Heading into the trade deadline, it was unclear whether the Kings would be buyers or sellers. Sacramento’s momentum fluctuated wildly over the first part of the season, and at any given moment, the team was either firmly on the upswing or destined for the lottery yet again. As such, it was hard to predict what path forward the front office would pursue.
In his press conference after the deadline, general manager Monte McNair explained the team’s philosophy over the past week was to augment its core. Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes may not be as young as De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, but they’re young enough to be hitting their primes, and that meant that the Kings wanted to see what they could accomplish with this particular group.