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While Doug Christie has the Sacramento Kings moving up the standings, the front office continues to be “aggressive” in their search for roster improvements according to a league source. 

What aggressive means is likely up for interpretation, but there is no question that the team’s climb back into the playoff chase has added to the sense of urgency in Sacramento. General manager Monte McNair and assistant GM Wes Wilcox are working the phones and according to at least one NBA writer, they have both a Plan A and a Plan B. 

According to Sidery, the Nets’ Cam Johnson is the team’s first choice, with the Jazz’s John Collins coming in as the backup option. There is also a possibility that Plan C/D/E/F exists with less than three weeks remaining before the NBA’s February 6 trade deadline. 

With two names to work with, there is an opportunity to compare and contrast the options. Here is a look at both Johnson and Collins and how they might fit with the Kings’ current roster. 

Stats: 19.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, .8 steals, .5 blocks, 49.9 FG%, 42.8 3-pt%

Contract status: Three years, $65.5 million, including this season ($22.5 million, $20.5 million, $22.5 million)

Johnson is a versatile forward who can defend 2-4 and is extremely switchable. In Sacramento, he would likely have to move back to the bench, at least in the short-term, where he has played nearly half of his NBA games during his six years in the league. 

Listed at 6-foot-8, 210 pounds with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Johnson has the length and athleticism the Kings are searching for. He’s a knockdown 3-point shooter, hitting 42.8 percent this season and 39.7 percent for his career on solid volume.

58.3 percent of Johnson’s shots come from long range, including 43 percent of his attempts coming off the catch-and-shoot without a dribble. He’s consistent whether he is wide open or defended closely, although more than 51 percent of his 3-point attempts this season are considered either open (4-6 feet) or wide open (6+ feet).

The 28-year-old (29 on March 3) has the highest usage of his career, in part due to the Nets’ lack of scoring options this season. He’s averaging a career-best three assists per game and his 4.2 rebounds per game are close to his career average of 3.9. 

On the defensive side of the ball, Johnson is a quality, switchable forward who holds his opponent to just 34.1 percent from long range. He doesn’t put up big blocks or steals numbers, but he’s a rangy athlete that fits into the 3-and-D category.

Financially, Johnson is a perfect solution. He has two years remaining on his contract after this season, including a reduced $20.5 million owed next season. Whether he’s a starter or a high level reserve, Johnson’s contract is in line with value and maybe even a little low. 

He matches the age arc of the team and in basketball years, his body might be younger than his actual age with him entering the league as a 23-year-old prospect out of North Carolina. On the downside, Johnson has missed 101 out of a possible 360 games over the last five seasons, which equates to 28 percent of his team’s games. He has currently missed seven of the Nets last eight games due to an ankle sprain.

Johnson is one of the more sought after forwards on the market and the Nets are asking for a mint. The early rumors had the Nets asking for two first round picks for the lanky forward, but that’s a steep price for a player coming off an ankle injury and in the middle of a breakout year in his sixth NBA season.

League sources have confirmed that the Kings and Nets have had conversations about Johnson over the last month or so. According to one source, the two teams were not on the same page about draft compensation with the Kings offering a protected first round pick, as well as salary filler and the Nets seeking an unprotected selection. 

It should be noted that the Kings can’t trade a first round pick until 2027 at the earliest due to the trade that brought Huerter to Sacramento. In addition, the Kings only have access to their 2029 second round pick, so adding a sweetener to the deal isn’t easy.

Matching salaries would start with Kevin Huerter’s $16.8 million contract for this season and another $18 million due next year. The Kings could include a larger salary, like Trey Lyles’ $8 million expiring contract to make the money work. The Kings could also include one or two minimum scale contracts to get close to Johnson’s salary number while remaining under the luxury tax. 

Stats: 17.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals, .9 blocks, 52.5 FG%, 43.8 3-pt%

Contract status: Two years, $53.2 million, including this season ($26.6 million, $26.6 million player option)

Like Johnson, Collins is a player who has the size and athleticism the Kings are looking for on the front line. Listed at 6-foot-9, 235 pounds, Collins is more of a modern day four with the potential to play some small ball five. He might not be the leaper he was coming into the league, but at 27 years old, Collins is the youngest of the players mentioned with regards to Sacramento.

There was a time when Collins looked like a future All-Star. In his third NBA season, the Wake Forest product averaged 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting 40.1 percent from 3-point range. After signing a big rookie scale extension following this breakout season, Collins’ career has not gone as planned.

