<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-doug-christie-speechless-late-foul-call-blazers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kings’ Doug Christie is nearly speechless after ridiculous foul call gives Blazers the game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kings-coach-Doug-Christie-vs-Jazz.jpg"><figcaption>Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kings’ Doug Christie is nearly speechless after ridiculous foul call gives Blazers the game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-18T23:59:54-08:00">December 18th, 11:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-18T23:59:54-08:00">December 18th, 11:59pm</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-sacramento-start-franchise-history">Sacramento Kings are searching for answers</a> after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-doug-christie-blunt-reason-nuggets-rout">losing eight of their last 10 games</a>, and frustration boiled over again Friday night. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/blazers-news-portland-stuns-kings-overtime-controversial-foul-call">After a crushing loss to the Portland Trail Blazers</a>, Doug Christie and the Kings chose restraint over explosion. In a wild finish that twisted logic, Sacramento watched a hard-earned win vanish in seconds. The loss also extended a three-game skid, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-rookie-blasts-reporters-nuggets-loss">deepening tension around the Kings locker room</a>. In a post-game interview, Christie <a href="https://x.com/ohnohedidnt24/status/2001901240612237669" rel="noopener">said what everyone felt</a>. “For game? Anything that I say I’m gonna get fined up here. I got a lot to say so I probably shouldn’t say nothing.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Doug Christie:</p><p>"For game? Anything that I say I'm gonna get fined up here. I got a lot to say so I probably shouldn't say nothing" <a href="https://t.co/N0hbsFWLiP">https://t.co/N0hbsFWLiP</a> <a href="https://t.co/9uZ4SlefoF">pic.twitter.com/9uZ4SlefoF</a></p><p>— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) <a href="https://twitter.com/ohnohedidnt24/status/2001901240612237669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Blazers controlled the night early. As a result, Portland built a lead that stretched to 18 points. Even with under five minutes left in regulation, the Blazers still looked safe, but then, the Kings surged. Suddenly, the arena came alive. Sacramento closed on a furious 24–6 run. With eight seconds left, DeMar DeRozan drilled a cold-blooded three to force overtime. In that moment, momentum flipped. Belief returned. The game felt stolen back.</p><h2><b>A whistle that changed everything for the Kings</b></h2><p>Overtime slowed into a possession-by-possession grind. Every touch mattered. With the clock winding down, DeRozan went to work again. He spun and knocked down a smooth 14-foot turnaround jumper. The Kings led 133–132. Celebration followed. Or so it seemed.</p><p>With 4.4 seconds remaining, Deni Avdija sprinted from the opposite side toward the rim and launched a rushed attempt. The ball airballed. The buzzer sounded. Kings players raised their arms. Then came the whistle.</p><p>An official ruled a shooting foul on Russell Westbrook after the horn. Confusion swallowed the building. Officials went to review. The call stood. Avdija stepped to the line with everything quiet. He sank two ice-cold free throws. The Blazers escaped with a 134–133 win and back-to-back victories.</p><p>The Kings walked off stunned and Doug Christie’s silence said enough. Another collapse added weight to an already heavy stretch. The effort was real. The rally was earned but the ending cut deep. When losses pile up like this, how does a team reset before frustration becomes identity?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kings’ Doug Christie is nearly speechless after ridiculous foul call gives Blazers the game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-why-bucks-zach-lavine-trade-no-sense-giannis');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Why Bucks making this Zach LaVine trade to help Giannis Antetokounmpo makes no sense');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kings-star-Zach-LaVine-vs-Timberwolves.jpg"><figcaption>Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Why Bucks making this Zach LaVine trade to help Giannis Antetokounmpo makes no sense</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-18T18:32:06-08:00">December 18th, 6:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-18T18:35:23-08:00">December 18th, 6:35pm</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-gesture-trade-rumors-wild-buzz">Milwaukee Bucks are drifting through uncertainty</a> as NBA rumors grow louder by the day. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/nba-rumors-what-active-kings-wont-do-to-trade-expensive-stars">Zach LaVine keeps coming up in Sacramento Kings discussions</a> as a possible response to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-rumors-shams-isnt-only-nba-insider-using-writing-on-wall-language-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade">the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade cloud hanging over the Bucks</a>. On the surface, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-bucks-trade-message-rivals-show-denial-giannis-antetokounmpo-situation">pairing Zach LaVine with Giannis</a> sounds decisive. It sounds bold. But bold does not mean smart. For a Bucks team already squeezed by contracts and limited assets, this idea creates more risk than relief. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/nba-rumors-bucks-stonewalling-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-suitors">When Giannis trade questions loom</a>, every move must protect flexibility, not burn it.</p><p>That tension framed the recent Clutch Scoops discussion with Tomer Azarly and Brett Siegel. Milwaukee is stuck waiting. Everything revolves around Giannis Antetokounmpo. Does he publicly request a trade? Does he point to a destination? Or does he recommit and demand a clearer plan? Until that moment arrives, the Bucks are operating without a compass. Making a major swing tied to Kings negotiations before clarity sets in could lock the franchise into the wrong direction under the harshest spotlight.</p><h2><b>Why Siegel says the Bucks’ approach fails</b></h2><p>Siegel <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/2001752188734058774" rel="noopener">was blunt</a> when LaVine’s name resurfaced. “Would the Bucks pursue Zach LaVine?” he asked. “To me that contract doesn’t make sense for the Bucks to go out and get because basically you’re locking yourself into Giannis and LaVine and building minimum contracts around them.” That isn’t a contender’s foundation. That’s a brittle roster with no margin for error.