“The one thing that Kings fans can rest assured of is that we’ll be working the phones,” Sacramento Kings general manager said. “We’re going to be opportunistic and prudent where we need to be, and if there’s something that makes sense for us that aligns with our vision and goal.”
Off to a 6-18 start to Perry’s first season in California’s capital, it’s undeniable that they’ve performed under expectations, with a slew of guards and a lack at the forward position — an aspect that Perry mentioned himself — it’s only logical that they’d be active leading up to the February trade deadline. December 15th often serves as the unofficial start of the trade season, as players signed in the offseason become eligible to be traded.
Perry addressed this, along with recent rumors about the Kings organization, when joining Wednesday’s edition of The Drive Guys for an exclusive interview.
YouTube video
One player who draws constant confusion due to his inconsistent playing time has been 3&D guard Keon Ellis. After averaging 24.4 minutes in 2024-25, he’s down to 16.3 minutes this season, including four occurrences of under 10 minutes and one DNP-CD.
Yet prior reports indicated that Sacramento’s front office still favored Ellis, leading to the assumption that there was a divide between him and head coach Doug Christie.
Perry denied that idea on Wednesday. “(Ellis) exemplifies the six pillars that you guys have heard me talk about when I talk about being competitive, tough, team-oriented, accountable, professional, and disciplined,” he said. “We like Keon Ellis here.”
Perry and the Kings declined the fourth-year guard’s player option for the following season, potentially allowing him to reach unrestricted free agency. However, they could still get an agreement on an extension before that point if Ellis were willing to stick around.
Of course, the question of whether Perry has full autonomy to make decisions has come up, given owner Vivek Ranadive’s history of being heavily involved. Given that Coach Christie was named interim prior to Perry’s arrival, some wondered specifically about that decision.
“We’re 100 percent aligned on what we need to do,” Perry said of his relationship with Ranadive and Christie. Remaining patient and prudent, as he often repeats, is what they’re living by as they attempt to build a foundation for sustainable success.
They’re far from that point right now, displaying more instability than anything else. However, Perry is still early in what was known to be a long process of overhauling the flawed roster he inherited.
Be sure to check out the entire interview with Scott Perry on the Sactown Sports 1140 YouTube page.
Listen to The Drive Guys from 2 – 6 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.
More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
The two biggest names being monitored at the upcoming NBA trade deadline are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis. While those aren’t expected to be realistic targets for the Sacramento Kings, they’re not the only options as Jonathan Kuminga continues to spend time on Golden State’s bench.
“[Kuminga’s] certainly on the trade block,” NBA Insider Brett Siegel told Allen Stiles. “They’re not just gonna trade him to trade him, but at this point, with how everything’s looking, it’s very clear that he does not want to be there anymore and Steve Kerr doesn’t want to play him anymore.”
For Sacramento, which lacks young talent with promising upside, Kuminga’s skill set, size, and athleticism make it easy to see why they could be interested. Add on their previously reported interest from last offseason, where Malik Monk was part of the deal.
Read More:
Siegel: Jonathan Kuminga to Sacramento would require a multi-team deal
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Monday, December 8th – @ Indiana Pacers – 4:00 PM PT
Thursday, December 11th – vs. Denver Nuggets – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, December 14th – @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 4:00 PM PT
Thursday, December 18th – @ Portland Trail Blazers – 7:00 PM PT
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