Now in his eighth NBA season, Collins has revitalized his career in Utah. His per 36 numbers look similar to what he posted in his first few seasons in the league and he’s grown into a stronger, more physical version of the player he was in Atlanta. 

In Sacramento, he would likely be asked to come off the bench as a super sub, although there is a path to him playing starter minutes in that role. His ability to space the floor would allow him to play alongside Domantas Sabonis on the frontline and his shot blocking ability is something the Kings desperately need. He also has the ability to play in the pick-and-roll and finish above the rim, which would make him a lob weapon with Malik Monk. 

Collins has developed as a passer throughout his career and could be used as an offensive hub for stretches with the second unit. He’s averaging a career-best 2.5 assists per game and his assist percentage of 13.9 percent is by far the highest he’s posted in the NBA.

On the defensive side of the ball, Collins is far from a perfect player. His numbers defending the 3-pointer aren’t horrible, but in most other areas on the floor he is considered below average. This could be a product of the team he plays for, but he is not the switchable wing defender that Johnson is and he is more likely to see time at center than at small forward.

Where Collins holds the advantage over a player like Johnson is his versatility as a scorer and his physicality. The Kings don’t have a true back to the basket scorer like Collins and his ability to finish above the rim would add a new element to the roster. Collins’ strength in the post draws a crowd and he also plays with very good pace for a player his size. 

Lastly, Collins’ ability to hit the glass would be a welcomed sight in Sacramento. Per 36, he averages right at 10 boards per game for his career and he’s averaging 8.3 this season in 29.9 minutes per game. 

On the downside, like Johnson, Collins has missed plenty of time during his career. He’s seen action in 459 out of a possible 589 games, missing 22 percent of his overall games during his eight seasons in the league. It should be mentioned that despite entering the league as part of the 2017 NBA Draft class, two years before Johnson, Collins is more than a year and a half younger.  

This is an interesting question. When you look at Collins’ age and productivity, you would expect the asking price to be high. Word out of Utah is that the Jazz are ready and willing to move Collins without major compensation.

Part of the reason for this willingness could have to do with the $26.6 million owed to Collins next season. If he isn’t part of their program’s future, then that is a lot of money to spend, especially when you consider the Jazz’s place in the standings. Another issue is that Collins’ contract for next season is a player option, giving him the power to either stick around for another year or walk away as a rental player.

Matching salary would start with Huerter’s $16.8 million. The Kings are roughly $3.2 million under the luxury tax, so they need to get close to Collins’ cap figure to make things work. The easiest solution is to include Lyles’ $8 million, but there is a world in which Lyles and Collins could play together.

Sacramento could throw in either two or three minimum salary players instead of Lyles, like Colby Jones, Jordan McLaughlin, Doug McDermott or Alex Len to either get close or match Collins’ salary, when added to Huerter’s money. League minimum contracts, regardless of years of service, count for $2.1 million towards the cap. A 4-for-1 swap is rare in the NBA and would require the Jazz to waive three players to complete the deal. 

It’s possible that Utah asks for more from the Kings, like draft compensation. Again, Sacramento is limited to just one real second round pick, their 2029 selection, due to the Huerter trade with Atlanta. If the Kings don’t lose a first round selection to the Hawks in either the 2025 or 2026 NBA Draft, the pick owed to Atlanta dissolves and becomes the team’s 2026 and 2027 second round picks. 

At the end of the day, Collins is either a rental or an expensive bench option, at least for this season. If he were to land in Sacramento, there is always a chance that he opts out and works out a longer term deal with the team, in the same way that Harrison Barnes did back in 2019. 

When everything is considered, Johnson has a better contract, is under team control longer and is a better defensive player. Collins plays with more force, is a better rebounder and a more versatile scorer. They are both interesting options for the Kings.

Both players have a history of missing games. Both players are currently missing time due to injury. There is risk to both options.

When the entire picture is in view, a strong argument could be made for either player. Both players hit the 3-ball at a high clip. Johnson would improve the Kings’ defense versatility and his switchability would really help Keegan Murray. Collins can block shots and his ability to hit the glass would improve an already strong point of the Kings.

Collins is likely available for less and he brings more to the table. He plays with a force that the Kings need and he is a more established scorer. He would instantly bolster one of the worst scoring second units in the league and has the potential to work his way into a starting lineup down the road. When you factor in that he is younger and a potential matchup problem for opposing teams, Collins feels like a more impactful option.

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