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Latest NBA intel with <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomerAzarly</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettSiegelNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrettSiegelNBA</a> — Clutch Scoops 12/18/2025 <a href="https://t.co/bWLHveuV0g">https://t.co/bWLHveuV0g</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/2001752188734058774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Kings side only deepens the issue. Siegel explained that the Bucks could “build a package around Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis and maybe another contract,” then delivered the key question. “What does that do for the Kings?” His answer landed hard. “They’re not getting any value out of that. You’re not giving them any valuable draft compensation because you can’t.”</p><p>That led to his conclusion. “So it just really don’t add up to me to pursue Zach LaVine.” The Bucks don’t need noise. They need answers. Until the Giannis trade picture clears, patience may be the only move that actually keeps Milwaukee alive. Under the lights, will the Bucks wait for truth, or chase a deal that closes doors?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Why Bucks making this Zach LaVine trade to help Giannis Antetokounmpo makes no sense

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/nba-rumors-what-active-kings-wont-do-to-trade-expensive-stars');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: What ‘active’ Kings won’t do to trade expensive stars');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DeMar-DeRozan-10-talks-with-forward-Domantas-Sabonis-left-and-guard-Zach-LaVine-8.jpg"><figcaption>© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: What ‘active’ Kings won’t do to trade expensive stars</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-18T13:32:14-08:00">December 18th, 1:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-18T13:32:14-08:00">December 18th, 1:32pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the NBA trade season begins to ramp up, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/buy-or-sell-latest-nba-intel-trade-rumors-ja-morant-anthony-davis-domantas-sabonis">Sacramento Kings have emerged as one of the league’s most discussed potential sellers</a>. While rival executives increasingly describe Sacramento as “active” ahead of the trade deadline, a new report clarifies what the <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-from-nba-trade-watch" rel="noopener">franchise is unwilling to do</a> when it comes to moving its most expensive players.</p><p>Marc Stein of The Stein Line detailed the Kings’ posture in his latest report, noting that Sacramento has become a frequent topic in league trade conversations.</p><p>“The team most widely painted as Trade Deadline Sellers as the Showcase gets underway?</p><p>Most rival teams would nominate Sacramento first. ‘Active is the word I would use to describe them,’ one veteran executive said of the Kings.<br>Zach LaVine is out for at least one week with an ankle sprain that was announced Wednesday, but LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have certainly been made available. Domantas Sabonis, although currently sidelined by a knee injury, has also been generating no shortage of trade chatter.”</p><p>Stein added that despite Sacramento’s openness to discussions, the front office has set firm boundaries in negotiations.</p><p>“As Fischer first reported, Toronto has expressed exploratory interest in Sabonis. The Kings have largely been open to fielding trade calls on pretty much anyone on the roster outside of Keegan Murray and rookie Nique Clifford but have also been telling potential trade partners that they do not intend to attach draft capital to veteran contracts to try to move them … or use Keon Ellis’ contract to try to sweeten deals. Ellis has been attracting trade feelers for some time given the leaguewide dearth of 3-and-D players currently available.”</p><h2><b>Kings draw firm lines in trade talks despite expensive contracts</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Kings.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Sacramento’s financial picture provides context for that stance. Sabonis, a 29-year-old former All-Star, is in the second year of a four-year, $186 million contract and is earning $42.3 million this season, with his deal running through the 2027–28 campaign. While the Kings have not signaled an eagerness to move Sabonis, Stein’s reporting suggests they have been willing to field calls amid <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/nba-rumors-insider-makes-rj-barrett-kings-link-amid-domantas-sabonis-trade-buzz">exploratory interest from teams such as the Toronto Raptors</a>.</p><p>DeRozan, 36, is in the second year of a three-year, $73.8 million contract he signed via sign-and-trade from the Chicago Bulls during the 2024 offseason. He is making $24.7 million this season. LaVine, 30, is in the fourth year of a five-year, $215.1 million contract and is earning $47.4 million this season, with a player option worth $48.9 million for the 2026–27 campaign.</p><p>The Kings’ record has further fueled speculation. Sacramento sits at 6–20, a disappointing start that has placed pressure on the organization to evaluate its direction while balancing financial flexibility and asset preservation.</p><p>That approach is particularly relevant with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/deal-lakers-must-make-trade-season">Keon Ellis, the 25-year-old guard who continues to draw interest around the league</a>. Ellis is averaging 5.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 40 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range across 24 appearances, playing 17 minutes per contest. He is in the final year of a three-year, $5.1 million rookie contract and is set to become a free agent next summer.</p><p>Despite being labeled “active,” Sacramento’s position is clear. The Kings are willing to listen on high-salary veterans, but they are not prepared to attach draft capital or young, cost-controlled players to move those contracts. As the deadline approaches, that discipline will shape whether any of the league’s most talked-about trade scenarios ultimately materialize.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: What ‘active’ Kings won’t do to trade expensive stars

