After a magical 2022-23 NBA season, the Kings brought back most of the same players to continue building upon their newfound success.
But Sacramento recently has been tied to several trade rumors, many of which involve Toronto Raptors stars Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. Yahoo! Sports NBA reporter Jake Fischer detailed what Toronto could ask for in a potential trade with Sacramento, and the price is extremely high.
"For Sacramento to do business with Toronto, the Raptors are expected to seek sweet-shooting Keegan Murray in exchange for either of their talented forwards," Fischer reported Friday.
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The Kings seem unlikely to do that, since they raved about the second-year forward all offseason and noted how critical his growth would be to their success.
Sacramento selected Murray with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and he averaged 12.2 points on 45.3 percent shooting from the field and 41.1 percent from 3-point range, adding 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 29.8 minutes in 80 games as a rookie. He also broke the NBA rookie 3-point record, was named to the 2022-23 All-NBA Rookie First Team and played a major role in the Kings making their first playoff appearance since 2006.
Murray's Year 2 jump has been a focal point for Sacramento, as it yearns to go from good to great around its All-NBA duo of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Fischer cited league sources in reporting, though, that Kings third-year guard Davion Mitchell is "considered a strong trade candidate" as the 25-year-old has fallen out of the rotation this season.
The Kings also are looking elsewhere to pick up more midseason talent. Fischer reported they have been mentioned as "one team to monitor in Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine's ongoing trade discussions." An NBA general manager also told Fischer that the Utah Jazz would be "willing to listen" to inquiries about All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen, and Fischer cited three suitors for the Finnish player -- the Kings, Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
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It's all speculation for now, but with the Kings sitting fifth in the West at 14-9 and boasting championship aspirations, there's no question they'll consider whatever it might take to accomplish them.