The Pelicans’ recent surge has at least put them in a position to think bigger.
After a rough opening to the 2026-27 season, New Orleans has strung together four straight wins and climbed back to .500 at 4-4. Jamahl Mosley, in his first year on the bench, looks like he may have found a workable formula for a roster that has talent but hasn’t always fit together cleanly.
That kind of early stability can open the door to a consolidation move, and one name already floating around is Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis. With Sacramento headed toward what looks like another losing season, Sabonis should be back on the trade market.
On the latest episode of the Clutch Scoops show, Siegel pointed to the Pelicans as a possible fit because of the kind of contracts and assets they can send out.
“The Pelicans, for example, they have the salaries and type of players that the Kings would want where you could give up a Jordan Poole, a $34 million expiring salary. Maybe you can give up a future first-round pick and unload someone else. Maybe it's a three-way or a four-way deal where you can give up Dejounte Murray in that case,” Siegel said on the latest episode of the Clutch Scoops show.
“There's a lot of room for the Pelicans here to either go after Sabonis or another big man on the market.”
Still, the basketball fit is far from obvious. Zion Williamson is locked in as the starter at power forward, and New Orleans already needs size and rim protection at center. That’s why the Pelicans opened the season with Yves Missi as their starting five, and why Karlo Matkovic - described as a floor-spacing shot-blocker - has been asked to start with Missi out injured.
There’s also the question of what a Sabonis deal would mean for Derik Queen, whom the Pelicans used a valuable first-round pick to land in the 2025 NBA Draft. Bringing in Sabonis could crowd that path.
Latest trade rumors/intel: Warriors, Thunder | Clutch Scoops with @TomerAzarly & @BrettSiegelNBA https://t.co/vjgWFuHgEd
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 5, 2026
If New Orleans does make a move, the cleaner route may be elsewhere, possibly with Murray as part of the discussion so the team can hand the point guard job fully to Jeremiah Fears.
In Other News...
Zach LaVine Just Said What Kings Fans Already Fear
The postgame mood around Sacramento was already sour after the loss to the Lakers, and Zach LaVine did little to soften it. In his press conference, he acknowledged what Kings fans have been seeing for weeks: both teams have shaky defenders, and Los Angeles was able to take advantage of Sacramentos defensive issues when it mattered most.
It was an uncomfortably direct assessment for a team that has spent much of the season trying to find its footing on that end of the floor. The Kings sit 28th in defensive rating, allowing 119.4 points per 100 possessions, and comments like LaVines only sharpen the pressure on a group that knows the problem is bigger than one bad night. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Just Got Exposed By A Lakers Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Kings ran into the kind of problem that can unravel a game in a hurry against the Lakers: pressure, length and a defense that turned possessions into chaos. Los Angeles won 116-103 and did it with a disruptive edge, piling up 13 blocks and forcing 18 turnovers while Luka Doncic powered the offense with 40 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Austin Reaves added 21 points as the Lakers kept finding ways to make Sacramento pay for every mistake.
For Sacramento, the frustrating part is how familiar this can feel when the ball stops moving and the floor tightens up. The Kings had stretches where they could not get clean looks or settle into rhythm, and once the Lakers started converting those turnovers into points, the gap only widened. It was the kind of loss that leaves plenty to fix, especially against a team that is already looking every bit like an early-season problem. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. Is Drawing A Wild Allen Iverson Comparison
Darius Acuff Jr. has barely gotten his NBA career started, but the early returns have already stirred up some big-name chatter around Sacramento. Selected seventh overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Kings rookie has opened the 2026-27 season averaging 25.6 points and 7.0 assists per game through early November, production that has been impossible to ignore for anyone following the teams fast start to his pro career.
On Sactown Sports, longtime Allen Iverson fan Kenny Caraway said Acuffs scoring burst and playmaking bring Iverson to mind, while making clear it was more a nod of admiration than a forecast of where the comparison might ultimately lead. For the Kings, it is the kind of early buzz that comes with a high pick who already looks comfortable carrying an offense, even if the conversation around him is only just beginning. [Read more 🡒]