Popular Sacramento Kings Trade Target in High Demand Across NBA

The Sacramento Kings may struggle to outbid teams for highly coveted trade targets.

Dec 4, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson (2) celebrates his three point shot against the Indiana Pacers during the third quarter at Barclays Center. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings have repeatedly been linked to the Brooklyn Nets and Cam Johnson, but the competition to obtain the sharpshooting forward is going to be steep this trade season.

Forbes’ Evan Sidery reported that the Golden State Warriors are interested in Johnson and that the Nets would likely require Jonathan Kuminga be included if a deal is made.

In trade talks between the Nets and Warriors, Cam Johnson appears to be their top target.

Brooklyn would likely require Jonathan Kuminga in any potential deal.

After failed extension talks with Kuminga, Golden State could prefer paying Johnson only $65.5 million through 2027. pic.twitter.com/wm8TbOlPzb

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 13, 2024

Whether the Warriors choose to include Kuminga in the deal is up to them, but as it relates to the Kings, it shows once again how Sacramento is going to struggle to compete in a bidding war over highly coveted players.

Outside of Keegan Murray, who the Kings are reportedly not interested in moving, they don’t have any young high-upside players that they can include in a deal.

Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles are intriguing trade candidates due to their reasonable contracts of $16.8 and $8 million this season, respectfully, but neither are the type of player that you build a trade around.

That’s not to discredit either Huerter or Lyles, as I think both are great players who are key to Sacramento’s success. But the simple fact is that players like Kuminga (pretty easily) fetch a higher price on the trade market than the Kings role players.

Sacramento has their first-round picks they can trade, but just like with players, other teams hold more firepower in their back pocket when it comes to picks.

It’s possible a team sees the combination of Huerter, Lyles, and multiple first-round picks as the best combination of assets out there, but the odds of that seem slim with teams like the Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Houston Rockets brimming with trade bait.

While many are hoping the Kings go out and make a splash in the trade market, it could end up being a season in which the Kings make small moves that end up having bigger impacts than expected. Either way, Monte McNair and the front office are in for a tough race in a seller’s trade market.

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