The Sacramento Kings shocked the NBA world last season when they traded second-year rising star Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers in return for Domantas Sabonis. Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson were also outbound while Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday, and a 2027 second-rounder came with Baby Sabas back to Southern California.
The Kings reportedly had a playoff mandate to meet last season which was a chief reason why they cashed in on Haliburton’s potential for a more ready-made win-now piece in Sabonis.
Of course, despite making a very shortsighted move in hopes of making the postseason, Sacramento ultimately fell short of even the Play-In Tournament and were headed for the NBA lottery. Last season marked the 16th year in a row that the Kings failed to make the playoffs.
Now, General Manager Monte McNair has to find a way to build a playoff contender around his new star pairing of De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis. A silver lining came out of the Kings’ failed playoff pursuit last season, as they landed the fourth-overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, a three-spot jump from their seventh-best odds coming into the night.
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According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Sacramento has been active in pursuit of a replacement for Harrison Barnes at the starting power forward spot.
“John Collins continues to be mentioned as the most likely trade candidate among impact veterans around the league, and it’s believed Collins and the Atlanta Hawks have a mutual interest to find him a new destination. Atlanta’s recent conversations with Sacramento regarding Collins have not included the No. 4 pick, sources confirmed to B/R. The Hawks and Kings held talks about Collins before the February trade deadline. Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes is considered available for trade.”
That fourth selection should help McNair field a playoff team whether he uses it to take an impactful rookie or as a trade chip to bring in more win-now talent. That pick isn’t the only trade fodder that the Kings have in their arsenal, however.
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Harrison Barnes’s two-way prowess and ability to score efficiently without commandeering the ball make him a perfect complementary piece for any team looking to make a title run. The Sacramento Kings seem to believe that he could be more useful to them as a trade asset than an actual player. There should be no shortage of suitors for the veteran wing’s services.