Sacramento Kings
Trade deadline candidate: Malik Monk
Making a surprise run as a No. 3 seed in the Western Conference standings heading into the NBA Playoffs last season, the Sacramento Kings are going to enter the season will a good amount of expectations this year. Maybe they won’t be expected to finish as a top 3 seed in the West again, but they will, at the very least, be expected to finish as a top 6 seed to qualify for the postseason outright.
The good news is that the Kings added to their already talented team this offseason. They managed to re-sign Harrison Barnes, a key part of their success from last season but they also managed to acquire Chris Duarte via trade from the Indiana Pacers. Duarte is an intriguing wing prospect that has already shown some promise as a contributor through his first couple of seasons in the league.
Even though he had a great season last year, Duarte’s arrival could open the door for Malik Monk’s departure. If the Kings do elect to make an in-season move, Monk is close to the top of the list of trade deadline candidates for Sacramento.