NBA Trade Rumors: Sacramento Kings eyeing former Lakers target as ideal pairing with De'Aaron Fox

The Sacramento Kings have been floundering in the Western Conference standings despite having decent expectations from their offseason pickups. The Kings, currently led by a trio of former All-Stars De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and DeMar DeRozan, sit at the 12th seed in the West with a 13-15 record.

With their inconsistent performances, the Kings are seen to be upgrading their roster ahead of the trade deadline this season. One of the notable names they could be eyeing is former LA Lakers forward and current Washington Wizards star Kyle Kuzma.

According to a report by Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Kuzma is one of the many forwards the Kings are monitoring for availability in trade talks to pair up with Fox and bolster their frontcourt depth.

“There are some familiar names who appear to be back on their radar, league sources said. Among them: Portland's Jerami Grant, Utah's John Collins or Washington's Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Kuzma. Brooklyn's Cam Johnson is known to be of significant interest, as is—to a lesser degree—the Nets' Dorian Finney-Smith,” the report said.

Kuzma, who stands at six-foot-nine, would add length and versatility to the Kings' lineup, especially alongside guards Fox, Kevin Huerter, and Malik Monk. He could also be a solid reliever for young forward Keegan Murray and DeRozan, who was the Kings’ biggest pickup in the offseason.

Besides adding depth, Kuzma could also bring his championship experience to the Kings, as he was part of the 2020 Lakers squad, who won the NBA championship in the Orlando bubble.

Despite the Wizards’ dismal 4-21 record, Kuzma has remained a valuable asset to the team as he averages 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the worst squad in the league in terms of record.

However, Kuzma has been sidelined with a left rib injury since their Nov. 28 game against the LA Clippers.

This season, Kuzma has been putting up some of the worst shooting splits of his NBA career, shooting just 42% from the field, 27.6% from the three-point range, and 68.8% from the free throw line.

League executive proposes LeBron James deal to the Kings

Lakers star LeBron James has been in several trade rumors this season. In one of the wildest rumors about his potential departure in LA, one anonymous league executive suggested the Kings pursue James if he ever asks for a trade:

“The one place that I don’t hear a lot of talk about with LeBron is Sacramento…He could change them, and they might have the kind assets to make a trade work…If they could get to the salary, LeBron would take (De’Aron) Fox and (Domantas) Sabonis and elevate the hell out of them — particularly Fox. With that threesome, those guys could be a force.”

James has a no-trade clause in his contract with the Lakers. As the oldest player in the league, James remains one of the most effective leaders, currently keeping LA in the playoff hunt with a 15-12 record.