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The Sacramento Kings are 1-8 and it's hard to be optimistic amid the wreckage of another plainly lost season. There is a single bright spot — rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr., who's averaging 25.2 points and 7.1 assists, quickly emerging as the heartbeat of Sacramento's offense. He's inefficient and the overall product is somewhat frustrating, but Acuff is doing all he can to prop up a shallow and disjointed roster.
There's no chance the Kings are competitive this season. We can get that notion out of our heads, if it ever existed in the first place. That said, the NBA's new lottery rules penalize the league's worst teams. There is incentive for Sacramento to not be the absolute worst team. After giving up on 2025 first-round pick Nique Clifford just a few weeks into his sophomore campaign, the Kings are wanting for stability, and for a clear path forward. Here are a few trades to help shape the future in Acuff's image, while turning the page on another dark chapter in Kings history.
Domantas Sabonis has taken his hard hat to work every day this season; he's hammering the glass and doing important dirty work on the margins, even as Sacramento phases him out of the offense in favor of Acuff. Sabonis does not seem thrilled with his current role, though, nor the purgatorial state of Kings basketball. He's their best player and an easy trade candidate.
Sacramento could go several different routes, but a star-for-star swap with the Utah Jazz — with Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen heading Sacramento's way — feels like the simplest and most consequential outcome, really on both sides. The Jazz desperately need the sort of rebounding and offensive dynamism Sabonis can provide in the frontcourt. Markkanen, meanwhile, is the sort of low-usage secondary star who pairs perfectly with Acuff on paper.
Their contracts are similar; Markkanen has an extra year on his deal. Markkanen's production has gradually declined in recent years, but it's hard to separate the player from the situation. The Jazz are quickly devolving into one of the most depressing and dysfunctional organizations outside of Sacramento. He, like Sabonis, could benefit from a change of scenery. Markkanen still provides a rare blend of size and shot-making on the wing, and he should play a style that harmonizes better with Sacramento's new cornerstone point guard.
The Charlotte Hornets rank 30th in offensive efficiency, 23rd in defensive efficiency and 29th in net rating. Coming off of six straight losses, Charlotte can no longer hide from its status as one of the worst teams in the NBA. The Kings need to find a desperate team and take advantage.
It's uncommon for second-year players on comparable, rookie-scale contracts to be traded for one another — especially at the same position. In this case, however, both sides could address areas of need in the frontcourt.
Sacramento desperately needs a premium rim protector, which Kalkbrenner is. He's also a superb lob threat and rim finisher out of the pick-and-roll, which should pair neatly with Acuff. Charlotte, on the other hand, takes on Maxime Raynaud, whose floor-spacing and rebounding could add a helpful dynamic to their frontcourt. Raynaud is an easier fit next to Moussa Diabate and rookie Hannes Steinbach in two-big lineups, with the latter itching for more reps.
Malik Monk's minutes have plummeted this season with Acuff in the driver's seat. It's therefore unwise to take his numbers at face value; Monk has been an extremely productive sixth man for years. He's a scalable shot-maker and complementary creator, which should benefit the Miami Heat with their sluggish offense and compressed spacing.
Monk's contract could be prohibitive in trade talks — he has a $21.6 million player option for 2027-28 — but Sacramento is well positioned to take on "bad" money if it means getting younger and restoring their cache of draft picks.
Nikola Jovic is in year one of a four-year, $62.4 million contract, which has already aged problematically. That said, Jovic is also 23 years old, with a track record of impactful spacing and slashing at the four spot, which Sacramento can hope to rediscover. Dru Smith is a functional backup point guard with strong defensive instincts, so he can replace Monk's minutes in the backcourt.
Sweeten the pot with a second-round pick, and there's enough long-term upside for Sacramento to ditch Monk's diminishing returns.
Another example of Sacramento accepting a sunk cost in order to improve their future outlook. Myles Turner is off to a rough start; his contract, with an additional two years and $57 million after this season, has also become an anchor around the Milwaukee Bucks' necks. Turner's contract won't magically turn better with the Kings, but he does fit rather seamlessly next to Acuff as a pick-and-pop threat. He's still a prolific shot-blocker, too, and Sacramento desperately needs to strengthen its defensive identity.
For their troubles financially, Sacramento grabs 2025 second-round pick Bogoljub Markovic, whose rapid physical development and compelling stretch-four skill set demands more on-court opportunity. Two future second-round picks — including a potential low-30s selection in 2027 — further sweeten the pot.
Sacramento offloads the expiring contract of De'Andre Hunter, who's an active negative on the floor. The Kings take on bad money, but this helps in the win-loss column and puts Acuff in a more accommodating environment. If the Kings were to execute all four of these trades, here is the final tally:
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