3 Trade Candidates Kings Can Pursue After Backing Out of Siakam Rumors
It was a rollercoaster of emotions for Sacramento Kings fans on Friday night. Just minutes after Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the bombshell that the team was a frontrunner to acquire All-Star F Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors, details later revealed that those talks fell through quickly after surfacing.
While it’s a bit of a letdown for Kings fans, who were praying for a splash on the trade market, those hopes are not yet dead in the water. Just over a month remains until the NBA trade deadline passes, opening a whirlwind of opportunity for Sacramento and GM Monte McNair to strike in adding a third star to this talented roster.
The Kings have a good chunk of contracts to match up with a variety of players around the league, along with control of a majority of their first-round picks for upcoming drafts. When it comes to what teams are contenders to make a big move in the coming weeks, Sacramento is one of the first on that list.
So, while the Siakam talks may be at a halt, this team is still fully capable of taking a few stabs in their hunt for a third co-star. Here are three candidates Sacramento should investigate a deal for ahead of the 2024 NBA deadline:
Dejounte Murray, Atlanta Hawks
Time is running out on trying to get this fit to work between Dejounte Murray and Trae Young. After the Atlanta Hawks made the bold acquisition of Murray two summers ago, things have yet to go according to plan. The pairing suffered from a first-round exit last season against the Boston Celtics and is on pace to miss the playoffs entirely for their second stint.
If the Hawks wanted to recoup some of their losses and give this roster a breath of fresh air, sending away Murray could be the ticket to doing so. He is averaging 20.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists during his 2023-24 campaign. Dejounte could be a solid option for a team trying to seek out a two-way player to pair in their backcourt.
Enter the Kings, who could benefit immensely from his size and defensive ability on the perimeter. While they have managed to hold down a couple of great shooters in the other guard spot with De’Aaron Fox, like Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk, none stand out as a serious threat on both ends of the floor. Murray, on the other hand, could be just that.
The one aspect of Dejounte's game that could hold back the Kings from making a move for him is his consistency from the three, averaging just 34.3% from beyond the arc for his career. There is some reason for optimism though, considering his attempts continue to increase with each passing season, along with shooting the best clip he ever has this year at 38.3%.
If the Kings were interested in beefing up this backcourt with Fox, Murray may be the answer in doing so.
Kyle Kuzma, Washington Wizards
The fate of Kyle Kuzma is currently in the hands of the struggling Washington Wizards, who sit just 6-28 at 14th in the Eastern Conference. This roster won’t be winning an NBA championship anytime soon, so the next move in taking a step forward may be to maximize the value of their 20+ PPG scorer.
The Kings, on the other hand, could find some benefit in bringing on Kuzma. He’s made a solid role for himself in Washington as a forward who provides size, three-level scoring, and championship experience. In the 2023-24 season, he has averages of 22.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on 46.8/35.7/76.8 shooting splits.
Recent reports detailed the Wizards potentially having an interest in dealing Kuzma ahead of February’s deadline with an asking price of multiple first-round picks.
While it’s hard to shell out the entire farm for a player like Kuzma, pooling in two to three selections and matching contracts could be a route to improving this Sacramento roster without gutting any of its core pieces. He could fit right into the frontcourt next to Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis to create one of the most deadly offensive units in the entire association.
Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets
Bridges is who I would argue is the best fit on the market for the Kings in a trade scenario. While the price to acquire him has reportedly been a high ask, as well as his availability entirely being in question, Sacramento could certainly utilize his skillset to take the next step in team prestige.
The Kings’ offense has enough juice as is. They ranked first in the league a season ago in offensive rating and possess two All-NBA stars in Fox and Sabonis to control that unit effectively. However, Mikal is one of the few options on the market that can offer that coveted two-way ability to round out this core on the defensive end.
Just three seasons ago, Mikal was stationed with the Phoenix Suns alongside other offensive stars like Chris Paul and Devin Booker, ultimately a key component in that team’s 2021 NBA Finals appearance. If traded to Sacramento, he could take on a similar role, combined with that valuable experience, to be a perfect piece on the wing for Mike Brown.
Through 35 games this season, Bridges has averaged 20.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 45.0/35.3/82.9 splits for a Brooklyn Nets team at just 9th in the East. If their front office was looking for a bit of a shakeup to retool the roster, a Mikal deal could be a route to doing so.
Bridges perfectly fits what the Kings need contractually and the timeline the team is set for. He just turned 27 in August, now entering the prime years of his career. His contract is also extremely manageable, making only $70 million across the next three years. It would allow Sacramento to still maintain its surrounding pieces, while also maximizing the talent level this team is competing with.
Out of everyone on this list, however, Bridges probably comes at the highest price tag. With the combination of his valuable skillset, ideal contract, and many years of good basketball ahead of him, you’re probably looking at multiple first-rounders with potentially a couple of contributing players attached.
Still, if the Kings truly believe he could be the missing piece to their championship puzzle, pulling the trigger on a blockbuster acquisition might be what this team needs.
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