NEWSLETTER
As the Zach LaVine trade market slogs, one team quietly remains in the rumor mill.
The Sacramento Kings took a massive leap forward last season. Behind the duo of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, the franchise made its first playoff series since the 2005-06 season. Unfortunately, despite picking up the No. 3 seed in the conference, they ran into a far more experienced group in the Golden State Warriors and suffered a first-round defeat.
If they proved anything over those seven games, however, it was that they had a foundation built. And some seem to think they could add to that foundation as soon as this trade deadline. Zach LaVine has been loosely tied to the Kings a couple of times since news broke that he was open to a change of scenery. Most recently, Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto commented on the connection, naming two players who have reportedly caught the Bulls’ attention
“There had also been some Zach LaVine chatter a little bit earlier in the season. I had heard the two names that came up there from Sacramento with Zach at different points during trade conversations were Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes,” Scotto told Kings beat reporter James Ham on the HoopsHype Podcast.
“From Chicago’s side, I do think there is a level of interest in Huerter for sure. To my understanding, they’ve done some background intel on him trying to figure out what’s going on there [and] why he has struggled a little bit this year. But he’s a player that they’ve liked. That’s a team (Chicago) that doesn’t want to rebuild, they want to retool.”
Wow, ok, I have several thoughts on this!
Scotto’s words imply that there were trade discussions earlier this season. Now, whether that was merely a thought exercise inside the Sacramento front office or a legitimate discussion between the two sides is unclear. But what does seem fairly clear is that a trade has at least been thought about to the point where certain names could be thrown out. And, well, that brings me to my second set of thoughts.
If the Bulls’ philosophy is to retool instead of rebuild – which we all know I’m not a major fan of – they could do a lot worse than Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes. Those are two winning role players with the ability to impact both ends of the floor. Not to mention, they are both the kind of talent the Bulls could always flip again down the road for younger assets or draft capital. Depending on how LaVine’s market develops, accepting back talent like that along with a first-round pick or two may be the best path forward.
Having said that, Scotto’s comments on the 25-year-old Huerter sure make it sound as if the Bulls have a strong interest in adding him into the mix. I assume that a lot of this has to do with Huerter’s normally elite 3-point shooting ability. The wing shot 40.2 percent from downtown on 6.8 attempts per game last season, and he currently sits at a 38.0 percent shooter over his career.
To be sure, we’ve seen that number oddly drop this year to just 33.0 percent, but there is enough of a track record to believe Huerter can break out of this slump. Also, while Huerter is by no means a high-level defender, he does work hard on that end of the floor and stands at an underrated six-foot-seven.
But, again, is this the kind of deal the Bulls should pursue? Should the goal really be to acquire a couple of win-now role players as opposed to future assets? We also have to ask ourselves whether or not this is a deal the Kings would even do in the first place. Both Huerter and Barnes have been a big part of the Kings’ recent success. Giving up two starters – and likely more assets – in favor of an expensive third star is a tall ask.
De’Aaron Fox is only in the third year of a five-year, $163.0 million deal. Meanwhile, Domantas Sabonis is fresh off signing a four-year, $186 million deal. Adding the $138 million LaVine is owed over the next three seasons would be a pretty unexpected decision by a small market franchise.
We also have to think about the fit. The Kings have already been such a high-powered offensive team without LaVine. How much better can they become on that end of the floor? And do they really want to double down on that approach instead of adding a third player with a better defensive track record? The other name tied to Sacramento has been Pascal Siakam, and his multi-position defensive capabilities could fill far more holes.
Zach LaVine’s Interest in the Kings?
If one thing is for sure, multiple reports have now suggested that LaVine wouldn’t mind a move to Sacramento. The two-time All-Star is reportedly interested in joining forces with Fox to form one of the Western Conference’s best offensive backcourts.
Fox is also a Klutch client along with LaVine, which means the Kings front office has plenty of experience working with LaVine’s agency. We talked way more about that side of the story earlier this season, so I’ll direct your attention to that post here:
