Over the last five games, Trey Lyles is showing some signs of life, reclaiming his status as a vital (and much-missed) Beam Team member. He’s putting up 10.8 points and 5.6 boards on 53% shooting in 22 minutes per game—with real effort and energy, mind you. Those minutes? Largely coming at the expense of Jonas Valančiūnas, who, while a solid acquisition, hasn’t been the perfect fit lately. Trey’s ability to stretch the floor as a small-ball five is exactly what the Kings have craved but couldn’t consistently get all season, which is probably why they gave up two second-rounders for JV in the first place.
Now, don’t get me wrong—I’ve supported the JV trade in general, unlike most of Monte McNair and West Wilcox’s moves the last couple of seasons. But his mobility issues have been blindingly obvious recently, whether it’s against the Warriors’ Formula One tempo or, bizarrely, against Nikola Vučević, who happily rained threes while JV stayed rooted to the hardwood. Over this same five-game stretch, Trey is a -14 in plus-minus (respectable, considering three losses), while JV is sitting at an eye-watering -43 in 16.5 minutes per game. This isn’t a direct hit on JV, but more of a well-deserved spotlight for Trey, who I’ll admit to roasting way too often on the internet this season.
This is Trey’s best five-game run all year, and the numbers back it up. Even compared to a month wide sample size, back in in February, he averaged a modest 4 points and 2.8 boards in about 12 minutes per game. Fast forward to March, and he’s putting up 8 points and 5.5 boards—nearly doubling his production. It’s clear he’s stepped up.
With Domantas Sabonis healthy, Trey was glued to the bench while JV and Jake LaRavia gobbled up the backup five and four minutes. But what happens when Domas returns from his ankle sprain? Does Doug Christie start giving Trey more run over JV altogether? Will JV slide back into a full time backup center role completely? Or will the backup center minutes be matchup dependent?
What does all of this uncertainty spell for Trey’s future in Sacramento? Here’s the deal. Trey is in the final year of a two-year, $16 million deal that he signed back in the 2023 offseason. While the salary cap is rising, the middle-class contract market is shrinking, and I’m not so sure Trey still claims membership in that middle class. Trey was coming off one of his best seasons as a pro in the 22-23 season and had his most consistent role on a playoff team in years. Also, it’s worth noting the beam team vibes were at an all time high, and in particular for Trey, felt hefound a home and a role long term in Sacramento.
But now? I don’t see many teams (including the Kings) banging down the door to sign him to anything more than a minimum or bi-annual exception deal. If that’s the case, Trey might chase a role on a contender or at least a playoff regular.
For now, I’m just happy to see Trey engaged and productive when it’s desperately needed. Whatever happens next, this stretch has been a reminder that there’s still a little Beam Team magic left in him.