Six Kings Named Among NBA's Top 25 Trade Candidates

Domantas Sabonis

At number three on Vecenie’s board is Sabonis, a three-time All-Star with two All-NBA selections under his belt. It’s a bit unfair to Sabonis that he was traded for Tyrese Haliburton because Haliburton’s ascension and success have hurt the way that the league views Sabonis as a player. 

While the Hailburton trade was a mistake looking back, Sabonis is still a legitimately good player and one of the best rebounders in the league. Domas could be a great get for a team that needs a steadying presence at the five, but Vecenie brings up some real concerns with Sabonis that may make a trade challenging despite his talent.  

“First, Sabonis is a bad defender on the interior. He struggles to protect the rim, and because he doesn't have much length or speed, he can also struggle in ball-screen coverages to take up the requisite space required to challenge decision-makers. The second issue is the contract,” Vecenie wrote.

Sabonis is set to make nearly $140 million in the last three years of his contract after signing a massive extension with the Kings. At the time, De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis had created one of the better center/point guard pairings in the league, and paying Sabonis that kind of money made a bit more sense while Fox was still on the team. 

Regardless, Domas can still be a good fit for a team that has defense and shooting, but needs an elite rebounder and playmaker to round things out. 

Keon Ellis

Next on the list is Keon Ellis, who comes in at number 10 and is likely the most sought-after King around the league. Ellis has drawn significant interest around the league, mostly because he’s a great perimeter defender and has hit 41.5% of his catch-and-shoot threes over the last two seasons. 

I’ve been a huge fan of Ellis for a long time, but I do agree with Vecenie when it comes to his shortcomings. First, Ellis has had issues switching onto bigger guards and forwards due to his slight frame, which significantly reduces his defensive impact. Second, Ellis hasn’t shown that he is going to develop beyond a catch-and-shoot threat offensively. 

Another factor with Ellis is his contract. Fans have been incredibly upset by the decision to accept Ellis’ team option rather than signing him to a long-term deal, but that decision may end up being the right move for Sacramento. 

According to Vecenie, Ellis’ deal could lead to a large-scale bidding war, which is the best opportunity for the Kings to get the first-round pick that they reportedly desire for their defensive specialist. 

“The key here, though, is that Ellis still only makes $2.3 million, meaning every team in the league can theoretically get involved in a potential bidding war," Vecenie continued. "He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but the team that acquires him would have his full Bird rights and a low cap hold.”

Zach LaVine

Right behind Ellis is Zach LaVine at number 11, a two-time All-Star and one of the best shooters in the NBA. LaVine is an undeniable offensive talent who has averaged nearly 21 points per game for his career on 39% from deep. 

The problem with LaVine isn’t his talent, at least offensively. Zach is on one of the toughest-to-swallow contracts in the league, making $47.5 million this year with a player option for next year coming in at $49 million. Because of this, Vecenie doesn’t see many teams in the market for LaVine’s services.

“There are not many teams in the league that will be willing to take that deal on unless it's in exchange for another expensive, currently distressed asset," Vecenie wrote.

Trade Value Roundup

Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, and Dennis Schroder also made Vecenie’s board, coming in at 13, 14, and 21, respectively. With this many players available, the Kings are definitely going to be active at the deadline; the question is, will they get any decent offers? 

Vecenie thinks that only Sabonis will command a first-round pick, and most of the veterans won’t fetch more than salary filler in return. This is the situation the Kings have gotten themselves into with their head-scratching roster decisions over the last few years; now they must reap what they sow. Whether they get what they want back or not, the Kings would be smart to ship out as many veterans as possible before February 5th.

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