Kings’ ‘substantial’ trade offer for Lauri Markkanen doesn’t include key player

The Sacramento Kings made a big move to acquire DeMar DeRozan in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, but before making that move, they aggressively pursued Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz while protecting Keegan Murray in the talks.

“The Kings made a strong push to acquire Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz earlier in the week, protecting Keegan Murray in the talks but putting what they believe is a substantial enough pick-based offer on the table, team sources said,” Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports. “But they have put a deadline on their end of the deal, needing a quick response given the urgency of the dissolving market.”

The Jazz and Danny Ainge ultimately missed that deadline, prompting the Kings to turn to DeMar DeRozan. The NBA is reportedly skeptical that Danny Ainge will actually trade Markkanen, who is under contract for the upcoming season before being scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. Ainge and the Jazz could still move Markkanen before next season’s trade deadline.

The Kings heard DeRozan was interested when they quickly turned to him, and they had several veteran players, as well as his former Toronto Raptors teammate and current assistant coach Leandro Barbosa, according to Slater.

To create some financial flexibility, the Kings traded Harrison Barnes to the San Antonio Spurs for DeRozan, which included three teams. It took a pick swap for the Kings to accept Harrison Barnes’ contract, but the price was considered worthwhile by Sacramento. Now, DeRozan forms a “big three” with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. In an increasingly competitive Western Conference, the move gives the Kings more star power. Hopefully, it will help them climb the Western Conference standings and give themselves a chance at a playoff spot.

Why wasn’t Keegan Murray on the table for the Kings?

Given that the Kings considered Keegan Murray untouchable in a Markkanen trade, the organization obviously views him as a future asset. He played two seasons in the NBA and was a solid shooter in those seasons.

Murray’s three-point shooting percentage was better in his rookie season (41.1 percent), but ended up being better in his sophomore season (35.8 percent). However, Murray’s two-point shooting percentage improved (56 percent) from his freshman year (52.7 percent), according to Basketball Reference. Murray also made more two-point shots in his sophomore season due to his increased playing time.

Murray finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year race in his first season, averaging 12.2 points per game. He scored 15.2 points per game in his second year. It will be interesting to see how he is used and how he impacts this year’s team.

Clearly, the Kings have faith in Murray for the long term if they refuse to trade him for Markkanen. Only time will tell if it was the right decision, but it would be safe to assume he will be a big part of the team for the foreseeable future.