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Welcome to your morning cup of Kings. The Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching and the Sacramento Kings may not be done. What is real and what is not as we reach the final hours before the deadline?
First up, the Kings have been linked to Ja Morant since early in the offseason and when the Memphis Grizzlies pulled off a blockbuster deal on Tuesday that sent former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, the rumor mill heated up.
The Kings have been one of the betting favorites to land Morant for a while, but according to a league source, not only have the Kings and Grizzlies not talked in two or three days, but Sacramento has not made an offer for the 26-year-old point guard and they are not currently pursuing Morant.
It’s trade deadline season, so this can change quickly, but as of Tuesday, the Kings’ focus is elsewhere.
Here is the latest information in podcast form via Locked On Kings. Make sure to subscribe to the channel!
More Domantas Sabonis intel
Sacramento is open for business and looking to move off of major salaried players. They pulled off a substantial trade over the weekend that landed De’Andre Hunter in a Kings uniform, but there is a lot more work to be done with the team sitting at 12-39 on the season.
We have covered the Domantas Sabonis situation over the last few weeks, but the latest intel on the Kings’ center comes from national reporter Chris Haynes. According to Haynes, via NBA TV, a hold up in a potential trade between the Kings and Raptors centers around draft compensation.
Haynes has the Kings asking for a first round pick and the Raptors hoping to land Sabonis in a swap for RJ Barrett, as well as others, with second round selections used as sweetener.
The Kings didn’t receive a first round pick in the Keon Ellis trade, so it would make sense that they are asking for the moon for Sabonis. They have a need for young players and a want for more draft capital as they enter a rebuilding or retooling phase.
Whether the Raptors break as we get closer to the deadline is a huge question for the Kings. Sacramento doesn’t have to be in a rush. They can assess the value of Sabonis now or during the summer, although the market could change for the worse in that timeframe.
Keegan Murray injury update
The team announced on Tuesday that Keegan Murray, who sustained a moderate left ankle sprain during a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 4, has been cleared to resume on-court contact activities and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Sacramento has five games remaining before the All-Star break, including a match up against the Grizzlies on Wednesday night. Murray’s return to play timeline has him potentially back on the court when the team returns from the break on February 19 against the Orlando Magic at Golden 1 Center.
With the team sitting at 12-39 on the season, rushing Murray back and risking further complications with the ankle makes little sense at this point. Erring on the side of caution and allowing Murray to get back to 100 percent is the right decision.
Practice, are we talking about practice?
After an extended road trip, the Kings returned to Sacramento Sunday night and held their first practice on Tuesday afternoon. It was a light mood in the building with both Sabonis and Russell Westbrook returning to the court after missing Sunday’s loss to the Washington Wizards.
Here are the interviews from practice, including a first conversation with the newly acquired De’Andre Hunter.
The Kings Beat Podcast
In case you missed it, Sean Cunningham, Brenden Nunes and I hosted a new edition of The Kings Beat Podcast on Sunday evening.
For some unexplained reason, the newsletter format struggles with live shows, so here is a link to the Youtube video:
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