Despite the Los Angeles Lakers (13-11) seeming to have hit a relatively low ceiling, LeBron James is reportedly committed to the organization. What else could be assumed after he had a chance to leave in free agency but decided to stick around? However, with a couple of months left before the trade deadline, a number of potential destinations have been floated for the league legend.
Chief among those teams are the Golden State Warriors, who reached out to the Lakers about James last season. For at least one NBA executive, the Sacramento Kings are another intriguing option.
“The one place that I don’t hear a lot of talk about with LeBron is Sacramento,” the anonymous NBA executive tells Heavy’s Steve Bulpett. “He could change them, and they might have the kind assets to make a trade work. They have a lot of young talent… They have some draft picks… If they could get to the salary, LeBron would take (De’Aaron) Fox and (Domantas) Sabonis and elevate the h*** out of them… With that threesome, those guys could be a force.”
“He could live in L.A. and play in Sacramento, no doubt about it,” the executive adds, likely with James’s family in mind.
Anonymous NBA Executive Offers LeBron James Trade Suggestion
James being traded to the Kings would require them to make a significant sacrifice.
The Malik Monk Package
If they want to keep their current Big 3 —De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis —together, then they may have to move Malik Monk for salary matching purposes. Of course, it wouldn’t just be Monk who was traded. Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles would likely have to be included in the deal as well.
Now, in a vacuum, James is better than each of those players. In fact, he’s more valuable than that entire trio combined. However, with retirement creeping up on the soon-to-be 40-year-old, Sacramento might be trading long-term stability for short-term success.
Monk isn’t the world-beater that Captain LeMerica is. Still, he’s just 26 years old and playing the best basketball of his career. Furthermore, his friendship with Fox could play a role in the former No. 5 pick signing a contract extension. After all, it was a legitimate factor in Monk wanting to stay with the Kings.
The DeMar DeRozan Package
The Kings do have the option of trading DeRozan with Huerter and Lyles instead of Monk though. This might even be more beneficial for both parties, as the Lakers likely prefer to remain competitive in the immediate future. DeRozan may not be as dominant as James but he’s still an All-Star-caliber talent.
For the Kings, the blow is that DeRozan was their big offseason catch. Additionally, a Big 4 of James, Fox, DeRozan, and Sabonis is stronger than James, Fox, Sabonis, and Monk. Nonetheless, as James is a head above DeRozan, they’ll still have upgraded.
The Keegan Murray Question
2022 No. 4 pick Keegan Murray has hit a snag in his development, as he’s become increasingly unreliable from beyond the arc. He remains a high-level defender with great upside at the offensive end. Yet, Sacramento may be more willing to include him in trade talks than they were in the offseason.
If the Lakers were to press for Murray’s inclusion in a trade, it wouldn’t prevent Monk, DeRozan, or Huerter having to be moved. However, they would be able to hang onto a couple more depth pieces as he makes $8.8 million this season. More importantly, it could prevent the Kings from having to surrender multiple first-round picks in the Monk package.
