Sports
Kings Should Trade for Raptors' Pascal Siakam for Championship Push Amid NBA Rumors – Bleacher Report
It has been a long time since the Sacramento Kings have found themselves legitimate contenders in the Western Conference two seasons in a row and the organization is poised to take the steps necessary to ensure it stays that way.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Kings will be involved in every major player who hits the trade market.
Shams on the Sacramento Kings: "I think this is the first time in a long time since Chris Webber was with the Kings that they just look at the Kings as a trade destination. They are going to be involved in every star player: Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, maybe Zach Lavine. … they… <a href="https://t.co/LI8M8bNRnm">pic.twitter.com/LI8M8bNRnm</a>
One particular player mentioned, Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors, would provide them with an upgrade at the power forward position.
Second-year player Keegan Murray currently holds down that spot in the lineup but is currently dealing with a back injury that has him listed as day-to-day. He has been serviceable in that role, scoring just over 13 a game and adding 6.2 rebounds and two assists along the way.
That he is 39 percent from the floor is problematic, though.
In comparison, Siakam is averaging 20 points a game, 6.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and is shooting 49.3 from the floor.
What Siakam brings to the table beyond his numbers is experience.
He was with the Toronto team that won the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2019 and has competed in some grueling playoff series. He knows what it takes to win at the highest level in the NBA and can bring that to a very young Kings squad navigating those waters for the first time.
Put him on the floor with budding superstar De’Aaron Fox, fellow veteran Harrison Barnes, and quality big man Domantas Sabonis and you have a recipe for a team that can compete against the likes of the Lakers, Clippers, Timberwolves, Suns, and the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
The Kings are probably still a year out, but the fact that they have Fox and Sabonis as pillars of the team’s future makes it a little easier for them to let go of prospects to make a deal for Siakam happen.
It would take time for the team to gel and find on-court chemistry but, if a deal were to go down, executing it early enough would give them time to make that big push to the postseason.
From there, anything can happen, as we saw a season ago when the seventh-seeded Lakers and eighth-seeded Heat both made deep playoff pushes and competed for conference and NBA titles, respectively.