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/nba-rumors-insider-makes-rj-barrett-kings-link-amid-domantas-sabonis-trade-buzz');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Insider makes RJ Barrett-Kings link amid Domantas Sabonis trade buzz');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Domantas-Sabonis-11-fights-for-a-rebound-against-Toronto-Raptors-forward-Brandon-Ingram-and-forward-guard-RJ-Barrett.jpg"><figcaption>© Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Insider makes RJ Barrett-Kings link amid Domantas Sabonis trade buzz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-18T10:16:19-08:00">December 18th, 10:16am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-18T10:16:19-08:00">December 18th, 10:16am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As NBA trade discussions continue to take shape, a new report has connected Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett to the Sacramento Kings amid ongoing speculation surrounding Kings center Domantas Sabonis. The linkage emerges as both franchises evaluate roster direction with the trade deadline approaching.</p><p>Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that Toronto has <a href="https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/2025/12/18/michael-scottos-nba-intel-giannis-antetokounmpo-anthony-davis-trae-young-lauri-markkanen-lamelo-ball/87823173007/" rel="noopener">continued to explore the market</a> for high-level frontcourt talent, including Sabonis, while Sacramento’s familiarity with Barrett could factor into any renewed dialogue.</p><p>“The Raptors have always monitored the trade market for big fish, whether it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo or Davis in this case. It’s also worth noting that dating back to the summer, the Raptors expressed exploratory interest in Kings center Domantas Sabonis, league sources told HoopsHype.</p><p>Should those Sabonis talks ever reignite with Toronto, it’s worth noting that Kings general manager Scott Perry drafted Raptors swingman RJ Barrett when he was with the Knicks and remains fond of him. Since last season, when HoopsHype reported Barrett was discussed in the Brandon Ingram trade talks with the New Orleans Pelicans, Toronto has continued to gauge the trade market on his value, sources said.”</p><p>Sabonis, a 29-year-old former All-Star, has been one of Sacramento’s foundational players when healthy. He is averaging 17.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 51 percent from the field across 11 appearances this season, logging 33.2 minutes per contest. Sabonis last appeared in a 123–110 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 16 before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-domantas-sabonis-significant-time-partially-torn-meniscus-knee">suffering a partial meniscus tear</a>. Since his injury, the Kings have struggled, falling from 3–11 to 6–20 following Sunday’s 117–103 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.</p><h2><b>Domantas Sabonis and RJ Barrett contracts loom over Kings-Raptors trade talks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Domantas-Sabonis-drives-to-the-basket-against-the-Toronto-Raptors.jpg"><figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Sabonis is in the second season of a four-year, $186 million contract and is earning $42.3 million this season. His deal runs through the 2027–28 campaign, a financial commitment that would require significant salary matching in any potential trade scenario.</p><p>Barrett, 25, is in his second full season with Toronto and has been a steady offensive contributor when available. He is averaging 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from three-point range across 17 games, playing 30.9 minutes per night. Barrett last appeared in Toronto’s 119–109 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 23 before sustaining a right knee sprain.</p><p>Despite Barrett’s absence, Toronto has remained competitive. The Raptors have improved from 12–5 to 16–11 following Monday’s 106–96 win over the Miami Heat, which snapped a four-game losing streak. Barrett is in the third year of a four-year, $107 million rookie extension he signed with the New York Knicks in 2022 and is earning $27.7 million this season. He is set to become a free agent after the 2026–27 season.</p><p>Scotto’s report aligns with earlier commentary from NBA insider Jake Fischer, who noted <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-rumors-domantas-sabonis-joins-anthony-davis-as-raptors-trade-targets">Toronto’s continued interest in upgrading its frontcourt</a>.</p><p>“Sources with knowledge of the Raptors’ thinking have identified them as a team with interest in Domantas Sabonis as well as [Anthony] Davis.”</p><p>Toronto will look to build on its momentum as it concludes a two-game road trip Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks (11–16) at 8 p.m. ET before returning home to host the Boston Celtics (15–11) on Saturday. Sacramento, meanwhile, will try to halt a three-game skid Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers (10–16) at 10 p.m. ET before opening a four-game homestand Saturday, also against Portland.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Insider makes RJ Barrett-Kings link amid Domantas Sabonis trade buzz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-wizards-suns-bulls-again-linked-domantas-sabonis-trade-there-catch');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Wizards, Suns, Bulls again linked to Domantas Sabonis trade, but there’s a catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kings-Domantas-Sabonis-1.jpg"><figcaption>Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Wizards, Suns, Bulls again linked to Domantas Sabonis trade, but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-15T11:01:06-08:00">December 15th, 11:01am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-15T11:01:06-08:00">December 15th, 11:01am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA Stories</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Although the Sacramento Kings are reportedly open for business months before the NBA trade deadline, this season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-domantas-sabonis-camp-sends-clear-signal-trade-buzz">Domantas Sabonis is considered untouchable in trade talks</a>. Still, teams, including the Washington Wizards, the Chicago Bulls, and the Phoenix Suns, have expressed interest.</p><p>While Sabonis is a forward at least <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6881845/2025/12/12/nba-trades-giannis-antetokounmpo-anthony-davis-warriors-mavericks/" rel="noopener">three teams would love to see</a> in playing in their respective uniforms, he remains a part of the Kings’ foreseeable future, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.</p><p>“Teams like Washington, the Phoenix Suns, and Chicago have shown significant interest in the past and are still believed to be on his short list of possible suitors, but Sabonis is prepared to remain in a Kings jersey for the foreseeable future,” Amick reported. “He has been out since Nov. 19 with a partial tear of his left meniscus and was scheduled to be re-evaluated within the next week.”