The Sacramento Kings keep showing up in trade rumors, but most of the noise around them feels more like leverage than a real path to a deal. Over the years, a handful of names have been tied to Sacramento, yet the odds of any of these moves actually happening look slim to none.
John Collins has come up in Kings conversations more than once, but nothing ever got over the finish line. That still looks like the same story now. The Pistons recently added him to their roster and view him as a key piece of a deeper playoff push going forward, so there are nothing but unlikely scenarios where Detroit seriously considers moving Collins to Sacramento.
Jonathan Kuminga is another name that has floated around with the Kings in the background for more than a year. His management team has helped keep the rumor mill spinning, first during Warriors negotiations, then with the Hawks, and now with the Wolves.
That’s three teams in 12 months, and the Kings have been lurking the whole time. Whether this ever turns into anything is hard to say, but leaving the Wolves for Sacramento feels really unlikely.
Ja Morant was also linked to the Kings several times before his move to the Blazers, but that pairing never came close to happening. For Sactown fans, that may be for the best.
Once you get past Morant's flashy style on the court, there isn't much substance there. Plus, he's become a toxic locker room presence.
He might be able to rehab both his game and his image in Portland, but only time will tell. Didn't happen, never will.
Pascal Siakam was a real talking point before he left the Raptors for the Pacers, and there were serious conversations about bringing him to Sacramento. But unless the Kings put together an undeniable offer, Siakam is staying put. He’s become an integral part of Indiana’s roster, and with Tyrese Haliburton making his return this season, they need Pascal more than ever.
Jalen Duren might be the one name here that felt the most realistic for Sacramento, at least for a while. There was a sense that the Kings were on his radar, even if he wasn’t looking to leave Detroit.
If he had an opening, he would have signed with the Kings. But unless the Pistons make a complete 180, Sacramento doesn’t have the kind of trade package that would pry away a rising star.
Detroit already turned down its best offers.
In Other News...
Kings Cost Cutting Move Looks Worse With Another Toronto Payoff
What looked like a straightforward cost-cutting move for Sacramento last summer has aged in an increasingly awkward way. The Kings sent Sasha Vezenkov and Davion Mitchell to Toronto for Jalen McDaniels and two second-round picks, a deal that was supposed to help reshape the roster while trimming money from the books, but the return has done little to quiet second-guessing.
Vezenkov eventually headed back to Europe after a buyout with the Raptors, while Toronto turned those picks into Alijah Martin and Jamal Shead, with Shead already landing a three-year contract extension. Mitchell, meanwhile, is now with the Miami Heat and appears to be their starting point guard, another reminder that Sacramentos decision moved on from a useful guard while Toronto kept finding ways to turn the deal into more value. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Linked To Young Shooter Who Could Fit Steve Kerr Perfectly
Jordan Hawkins is suddenly on the market after a fast-moving stretch that saw the former UConn standout, taken 14th overall by New Orleans in 2023, traded to Memphis and then waived. It is a reminder that first-round pedigree only goes so far in the NBA, especially for a young guard whose biggest selling point is still the same one that got him drafted in the first place: the ability to space the floor and punish defenses when the shot is falling.
For a team like the Kings, who have long valued offense and perimeter creation, a player such as Hawkins at least fits the profile of a low-risk flier with upside. Sacramento is not alone in that thinking, either, with Dallas and Golden State also mentioned as logical landing spots for the same reason: each could use shooting, each could give him a clear role, and each offers a style of play that might finally help him settle in as a reliable NBA weapon. [Read more 🡒]
De'Andre Hunter Suddenly Looks Like A Huge Kings X Factor
De'Andre Hunter has barely had a chance to show what he can mean for Sacramento since arriving in last Februarys trade, and the injury that cut his first season short only made the wait longer. With preseason opening on the horizon, the Kings finally have a healthier version of the wing in camp, and Hunter says he is ready to play after spending much of his early tenure sidelined.
For Sacramento, that matters because Hunter brings exactly the kind of two-way flexibility the roster can use, especially on a team trying to get more versatile on defense without sacrificing scoring support. He spoke about that defensive versatility himself, and with an expiring contract in hand, he has a chance to make a strong early case that he can be more than a name in the middle of a trade package. [Read more 🡒]