Over the past week, the Sacramento Kings have been looking into the option of trading forward Marvin Bagley III. After taking him with the No. 2 overall pick back in the 2018 NBA Draft, things have not gone as planned. Bagley has yet to develop the way the Kings were hoping and it may be time for the two sides to move on from each other.
Bagley has not received great interest on the trade market, however, which could complicate things. He simply has not done enough throughout his career to make another team think that he could live up to the hype that he had when he was made the No. 2 overall pick.
A former NBA executive took the time to talk with NBA Analysis Network about Marvin Bagley III’s outlook with the Sacramento Kings. The former exec made it clear he doesn’t like what he’s seen from Bagley so far in the NBA.
“Marvin Bagley III seems to fall under the classic tweener category. He doesn’t have the intangibles to be a rim protector, plus his stance defending high ball screens is one of the worst I’ve seen in a long time. He isn’t quick enough to handle smaller defenders. So he’s a liability defensively at either the four or five spot.”
“There isn’t enough upside to Bagley III’s offensive game to be intrigued. He’s never going to be someone that will be able to create for his teammates at a high-level since he lacks court vision. He also isn’t a good enough shooter to space the floor. He doesn’t really have a set of strengths that make enough of a difference.”
The former NBA executive does not see much upside for the Kings to keep Bagley long-term. He feels as though moving on sooner rather than later is the best course of action.
“The Kings should consider pulling the plug on this situation as soon as possible before his trade value deteriorates even worse than it already has. Richaun Holmes is their best option at the five and Harrison Barnes is a great fit in their system as a four. There just isn’t room for Bagley. It was a bad pick, time to move on.”
Obviously, the main issue could be finding a trade partner. But, if the Kings decide to lower their asking price for Bagley, they could find something. It would certainly make sense to part ways with him.
So far this season in 35 games with the Kings, Bagley has averaged 14.0 points per game to go along with 7.6 rebounds. He has shot 49.6 percent from the floor overall and has knocked down 36.6 percent of his three-point attempts. Those numbers don’t look horrible, especially for a contender.
Bagley is just 21 years old and still has plenty of time to turn things around. If acquired by the right team, he could still end up being a valuable role player.
Expect to continue hearing rumors about the Kings and Marvin Bagley III ahead of the trade deadline. He may not end up being dealt, but it certainly seems like it’s time for a move to happen.