</p><p>As for Sabonis’ camp, patience is a virtue, as the injury’s setback has him taking things one day at a time with the Kings.</p><p>“For Sabonis’ part, league sources say the 29-year-old big man has heeded that call for patience. His contract runs through the 2027-28 season, with a combined $94 million owed in the next two seasons, meaning his market is inevitably limited by the sheer magnitude of the money owed,” Amick notes.</p><p>The Kings lost 117-103 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.</p><h2><b>Domantas Sabonis’ camp sends signal on trade buzz</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kings-Domantas-Sabonis.jpg"><figcaption>Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the NBA <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/buy-or-sell-latest-nba-intel-trade-rumors-ja-morant-anthony-davis-domantas-sabonis">trade buzz surrounding Domantas Sabonis and the Kings</a> coninutes, it appears to be solely from teams calling to inquire about their chances, but the likelihood remains low. From sources close to the situation, Sabonis and the Kings are content with the way things are as The Athletic’s Sam Amick <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SePaYJ4cBxw&amp;t=477s" rel="noopener">confirmed</a>, per FanDuel TV’s Run it Back.</p><p>“I’ve talked to his camp recently. It does not sound like they anticipate being moved at the deadline,” Amick said. “It’s more a message of patience. And he really likes living in the area, and as far as quality of life, he’s doing okay.”</p><p>The Kings will face the Trail Blazers on Thursday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Wizards, Suns, Bulls again linked to Domantas Sabonis trade, but there’s a catch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-sacramento-start-franchise-history');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kings dreadful start beats just 2 seasons in franchise history');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Sacramento-Kings-center-Maxime-Raynaud-looks-on-against-the-Denver-Nuggets-during-the-fourth-quarter-at-Golden-1-Center.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kings dreadful start beats just 2 seasons in franchise history</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-12T08:25:41-08:00">December 12th, 8:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-12T08:25:41-08:00">December 12th, 8:25am</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The struggle is real for many teams in the NBA and that includes the Sacramento Kings. On Thursday, they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-doug-christie-blunt-reason-nuggets-rout">suffered a brutal 31-point loss</a> to the Denver Nuggets, 136-105.</p><p>As a result, the Kings fall to 6-19 and have achieved another feat. They <a href="https://x.com/FCartoscelli3/status/1999347015227244604" rel="noopener">equaled their second-worst start</a> in franchise history during the first 25 games of the season, per Frankie Cartoscelli of Sactown Sports 1140.</p><p>The previous two teams with the worst starts were during the 1958-59 and 2010-11 seasons, when each started 5-20. At this point, the Kings are on pace to go 20-62 on the year. Presently, the Kings hold the third-worst record in the NBA.</p><p>The other two teams are the 3-19 Washington Wizards and the 4-22 New Orleans Pelicans.</p><p>Nevertheless, there was at least one bright spot for Sacramento on Thursday. DeMar DeRozan <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-demar-derozan-passes-vince-carter-all-time-scoring-list-nuggets-game">passed Vince Carter on the all-time scoring list</a>.</p><p>The current makeup of the Kings’ roster is out of sync. There is a heavy emphasis on ball handling, with less on transition play and, indeed, defense. With trade eligibility approaching, the Kings are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-1-kings-trade-that-would-help-lakers-but-its-not-for-a-star">looking to maximize the market</a>.</p><p>In fact, they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-trading-for-ja-morant-would-just-be-the-latest-disaster-in-a-series-of-disasters">reportedly want to take a chance on Ja Morant</a>.</p><h2><b>The last time the Kings had a winning season was in 2022-2023</b></h2><p>Two and a half years ago, the Kings made it to the postseason for the first time in 16 years. They finished with a record of 48-34.</p><p>That year also saw Mike Brown <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-lebron-james-endorses-mike-brown-for-coach-of-the-year">named as Coach of the Year</a>.</p><p>Ultimately, they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/how-kings-pulled-off-epic-game-1-win-over-warriors-for-first-home-playoff-victory-in-17-years">made it to the first round of the playoffs</a> to take on the Golden State Warriors. After taking a 2-0 series lead, the Kings lost in seven games to the then-defending NBA champions.</p><p>Before that, their last winning season was in 2005-06. That year, the Kings finished with a 44-38 record.</p><p>Eventually, they finished as the 8th seed in the playoffs and lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kings dreadful start beats just 2 seasons in franchise history

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-rookie-blasts-reporters-nuggets-loss');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kings rookie issues brutally honest message to reporters after Nuggets game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kings-center-Maxime-Raynaud-vs-Nuggets.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kings rookie issues brutally honest message to reporters after Nuggets game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-12T08:13:41-08:00">December 12th, 8:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-12T14:52:28-08:00">December 12th, 2:52pm</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-doug-christie-blunt-reason-nuggets-rout">Sacramento Kings’ season continues to unravel</a>, with losses piling up and urgency rising across the locker room, searching for answers. Maxime Raynaud stood at his locker after the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-demar-derozan-passes-vince-carter-all-time-scoring-list-nuggets-game">Kings’ blowout loss to the Denver Nuggets</a> and chose composure over frustration. With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-zach-lavine-pulls-off-franchise-feat-42-point-game-heat-win">dismal result adding pressure to a slipping season</a>, the rookie met reporters head-on. In a video shared by ABC10 Sports’ Matt George, Raynaud <a href="https://x.com/MattGeorgeSAC/status/1999367792588652917" rel="noopener">spoke calmly</a>, even as the weight of another lopsided night hung over the room.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Maxime Raynaud had some feedback tonight for the Sacramento media. <a href="https://t.co/vvIQWsIMPT">pic.twitter.com/vvIQWsIMPT</a></p><p>— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattGeorgeSAC/status/1999367792588652917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>When asked what was going wrong, Raynaud redirected the conversation. “Honestly guys, I don’t think it’s my role to tell you what of questions you ask but I don’t think after a loss it’s a good thing to just pinpoint wrong things and say that the locker room is not going well,” he said. The Kings rookie didn’t stop there. “They know how to face tough times like that.” For a second-round pick still learning the league, it was a striking display of maturity.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/clutchpoints-2025-26-nba-power-rankings-week-7-thunder-dominance-celtics-rise">Maxime Raynaud backed it up with production</a>, even if the margin swallowed it. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/maxime-raynaud-best-2025-nba-draft-prospects-remaining-after-1st-round">42nd overall pick by the Kings</a> scored 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. He stayed active. He stayed aggressive. Still, the numbers told a harder truth. His minus-26 plus-minus reflected how quickly the game tilted once the Nuggets seized control.</p><h2><b>A tough lesson for the Kings against the Nuggets</b></h2><p>Doug Christie said the Kings’ energy simply wasn’t there. Denver made that clear early. The Nuggets controlled pace from the opening tip, with Nikola Jokic directing everything on his way to 36 points and 12 rebounds in a 136–105 win.</p><p>Sacramento never found rhythm. The Kings shot 45 percent from the field and just 29 percent from three, fell behind in rebounding and ball movement, and watched every starter finish with a negative plus-minus. Only Precious Achiuwa and Devon Carter escaped it, and the push came too late.</p><p>Now 6–19, the Kings are leaning on rookie Maxime Raynaud’s composure as losses stack and urgency begins to define the season — but can that calm turn into the spark they need before it’s too late?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kings rookie issues brutally honest message to reporters after Nuggets game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-doug-christie-blunt-reason-nuggets-rout');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kings HC Doug Christie’s blunt reason why Sacramento got crushed by Nuggets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kings-coach-Doug-Christie-with-center-Maxime-Raynaud-vs-Nuggets.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kings HC Doug Christie’s blunt reason why Sacramento got crushed by Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-12T07:34:27-08:00">December 12th, 7:34am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-12T07:34:27-08:00">December 12th, 7:34am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-professional-take-blowout-win-kings">Sacramento Kings had no answers for the Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets</a>, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-doug-christie-rips-team-loss-suns">Doug Christie did not hide from it</a>. Speaking after the loss, Christie offered a blunt explanation that cut through everything else. “Tonight, the energy just wasn’t there,” he <a href="https://x.com/BrendenNunesNBA/status/1999355279457272296" rel="noopener">said</a>, via Sactown Sports’ Brenden Nunes. That <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-demar-derozan-passes-vince-carter-all-time-scoring-list-nuggets-game">feeling defined the night for Kings players</a>, who struggled to match the Nuggets’ pace, pressure, and precision. The night felt decided early, long before the final buzzer echoed through Golden 1 Center.</p><p>Denver made that clear from the opening minutes. The Nuggets stormed out to a 41–26 lead by the end of the first quarter, overwhelming the Kings on both ends. By halftime, the score had ballooned to 77–54. Nikola Jokic controlled the game with calm authority, finishing with 36 points and 12 rebounds. Every possession bent to his rhythm. The Nuggets never let up, rolling to a 136–105 win and their 11th straight victory on the road.</p><h2><b>Kings’ numbers that exposed the gap</b></h2><p>The box score only deepened the frustration. Sacramento shot 45 percent from the field and just 29 percent from three-point range. The Kings were outrebounded 46–38 and fell behind badly in ball movement, logging 21 assists compared to Denver’s 35. The flow belonged entirely to the visitors.</p><p>Plus-minus numbers reflected the imbalance. Every Kings starter finished with a double-digit negative rating. Even the bench struggled to shift momentum. Only Precious Achiuwa and Devon Carter avoided the red, both posting plus-two marks. Carter led the reserves with 15 points in 21 minutes, but the impact came too late.</p><p>The loss also sealed the season series. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-zach-lavine-out-thumb-injury-sacramento-upset-nuggets">The Kings dropped it 3–1</a>, with its lone win coming in a narrow 128–123 game. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-doug-christie-scotty-perry-start">Now the Kings sit at 6–19, 13th in the West</a>, having lost seven of their last 10 games with just three wins at home and three on the road. Meanwhile, Denver improved to 18–6, second in the conference, riding a four-game streak.</p><p>Doug Christie named the issue plainly, leaving the Kings players to answer a tougher question about urgency as the season threatens to slip away.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kings HC Doug Christie’s blunt reason why Sacramento got crushed by Nuggets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-trading-for-ja-morant-would-just-be-the-latest-disaster-in-a-series-of-disasters');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kings trading for Ja Morant would just be the latest disaster in a series of disasters');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kings-trading-for-Ja-Morant-would-just-be-the-latest-disaster-in-a-series-of-disasters.jpg"></figure><h1>Kings trading for Ja Morant would just be the latest disaster in a series of disasters</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T22:41:31-08:00">December 11th, 10:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T22:41:31-08:00">December 11th, 10:41pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-vivek-ranadive-face-said-it-all-as-sacramento-got-obliterated-at-home-by-timberwolves">Sacramento Kings aren’t a very well-run franchise,</a> although longtime fans of the NBA would know that already. They’ve managed to fumble their playoff team that got the entire city of Sacramento up on its feet back in 2023, and they are now looking likely to start over from scratch.</p><p>But this <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/nba-rumors-kings-asked-grizzlies-ja-morant-trade">Kings front office is stubborn beyond belief.</a> They have reportedly kicked the tires on a Ja Morant trade amid the former All-Star point guard’s turbulent season thus far with the Memphis Grizzlies, and that is simply a disaster waiting to happen for a team that’s been the face of mismanagement in professional basketball over the past two decades.</p><p>In this piece, we will take a look at the Kings’ disastrous run of decisions ever since they made the playoffs back in 2023 (snapping a drought that lasted from 2006 to 2022) and why adding Morant will only serve to make things worse for them moving forward.</p><h2><b>Mistake one: Kings overreacted to missing 2024 NBA playoffs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DeAaron-Fox-steals-the-ball-from-Stephen-Curry.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>One would think that the Kings crapped the bed so much during the 2023-24 season with the way they overreacted in the aftermath of missing the playoffs. As a refresher, Sacramento won 46 games during that aforementioned campaign — just two games fewer than when they won the division in 2023 and pushed the Golden State Warriors (the defending champion at the time) to seven games in the first round.</p><p>The Kings did lose in the play-in tournament to the New Orleans Pelicans in the battle for the eight-seed, but they did win the 9/10 matchup in a rematch against the Warriors. That core five of theirs consisting of De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis was working, and Malik Monk was so good as to warrant Sixth Man of the Year consideration.</p><p>Instead of simply running with the good vibes of that team, the Kings decided to chase name value instead of prioritizing continuity.</p><p>They <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/grading-kings-bulls-spurs-demar-derozan-trade">moved Barnes away in a sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan</a>, and then they bafflingly dealt away Davion Mitchell, a former lottery pick of theirs and a good defensive piece off the bench, along with a few picks and young guys (including Jamal Shead, a rotation piece for the Toronto Raptors) in exchange for Jalen McDaniels, who’s now out of the league, in a salary dump.</p><p>DeRozan is one of the best clutch scorers in the league over the past few seasons, but he’s not the difference between 46 wins and a 55-win campaign in which the Kings would finish top-three in a loaded Western Conference.</p><p>Barnes was a crucial part of that locker room and a consummate professional who fits in every sort of lineup as an off-ball threat who could do some damage off the dribble. Meanwhile, DeRozan needs the ball, and he’s not nearly as good of a floor-spacer as Barnes is — requiring the Kings to switch up how they play.</p><p>Having DeRozan around also took touches away from Fox and Sabonis, and the Kings were built around those two. Make no mistake about it, DeRozan is a good player, but not what the Kings needed at the time.</p><h2><b>Mistake two: Prioritizing Zach LaVine in the De’Aaron Fox trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zach-LaVine-shoots-over-DeAaron-Fox.jpg"><figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Kings were 13-18 last season when Mike Brown, 2023 NBA Coach of the Year, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/nba-rumors-kings-mike-brown-deaaron-fox-situation-worse">was fired</a>. In came Doug Christie to try and rescue the Kings’ season.</p><p>But at that point, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-deaaron-fox-reveals-mike-brown-ultimatum-that-led-to-trade">Fox had no more intentions of sticking around in Sacramento</a>. He said that if he were to play under another head coach while in a Kings uniform, he’ll set out to find a new team. This led to his eventual trade request and his eventual trade to the San Antonio Spurs.</p><p>Trading Fox away isn’t the problem. The timing of that deal isn’t even that concerning as the Kings wanted to get someone who didn’t want to be part of the team anymore gone. But the fact that the Kings got Zach LaVine as the main piece in the trade is so baffling. They didn’t even get any good young players from the Spurs, nor did they set out to do so.</p><p>One first-round pick they got (from the Charlotte Hornets) was lottery-protected and would turn into two second-round picks if they didn’t convey. (That’s exactly what happened.) The Spurs’ 2027 first-round pick is unlikely to be very good what with San Antonio being on the rise. And the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2031 first-rounder could be good, but that would take literally over a half-decade before it could bear fruit.</p><p>Now, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-zach-lavines-defiant-mic-drop-to-sacramento-dropping-42-vs-heat">LaVine seems to have negative trade value</a>. His body language is not very promising, and his production is up and down amid the Kings’ inconsistency. And to make matters worse, he’s <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/15365/zach-lavine" rel="noopener">making a total</a> of $96.6 million until next season.</p><h2><b>Mistake three: Playing point guard musical chairs, de-prioritizing Domantas Sabonis</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Russell-Westbrook-.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>This one perhaps takes the cake for the most perplexing decision-making any front office was responsible for this past offseason. At least the New Orleans Pelicans, the team that gave up their first-round pick in 2026 in the draft night trade for Derik Queen, at least look like they have one of the best-performing youngsters in the league. For the Kings, their mismanagement of assets is simply hilarious.</p><p>In the aftermath of the Fox trade, the Kings turned over the point guard position to Malik Monk. Monk <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=malik+monk+24-25+stats+as+starter" rel="noopener">averaged</a> 18.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. He’s not a traditional point guard, but he’s at least a good player who deserves more respect than the Kings have given him.</p><p>But all offseason long, the Kings shopped Monk. They were putting him in trade packages for Jonathan Kuminga and Dennis Schroder. And now, Monk is getting no love in the rotation.</p><p>Even with Monk on the roster, the Kings decided to sign Schroder to a three-year, $45 million contract. Schroder did impress to end last season, so giving him the starting point guard role made a bit of sense. But what did not was signing Russell Westbrook prior to the start of the season.</p><p>Westbrook still has plenty of gas left in the tank, but they have so many options at the guard positions that they did not need him on the roster. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-sacramento-wastes-russell-westbrook-eye-popping-triple-double">He’s been very productive</a> this season, that’s for sure, but the likes of Schroder, Monk, Keon Ellis, and Devin Carter had to take backseats as a result.</p><p>Moreover, with Westbrook being around as a ball-dominant option, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-domantas-sabonis-camp-sends-clear-signal-trade-buzz">Sabonis has been relegated to roll-man duties</a>. DeRozan and LaVine are touching the ball less. And Monk and Schroder’s values have only tanked since.</p><h2><b>Kings front office, do not trade for Ja Morant</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Grizzlies-guard-Ja-Morant-12-walks-off-the-court-after-being-ejected.jpg"><figcaption>© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-tuomas-iisalo-ja-morant-moving-incident-that-led-suspension">Morant looks like the kind of talented point guard</a> who will thrive under a veteran head coach who can reel him in. Someone like a Rick Carlisle or maybe even an Ime Udoka or Doc Rivers could get the best out of the Grizzlies’ floor general.</p><p>But the Kings lack so much stability on multiple levels that it doesn’t make sense to bring in Morant’s chaos to make things even more complicated for the team. Considering how much of the team is incoherent from a basketball perspective, bringing in Morant to try and remain semi-competitive instead of clearing out their logjams across the roster and pivoting towards youth would be asinine.</p><p>Make no mistake, Morant is a great player when he’s locked in and healthy. However, the Kings do not have the infrastructure to maximize his talents. They are better off just blowing everything up and starting from scratch instead of taking a risk and making everything worse for themselves if their gambit doesn’t pan out.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kings trading for Ja Morant would just be the latest disaster in a series of disasters

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-demar-derozan-passes-vince-carter-all-time-scoring-list-nuggets-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kings’ DeMar DeRozan passes Vince Carter on all-time scoring list during Nuggets game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DeMar-DeRozan-passes-Vince-Carter-on-all-time-scoring-list-during-Nuggets-game-1.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kings’ DeMar DeRozan passes Vince Carter on all-time scoring list during Nuggets game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T22:15:46-08:00">December 11th, 10:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T22:15:46-08:00">December 11th, 10:15pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DeMar DeRozan achieved a milestone while passing Vince Carter on the NBA’s all-time scoring list during the Sacramento <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-zach-lavine-out-thumb-injury-sacramento-upset-nuggets">Kings’ matchup against the Denver Nuggets</a> on Thursday night.</p><p>DeRozan is going through the 17th season of his career, his second with the Kings. He has shined throughout his career as one of the most versatile scorers in the league, garnering praise for his ability to operate in the mid-range.</p><p>Going into the matchup, the veteran scorer produced 25,723 points throughout his regular-season career. He was sitting at the 24th spot on the all-time list, being behind Vince Carter who has 25,728 points.</p><p>DeRozan needed five points to tie Carter and six to pass him, <a href="https://x.com/JandersonSacBee/status/1999324271764734331" rel="noopener">something he ended up achieving</a> against the Nuggets. In 21 minutes of action, he finished with a stat line of 11 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and a block. He shot 4-of-7 from the field, including 1-of-1 from beyond the arc, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.</p><h2><b>How DeMar DeRozan, Kings played against Nuggets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DeMar-DeRozan-passes-Vince-Carter-on-all-time-scoring-list-during-Nuggets-game-2.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite DeMar DeRozan’s impressive career feat, the Kings were unable to keep with the Nuggets in a 136-105 blowout loss.</p><p>Denver dominated to start the game, taking a 41-26 lead and never looking back. While Sacramento was offensively consistent, the defense was nowhere near where it needed to be to prevent the Nuggets from flourishing throughout the matchup.</p><p>Shot selection, ball movement and inside scoring made the difference in this matchup. The Nuggets prevailed in all three categories by making 59% of their total shots, creating 35 assists, and scoring 66 points inside the paint. It wasn’t the same for the Kings as they converted just 45% of their total attempts, dished out 21 assists and produced just 46 points inside the paint.</p><p>Six players scored in double-digits for Sacramento in the loss, including DeRozan. Malik Monk led the team in scoring with 18 points, five assists, four rebounds, and a steal. He shot 5-of-11 overall, including 3-of-6 from downtown, and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. Russell Westbrook came next with 17 points and five assists, Maxime Raynaud had 15 points and nine rebounds, while Keegan Murray put up 15 points and six rebounds. Meanwhile, Devin Carter provided 15 points and four assists.</p><p>Sacramento fell to a 6-19 record on the season, holding the 13th spot in the Western Conference standings. They are even with the Los Angeles Clippers while trailing the Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks by three games.</p><p>The Kings will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being on the road. They face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kings’ DeMar DeRozan passes Vince Carter on all-time scoring list during Nuggets game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-1-kings-trade-that-would-help-lakers-but-its-not-for-a-star');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: 1 Kings trade that would help Lakers, but it’s not for a star');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IMG_0340.jpeg"><figcaption>Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: 1 Kings trade that would help Lakers, but it’s not for a star</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T15:59:07-08:00">December 11th, 3:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T16:01:05-08:00">December 11th, 4:01pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/nba-rumors-stop-all-your-lamelo-ball-to-kings-trade-jokes">Sacramento Kings will be in trade rumors</a> ahead of the deadline, there is no doubt that a bunch of players that other teams will be interested in. While the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-domantas-sabonis-camp-sends-clear-signal-trade-buzz"> trade buzz around the Kings continues</a>, the Los Angeles Lakers are a team that is seen to have some interest in one of the team’s players, though it isn’t a huge star that the basketball world might think about.</p><p>Players on Sacramento that people think about first are Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis, but the one that ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Seigel mentions is Keon Ellis, who is said to draw <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1999215119033835591" rel="noopener">“significant interest”</a> around the league. He would mention the Lakers being involved in rumors for Ellis.</p><p>“One of the names that’s actually drawing significant interest right now because of his contract, he’s on the final year of his contract, only $2.3 million on the books,” Seigel said, via ClutchPoints’ show “Clutch Scoops” with Tomer Azarly. “That’s Keon Ellis, and there is significant interest around the league in him for both the Eastern and the Western Conference. There’s been rumors about the Lakers being interested.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Latest NBA intel with <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomerAzarly</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettSiegelNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrettSiegelNBA</a> — Clutch Scoops 12/11/2025 <a href="https://t.co/zI3JODVWjE">https://t.co/zI3JODVWjE</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1999215119033835591?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>dwonnowdondw</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ellis.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-did-demar-derozan-hint-at-trade-desire-aint-my-decision-declaration">trade desires for Kings players</a> will ramp up ahead of the deadline down the line, Ellis is a versatile rotational player on both sides of the player that can fit on most teams. Seigel would speak on how the Lakers are a great fit in regards to on the court and his contract.</p><p>“I haven’t heard that, but it would not shock me if the Lakers were looking at a guy like that on the wing, because they do need another wing defender,” Seigel said. “And Keon Ellis kind of fits that timeline, being a younger guy, where they could bring him in pairing with Luka, extend them on a smaller term contract, like they did with Jared Vanderbilt, and they had hoped he would be that wing defender they could count on.”</p><p>At any rate, it remains to be seen if Ellis is traded by Sacramento and if Los Angeles will be the winner of the potential sweepstakes.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: 1 Kings trade that would help Lakers, but it’s not for a star

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/nba-rumors-stop-all-your-lamelo-ball-to-kings-trade-jokes');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Stop all your LaMelo Ball-to-Kings trade jokes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lamelo-Ball_42e994.jpg"><figcaption>Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Stop all your LaMelo Ball-to-Kings trade jokes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T08:55:09-08:00">December 11th, 8:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T08:55:09-08:00">December 11th, 8:55am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-mourning-is-all-of-us-when-it-comes-to-lamelo-ball-trade-rumors">NBA trade speculation accelerates</a>, one rumor continues to circulate online: a potential LaMelo Ball deal involving the Sacramento Kings. League reporting, however, indicates there is no basis for linking the Charlotte Hornets guard to Sacramento’s plans.</p><p>NBA insider Jake Fischer addressed the topic on the latest episode of Bleacher Report’s Insider Notebook with Jake Fischer, clarifying that Sacramento has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAMVMh9f7KA" rel="noopener">shown no interest in pursuing</a> the former All-Star.</p><p>“I don’t think Sacramento is really interested in LaMelo Ball. I think everything Scott Perry has talked about, both privately and publicly since taking over this team, points to a desire to reestablish a tough, gritty identity,” Fischer said.</p><p>He also cited how Ball is viewed in some league circles.</p><p>“Someone I spoke with on the phone this morning — a prominent NBA figure — called LaMelo Ball ‘the most unserious player in the NBA.’ That’s not my opinion — that was a quote from someone inside the league. I don’t think Sacramento would view LaMelo as someone to really reinvigorate their culture around,” he said.</p><h2><b>Kings’ guard-heavy roster and culture shift leave no room for LaMelo Ball pursuit</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Ball.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Sacramento’s roster construction further undercuts any notion of a Ball pursuit. The Kings already carry significant guard depth, featuring Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, Keon Ellis, Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, and Devin Carter among a group that totals 10 guards. The organization has spent the season emphasizing defensive size, physicality and versatility — areas that do not align with adding another high-usage playmaker.</p><p>Ball, 24, remains a core figure in Charlotte’s long-term outlook despite team struggles. He is averaging 19.4 points, 8.5 assists, six rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting career-lows of 38.6% from the field and 28.5% from three. He has appeared in 16 games this season while logging 28.9 minutes per contest.</p><p>Both franchises continue forward with their schedules. The Hornets (7–17) face the Chicago Bulls (9–14) on Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-zach-lavine-out-thumb-injury-sacramento-upset-nuggets">Kings (6–18) return home to host the Denver Nuggets</a> (17–6) on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET.</p><p>Despite ongoing league-wide rumor activity, indications remain unchanged: Sacramento is not expected to explore a trade for LaMelo Ball.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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Kings News: Get the latest Sacramento Kings news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

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