The February 9 NBA trade deadline came and went with a number of wild trades. From Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to the Warriors dealing James Wiseman for 5 second round picks, it was full of surprises. Another surprise was the Kings largely staying put at the deadline. They were linked to having interest in a potential deal for New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose and Charlotte’s Mason Plumlee. However, the only move Sacramento made was a deal for Brooklyn Nets forward Kessler Edwards.
The Kings had some weaknesses to address at the deadline, among one of them was defense, and they were expected to be active but only added a developing forward. Kings GM Monte McNair met with the media on Friday and addressed some disappointment in the lack of moves, pointing to continuity being important for this year’s Kings squad.
“We looked at moves that may help us in the short term and help solidify that,” McNair said. “But at the same time, what this group’s done — we have guys that have been in and out of the rotation that we think can help us out. I think we have a lot of depth already, and guys that have already proven they can help us.
“The continuity of the group is something we haven’t had as much of. We’ve had a lot of turnover lately, and now that we’ve had success, that (continuity) can be a big part of our stretch run as well.”
The Kings are currently sitting in third place in the Western Conference standings and exceeding their expectations. While many would have loved to add to this team’s chances in the short term, McNair points to the team’s development and how they are building for more beyond this year.
“We’ve said it from day one, but making the playoffs is very important, and it’s our stated short-term goal,” McNair said at a news conference Friday at Golden 1 Center. “At the same time, we’re also making sure that we’re going to be here for a long time. We’re happy with where the group is and we’ll continue to let them grow here.”
The current Kings group is on track to end the franchise’s historic 16-year playoff drought. This season Damontas Sabonis ended the Kings’ All-Star drought as well as he became the first player since DeMarcus Cousins in 2016 to be named to an All-Star team. Now, Sabonis will be joined by De’Aaron Fox, who was recently named an All-Star game replacement.
This Kings team is progressing ahead of schedule and have an All-Star duo that they hope can carry them far into the playoffs this season and be contenders in years to come.
