Scott Perry Hints at Other Reason Why Kings Traded for De'Andre Hunter

When the clock hit 3:00 PM Eastern on Thursday, and the Sacramento Kings were unable to move any of their largest contracts, fans were less than thrilled.

Domantas Sabonis had interest from at least the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards, but Scott Perry and the Kings decided the offers weren’t what they were looking for. DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk were all without suitors, which means that the only change was bringing in De’Andre Hunter for Dennis Schroder, Dario Saric, and Keon Ellis.

In Perry’s press conference, he discussed why Hunter’s size was a good fit for the roster, but he also made another interesting comment that stood out.

“Let’s get bigger, a little longer, more athletic. And they’re still on a short-term deal in bringing De’Andre [Hunter] here,” Perry said

Why acquiring Hunter is about more than just the player

It’s no secret that the Kings are riddled with massive contracts. Sabonis is going to be making over $94 million over the next two seasons, LaVine has a player option for $49 million that he is expected to exercise, and Monk is going to be making over $41 million over the next two years.

Next season, the Kings are projected to be a tax and double apron team, which is a nightmare for a team that is not expected to be very competitive. Right now, the name of the game is flexibility for Sacramento, and that’s where Hunter’s deal comes into play.

Hunter is making close to $25 million next season, which means the Kings added salary after moving Schroder, Ellis, and Saric. That, on its own, isn’t great for a rebuilding team. However, Hunter, like LaVine, is an expiring contract, and that is valuable.

We saw the Wizards use Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum to acquire Anthony Davis and Trae Young in separate deals, while the Atlanta Hawks were able to send Kristaps Porzingis to the Golden State Warriors for Jonathan Kuminga.

De'Andre Hunter's on/off-court impact on the team factors has been solid offensively the past few seasons.

These adjust for lineups for both teams in the analysis. pic.twitter.com/xd5V2S5Yzz
— Cranjis McBasketball (@Tim_NBA) January 30, 2026

While LaVine’s salary may be too big to prove useful as an expiring deal, Hunter and DeRozan, who have only a small guarantee for next season, could both be attractive to the right team.

The Milwaukee Bucks may want a flexible deal as they take another run with Giannis, and the Los Angeles Lakers could think that bringing in reinforcements on expiring contracts is the right move to keep them in contention for a big free agent in the summer of 2027. The possibilities are there for both players to be useful in the rebuild without playing for the Kings next season, but we can’t be sure that is the direction they’ll take.

What if the Kings want to extend Hunter?

There is always the possibility that Perry sees Hunter as part of the Kings’ future. He’s a true wing and certainly is going to be one of the better defensive players on the team, despite his impact on that end possibly being a tad overstated.

Hunter has been a productive player throughout his career, for the most part, and it makes sense to give Keegan Murray the opportunity to play with someone who actually complements his skillset. Perry also commented on the need for “balance” when bringing in a top draft pick, and there is reason to believe that having Hunter on the team would make the transition easier for many of the top prospects.

“Whoever we draft, hopefully we’re in positon to get a high draft pick. So it was important to me to have a roster that’s going to be a little more balanced,” Perry said.

There’s merit to what Perry is saying, but there are issues with extending Hunter. Players like Hunter are always going to be in demand, and having another $20 million salary on the books for multiple years could be problematic. Hunter won’t get close to what Mikal Bridges did, but PJ Washington’s four-year, $88 million deal isn’t out of the question for him. Along with the price, Hunter may end up being an expensive backup if the Kings draft a forward.

concerns about cameron boozer's over-reliance on bully ball are unfounded. he's at 65.1% TS on isolations and pick-and-rolls (77 poss) this season. his offensive arsenal is potent and wide-ranging.

the idea that his playstyle can't translate to the NBA is plainly psychotic pic.twitter.com/d52pDi1djw
— Ben Pfeifer (@bjpf_) February 4, 2026

At least wait until the draft

Other than signing Dylan Cardwell to a standard deal, the one thing the Kings did right was hold off on a big move. So much can change if those ping pong balls fall the right way in May, and the Kings are currently in the best position to claim the number one pick. If they do, that immediately pivots the team toward building around whoever they select.

If they decide that Hunter is a good fit, great, but the last thing they need to do is sign him to an extension before then.

“This is a big draft for us…maybe the silver lining comes when you get a high enough pick and can get a difference maker,” Perry admitted.

It doesn’t sound like that’s in the cards for Perry, as he mentions how important this upcoming draft is for Sacramento. Fans have plenty of reason to be upset with the team, but the Hunter move does, at least, give the Kings a bit more balance and flexibility for now.

It would have been great to keep Keon at a number that would likely be less than Hunter, but the emergence of Nique Clifford and the treasure trove of other guards on the roster took that off the table. The positive is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for all of these big contracts.

Why acquiring Hunter is about more than just the player

What if the Kings want to extend Hunter?

At least wait until the draft

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