The Sacramento Kings finally made a trade, and it has been met with mixed reactions, to say the least. The Kings agreed to trade Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder to the Cleveland Cavaliers for De\u2019Andre Hunter. In the trade, Dario Saric will also go to the Chicago Bulls, along with the low-level 2029 second-round pick the Kings acquired over the summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is the type of trade Sacramento could have used when De\u2019Aaron Fox was still on the roster, but now it might bring more questions than answers about the Kings\u2019 future.<\/p>\n
What This Trade Is In a Vacuum<\/p>\n
On its own, this trade helped clear up the logjam at the guard spot and opened up two roster spots. One of those roster spots is expected<\/a> to be used on Dylan Cardwell, according to ESPN\u2019s Shams Charania.\u00a0<\/p>\n Converting Cardwell is a win for the franchise, though it seems implausible that this was the best available path to accomplishing that. Hunter is a fine player, but he can\u2019t be classified as a young player, and it\u2019s hard to imagine him factoring into the future much on a one-year deal.<\/p>\n Cavs turn Hunter’s slot into backcourt depth and create $50 million in salary and tax savings this season. Kings receive an established 3-and-D wing under contract through 2027 at age of 28 and roster flexibility, including converting two-way Dylan Cardwell to a standard deal. https:\/\/t.co\/JF9EapXYpk<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n While Hunter\u2019s deal is shorter than Schroder\u2019s by a year, Schroder is only guaranteed $4 million in his final year. Hunter also makes over $10 million more than Schroder next season, further clouding Sacramento\u2019s financial future and putting them in danger of being a second apron and tax team, according to ESPN\u2019s<\/a> Bobby Marks.\u00a0<\/p>\n I won\u2019t harp on the second-round pick going out because it\u2019s not going to be very valuable in this case, but attaching Ellis to a player signed to a multi-year contract in the offseason only to take on salary doesn\u2019t strike me as a great decision. Maybe I\u2019m being too optimistic, but I believe there has to be more coming.\u00a0<\/p>\n What\u2019s Next For Sacramento<\/p>\n Even after converting Cardwell, Sacramento will have an open roster spot and no obvious two-way conversion to fill it. This could mean a few things, but the direction I lean toward is taking on multiple players in a subsequent trade.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, the Kings could now do a Domantas Sabonis deal with a team that needs a three-for-two construction to make it possible. The same could be said for a Malik Monk deal, which has been shopped the most by the Kings, according to Clutch Point\u2019s Brett Siegel.\u00a0<\/p>\n As for the Kings, they are not done operating before the trade deadline either. <\/p>\n Sacramento has made calls about Domantas Sabonis, as well as DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk over the last few weeks. <\/p>\n Of these three, Monk is the player the Kings have been shopping the most. https:\/\/t.co\/8nu2Uogm1i<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) February 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The interesting piece about a possible Monk trade is that the Minnesota Timberwolves have had interest, but it is nearly impossible without a three-for-one construction. While Cardwell has been confirmed to be taking one of the open roster spots, I believe the wording \u201cafter the deadline\u201d by The Athletic\u2019s Sam Amick is noteworthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n This opens up the chance for a three-for-one move with the option to waive a player later on to convert Cardwell. You never know with the Kings, but it would be strange to send Saric out in this specific deal without having something else lined up.<\/p>\n For the Kings’ part, the three-for-one nature of this deal opens up a full-time roster spot that will go to two-way big man Dylan Cardwell after the deadline, sources tell @TheAthletic<\/a> <\/p>\n All the details on the deal, from all sides, here…https:\/\/t.co\/1VOv65WUDb<\/a><\/p>\n