The Sacramento Kings shake up the roster in this hypothetical trade with the Nets.
The Sacramento Kings are expected to make bold moves this offseason in desperate need of roster upgrades, but who will be on the move? Reports suggest the Kings are ready to package the 13th-overall pick in this year’s draft to bring in players to help their win-now mentality, but nobody knows what direction the Kings will sway.
Bleacher Report crafted a trade idea that sends Davion Mitchell, Chris Duarte, and a 2027 top-ten protected 2027 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith. While it is not a franchise-shaking move, Finney-Smith would be a great fit in Sacramento.
This hypothetical trade gets Sacramento the wing defender they have been searching for, whether he fits in the starting lineup or as a bench piece. Giving up Mitchell, their backup point guard, is an expense many Kings fans would be willing to pay after back-to-back inconsistent seasons have put doubt into his future as a King.
Mitchell has been a tenacious defender since coming into the league in 2021, but after a promising rookie season, the young guard has failed to live up to expectations. After getting his backup point guard role stolen by sophomore Keon Ellis midway through the season, Sacramento’s front office should not be afraid to ship him away.
Finney-Smith averaged 8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in his first complete season as a Net after playing his first six-and-a-half years with the Dallas Mavericks. The 31-year-old forward is entering the last guaranteed year of his deal, making $14.9 million, before a $15.3 million player option kicks in for the 2025-26 season.
The most significant loss for Sacramento in this trade is the future first-round pick, as their limited draft capital already holds them back in potential deals. Losing Duarte, who they acquired from the Indiana Pacers last summer for just two future second-round picks, is insignificant after the soon-to-be 27-year-old wing struggled to find a consistent role in Sacramento.
If this mock trade became reality, the Kings would get the lengthy defender they desperately need, a necessary move to be competitive in a tough Western Conference.
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