Kings Land Veteran Forward in Bold Mock Trade With Hawks

The Sacramento Kings land some big help in a mock trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

Nov 16, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) celebrates with forward Trey Lyles (center right) after defeating the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings addressed most of their pressing needs in the 2024 offseason, but some holes remain on the roster built by general manager Monte McNair. Sitting under .500 through 17 games, the Kings could be in trade talks to help push the team over the hump.

Dan Favale at Bleacher Report thinks the Kings could use a backup big man. In his eyes, a trade for Atlanta Hawks center Larry Nance Jr. could be the right move for Sacramento. A theoretical trade for Nance could look like this, according to Favale:

Sacramento Kings receive:

C/F Larry Nance Jr.

Atlanta Hawks receive:

F Trey Lyles

2026 second-round pick

2027 second-round pick

Trey Lyles has been a rotational piece for the Kings for the past four years. To start this season off, he's shooting a career-low 35.6% from the field. Lyles might be heading for a fresh start somewhere else if he isn't able to find his shot entering the start of the new year. Favale thinks that Nance could be an "ideal" replacement for the Kings.

Most Kings trades gravitate toward perimeter defensive presences. That's not unfair. But they arguably needed a combo big even more entering the season. And now that we've seen the current version of Lyles, they... definitely need a combo big even more. Nance fits the backup-big ideal to a T. He won't shrink the floor, can hold his own the perimeter and is capable of sponging up reps at either the 4 or 5.

- Dan Favale, B/R

So far this year, Nance is averaging a career-low 15.6 minutes per game off the bench in Atlanta. The 10-year veteran could be due for a move to a new team and would certainly find minutes in Sacramento's rotation. The Kings and Hawks have done business before (the Kevin Huerter trade), so the teams may make another swap.

Larry Nance Jr has had many impressive games so far this season for the Hawks :

— 19 Points vs Boston (27 Minutes)
— 13 Points vs Detroit (13 Minutes)
— 14 Points vs New Orleans (25 Minutes)
— 15 Points vs Washington (23 Minutes)

Impacts the game when he plays. pic.twitter.com/TnRn5VjrSj

— HawksMuse (@MuseHawk) November 24, 2024

Nance is undersized to play the 5 by himself, but the Kings' defense thrives on fast break opportunities and spreading the floor. In only nine games played, Nance is shooting 63.6% from three. That's a number that's unlikely to stay so high all year, but it shows that he's evolved into a worthy threat from beyond the arc.

As a team, the Kings are shooting only 33% from deep. Enlisting some more help wouldn't be a bad idea to ensure more consistent scoring performances.

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