One NBA Star the Kings Must Stay Away From

The Kings cannot buy into talks with the Phoenix Suns' three-time All-Star.

Apr 12, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) reacts to a play against the Sacramento Kings. / Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The Sacramento Kings have been in the market to trade for a game-changer to pair with the All-Star duo of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, and their Play-In Tournament exit might expedite the process.

After not making any substantial moves in the 2023 off-season, and then seeing regression the following season, the Kings could be on the verge of major moves this summer. While it is hard to say the Kings disappointed this season with 46 wins, missing out on their second consecutive post-season berth after nearly 20 decades of playoff-less basketball will have fans upset.

If the Kings go star-hunting this off-season, who should be toward the top of their list? With the Phoenix Suns on the verge of imploding, Bleacher Reports' Greg Swartz lists the Kings as one of the best potential landing spots for three-time All-Star Bradley Beal, but that would cause many more problems than it would solve.

Sure, the Kings could use a player of Beal's caliber to pair with Fox to create an All-Star backcourt, but they would be better off aiming for the Beal-caliber player, rather than the model himself. The NBA world was set ablaze when they learned that Beal was the only player in the Association to have an active no-trade clause in his contract, on top of making over $50 million per year.

For a player who gets to choose where he is traded to and is on a top-five biggest contract of all time, many would expect Beal to be one of the top players in the league. While he dealt with injuries this season, Beal averaged 18.2 points per game after forcing his way from the Washington Wizards to Phoenix.

Beal's production is not necessarily the issue, as he was a solid third option behind Phoenix's Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, but the assets to acquire him on top of the $160 million he is owed the next three seasons (including a third-year player option), is absurd.

Even if Beal is available at a discount with Phoenix attempting to get off his horrid contract, the Kings must do everything to stay away from trade talks with the three-time All-Star.

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