The Sacramento Kings, with their new addition, DeMar DeRozan, have started the 2024-25 season with an 8-7 record. However, the Kings still need to improve their roster to become contenders in the Western Conference.
The West is stacked this season, as 11 teams are above .500. This has made it more difficult for Sacramento to get in a rhythm and be a playoff team.
Star guard De’Aaron Fox has taken a jump this season with impressive performances, including a 60-point game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Through 15 games, Fox is averaging a career-high 28.8 points, along with five rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. He is shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three. Fox’s play early in the season has been stellar on both ends of the floor.
Domantas Sabonis has also continued to play at a high level, averaging 20.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. The talented offensive big man is shooting 64.1 percent from the floor and 40 percent from deep.
Their new star addition, DeRozan, fits right into Mike Brown’s offensive system. The 35-year-old is averaging 22.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. He has been an efficient scorer, shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 40 percent from downtown.
The trio of Fox, Sabonis, and DeRozan has created a dominant offense with complementary players like Keegan Murray and Malik Monk. However, with the competitive West, this hasn’t been enough for the Kings to separate themselves early in the season.
With that said, here are two Kings trade candidates at the start of the 2024-25 season.
Kevin Huerter – SG
Kevin Huerter is off to a rough start to the 2024-25 campaign. Huerter is averaging 11.2 points, but his efficiency has dropped off, shooting 43.8 percent from the floor and just 31 percent from behind the arc.
Huerter is relied on to be a floor spacer for Sacramento, and his lack of production makes him expendable. He has two years remaining on his four-year $65 million deal, making him a tradeable contract.
With Keon Ellis emerging as a two-way wing and Monk as the 6th man, Huerter has become a more moveable asset. Ellis had a breakout 33-point performance with nine triples against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
Monk, on the other hand, re-signed with Sacramento on a four-year $78 million deal. Monk finished second for the 6th Man of the Year award in the 2023-24 season and has remained a quality scorer off the bench. Huerter’s contract allows the Kings to add depth without losing too much at the wing position, as Ellis and Monk are playing well.
Kings F/C Trey Lyles
Another role player who has struggled for the Kings is forward Trey Lyles. Lyles is averaging 6.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and one assist per game. The stretch big has been very inefficient, shooting 36.5 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from distance.
Lyles is in the final year of his deal, earning $8 million. With an expiring and tradeable contract, Lyles should be moved, as he’s not producing at the level that the Kings need.
The 29-year-old has been a solid role player for Sacramento over the past four seasons, but with his regression, Sacramento can’t afford to keep him.
Although the Kings are an above .500 team, they are still outside of the playoff picture. Sacramento proved this offseason that they are in win-now mode by acquiring DeRozan in a sign-and-trade. With contracts like Huerter and Lyles to move, the Kings could make a splash to upgrade their roster and become a true contender in the West.
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