NBA News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Dec 5, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) walks off the court after being ejected during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

NBA Insider Names Ja Morant, Trae Young as Trade Targets for Kings

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 2:41 PM ET

After trading away star point guard De'Aaron Fox, the Sacramento Kings created a problem. Of course, the Kings traded Fox away because of his crumbling relationship with the franchise, but they must not have thought about the gaping hole on the roster that it was going to create.

By trading away Fox, the Kings no longer had a point guard. At all. Malik Monk ultimately took on the role of point guard, but he has never led an offense throughout his eight years in the NBA, and he proved he is much better in an off-ball role.

Now, heading into the 2025 offseason, getting an actual point guard seems to be Sacramento's top priority. New Kings general manager Scott Perry recently talked about how they need a point guard.

"I'm in the early assessment phase. Obviously this roster, I believe there is talent here," Perry said. "It's no secret that we need a true point guard with this current mixture of talent on the roster. And there's also no secret, in my opinion, that we need more length and athleticism along the frontline if we want to enhance this current group here."

The Kings are in a tough position, especially looking at this year's free agency class. There are very few starting-caliber point guards in free agency this summer, so the Kings will likely have to turn to the trade market to find their answer.

ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel recently brought up two stars that the Kings could target this offseason, depending on whether or not their teams decide to shop them: Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant and Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young.

"The trade market for point guards is thin because of unknowns surrounding teams with questions of their own entering the summer," Siegel wrote. "Trae Young and Ja Morant are the two younger stars a team like the Kings would have the option of discussing in trade talks should the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies open those conversations."

Justin Ford-Imagn Images

Ja Morant, 25, averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game this season, but Morant might have played his last game in a Grizzlies uniform. Morant suffered an injury in Game 3 of their first-round series against the OKC Thunder, and on the brink of getting swept, the Grizzlies will likely be without their star guard for the rest of their postseason.

Morant is certainly an interesting trade option for any team, although his availability this offseason is uncertain. There is certainly a chance that the Grizzlies and Morant break up this summer, but the star point guard is the heart of Memphis, and the franchise could look to hang on to that for as long as possible.

Trae Young, 26, averaged 24.2 points and 11.6 assists per game this season, continuing to be one of the NBA's top point guards, although a change of scenery could suit him well. The Hawks are stuck in an awkward position with minimal room for improvement, and it is possible that holding on to Young could be limiting their potential.

The Kings could certainly look to add more of a defensive presence than Young or Morant, but if they want to add a star point guard to fill a Fox-sized void, they are two of the top options.

This article first appeared on Sacramento Kings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: