Kings shut down Trae Young trade rumors, signaling a clear stance amid swirling speculation. Their focus remains elsewhere as the deadline approaches.
After laying dormant on the trade market for a long stretch, the Sacramento Kings have been thrust back into the spotlight in tandem with the latest bombshell reports surrounding the Atlanta Hawks and 4-time All-Star Trae Young.
In the midst of his eighth season with the franchise, it appears as though the two parties are headed for a breakup and mutually working to find a trade partner as the Feb. 5 trade deadline draws near.
The only problem with that exciting development is that few teams in the association are positioned to take on a player of Young's skillset, especially not for his roughly $46 million price tag for this season.
Of the teams that are clearly not intrigued in landing the 6-foot-2 floor general and 2025 assists leader, The Athletic's Sam Amick has confirmed that the Kings are among that group.
"If ever there was a sign of Young’s diminished value, it’s in the fact that even teams that are desperate need of an offensive boost -- like the Sacramento Kings -- don’t appear to have interest," Amick wrote Monday.
"Sacramento has long been rumored as a possible suitor for Young, with the prospect of the Hawks landing former All-Star Zach LaVine in the process known to be of interest to the 30-year-old Kings guard," Amick continued. "But a team source indicated on Monday that Sacramento has no interest in Young. That has been the Kings’ stance for quite some time now, and it remains unchanged."
While the prospect of pairing Young with Domantas Sabonis to create a dynamic play-making duo, it looks as though Sacramento has already moved past Young as the franchise continues to navigate what should be yet another busy trade deadline.
Currently sitting at 8-28 and possessing the Western Conference's No. 14 seed, Young's hypothetical acquisition would not have made sense, anyway.
The Kings will surely be aiming to sell off their top-end talents like Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk to bring in key prospects and draft assets, and not earn the opportunity to give the under-sized guard a gargantuan contract extension.
Young's down year with the Hawks amidst countless injury struggles to this juncture already led to his value dropping to what may be the lowest point of his superb career, as he's contributed 19.3 points and 8.9 assists on a horrific 48.1% effective field goal percentage. Like the Kings, many other would-be suitors could be off the board due to his efficiency issues and non-existent one-on-one defensive impact.