Kings Need to Walk Before They Can Run

After witnessing a historic NBA Finals game, where the New York Knicks completed a 29-point comeback to beat the San Antonio Spurs, it is hard to think about the Sacramento Kings. Scott Perry and the Kings front office have so much work to do that watching two elite teams go back and forth on the biggest stage feels like light-years away for Sacramento.

As I sat here, trying to think about what to write and how to relate the Kings to the historic game, my toddler walked in. I jokingly asked her what I should write about, not expecting her to understand enough to give a coherent answer. But she thought about it and confidently said, "Write about walking. Walk, walk, walk."

Walk Before You Run

Apr 16, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) reacts after scoring a basket during the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

For years, the Kings have been trying to take the shortcut back to the playoffs. It worked for them when they traded Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis, but only enough to give the team and city a taste of the playoffs. Instead of making a smart and calculated move to build on that success, the Kings brought in DeMar DeRozan to try to push themselves back into the playoff contender tier.

And the rest is history. The Indiana Pacers made a playoff run to the finals, while the Kings have missed the playoffs for three straight years and now sit at the bottom of the standings with a long road to climb. This isn't to say that the Kings' sole mistake was trading Haliburton for Sabonis, but it's one of many instances where the Kings tried to run before they finished learning how to walk.

The Fox - LaVine Trade

Zach LaVine is another good example. Instead of trading De'Aaron Fox for a bevy of picks or young players, Monte McNair (with reported heavy influence from Vivek Ranadivé) brought back the talented scoring guard despite his well-known deficiencies and lack of winning throughout his NBA career.

It's put Perry in an extremely difficult situation, as the Kings' roster is littered with veterans in DeRozan, LaVine, Sabonis, and Malik Monk. If Perry is able to move off any of the veterans, the goal should be the complete opposite of the Fox trade. Sacramento should be looking for as many picks and young players as possible, not players who will help them compete now.

The one example we've seen from Perry on the trade front so far was the De'Andre Hunter trade that sent Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hunter is a win-now player who doesn't really make sense for the Kings right now, but he is on an expiring deal and a true wing that the team desperately needs. There's still no indication if he'll be part of the Kings' future, but ideally that type of trade will be the exception, not the rule.

Looking back once more to the riveting NBA Finals, neither the Spurs nor the Knicks used a fast track to get to the championship series this year. San Antonio got lucky drafting Victor Wembanyama, but they spent years accumulating young talent around him, and put together a roster that fit together like a glove. And the Knicks kept pushing their way through the Eastern Conference, making tweaks to either their rotation or coaching staff, but never straying too far off the path.

The Kings have a loooong way to go, but if they want to ever reach the pinnacle, they need to remember to take their time. They have the potential to jumpstart the rebuild with this year's first-round pick, but other than that, the all-in moves should be put on pause until further notice in Sacramento. That seems to be Perry's plan, given everything he's said, but everyone in Sacramento will have to be on board with the slow crawl, to a walk, to eventually, hopefully, running back to the playoffs.

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