Trade rumors have begun to heat up with the NBA offseason right around the corner and all three of the Sacramento Kings star trio have found themselves in them.
Of course, the Kings had a disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs once again and they also made some major changes as they replaced head coach Mike Brown with Doug Christie and also traded away De’Aaron Fox.
With their core of Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine not working together well to end the season, many around the league believe that one of them will be on the move this summer.
Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan (10).
Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan (10).
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With this in mind, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey recently created a mock trade that would send DeRozan to the Washington Wizards while the Kings would receive a former Defensive Player of the Year.
In the trade, Bailey has Sacramento sending DeRozan and a 2026 second-round pick via the Charlotte Hornets to Washington in exchange for Marcus Smart.
“He's a plus defender and an underrated playmaker, but he doesn't require a ton of touches or possessions to be effective,” Bailey wrote. “That would allow Sabonis and LaVine to continue to control the offense.”
By making this trade, the Kings would fill their void at the point guard position after trading Fox at the trade deadline though they would be giving up more than they may want for Smart, who has a long list of injury history.
Washington Wizards guard Marcus Smart reacts
Washington Wizards guard Marcus Smart reacts
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Of course, Smart is a great defender and he would also provide the Kings with a solid scorer and playmaker while allowing LaVine and Sabonis to run the offense.
Despite this, Smart hasn’t played in more than 60 games in a single season since the 2022-23 campaign, which was his last with the Boston Celtics.
While Smart has struggled with injuries over the past few seasons, moving on from DeRozan to add a defensive-minded guard could be just what Sacramento needs to return to the playoffs.