NBA trade rumors: Kings interested in Ben Simmons but not Pacers’ bigs

NBA rumors indicate the Sacramento Kings are uninterested in Indiana Pacers big men on the trading block, instead looking at Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons. 

Ranked tenth in the Western Conference, the Sacramento Kings will need to undergo some radical changes if they are to be a playoff contender come summer.

The doors are opening for cross-league NBA trades for recently-signed free agents on Wednesday, which has stoked the fire fueling some of the latest NBA rumors. According to the latest reports, the Sacramento Kings are interested in making a trade to switch up their lineup, but it’s not for the players many would expect the California team to pursue.

Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reported that since the Indiana Pacers have opened the doors to trades via The Athletic last week, the Kings have not engaged the Pacers in trade talks for Domantas Sabonis or Myles Turner. Sabonis and Turner are coveted big men that have reportedly been pursued by the Kings in the past, but they don’t seem to interest Sacramento now.

Sacramento Kings not interested in Indiana Pacers big men, instead pursuing other NBA stars

A source for the Bee indicated that the Kings are working on their own trade package to shop around the league, which includes Marvin Bagley III and Buddy Hield. Bagley III and Hield have floated around for the past few months as trading chips, especially since the tension between the Kings and Bagley III came to a head earlier this season. Bagley III’s agent publicly called out the Kings, saying that their refusal to play him Opening Night was a “case study in mismanagement  by the Kings organization.”

Over the summer, the Bee reported that the Kings were interested in 76ers Ben Simmons and Toronto Raptors Pascal Siakam. While there are a lot of teams reportedly interested in Simmons, the past few months could have affected the point guard’s trade value as he continues to sit out of the 76ers season.