The Sacramento Kings finally snapped their losing streak, but even with an impressive upset win over the Denver Nuggets, the rumors continue to fly amid their 4-13 start to the season.
The writing has been on the wall that a fire sale may be coming for the Kings at this year’s trade deadline, and that continues to be the reporting on the team. In his latest report for The Stein Line, Jake Fischer wrote about how the Kings are going to be open for business for almost everyone on their roster.
“Maybe this was inevitable after a 41-point loss to the Morant-less Grizzlies, but league sources say that the Kings are willing to listen to offers for players up and down their roster … particularly for Sacramento’s veterans.”
Today’s notebook covers what’s really going on in Charlotte, Sacramento, Detroit, Utah, and more: https://t.co/BVoF17fBYy https://t.co/mze3aWow1q
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) November 23, 2025
The idea of the Kings trading Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan is nothing new, as it has been reported since the offseason. it was surprising that none of the three were traded before the year began, but Sabonis and LaVine are both on large contracts that are hard to move, and DeRozan should have more value at the deadline than he did before the season.
What is a little more surprising is that it’s such a short list of players who are off the table in trade talks: Keegan Murray and Nique Clifford.
The two young-ish wings stand out as the best building blocks the team has going forward. They aren’t traditional young players with star potential, as they are 25 and 23 years old, respectively, but they are the type of wing player that every team is clamoring to collect in today’s NBA landscape.
“Word is, furthermore, that new general manager Scott Perry realistically understands that he has to undertake a multiyear rebuild as opposed to trying to cobble together a plucky playoff-worthy squad from the ashes of Sacramento’s Beam Team. The hope is that Murray and Clifford are going to be a part of that.”
Nov 16, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) drives in against Sacramento Kings guard Nique Clifford (5) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
It’s refreshing to hear that Perry is taking a multi-year approach to the rebuild, as it’s something the Kings have struggled to do over the last two decades. Even if Murray and Clifford aren’t superstars, they are players the team needs to collect to begin their rebuild, not get rid of.
With that said, the fact that everyone else is on the table is a bit of a surprise, as it means fan-favorite Keon Ellis could be on the move. The Kings picked up his team option for this year instead of declining and resigning him as a restricted free agent, and Doug Christie has seemed hesitant to lean into playing the three-and-D guard. But if he’s able to net a first-round pick, which Fishcer reports he could, it’s worth looking into for Sacramento as they try to collect as many assets as possible.
The other key name to keep an eye on is Russell Westbrook, who is averaging 14.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists on 44.4% shooting from the field and 38.9% from three. He’s been a key acquisition for the Kings and has taken over the starting point guard spot from Dennis Schroder, but as has always been the case due to his age, isn’t in the long-term plans of the franchise.
Even if the Kings aren’t able to move off of their stars in Sabonis, LaVine, and DeRozan, it feels inevitable that at least one move is going to come this season, if not more. Only time will tell how different this roster will look in a few months.
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