In recent weeks, there has been a barrage of NBA trade rumors making it clear that the Sacramento Kings are open for business when it comes to dealing many of their veterans. Both NBA insider Jake Fischer and ESPN‘s Shams Charania have reported that the likes of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis, and Keon Ellis are among the NBA trade candidates this season.
So, with Sacramento’s front office pursuing an overhaul of the roster, it’s worth looking at what kinds of deals could be made. Many of the aforementioned players would moreso be salary dumps than moving assets, but there is a path toward a brighter future. Let’s dive into four potential trades that could rebuild the Kings.
Houston Rockets Improve Depth with Keon Ellis Trade
Keon Ellis is available for trade, with the 3-and-D guard seemingly not wanted in the regular rotation by head coach Doug Christie. There has been a ton of interest league-wide in Ellis, as his salary ($2.301 million) makes him a complete bargain as a valuable rotational piece. Dan Woike of The Athletic reported that Sacramento would like a protected first-round pick back for Ellis. However, given he is on an expiring deal and out of the Kings’ primary rotation, the return will likely be less than that.
- Sacramento Kings trade: Keon Ellis
- Houston Rockets trade: 2026 2nd (Chicago), 2027 2nd (Memphis), Josh Okogie
In a trade with the Houston Rockets, Sacramento gets back two second-round picks. While it is not a premium return, other suitors (Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, and Portland Trail Blazers) either do not have a second-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft or it is later than where the Bulls’ second-round pick would currently be.
For Houston, it gets a very good on-ball defender to plug into its rotation. Ellis brings the playing style that coach Ime Udoka would love and he’d be an upgrade over Okogie for a team with aspirations of competing for the NBA Finals.
Sacramento Kings Trade Domantas Sabonis to Wizards
While Domantas Sabonis is a three-time All-Star selection who has earned All-NBA Third Team honors twice, there are going to be very few suitors who can take on his contract. It also does not help that the 29-year-old center has been sidelined this season with a partial meniscus tear in his left knee. Of the potential landing spots, a trade with the Washington Wizards makes the most sense.
- Sacramento Kings trade: Domantas Sabonis
- Washington Wizards trade: CJ McCollum, 2026 1st (worst of Rockets/Thunder)
The asset here for the Kings is a late first-round pick, which is probably the strongest return they could receive to get off Sabonis’ contract. It would likely be the last pick in Round 1, but the biggest benefit to Sacramento is that the CJ McCollum deal ($30.666 million) is an expiring deal, so they would not be on the hook for anything beyond this season.
As for why the Wizards do this, it is because Sabonis is an ideal complement to Alex Sarr. Sabonis is best utilized as a defensive helper at the four, with that versatility allowed to be used more if he does not have to hang around the paint. He would also provide a massive boost for a team that needs to improve its rebounding. Money is really the only cost here for Washington, and it has the cap room long-term to handle the Sabonis contract while pairing him with a perfect counterpart at the five.
Related: NBA Trades We’d Like to See
Dennis Schroder sent back to the Detroit Pistons
Sacramento signed Dennis Schroder to a three-year, $44.427 million contract this offseason with the hope that he could provide stability at the point guard position. Instead, he has been outplayed and eventually replaced in the starting lineup by Russell Westbrook. There are not a ton of good options for trading Schroder, but there is one logical fit that would help both teams.
- Sacramento Kings trade: Dennis Schroder
- Detroit Pistons trade: 2030 MIN 2nd (Swap Rights)
The Detroit Pistons demonstrated last season that they know how to get the most out of Schroder. This is also a championship-caliber team that would benefit from having more depth behind Cade Cunningham. Ironically, Detroit can take on the contract of Schroder because he fits perfectly into the trade exception created by the offseason sign-and-trade with Sacramento. The Kings get out of the money owed to Schroder moving forward and would have swap rights for a second-round pick in 2030.
Kings Send DeMar DeRozan Home to LA Clippers
The sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan has, unsurprisingly, proven to be a big mistake for Sacramento. He’s at the point in his career that, with his current skill set and contract, the entire point of trading him for the Kings is just to get out of the final year of his deal ($10 million guaranteed). There’s one natural fit for a trade.
- Sacramento Kings trade: DeMar DeRozan
- Los Angeles Clippers trade: 2026 2nd (BKN/LAC), John Collins, Kobe Brown
John Collins is on an expiring contract, so as with these other trades, Sacramento is not on the hook for any big salaries beyond this season. As for Kobe Brown, the 30th overall pick from the 2023 NBA Draft could get a fresh start in Sacramento to see if a change of scenery and more opportunities on a rebuilding team yield anything. Plus, the Kings pick up an early second-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
As for the Clippers, a team that needs to try and improve since it doesn’t have its first-round pick this year, DeRozan provides a much-needed scoring threat and playmaker. Los Angeles could stagger him at times with James Harden so there’s always a bucket-getter on the court. DeRozan is probably the best player the Clippers could get, given their assets, and he’d be happy to be home in Los Angeles.
