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The Sacramento Kings haven't made it to the postseason for 14 years now. They were expected to end that drought in 2019-20 but injuries and a largely inconsistent system did not allow the team to win regularly. They need to target NBA trade options that will help them inch closer to the playoffs. But with other Western Conference teams also improving, things will not be as simple.
NBA Trade Options: Sacramento Kings maximizing their most valuable assets?
The Sacramento Kings will have a few expiring contracts and a few underutilized players who can be flipped for valuable NBA trade packages. On that note, let us look at the three most valuable assets for Sacramento Kings going into the 2020-21 season.
#1 Buddy Hield
It's not unknown that Buddy Hield isn't happy with his current role in Sacramento. Coach Luke Walton relegated him to the bench with the emergence of Bogdan Bogdanovic. Despite this, Hield averaged 19.2 points on 39.4% shooting from downtown during the 2019-20 season. In fact, he's shot the ball at 41.6% during the entirety of his run with the Sacramento Kings.
Buddy Hield's four-year extension with a guaranteed $86 million kicks in this year and that's a fairly valuable deal for an elite shooter who can go for 20 points every night. But depending on how Bogdanovic's restricted free agency pans out, Hield could become dispensable for the Sacramento Kings and would yield some handsome returns.
#2 Nemanja Bjelica
Nemanja Bjelica's trade value is at its highest right now. Bjelica's coming off a brilliant season where he averaged career-highs in almost every category including 11.5 points on 41.5% shooting from downtown. He's also on an expiring deal worth $7 million that would entice teams looking to clear cap space.
The Sacramento Kings are expected to hold on to him but his future could be impacted by how the team deals with Hield and Bogdanovic's contractual situation. Even De'Aaron Fox is up for a max extension.
This would limit the Sacramento Kings' financial flexibility who know that they'd have to to pay up to keep Bjelica beyond next season. Instead, the Kings might just decide to cash in on him this season in return for a young player or a late first-rounder for 2021.
#3 Draft picks
The Sacramento Kings have the 12th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. They also have an additional three second-round picks this year. There are several ways for the Kings to go about their business. They could combine their slew of picks to move up significantly in the draft.
Sacramento Kings could also flip just the 12th pick for future draft stock or young players and operate strictly in the second round this year, just like they did in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors - 5 players unlikely to be back with the Sacramento Kings for the 2020-21 season
