The last time the Kings made the NBA playoffs was during the 2005-06 season and while they made some progress last year, coming up 2.5 games behind the Grizzlies for the 9-seed in the Western Conference, they really did not make much progress this season. Sacramento finished with a 31-41 record for the second-consecutive season, leaving them with a bunch of questions to answer in the offseason.
From Richaun Holmes’ pending free agency to the future of Harrison Barnes, the Kings could be a busy team this offseason, but for all of the wrong reasons. With De’Aaron Fox looking like a potential All-Star point guard moving forward and Tyrese Halbiurton being one of the best rookies all season long, the Kings have some key, young talent that they will be building with, but ending their long playoff drought may not be coming anytime soon.
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This team is still far away from being anything special in the Western Conference, even if their entire team remains healthy and plays in every single game during the 2021-22 season. This is why the Kings could look to be aggressive on the trade market this offseason.
They want to bring Richaun Holmes back on a long-term deal, but if they do so, then Sacramento could run into problems bringing back Marvin Bagley III on a long-term deal next year. The former 2nd overall pick is entering the final year of his rookie deal next season, which is why the Kings will not be able to afford everybody.
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If they re-sign Holmes this offseason and then pay Marvin Bagley III next offseason, then the King will be hard-capping themselves, which is not ideal for a team that has not made the playoffs in over a decade.
Trading Marvin Bagley III may be a smart move for the Kings to make this offseason, that way they at least have a sense of security and do not just lose him in free agency next year since they cannot afford everybody. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report came up with the following trade proposal between the Kings and Magic that would give the Kings the insurance they need, especially with both Holmes and Bagley being free agents this offseason and next offseason respectively.
