Kings Stand Still at the Deadline-and That Might Be the Real Loss of the Season
The Sacramento Kings had a chance to hit the reset button. Instead, they hit pause-and in a season already spiraling out of control, that might be the most damaging move of all.
Sitting at 12-42, the Kings are buried at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. This was a team that entered the season with veteran firepower-Zach LaVine putting up 19.2 points per game, DeMar DeRozan right behind at 18.9-but the results have been anything but explosive. Under head coach Doug Christie, Sacramento has struggled to find any defensive identity, ranking near the bottom of the league in both defensive rating and opponent points allowed.
The issues aren’t subtle. Defensive rotations are slow and inconsistent.
Transition defense is often nonexistent. The Kings can score, but they can’t stop anyone-and in the NBA, that’s a recipe for exactly what they’ve become: a one-dimensional team with no clear path forward.
That’s what made the 2026 trade deadline so pivotal. It was Sacramento’s opportunity to choose a direction-rebuild around youth or double down on the veteran core.
Instead, they did neither. Aside from a minor three-team deal that brought in De’Andre Hunter at the cost of Keon Ellis and a few veterans, the Kings stood pat.
And in doing so, they may have cemented their place in the NBA’s most dreaded territory: basketball purgatory.
The Deal That Did Happen
Let’s start with the one move Sacramento did make:
Outgoing: Keon Ellis, Dennis Schroder, Dario Saric, 2030 second-round pick
Incoming: De’Andre Hunter
On paper, Hunter brings some size on the wing and can score at a decent clip. But the move raised eyebrows across the league.
Ellis, while still developing, had emerged as a low-cost, high-upside defensive piece-a true 3-and-D archetype that fits the modern NBA playoff mold. Trading him for Hunter, who carries a sizable contract and has battled injuries, felt more like a sideways shuffle than a step forward.
For a team with 12 wins, lateral moves don’t move the needle. Fans weren’t asking for a tweak-they were hoping for transformation.
The Moves That Didn’t Happen
That brings us to the real story of Sacramento’s deadline: the moves that didn’t happen.
The Kings had three major trade chips: Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan. Each came with value. Each came with urgency.
Sabonis reportedly drew interest from teams looking for a high-post facilitator-Toronto among them. Talks reportedly broke down over salary concerns, with Sacramento unwilling to take back long-term money. Rather than get creative, the front office walked away.
LaVine’s situation was trickier. His nearly $50 million salary for next season made him more of a cap burden than a trade asset.
Teams weren’t just unwilling to give up assets-they wanted picks just to take him on. Faced with the choice of attaching draft capital or holding on, the Kings chose the latter.
The result? Sacramento remains locked into a bloated cap sheet with no competitive upside.
The team is expensive, aging, and losing. That’s the worst possible combination.
Developmental Logjam
Perhaps the most damaging consequence of deadline inaction is what it means for the Kings’ young talent. Players like Devin Carter and Dylan Cardwell need minutes-real, developmental minutes.
Carter has shown flashes of two-way potential. Cardwell just signed a four-year standard deal.
These are the types of players a rebuilding team should be prioritizing.
Instead, Christie is left juggling a rotation built around former All-Stars whose timelines no longer align with the franchise’s trajectory. It’s a classic case of what league execs call a “losing veterans environment.”
The vets aren’t playing meaningful basketball, and the young guys aren’t getting meaningful reps. No one wins.
The Cost of Indecision
Rebuilding teams usually embrace clarity. They sell veterans, stack picks, and give the kids the keys.
Contenders chase upgrades. What you can’t do-what Sacramento did-is sit in the middle.
They didn’t tank with intention. They didn’t compete with viability. They just… existed.
And in today’s NBA, that’s the most dangerous place to be.
The ripple effects of this deadline will stretch well beyond this season. By holding onto veterans now, the Kings risk watching their trade value dip in the offseason-especially if injuries or regression set in. They’ve also delayed any chance of gaining cap flexibility, which could’ve positioned them to absorb contracts for assets or play a role in multi-team deals this summer.
Most importantly, they’ve postponed the formation of an identity. Are they building around youth?
Are they chasing one last run with the vets? Right now, it’s anyone’s guess.
Final Thoughts
The Kings didn’t lose the 2026 trade deadline because of the Hunter trade. They lost it because they didn’t pick a lane. In a season where clarity was the most valuable currency, Sacramento chose indecision.
And that’s the real cost of standing still. The season didn’t end at the deadline-it just kept dragging on.