Sports
NBA Trade Rumors: Kings Protected Keegan Murray in Lauri Markkanen Talks with Jazz – Bleacher Report
The Sacramento Kings were reportedly unwilling to add Keegan Murray in trade discussions with the Utah Jazz involving Lauri Markkanen.
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Kings “went hard” after Markkanen and offered a “substantial enough picks-based offer.” However, Sacramento put a deadline on the trade negotiations and protected Murray in discussions.
On Saturday, the Kings acquired DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade deal with the Chicago Bulls that did not involve Murray.
Instead, Sacramento gave up veteran forward Harrison Barnes and Chris Duarte (h/t ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski). The Kings also sent the Bulls a 2031 unprotected pick swap and two second-round selections as part of the agreement.
Sacramento was far from the only potential suitor for Markkanen, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported on Friday that the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, and San Antonio Spurs have all expressed interest in the former All-Star.
While the Kings were reportedly interested in Markkanen, they didn’t want to give up Murray after his improved second season. The 23-year-old’s averages of 15.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game during his 2023-24 campaign all represented increases from his rookie-season marks.
He also remained an effective long-range shooter, connecting on 35.8 percent of his 6.6 three-point attempts each night. As Sacramento attempts to bounce back from a play-in tournament exit after winning 46 games in the regular season, Murray should still be an important piece of the Kings’ starting unit with DeRozan in the mix.
Utah may wind up keeping Markkanen throughout the offseason, as Slater noted on Sunday that there has been “growing skepticism” around the league that Jazz executive Danny Ainge is willing to pull the trigger on a deal.
As for Kings general manager Monte McNair, it’s clear that he isn’t interested in freely discussing trades that involve Murray.
