Kings player who must be traded in 2024-25 season
Yesterday at 10:15 PM
The Sacramento Kings have gotten off to a disappointing start to the 2024-25 season. With a little over a quarter of the season through, the Kings are sitting at 13-17 and outside the postseason picture. There's still a little while remaining before the NBA trade deadline, and the Kings have a player or two that they must move by then.
One of those players though is not De'Aaron Fox. Amid the team's poor start to the season, Fox's agent Rich Paul recently met with Kings management, setting off tons of speculation and rumors about his potential availability in a trade.
But the Kings currently have no intention of making Fox available in trade talks, per ClutchPoints' NBA insider Brett Siegel. That stance should not change. Fox is the Kings' current franchise player and any attempt to trade him should result in a rebuild. The Kings are not at that point. A talent like Fox doesn't come around all that often.
There is still time for the Kings to turn this season around, and they're reportedly expected to be one of the more active teams leading up to the trade deadline. So if the Kings should not trade De'Aaron Fox ahead of the deadline, who must they trade?
Kings must trade Kevin Huerter this season
One name that the Kings must look into a trade for by the deadline is backup guard Kevin Huerter Huerter was actually the starting shooting guard for a while, but has since been moved to the bench in favor of Malik Monk.
Huerter's numbers have fallen off this season from recent years when he was one of the Kings' more productive role players. Huerter is in his third season with the Kings and it's the first that he's dropped below double digits in scoring.
This season, Huerter has appeared in 26 games, including 15 starts, at a little over 25 minutes per game. He's been averaging 9.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals with splits of 43.4 percent shooting from the field, 31.1 percent shooting from the three-point line and 66.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Huerter's name has actually come up as one of the players the Kings have reportedly made available in trade rumors leading up the trade deadline with the other being Trey Lyles. The Kings don't really have much reliable depth behind Domantas Sabonis in the frontcourt, so they should hold on to Lyles who can work in small-ball lineups.
But moving Huerter should be the Kings primary objective in terms of players currently on the roster they should trade. With the team expected to be buyers in hopes of upgrading the roster, it's stands to reason that Huerter would be part of a package.
But simply moving Huerter could possibly lead to the Kings getting better internally, and that's because it would solidify Keon Ellis' spot in the rotation.
Last season, Ellis played a key role in the Kings rotation, even earning a starting job, a year after having his two-way contract converted to a standard deal. But this season, his role and minutes have fluctuated. When he has gotten minutes, he's produced.
Ellis is shooting 40.4 percent from three-point range this season on a little over three attempts. He is one of the better defenders on the roster at the guard position as well.
The former Alabama standout is one of the front office's gems, having signed him after going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. Moving Huerter in a trade by the deadline would open up more minutes and a bigger role for Ellis.
The post Kings player who must be traded in 2024-25 season appeared first on ClutchPoints.
