The Sacramento Kings have agreed to trade five-year veteran Jalen McDaniels and a second round pick to the San Antonio Spurs in order to create an open roster spot, per ESPN insider Shams Charania.
Spurs plan to waive McDaniels, sources said, while Kings open roster flexibility for a potential addition down the line. McDaniels has averaged 6.9 points and 3.3 rebounds over his first five NBA seasons. https://t.co/aAhGazE6kW
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 14, 2024
McDaniels will be waived by the Spurs after the trade is completed. The brother of Minnesota Timberwolves lockdown defender Jaden McDaniels, there’s been a hope that he can play at a similar level. However, the jack of all trades played just 10.8 minutes per game last season, inconsistent at both ends of the floor.
Kings Open Up Roster Spot After Completing Spurs Trade
The Spurs receiving a second round pick for helping the Kings out is worth mentioning. They have more than three dozen draft picks through 2031. Whether building organically or outsourcing, San Antonio has the tools to build a championship-contender.
Nonetheless, Sacramento can be the immediate winner of the trade. All they have to do is sign a player that’s better or more useful than the one they just moved. With all due respect to McDaniels, that shouldn’t be exceedingly difficult. The question is less of can they replace him and more of what they’ve shown they still need.
The answer continues to be size and shooting. This season, the Kings rank dead last in three-point percentage (24.8). They’re in the bottom-tenth of the league in rebounds per game (44.7). They’re in the bottom-five in blocks per game (3.3).
When preseason wraps up, they could sign a player who didn’t make the cut on a team with better depth. For example, Lonnie Walker IV (Boston Celtics), T.J. Warren (New York Knicks), Thon Maker (Houston Rockets), Nassir Little (Miami Heat) and Quincy Olivari (Los Angeles Lakers) could all help them in at least one of their weak areas. It does seem as if the Kings would have signed one of the current free agents already, but they could have interest in a player like Jae Crowder.
In fact, Sacramento recently hosted workouts for Warren, Little, and Crowder.
With that being said, while the regular season tip-off is creeping up, the Kings don’t have to rush into a decision. Of course, their front office gets paid big bucks to have all of their ducks in a row. However, they still have time to evaluate the field and their options.
