With the NBA trade deadline looming on Thursday, chatter from around the league has begun picking up steam as GMs trade phone calls and discuss potential packages for this week. A number of contenders have needs to fill, but the big movement is likely to be from teams in the middle of the pack fighting for playoff positioning, rather than those with title aspirations right now (although a big move for some teams in the middle could vault them into the conversation).
At the bottom of conferences, teams are trying to evaluate who is going to be a long-term piece and who they should look to sell now to get assets for the future. In Sacramento, they have some players that could interest contenders, most notably Harrison Barnes and possibly Buddy Hield, although the asking price for both is apparently quite high. On Monday, word emerged from Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that one of their young pieces has also been made available, as the second overall pick from the 2018 NBA Draft, Marvin Bagley III, is on the block as they try to find a team who still believes in the young big man.
The Sacramento Kings have made the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA draft available for a trade, with the Kings recently being turned down by the Detroit Pistons, having offered Bagley III for promising rookie Saddiq Bey, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
It’s not surprising that the Pistons would turn down such an offer, as they have plenty of bigs on the roster at present and also have high hopes for Bey as a scorer and shooter. Still, it offers a glimpse into what the Kings are seeking for Bagley, another young player who might fit better with this team as it seems they feel Bagley has run his course in Sacramento. His two and a half years with the Kings have been marred by injuries — he’s currently out with a fractured hand, which further complicates finding a deal for him — and complaints of a lack of consistent playing time, including some very public criticism of the organization from his father. A fresh start would probably be good for Bagley, but it remains to be seen if there’s a team willing to part with a young player of their own to bring him in and provide that opportunity.
