Desperation will make a team do some interesting things, which is partly why so many people are going to have their eyes on the Sacramento Kings this offseason. In the midst of a 16-year NBA playoff drought, the Kings are on the hunt for players that will help them snap that streak and return to the postseason.
The process began during the regular season when they acquired Domantas Sabonis from the Indiana Pacers ahead of the trade deadline. It was not cheap, as they parted ways with Tyrese Haliburton, seemingly committing to De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis as the foundation of their roster.
This offseason, they will look to continue augmenting the roster around those two players. They want to find more established players and have an excellent trade chip in the form of the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
That pick has been the center of plenty of trade rumors. One team that they have been engaged in trade talks with is the Atlanta Hawks, with John Collins at the center of discussions. Shams Charania of The Athletic, a subscription-based publication, shared an update that may surprise some people.
“The Kings are becoming increasingly comfortable drafting at No. 4 in Thursday’s draft and have described a steep price for teams behind them in the lottery who are attempting to trade up, sources said. Sacramento general manager Monte McNair has engaged in conversations around Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins — among a slew of other established, productive players in the market — but there has been no involvement of the No. 4 pick in the discussions centered on Collins, and McNair will ultimately make the decision on the pick, according to sources.”
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: This Hawks-Kings Trade Is Focused On John Collins To Sacramento
If the Kings were able to acquire a player of Collins’ caliber without having to part ways with the No. 4 overall pick, it would be a huge victory for the franchise. Collins is a versatile big man that can play alongside Sabonis or slide over to the center spot himself.
He would be a good addition as he is a capable floor spacer, knocking down 37.6 percent of his 3-point attempts in his career. That is exactly what the Kings need as Fox, Davion Mitchell and Sabonis aren’t great 3-point shooters.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: This Hawks-Kings Trade Is Focused On John Collins To Sacramento
It would be interesting to see what the Sacramento Kings would offer for John Collins without the No. 4 overall pick being involved. It is a situation to keep an eye on as it seems like a matter of when, not if, Collins is on the move this summer.
