Kyle Kuzma and the Kings had been connected for a while. They are searching for a big forward who can lead the team in scoring, grab rebounds, and play defence. Kuzma fits all of those requirements, and given the Wizards’ recent performance, it did not seem implausible that they would trade him for the ideal mix of young players and draft picks.
With just nine victories under their belt, the Wizards are comfortably positioned at the basement of the Eastern Conference, one spot over the Detroit Pistons. Kuzma, who is 28 years old, is the player that promises to yield the most return, but he may not fit inside their rebuilding schedule.
Although Mark Stein recently revealed that the Wizards are not moving the forward, Sacramento emerged as one of the main contenders to land him.
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What’s next for the Kings?
The three players the Kings most likely would have been willing to exchange a lot of assets for—Kyle Kuzma, Mikal Bridges, and Jerami Grant—are all off the table as a result of this news.
Still, this isn’t as dramatic as it seems. The Kings are not in a bad place, despite their humiliating loss to the Detroit Pistons Friday night. They moved into PlayIn territory, but the West is so competitive and dynamic that the standings might shift rapidly.
The Kings don’t have a good schedule; they play Denver, OKC, and Phoenix. Still, there’s still plenty of time to turn things around, and the Kings don’t really need to have a fantastic postseason. Although it would be wonderful for everyone, they only made their postseason debut last season following a 16-year absence.
They don’t have to execute a win-now trade in order to move forward with these things; they require time. The Kings don’t appear to have a star that meets their needs, and Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter have been playing better lately than they did at the start of the season.
Furthermore, if the Organisation can just be a little patient, Keegan Murray might end up being their third All-Star in the near future. Thus, the Kings’ bench will be upgraded if they make any transactions today. They’ve also been connected to Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale. Both players would be good signings to strengthen the Kings’ defence.
As previously stated, the Kings should improve their supporting group, particularly the bench, but there is no rush to sign a new star. Malik Monk and Trey Lyles are the only two players this season who have consistently made an impact off the bench. The Kings need to contend for the playoffs, and they can’t rely just on the unreliability of everyone else.
