ESPN Calls Out Kings for 'Franchise-Altering' Trades

ESPN's Zach Kram revealed the "biggest roster mistakes" for each NBA team since 2020, and had the Kings in the worst tier of "franchise-altering terrible trades."

Kram revealed the biggest mistake for the Kings was, "Having Tyrese Haliburton and De'Aaron Fox, then losing them both within three years (2022 and 2025)."

Of course, the Kings made incredible decisions to draft both Haliburton and Fox, but keeping them was obviously an issue. The Kings traded away Haliburton because they did not feel like he fit alongside Fox, but then just three years later, they traded away Fox as well.

"The Kings faced an enviable dilemma in 2022: In 24-year-old Fox and 21-year-old Haliburton, they had two promising young point guards on the roster, and they needed to decide whether to build around one or both. They chose one, and they chose wrong, with the shocking swap of Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis," Kram wrote.

"For a time, this deal seemed like it might have been a win-win, as Haliburton blossomed in the Pacers' backcourt while the Fox-Sabonis duo led the Kings to the NBA's best offense and the West's No. 3 seed in 2022-23. It was the franchise's first playoff appearance in 17 years."

Many thought the Kings were actually trending in the right direction after acquiring Sabonis, because they snapped a 16-year playoff drought and had seemingly built a promising team around Fox and Sabonis. However, the Kings failed to make the proper adjustments and fell back into mediocrity the following year.

"But Sacramento could only light the beam for so long, and after a seven-point loss to the Pelicans, the Kings missed the playoffs in 2023-24, then traded a disgruntled Fox in 2024-25 and missed the playoffs again," Kram continued.

"Just a couple of years after their best run in decades, the Kings once more possess an ill-fitting roster with no clear direction, and they've gone from two point guards to zero. Meanwhile, Haliburton led the Pacers to the Eastern Conference finals and Game 7 of the NBA Finals in consecutive years, becoming one of the league's best passers and clutch scorers in the process."

The Kings are now back in the worst possible spot, as they are stuck between tanking and competing, an endless cycle that will get them nowhere unless they make significant changes. Of course, many expected those changes to come this offseason, but the Kings are likely going to have at least one more year of competing for a spot in the play-in tournament.