Kings Rumor Roundup: The latest as Thursday’s Trade Deadline nears
Feb 7, 2023, 9:51 AM | Updated: 11:54 am
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Ah, yes, it’s that time of the year, the time for NBA trade deadline rumors.
We are about 48 hours from the conclusion of the NBA’s trade season, as general managers around the league will be scrambling to tune up their respective rosters before the clock strikes noon PST on Thursday.
The Sacramento Kings (30-23) have been one of, if not the, best stories around the league this season as they currently sit in the third spot in the Western Conference and atop the Pacific Division with 29 games remaining.
While the Kings have hammered opponents with their league-leading 119.3 points per game, defense continues to act as this team’s Achilles heel, something that would be wise to address before Sacramento enters the season’s final stretch.
Recently-extended general manager Monte McNair has the job security he was seeking, a head coach in Mike Brown that is currently a front-runner for Coach of the Year, two stars in De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, and an offense that can run with the NBA’s best.
Looking for missing pieces at the NBA trade deadline
The missing piece for the Kings is defensive impact, and if we have learned anything from the very few rumors that have come out of Sacramento’s camp, they are not planning on standing by and idly watching this deadline come and go without addressing this area of concern.
With two months remaining in the regular season, the Kings are in a great spot, but the West is tight. As of February 7th, Sacramento had a 4.5-game gap between themselves at third and the 11th spot in the standings.
Defense is the primary goal of this deadline, and McNair will be tasked with rounding out the roster with more impact in that department. That being said, let’s see what is currently turning on the rumor mill regarding the Kings:
Matisse Thybulle
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Sacramento Kings are monitoring the availability of Philadelphia 76ers guard Matisse Thybulle as Thursday’s deadline approaches.
Thybulle, a 6’5 guard that is currently one of the league’s notable defensive specialists, has been named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team in two-straight seasons (2021, 2022). For a Kings team that struggles to get stops consistently, Thybulle would be a solid addition to Sacramento’s defensive presence.
Sacramento is said to be monitoring the availability of Philadelphia’s Matisse Thybulle as the Kings, unexpectedly holding the West’s No. 3 seed after a league-record 16 consecutive seasons out of the playoffs, ponder the pursuit of a more defensive-minded option on the perimeter.
While Sacramento is interested in bringing the defensive-minded guard into the fold for a playoff run, there are plenty of suitors for Thybulle’s services, including the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors.
Over the weekend, Stein added that the possibility of Thybulle being moved is ‘very real,’ but it’s possible that the Kings would need to enter a bidding war against the Hawks–a known aggressive suitor–to bring the guard to California.
This isn’t the first time that the Kings have been linked to Thybulle, as Sacramento reportedly asked for the 25-year-old to be included in any discussions regarding a potential Ben Simmons deal during last season’s trade deadline negotiations.
Thybulle is currently in the final year of a four-year, $12.5 million deal and will enter unrestricted free agency at the end of the season. The defensive-minded guard brings a lot to the table regarding disrupting opposing offenses, but offense is not a strong suit for Thybulle.
Over his four seasons in the NBA, Thybulle is averaging 4.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game on 45 percent shooting from the field and 32 percent from beyond the arc. Offense isn’t a strong suit, but that isn’t why a team like the Kings would be interested in acquiring Thybulle.
Thybulle has fallen in and out of 76ers head coach Doc Rivers’ core rotation, as the fourth-year guard is playing a career-low 12.1 minutes per game.
If Philadelphia–the NBA’s fourth-best defensive team–feels that they have enough defensive impact, they shouldn’t have a problem finding a trade partner that can take on Thybulle’s $4.3 million salary.
Kings general manager Monte McNair is close with 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, as the two worked together for years while with the Houston Rockets front office. The executives were seen in the stands together during January 21st’s game at Golden 1 Center, raising speculation that these two franchises could soon become trade partners.
Old friends Kings GM Monte McNair and Sixers VP Daryl Morey exchanging outlandish trade proposals during date night at Golden 1 Center? Other captions encouraged. pic.twitter.com/dBVIujB8e3
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) January 22, 2023
Mason Plumlee
The Sacramento Kings are in the market for front-court help, and Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer reported on Tuesday that the team continues to show interest in Charlotte Hornets center Mason Plumlee before the NBA trade deadline.
Plumlee, a nine-year veteran, is averaging 12.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 67 percent from the field (third-highest mark in the NBA).
