The NBA trade season is nearly upon us. In just a few weeks, the most fun period of time in the association will be in full swing as shocking trades will begin to dominate the headlines. One team expected to be involved in some of those headlines is the Sacramento Kings. The Kings, once thought to be a dark-horse contender in the West, are now far from the competitive team that management hoped they'd be.
As of Dec. 21, they are just 6-22 and are tied for the third-worst record in the NBA. Due to their struggles, key players like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are on the trade block. Yet, despite their individual accolades, there is some debate on whether either will actually be able to be traded without attaching draft picks to them.
They're older players with skillsets that don't really contribute to winning in the modern NBA. That doesn't mean the Kings are out of valuable assets to trade. One name that could help just about every team in the association is Domantas Sabonis, and he may not be on the trade block. According to Marc Stein, the Kings aren't sure they want to move on from him yet.
According to Stein (via NBA Trade Rumors), the desire is to trade DeRozan and LaVine first and foremost, but whether the team is willing to listen to trade offers on Sabonis remains unknown. There isn't an obvious stance that the club has taken yet. Thus, highlighting a desire to keep him to some degree.
Stein does go on to say that there is "league-wide interest" in the multi-time All-Star center. If the Kings are serious about rebuilding, and a good-enough offer is made, the Kings may trade their star, do-it-all center. Yet, if they think the club can be re-tooled in a season, they may hold onto him.
Time will tell.