NBA rumors: 3 star trades the Kings could make to take the next step

The Sacramento Kings broke their NBA record playoff drought of 16 consecutive seasons last spring and are prepared to add more star power to their roster, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. On an appearance on FanduelTV with Michele Beadle, Chandler Parsons, and Lou Williams, Charania broke the rumor. 

“I think this is the first time in a really long time, maybe when Chris Webber [1998-2005] was with the Kings, that you could look at the Kings as a trade destination.”

Why the Kings can trade for a star

Charania detailed why the Kings, to the amusement of Williams and Parsons, were real players for in a star trade. “They’re going to be involved in every star player -- Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, maybe Zach LaVine. Whatever stars become available because Monte McNair, that organization, have done a good job with keeping their assets, they have tradable contracts, so they’re going to be players for stars coming up for sure,” he said. 

The Kings only owe one outgoing pick, a top-14 protected pick to the Atlanta Hawks, but those protections could pose a problem. Because of the protections that descend and continue through 2026, the Kings cannot trade any first-round pick between 2024 and 2027. If the Kings can negotiate with the Hawks to lift those protections, they can open up first-round picks from 2026 to 2030 and trade swap rights for their 2025 pick. 

In terms of matching salaries, the Kings have Harrison Barnes at $17 million, Kevin Huerter at $15.6 million, Malik Monk at $9.9 million, Keegan Murray at $8.4 million, and Trey Lyles at $8 million. Barnes cannot be traded until December 29th, and Lyles cannot be traded until January 15th. With plenty of draft picks potentially available, the ability to match any salary, and any package sending productive players back in the process, the Kings can make a competitive offer for any star.