Sacramento Kings Receive: G Derrick White, C/F Daniel Theis
Boston Celtics Receive: F Harrison Barnes, F Maurice Harkless
It’s worth noting that the Sacramento Kings traded for Domantas Sabonis at this year’s trade deadline. This is not a team operating under the guise of a rebuild. They’re all-in, for better or for worse.
This trade may work to upgrade both teams. The Kings are making up some of the backcourt depth they lost when they shipped Tyrese Haliburton for Sabonis.
Granted, White is not a perfect replacement. The 30.6% he’s shooting from distance this season may trail his career 34% mark; both are sub-elite marks. Still, he’s a quality ball-handler and shot creator.
Furthermore, the Kings are trading for depth here. Harrison Barnes is the best player in this trade, but Derrick White and Daniel Theis are upgrades over Harkless. Theis is a solid defensive big who provides a degree of floor-spacing. He’ll allow the Kings to make up a portion of Barnes’ production while adding White.
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Boston’s motivation here is clear: they’re getting the best player in the deal. It’s entirely possible that the Sacramento Kings may not deem this a quality return for his services. If they’re insistent on getting better value for their veteran forward, there may still be a deal to be done here.
It just might require a third team.
