NBA Trade Rumors: Sacramento Kings shipping $16.8 million sharpshooter after 27.7% start from three-point range
The Sacramento Kings are reportedly looking to trade one of their sharpshooters. According to NBA reporter Evan Sidery, the Kings are considering getting rid of Kevin Huerter via a trade. This doesn't come as a surprise considering how Huerter isn't delivering on his assigned role. He serves as the team's shooter but is only shooting 27.7% from beyond the arc.
Last season, Huerter was 36.1% accurate from three-point range in 65 regular-season games. His best shooting performance for the Sacramento Kings was in his first year with the squad. In the 2022-23 season, he shot a career-high 40.2% from long distance.
Kevin Huerter is signed to a four-year deal worth $65 million with Sacramento. He is in the third year of his contract and is expected to make $16.8 million.
In the following year, Huerter should make somewhere around $17.9 million. With a sum of $34.7 million remaining in Kevin's contract, the Kings might find a more valuable player worth that amount.
Sacramento Kings struggle early in the 2024-25 season
The Sacramento Kings have been struggling in the 2024-25 season. The Kings have a 9-11 record and are in 12th place in the Western Conference. While there are still 62 games remaining in their season, the team's overall performance has been underwhelming.
With the arrival of DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento fans expected the team to perform better than last season. Last year, the Kings fought for a spot in the 2024 NBA Playoffs as they took on the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament. Ultimately, the Pelicans beat them for the 8th seed, which concluded their season.
Earlier this summer, the Kings secured a three-team sign-and-trade deal that involved signing DeRozan to a three-year contract worth $73.8 million. Despite not winning a championship in his career, DeRozan is considered one of the best veteran options in the league.
While DeMar DeRozan is contributing the numbers the Sacramento Kings expected, averaging 22.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game, things are not clicking for the squad.
His new teammates De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis have also been delivering elite performances. Fox is averaging 27.7 ppg, 5.8 apg, 5.0 rpg and 1.6 spg. Sabonis, on the other hand, is averaging 20.4 ppg, 12.9 rpg and 6.4 apg.