Does this trade make sense for the Sacramento Kings?

Quite honestly, this is not that bad of a trade for the Kings. Picking up Dwight Powell and the two years left on his contract may not be ideal compared to Buddy Hield’s production going out the door, but in the interim, getting Richardson and Powell could be a smart move. 

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Buddy Hield seems like a player that is going to be on the move at some point from Sacramento anyways and it does not seem like his playing future is going to be with the Kings much longer. As a result, cutting him from the salary now and saving roughly $60M in salary over the next three years could definitely be beneficial because it gives the Kings the ability to bring back their young core. 

Richaun Holmes is a player that the Kings really do want to keep at the center position, but they will have to pay him a lot in order to remain in Sacramento. The same can be said about Marvin Bagley III too at the power-forward position, as he is set to become a restricted free agent next summer. 

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With De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton under contract for the foreseeable future, the Kings need to do everything they can to continue adding talent around these guys. Trading Buddy Hiled gives them the ability to do so and while not many free agents will look at Sacramento as an appealing place to play, they could be willing to give them a shot given their cap space and the young talent on this roster. 

At this point, it is not a matter of if the Kings will trade Buddy Hield, it seems more like a matter of when they will trade Buddy Hield. Whether it is this offseason or next trade deadline, I do not see Hield being in a Kings’ uniform by the end of the 2021-22 season.