NBA Trade Rumors: Four possible “final pieces” for the Sacramento Kings to target this offseason.
The Sacramento Kings are coming off their best season in decades. Even though they ended up losing in the first round to the Golden State Warriors in what will be remembered as a hard-fought seven-game series, this is a franchise that is clearly headed in the right direction.
But this is where the hard part now begins. The challenge for the Kings heading into the offseason is building off of this past year’s success. And that is never easy. The big question for the Kings moving forward is whether or not they’ll be able to make moves to solidify this team’s position as a contender heading into next season.
From the team’s shortcomings in the playoffs, one thing was clear – they were one go-to scorer short of beating the Warriors. In an attempt to find a final piece to the puzzle in the offseason, we explore four potential trade targets for the Kings.
Lauri Markkanen
This is a highly unlikely option for the Kings but if the Utah Jazz got to a point this offseason where they want to sell high on Lauri Markkanen, there’s no question that Sacramento should be intrigued by the option.
And with the uncertainty that revolves around Harrison Barnes heading into the offseason, Markkanen could come right in and fill a need. Admittedly, acquiring Markkanen would be costly for the Kings. They’d probably have to part ways with a young player or two and multiple first-round picks.
Is that something the Kings would be willing to do? Who knows, but if they could keep the core relatively together AND add Markkanen, it’d be hard to not consider it.
Bradley Beal
There’s a non-zero chance that the Washington Wizards end up trading Bradley Beal this offseason. I believe he’s a player that could make a lot of sense for the Kings. The question is, has Sacramento suddenly become a destination spot for disgruntled stars? You’d have to imagine that the only way Beal demands a trade is if the Wizards orchestrate one to one of his preferred landing spots.
Have the Kings done enough this season to warrant becoming a place where other stars want to play? I’m not sure what the answer to that question is, but a starting 5 of De’Aaron Fox, Bradley Beal, Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis would be quite good. They’d certainly be better than they were this past season and the only real question would rely on whether they have enough defensively to compete in the West at a high level.
Even though Beal has had a couple of “down” seasons by his standards recently, he’s still one of the most talented offensive players in the league and would immediately help take some of the pressure off of Fox and Sabonis.
Khris Middleton
Another one of the “shoot for the stars” targets for the Sacramento Kings this summer is Khris Middleton. Because of the Kings’ financial situation, this is a move that would rely on agreeing to a sign-and-trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. And that would be quite the development if it were to happen. Maybe they’d be open to swapping Kevin Huerter for Middleton? Quite frankly, I’m not sure if that’s a big upgrade for the Kings but Middleton certainly brings more experience.
The other great thing about Middleton is the fact that he constantly performs on the brightest of stages. Is he a legit No. 1 option? No. But he’s proven his worth as a supporting star in Milwaukee next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. And if he’s ready for a new challenge, perhaps the Kings would present that opportunity.
Middleton would give the Kings another legit closer that they could turn to in crunch time and a player that has time and time again come through for the Bucks. He has some injury and durability concerns but that’s something the Kings would have to be willing to roll the dice on.
OG Anunoby
The pipe dream for the Sacramento Kings heading into the offseason has to be OG Anunoby. He would fill the team’s need at the small forward position (in the event that Harrison Barnes leaves for one more big payday) and would immediately be an asset on the wing as one of the best and most versatile defenders in the league. He’s also a player that could continue to grow as a go-to option on the offensive end of the floor.
Anunoby is one of the NBA’s most underrated two-way stars in the league right now. Overshadowed a bit by bigger names in Toronto, Anunoby would get the opportunity to prove his worth in a bigger role with the Kings.
And overlooked Anunoby on the overlooked Kings just seems like a great pairing. At just 25 years old, Anunoby’s best basketball is still very much in front of him. Perhaps the Kings are a team that could end up sparking the next chapter of his basketball career.
The Kings will be looking to make moves during the offseason. They must improve. Whether they attempt to target a star or not remains to be seen, but there’s no question that they should be willing to go all-in this summer.