Veteran center Mason Plumlee projects as the Hornets’ most likely trade candidate. Plumlee is in the final season of a three-year contract, making $8.5 million this season. Sacramento continues to be the team most often connected to Plumlee by league personnel.
The Kings have made their own reserve center Richaun Holmes available for trade, sources told Yahoo Sports, and Charlotte did hold interest in Holmes during the 2021 offseason, before the Hornets acquired Plumlee from the Pistons in a draft-night trade.
Jake Fischer – February 7, 2023
Plumlee is one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA this season, something that the Kings have struggled with thus far. As of February 7th, the veteran big ranks third in the league in offensive rebounds (185) and fifth in offensive rebounds per game (3.4).
Sacramento has struggled to find stability in its backup center role, with Richaun Holmes and Chimezie Metu having spent most of the season taking turns at the position behind All-Star big Domantas Sabonis.
The Kings are getting little production out of Holmes and Metu, something that needs to be addressed if Sacramento is to survive Sabonis-less minutes during the final months of the season–and especially during a potential postseason appearance in April.
McNair isn’t expected to make any blockbuster moves like last season’s trade with the Indiana Pacers, but addressing areas of need like backup center and defensive impact appear to be on the to-do list. A move for Plumlee would address one area of concern, as the Duke product could provide Sacramento with a serviceable backup to Sabonis.
Plumlee’s play style–rebounding the basketball, scoring around the rim, and distributing to teammates–would act as a solid placeholder allowing Sabonis to get more extended rest periods. The All-Star is currently logging 34.6 minutes per game, which head coach Mike Brown has said he will look to manage to keep Sabonis fresh.
Sacramento could open up its chest of second-round picks in a deal for Plumlee while also offering expiring contracts in Terence Davis and Alex Len to take back the 32-year-old’s expiring $9 million contract.
A Plumlee–Holmes swap is possible, but Charlotte would likely also seek draft compensation in return for adding future salary, which the Kings have plenty of regarding second-round picks.
Jarred Vanderbilt
Speaking of those second-round picks…
The Utah Jazz is reportedly shopping 6’9 forward Jarred Vanderbilt, a player that would bolster a weak Sacramento frontline with his solid rebounding and above-average defense, ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
While it has yet to be confirmed if the Kings were the mystery Western Conference team that recently offered “multiple” second-round picks for the forward, Sacramento makes sense as McNair possesses six second-round picks over the next three NBA drafts (11 through 2029).
Vanderbilt would be a home run acquisition for the Kings as they would be able to add a defensive big into the lineup–one that can also score around the rim (75% this season). Sacramento’s current defensive wing is KZ Okpala, who has yet to show that he can bring any positive offensive contributions to the table. Vanderbilt can defend multiple positions and score with the ball in his hands.
The 23-year-old is averaging 8.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 55 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc.
Only Domantas Sabonis (2.9 rebounds per game) has made an impact on the offensive glass this season, with the next-closest King on the list being Keegan Murray (1.1 per game). Vanderbilt would also help Sacramento with second-chance opportunities, as the Kentucky product has pulled down 2.3 offensive boards per game in 2022-23.
Vanderbilt’s 113 defensive rating would rank first among Kings players that have played at least 1000 minutes this season, and his 53 steals would rank second behind Kevin Huerter (56).
The Kings need defensive help, and Vanderbilt would be a great addition to a team that needs interchangeable options–and Vanderbilt can defend multiple positions thanks to his quick feet and lateral speed.
Of course, if one West team has offered multiple second-round picks, it’s possible that Utah ups the price to a first-round pick as they have made it clear that this deadline will not be a complete tear-down. As of February 7th, the Jazz sit in the final Play-In spot in the Western Conference with 29 games to go.
Vanderbilt would also align with Sacramento’s young core of De’Aaron Fox (25), Kevin Huerter (24), Keegan Murray (22), Malik Monk (25), Davion Mitchell (24), and Domantas Sabonis (26), but he will likely come at a greater cost than second-round picks.
Do the Kings have the assets to get a deal done?
The Jazz hold all the cards, as they can choose to hold onto Vanderbilt and his affordable contract ($4.3 million this season, $4.6 million in 2023-24). Sacramento has salary to match in a deal, with Terence Davis and Alex Len’s expiring $4 million contracts being the most-likely return for Utah.
With two days to go until NBA trade deadline, which ends at 12:00 p.m. PST, we are at the beginning of what could be a wild 48 hours around the NBA.
