The summer has not been very promising for the Sacramento Kings. After a poor end to the 2024-25 campaign, the Kings were expected to make some significant changes to their roster to improve their chances of being competitive next season. Unfortunately, this has not been the case.
Sacramento has struggled to improve its roster this offseason. With the departure of Jonas Valanciunas in a trade with the Denver Nuggets, the Kings lost a reliable backup big man. Additionally, after failing to land Jonathan Kuminga in the summer, the Kings came up short in their efforts to retool.
At this stage, with preseason underway, Sacramento has a very slim chance of transforming into a competitive team. But in a last-ditch effort to bring in support for Domantas Sabonis in the frontcourt, we explore a potential trade idea with the Brooklyn Nets to acquire Nic Claxton.
Proposed Trade Details
Sacramento Kings Receive: Nic Claxton
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Keegan Murray, Dario Saric, Devin Carter, 2026 second-round pick (CHA), 2027 second-round pick (CHA)
Claxton is an immensely valuable asset to Brooklyn, implying that acquiring him would require significant assets as compensation. But considering Sacramento’s wealth of draft picks, they could look to add more picks to make the deal more lucrative.
The Nets Gain Assets For Their Rebuild
The Brooklyn Nets are undergoing a rebuild at this stage. After ending the season in the bottom rung of the East, the Nets have looked to build up their draft reserves while taking on developmental pieces.
While Michael Porter Jr.‘s acquisition could be viewed as an outlier, it still aligned with the Nets’ approach, as they acquired a first-round draft pick in return for Cam Johnson. Hence, a trade for Claxton may not be out of the question.
In this scenario, Brooklyn would receive three expiring contracts along with two second-round draft picks in return for Claxton. While this isn’t as glamorous as the Porter Jr. trade, there is still more merit to it.
The three expiring contracts coming over from the Kings feature Keegan Murray, Dario Saric, and Devin Carter.
Murray has established himself as a 3-and-D wing with immense growth potential. Having shown sustained improvement as an on-ball defender and rim protector, he could prove to be a valuable addition to Brooklyn’s roster.
Last season, he averaged 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks on 44.4% shooting from the field and 34.3% from three-point range. Although he witnessed a dip in his perimeter shooting last season, he could see a resurgence in a different system.
Similarly, Devin Carter could also be viewed as a solid addition. Since he missed out on a significant portion of his rookie season due to injury, it is difficult to project his growth potential. However, initial scouting reports suggest that the young guard has elite defensive instincts and could also be an effective scoring threat.
For the 2024-25 campaign, Carter averaged 3.8 points and 2.1 rebounds, to go with 0.6 steals per game. Given that he only appeared in 36 games and averaged 11.0 minutes, the Nets could see a lot of merit in developing him as a role player off the bench.
Of the three expiring contracts, Dario Saric could have the least value. Given that he hasn’t been able to establish himself as a role player in the league, Saric could find himself earning minutes on a team like the Nets. But considering their emphasis on developing young talent, it is unlikely for him to be in the main rotation. In this regard, the Nets may see benefit in acquiring him due to his status as an expiring contract.
Given that all the players in this deal are on expiring contracts, Brooklyn would see a total of $21.5 million coming off the books next summer if they do this deal. Given that this would also be beneficial to them, this could be considered a low-risk trade.
The Kings Fortify Their Frontcourt
For the Kings, this deal could mean the difference between being a Play-In team and a bottom-3 team in the West. With the addition of Nic Claxton, the Kings would not only fortify their frontcourt but they would also provide Domantas Sabonis with legitimate support.
Sabonis has established himself as one of the most effective big men in the league. While he is capable as a center, the Kings’ frontcourt rotation is severely undersized, especially with Keegan Murray playing in the power forward position.
In this regard, acquiring Claxton could be significant. At 6’11”, the 26-year-old could be positioned as the necessary counterpoint to Sabonis in the starting rotation. Unlike Sabonis, who is considered a floor-bound center, Claxton is an elite athlete with a long wingspan. This allows him to be a solid lob threat as well as a reliable rim protector.
Last season, he averaged 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game, shooting 56.3% from the field. Although he has shown the potential to stretch the floor, too, if paired with Sabonis, he won’t need to.
The Kings’ big man is a reliable perimeter shooter and a gifted passer. By combining his skills with Claxton’s athleticism, Sacramento could create a formidable frontcourt duo capable of boosting the team’s offense.
Apart from being in the starting lineup, the Kings could also look at rotations with Claxton coming off the bench. While unlikely, it would provide more balance to the bench, helping them sustain their overall momentum even after the starters are subbed off.
Can The Kings Make The Playoffs This Season?
On paper, Sacramento has a fairly loaded starting lineup. Along with Sabonis, the Kings feature stars like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine. Considering that they also made a solid summer signing like Dennis Schroder, the Kings seem to have a competitive squad.
Unfortunately, their lack of bench depth and overall cohesion could prove to be their undoing next season. When additionally factoring in how deep the Western Conference will be this season, it seems highly unlikely for the Kings to emerge as a top-6 team.
