Why The Sacramento Kings Do This Deal

In a word: no.

While the Sacramento Kings are in for a penny, they might as well go in for a pound. This team has committed itself to a playoff run in 2022-23. They’ll need quality, impact players like Gordon Hayward.

This deal lands him in Sacramento without the team even having to give up its most valuable asset: the fourth overall pick in the NBA draft. Following this trade, the Kings will have more avenues to improvement.

They could simply keep the pick. Keegan Murray projects as a player who will be available when they select, and will also be ready to contribute to an NBA team from day one. They could also shop the pick for more win-now veterans. Say, for example, they were willing to sell low and move it to the Pistons in exchange for Jerami Grant.

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A lineup of Sabonis, Grant, Hayward, Donte DiVincenco, and De’Aaron Fox probably isn’t winning the championship, but it should make a run to the playoffs. At this point, that’s all that matters to the Kings.