According to Evan Sidery of Forbes, the Sacramento Kings are eyeing a trade for one of two Chicago Bulls guards. Sidery said that “the Kings have checked in” on guards Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso. Additionally, Sidery mentions that the Kings are “shopping” Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter, and draft capital.
The Kings have checked in with the Bulls about a potential trade for Zach LaVine and/or Alex Caruso, per @HPbasketball (https://t.co/eEToGcJmFR).
Sacramento is shopping Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter and draft capital in hopes of finding a game-changing upgrade. pic.twitter.com/1vm35tDWK7
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 18, 2024
The Kings finished the 2023-24 season with a 46-36. Although they lost just two more games than the previous year, the Kings fell hard in the standings. In 2022-23, they finished as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. This past season, they finished as the No. 9 seed and missed the playoffs.
Sacramento Kings “Checked In” On Two Veteran Guards
Zach LaVine
This is not the only time the Kings have been linked to LaVine. In 2018, the Kings signed LaVine to a four-year, $78 million offer sheet. Since LaVine was an unrestricted free agent, the Bulls had the chance to match Sacramento’s offer. They did. At the time, LaVine said he was “disappointed” he had to get an offer sheet from another team to potentially return to Chicago.
“I’m disappointed that I had to get an offer sheet from another team,” LaVine, 23, told The Undefeated. “But Sacramento stepped up and made a strong impression. It appears that Sacramento wants me more than Chicago.”
Ultimately, LaVine remained in Chicago and also signed a contract extension with the team in 2022. However, earlier in the season, it became clear LaVine was likely on his way out. In January, it was reported the Bulls were in serious trade talks to send LaVine to the Detroit Pistons. However, the wing suffered a foot injury in early February that ended his season. Therefore, no trade came to fruition.
With LaVine likely gone this offseason, the Sacramento Kings appear to be a team worth monitoring pertaining to a potential trade.
Alex Caruso
After a career year, Caruso’s value is at an all-time high. The guard won the 2024 NBA Hustle Award and made it to his second consecutive All-Defensive Team. Additionally, due to his cheap contract, he has become one of the league’s best value players. Because of this, many teams are pursuing Caruso. And it appears the Kings are no different. However, the Bulls seem to view Caruso as a very important piece. Recently, reports indicated that the Bulls rejected a trade that would have sent Caruso away for a top-10 draft pick.
“The Bulls took calls on Caruso, but never made them. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Bulls have received offers from multiple teams, consisting of multiple protected first-round picks. One of those deals included a pick in the top-10 of the 2024 Draft, the source said. The Golden State Warriors were among teams who made a strong offer for Caruso, multiple sources confirmed. Ultimately, they declined.”
Currently, Caruso has one year remaining on his contract. Due to his importance to the Bulls’ roster, they will likely try to extend him to a long-term contract. It is not impossible, but it seems unlikely the Kings can acquire Caruso at this point.
