As the Kings continue to explore pathways to improve their backcourt, Jrue Holiday of the Celtics, Marcus Smart of the Wizards, and impending free agent Malcolm Brogdon are among the players Sacramento is believed to be interested in, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The Kings have consistently come up as a suitor for point guards, having previously been linked to Tyus Jones and Cavaliers All-Star Darius Garland. Jones is another impending free agent, while Garland is on a maximum-salary contract with Cleveland for three more years.
Although Holiday, Smart and Brogdon are all capable of bringing the ball up the court and initiating an offense, they profile more as combo guards than traditional table-setters. Holiday has three years and $104.4MM left on his contract, while Smart is entering the final year of his deal, which will pay him $21.6MM in 2025/26.
According to Fischer, the Kings have also been looking at moving into the first round of the draft, and have “expressed confidence to various agents” that they could acquire a selection “as high as the early 20s.” Sacramento currently only controls one pick, a second-rounder at No. 42 overall.
For what it’s worth, any Kings offer for Holiday would likely have to include either DeMar DeRozan or Malik Monk for salary-matching purposes as the Celtics look to reduce their payroll and luxury tax bill in ’25/26.
And Pritchard and Rozier and White and Banton and Kyrie and Schroder
Sounds about right. Let them pick up more negative value contracts that are trending down to help a successful team retool. Wow.
Kangs ganna kang
Kings are one of those teams that is on the borderline of a rebuild. Pick up older players should mean trading older players away.
Sacramento is another good place for Holiday.. .
Just not sure what they give up.
Sabonis is a quality big but not an ideal player to build around because he doesn’t have that playoff gear. Sacramento should deal him now while he’s got a decent value and take undesired veteran contracts and picks back in trade to collect assets for a rebuild.
If they trade Sabonis they would need to bring back young players and drfat picks because that would mean they are going through a big rebuild.
I said that they should try to pry Jalen Johnson loose from the Hawks.
A lot of teams would like to get a hold of him. A yopung player with a long term contract that can score and rebound. I wish the warriors would trade for him that is exactly what they need.
Same team that traded Fox and didn’t get this years first round pick or Castle in return. Traded Hali instead of Fox for Sabonis… There’s no magic deals in this organization. I’m a recovering Sac season ticket holder…
Kings are looking for a point guard while they had both Fox and Haliburton 3 1/2 years ago. It’s such a sad franchise
I heard Mike Bibby is available
They can have Smart or Brogdan. Kings had Cousins, Rondo, Caron Butler, Darren Collison and couldn’t make the playoffs. They chose Bagley over Luka and yes they traded away Hali when they should have kept him, considering they dealt Fox away too. They Do Not deserve Holiday!
Kings sign Jrue and Ben 10 to beef up the defense.
Tough to see DeRozan go, but that might be the only way to land Jrue. Unless…
Kings trade Sabonis.
Trade Sabonis and Monk for Jrue and Porzingis.
Playmaking goes back to a PG.
Team as a whole shifts to emphasize defense, as you have now elite personnel in that department (Jrue, Ben 10, Porzingis).
Keep LaVine, a great scorer and flashy player.
Get Cam Johnson.
A lineup of Jrue LaVine Ben 10 Murray/Cam Johnson Porzingis is excellent on both sides of the ball. All great in the defensive end, except LaVine, but he can be balanced by the team as a whole.
Keegan Murray of the bench, Keon Ellis, Lyles/LaRavia (these two might be redundant, I’d keep Lyles, for roster continuity and might be cheaper moneywise), Dougie McBuckets.
Pry Isaac from Orl, send Valanciunas and draft compensation.
Scoop McGee out of Puerto Rico for insurance and rim-protection.
Doug Christie was a tough nosed very good defender, and contributor. He should be in line with a defensive minded approach.
That roster can get in the playoffs in the West, and will be tough to beat.
That might actually be an excellent team. Who knows where it might get?