The Sacramento Kings are off to a bad start. They are one of just four teams that are below .500 in the Western Conference and currently sit at 9-12. Their offseason acquisition of DeMar DeRozan came with large expectations, but the Kings have not been able to meet them. As a result, the newest Sacramento Kings news is that they could be putting (at least) two of their key players on the trade block ahead of this year’s trade deadline. A Kings trade might not be enough to put them into contention in a packed Western Conference, but it sounds like they are open to checking out their options.
Sacramento Kings News: Two Players On Trade Block
A Kings Trade May Be Coming
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto recently reported that a Kings trade could happen before this season’s trade deadline. Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles were both put on the block last season and are now expected to be available again this year. Both of these players had a key role in the Kings’ success just a couple of seasons ago but have been having down years.
The Kings showed this offseason that they aren’t afraid to make big changes when they grabbed DeRozan in a sign-and-trade. This report further shows that they are not planning to stand pat while the rest of the Western Conference passes them by.
Kevin Huerter Stats Are Down
The Kevin Huerter stats this season have been downright ugly. Huerter is scoring a career-low 8.9 points per game, along with a career-low assist average of 2.1. Although these numbers aren’t great, the real issue with Huerter’s play has been that he has fallen off a cliff as a three-point shooter. Once his greatest strength, Huerter is now shooting a dismal 27.7% from distance, a full 10% below his career average of 37.7%.
The Kings’ three best players, De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and DeRozan, are not elite three-point shooters. For their offense to flow, they have needed someone like Huerter to spread the floor to make the Fox-Sabonis pick-and-roll, or the DeRozan midrange attack more efficient. Because he has been unable to do his most essential job, now he could be on the trade block.
Lyles is also struggling this season. He is only averaging 5.4 points per game, the second-lowest of his career. Although he hasn’t been as bad as Huerter, his $8 million salary, especially if paired with Huerter, could allow the Kings to trade for some bigger names.
What Do The Kings Need?
The most glaring skill that the Kings need at the moment is three-point shooting. They currently sit at 25th in the league in three-point percentage and are 24th in attempts per game. To be an elite offense in today’s NBA, you need shooting. Especially with midrange maestros like DeRozan and Fox leading the offense, getting shooting to put around them would be huge.
Another thing the Kings could look at is improving their defense. Although their defensive rating of 113.6 has them 17th in the league on defense, getting more stoppers to put around their offensive-minded stars might be helpful. Regardless of what the Kings end up doing, this Kings news of a potential trade may be the shakeup that the team needs to get back into the playoff race in the West.
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