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Jan 16, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Dylan Cardwell (32) walks off the court after the game against the Washington Wizards at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Winners and Losers of the Kings Trade Deadline

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By Will Zimmerle | Last updated Feb 6, 2026 5:06 PM ET

The trade deadline is officially over, and much to the dismay of many fans, the Sacramento Kings had a quiet day yesterday. They made a big move by sending out Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder for De'Andre Hunter, but other than Schröder, all of the veterans that they were trying to move are still on the roster.

That leaves the Kings in a complicated situation for the rest of the season. They have multiple All-Star-level players on a 12-win team that will now be competing with the young players for rotational minutes. And it might not be much of a competition...

With that said, let's look at two winners and losers from the quiet deadline from the Kings.

Winners

Dylan Cardwell

An easy choice for the top spot on the list, Cardwell saw his two-way contract get converted to a four-year deal last night. He's been one of the few bright spots for Sacramento this season, and the undrafted rookie has already stolen the hearts of those in Sacramento.

He's already one of the best rim protectors the Kings have had in years, and he's shown improvement on offense and on the boards early on in his career. Even with the veterans still on the team, expect Cardwell to get heavy minutes for the rest of the season. He was one of the five on the court in the final clutch minutes against the Memphis Grizzlies and appears to be a favorite of Doug Christie as well as the fans.

Devin Carter

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Another young player is a winner of the trade deadline for the Kings in Devin Carter. Getting traded to a new team for a fresh start might have been the best possible outcome for the second-year guard, but getting back into the rotation for the Kings is a pretty solid win as well.

Carter has played in three straight games, including a season-high 23:50 minutes against the Grizzlies. He's played well and shown the hustle and grit that got him drafted 13th overall last season. He has a long way to go, but he has a chance for the rest of the season to show not only the Kings, but the entire league, what he can do.

Losers

Domantas Sabonis

Domantas Sabonis getting traded to the Toronto Raptors was the most discussed rumor of the week in Sacramento, but the two teams weren't able to pull off a trade due to no one wanting Jakob Poeltl's bloated contract.

Instead of heading to the competing Raptors, Sabonis is in Sacramento for the foreseeable future in a seemingly reduced role. It's hard to think of two more different scenarios for a basketball player. From the outside looking in, the three-time All-Star has been receptive to the direction and focus that the Kings have put on developing their youth, but it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out minutes-wise for Sabonis.

Doug Christie

Doug Christie has had an nearly impossible job this season. The Kings didn't have many expectations coming into the season, but they weren't supposed to be this bad. It was clear that Christie wanted to win, but the roster made it nearly impossible.

And for the rest of the season, he'll have to manage a roster full of veterans on a lottery-bound team. And not just any lottery-bound team, but the one with the current worst record in the league.

Getting rid of veterans would have made life easier for Christie, but after the first game with the new look roster, he wasn't shy about sitting vets down the stretch and giving the young players heavy minutes. Thankfully for Kings fans, Christie appears ready to do what is needed, but it still puts him in the loser category compared to some of the other possible options that could have happened.

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

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