Sacramento adds the former second-overall pick in this mock trade.
The Sacramento Kings were one of many NBA teams that fell short of the playoffs, but possibly the most deserving of a spot in the post-season. The Kings finished with 46 wins, ultimately falling just one Play-In Tournament win away from securing the eighth seed in the West. Despite how close they were to the playoffs, many fans are aware of how important some roster changes can be for Sacramento this summer.
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes and Dan Favale crafted hypothetical trades for every team that missed the playoffs, giving the Kings a shocking possibility this off-season.
Hughes proposed a deal for Sacramento that shipped out Harrison Barnes in exchange for Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls.
Barnes, who turns 32 this summer, has spent the past five seasons in Sacramento, but many believe his time as a King should come to an end. While the veteran forward has had productive seasons, that production loses value every year they keep him. After re-signing him to a three-year/$54 million deal last off-season, his contract will make for a great salary filler in any potential trade.
Ball, 26, has been recognized as one of the most talented young point guards in the league since getting drafted in 2017. Since then, Ball has failed to play more than 63 games in a season and has not touched an NBA court since January 2022.
Ball’s poor injury luck has been one of the most unfortunate stories in recent NBA memory, as the talented point guard will likely never reach his true potential. If the Kings were to take a flyer on him this off-season, they would need assurance of his health, and even then, this player swap does not make much sense for Sacramento.
March reports of Ball’s rehab show signs of progress, but Chicago’s point guard remains uncleared for contact. Sacramento’s point guard depth is headlined by star De’Aaron Fox and admirable backup Davion Mitchell, so there is no need to pay Ball $21.4 million next season to take a chance on his health.
Many Kings fans would agree with the idea of flipping Barnes for a potential upgrade, but trading for Ball is likely not the answer.
