2024 NBA Finals.
Sacramento, while running a historic offense, has struggled on the defensive side of the ball. Getting a guy like Anunoby, who can do both, would be a perfect fit for a championship-minded Kings team.
Follow Inside The Kings on Facebook and X.
Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Kings news videos and live-stream podcasts!
