NBA rumors: Kings' 'substantial' Lauri Markkanen trade offer didn't include 1 key piece
07/07/2024 03:49 PM
The Sacramento Kings made a big move to acquire DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls, but before they made that move, they made an aggressive pursuit of Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz while protecting Keegan Murray in discussions.
“The Kings went hard after the Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen earlier in the week, protecting Keegan Murray in the discussions but putting on the table what they believe was a substantial enough picks-based offer, team sources said,” Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports. “But they put a deadline to their side of the deal, needing an answer quickly considering the urgency of the dissolving market.”
The Jazz and Danny Ainge ultimately did not meet that deadline, which resulted in the Kings pivoting to DeMar DeRozan. There reportedly is skepticism around the NBA that Danny Ainge actually will trade Markkanen, who is under contract for this upcoming season before being scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. Ainge and the Jazz could still move Markkanen before the coming season’s trade deadline.
The Kings heard that DeRozan would have interest when they pivoted quickly to him, and they had multiple veteran players, along with his former Toronto Raptors teammate and current assistant coach Leandro Barbosa, according to Slater.
To create financial flexibility, the Kings dealt Harrison Barnes to the San Antonio Spurs in the trade for DeRozan, which included three teams. It took a pick swap for the Kings to get the Spurs to take Harrison Barnes’ contract, but it was a price that was viewed as worth it by Sacramento. Now, DeRozan forms a “big three” with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. In an increasingly competitive Western Conference, this is a move that gives the Kings more star power. Hopefully, this will help them climb the standings in the Western Conference to give themselves a chance to make a run in the playoffs.
Why was Keegan Murray off the table for the Kings?
Given the fact that the Kings viewed Keegan Murray as untouchable for a Markkanen trade, the organization obviously views him as a piece for the future. He has played two seasons in the NBA, and he has been a solid shooter in those seasons.
Murray’s three-point percentage was better in his rookie season (41.1%) but ended up better in his sophomore season (35.8%). However, Murray’s two point percentage improved (56%) compared to his first year (52.7%), according to Basketball reference. Murray also took more two-point shots in his second season as a result of getting more minutes.
Murray finished fifth in the rookie of the year race in his first season, when he averaged 12.2 points per game. He put up 15.2 points per game in his second year. It will be interesting to see his usage and impact on this year’s team.
Obviously, the Kings have belief in Murray long-term if they are refusing to put him in a trade for Markkanen. Only time will tell if that was the right decision, but it would be reasonable to assume that he will be a big part of the team for the foreseeable future.
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