Sacramento Kings Open To Trading Sabonis LaVine DeRozan

Merlin sees the Kings pegged as the NBA team "most widely painted as Trade Deadline Sellers." Marc Stein reports Sacramento is "open to fielding trade calls on pretty much anyone on the roster outside of Keegan Murray and rookie Nique Clifford," and executives expect the club to be "active." At 6 20 and carrying the league's sixth highest payroll, the Kings are slipping in the West and drawing interest in veterans Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Merlin notes GM Scott Perry "realistically understands that he has to undertake a multiyear rebuild" but also wants to avoid surrendering draft capital just to shed salaries. Those big contracts limit trade partners, so the team faces a tricky choice between cleaning house now or preserving picks while hoping for a turnaround. The deadline will reveal how patient Sacramento will be.