ESPN report: Kings moves to trade three sophisticated star players in the 2024 NBA offseason
To break through their postseason rut, the Kings may go to the trade market.
Following their defeat by the New Orleans Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament, the Sacramento Kings head into the offseason. Among the teams on the trade market ought to be the Kings.
Despite finishing as the third seed in the Western Conference in 2023, Sacramento was not able to advance further this season. The Kings will need to be active in the offseason to improve their roster because the West is only going to grow harder to win.
They have De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis as their top tandem. This season, Fox shot 46.5 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three to average 26.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and two steals a game. He set career highs in steals, rebounds, and points per game.
With an impressive season of 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game, Sabonis was also very successful. His percentages from the floor and deep were 59.4% and 37.9%, respectively. Rebound and assist totals for the 28-year-old were career highs.
Keegan Murray is the other key component of Sacramento’s core. In his first two seasons as a two-way forward, Murray has performed admirably. On both sides of the court, the 23-year-old has the ability to become a superstar. Based on his current output, Sacramento considers him a high-end starter. Murray needs to improve his consistency as a player on both sides of the court as his next developmental step.
With their riches, the Kings have a fantastic opportunity to make improvements in the offseason. Now that we have everything out of the way, let’s discuss three potential Sacramento trade targets in the 2024 NBA offseason.
Sacramento needs to strengthen its defense despite having a very potent offense. Jonathan Isaac is a fantastic defensive forward who would be an excellent addition to their team.
Game averages for the 26-year-old were 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. Isaac made 37.5 percent of his shots from outside the arc and 51 percent from the field.
Mike Brown could use Isaac’s defense and reliable three-point shooting in his lineup. He became Sacramento’s top defender right away because he could play all five spots defensively. A club in need of extra size and defense may really benefit from having Isaac on the team.
Alex Caruso
Alex Caruso is another defensive player the Kings would like to sign. Caruso is a reliable attacking player as well as one of the league’s top point-of-attack defenders.
The 30-year-old guard scored 10.1 points, grabbed 3.8 rebounds, helped out 3.5 times, stole 1.7 steals, and blocked one shot a game this season. He made 40.8 percent of his shots from long range and 46.8 percent on the floor. Caruso would be a fantastic fit in the backcourt next to Fox because of his defense and strong three-point shooting percentage.
Bridges Mikal
The Kings’ main trade target should be Mikal Bridges, a successful two-way player. With an average of 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and a steal a game, Bridges is a wing player who is almost an All-Star. The 27-year-old made 37.2 percent of his three-pointers and 43.6 percent of his field goals from the field.
He is another outstanding defender who is capable of stopping the top guards or forwards on the opposite team. Alongside Fox, Sabonis, and Murray, Bridges would be effective on both ends of the court.
Bridges has a fair contract as well; he will make $23.3 million the following year. Compared to Harrison Barnes, who fills this job now, he would be an improvement. Additionally, his timetable would work well with Murray, Sabonis, and Fox.
As the offseason approaches, the Kings are in a strong position. They have contracts to make a move to expand their roster, and they have a strong core. The trade targets for the Kings should be Bridges, Caruso, and Isaac.
