Trade chatter is sitting front and center currently in any sort of NBA conversations. But that is especially true for a few teams, including the Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trail Blazers.
To gain some perspective on where Portland is currently at and what the rumor mill is saying about their direction this deadline, I was joined by insider Danny Marang, who covers the Blazers in great detail.
We begin the conversation with a rundown on what has gone wrong this season in Portland. I asked Danny how he felt about the De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton pairing given his perspective of watching Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum together for over half a decade.
What went wrong with that pairing? What moments were they able to find success? What is an ideal surrounding roster alongside two guards who struggle defensively?
And then we quickly move into trade talk. The Kings and Blazers have made a handful of trades in recent years, and Danny explains why longstanding relationships and previous transactions matter this time of year.
Danny makes it sound as though the Blazers fall under a similar train of thinking to the Sacramento Kings prior to February 10th. They are looking to remain relevant in the near future, but do not mind punting this season and turning their focus to the NBA Draft.
Danny mentions the idea of Robert Covington coming to Sacramento in exchange for Marvin Bagley, or either one of those assets being re-routed to a third team.
“Robert Covington. I’ve heard his name a million times linked to moves with Sacramento. Covington for Bagley kinda makes sense because I’ve heard other teams like Detroit and Indiana would be interested in a guy like Bagley.”
Ben Simmons is the obvious big fish, and Danny gives his insight on if Portland is a potential landing spot for the publicly unhappy young star. He also has an amazing short rant about why Simmons is a freaking phenomenal basketball player who is genuinely elite in some of the most impactful aspects of the game — particularly defending at the point-of-attack.
It was great having Danny on to give some much-needed perspective on the looming NBA trade deadline, where Sacramento is seemingly a focal point — as Danny confirms from what he’s heard.
🚨 NEW EPISODE 🚨
🔘Special Guest: @DannyMarang
🔘Sacramento has been linked to Robert Covington
🔘Nurkic, McCollum, and RoCo could all be gone
🔘Talking though the idea of Ben Simmons for either team
🔘Both POR and SAC could be facilitators of dealshttps://t.co/AzOBngs4mg pic.twitter.com/Cto7PjxkVf— Kings Pulse (@Kings_Pulse) January 21, 2022
The Kings Pulse podcast is available on all major listening platforms and now on YouTube as well!
Why would the Kings trade and expiring and cheaper Bagley for an expiring and more expensive Covington? Just to get some Cash Considerations or a future 2nd?
My guess is that this organization, which still seems to be looking myopically at the #10 seed for this season, thinks that Covington would be a larger contributor than Bagley for the balance of this season. And I would probably agree with that assessment. Pro-rated, Covington is roughly $600k more expensive than Bagley from the deadline forward, and the cash or 2nd round pick offsets that.
Not a needle mover, not a trade of note. A Kangz special.
I’m not sure any team in the NBA loves middling bench vets more than the Kings, for two GMs in a row now.
I joked the other day that the Kings were going to trade Harkless and TD for Jeff Green as their “big vet acquisition to push for the playoffs.” I know see the Bagley for Covington isn’t far from that reality.
It’s a great move… if they’re getting him to play with Simmons.
I agree, under a playoff mandate, without a pick outbound you could do worse. Especially if the Kings other interest rely on a combination of players for a single asset like the Simmons and Sabonis deals suggests. Those additions alone aren’t in my view enough of a talent jump to improve, considering the likelihood of loosing a fair amount of depth in larger deals.
If we are going full playoff mode, I agree with Brenden you start any negotiations trying to add to the current squad, with some combo of future assets (Mitchell and Bagley) and filler if possible (again under the Kings playoff agenda not my own) for Sabonis or Simmons. Then conflate that with Grant or Woods costs and or what you might be able fetch with isolated Kings players in separate trades.
But if they make consolidating trades for big names, they best have some deals like this one in the arsenal to add to the depleted depth or I dont think the wins loss table will drastically change, which removes the whole logic of the playoff bust agenda to begin with.
with Sabonis and Wood the team would move up the ladder.
I doubt that either one of these two has any legitimate source.
I heard the L@&&*’s are looking to make some changes. Terrance Davis for LBJ.
It’s not a good sign when you have to Google a player’s name (Robert Covington) because you have no idea who he is……
Ehhhh, that really says more about you than it does about Covington.
How rude!
You’re right. Sorry. It’s just that Covington isn’t exactly some obscure player. He’s played significant roles on multiple playoff teams, made an all-defensive team, featured in high profile trades, etc. So needing to Google him simply means you are either a new NBA fan or don’t pay the type of obsessive attention to the league that most do around here. Of course, that’s probably the smarter, saner play.
No problem. I fall into the latter category. I’m a Kings fan who casually follows the rest of the league. Thanks for those interesting tidbits regarding Covington.
Worse if you have watched him and think he is a productive player !
There’s no way this happens. It’s just WAY too on the nose. At this point, the Kings script writers are just getting lazy.
Covington is not a productive player and highly over rated on Defense ! Please NO!
I’d like to see the analytics’ spreadsheet on who’s got elite second jumps, above average arm span, and has underwhelmed on the court despite flashes of rare brilliance – then I’ll know what trades are coming our way, where we swap our 7-8 depth chart players for another team’s 8-9 + the annual cash considerations, as is tradition.
Oh, let’s pick up a couple of 2026 second round picks, too, that’ll show the fans we’re thinking of the future.
This move is a Blazer dump ! They know he is washed !
He’s an expiring contract. He has roughly the same value as Bagley at this point. The deal would not be a needle mover in either direction for either team, in my opinion. Skal Labissiere for Caleb Swanigan, v2.0.
Feel good about yourself. Be an Oregon donor!
Covington is a typical Kings move. A player who’s has had a few decent seasons. But, his play is now declining as he ages. He will get traded to Sac. He will end up being worse than he was in Portland.
Half-assing moves from Full-Dumbassing owner
So the more I read about the big fish Simmons, Sabonis, in the trade market and the compensation packages required to hook one of them, the more I’m convinced that is not the proper road for the Kings. The Kings should be using their veteran trade bait Barnes. Holmes, Buddy to better position themselves for the upcoming draft and 2023 draft. Maybe they should build around a Fox, Haliburton and Mitchell and then snatch a big fish in the upcoming draft. If they can snatch a Jabari Smith or Paulo Banchero in the next draft, that might likely go along way in rebuilding the team into a sustainable competitor. I think Drew Timme even though he’s a high profile guy is being overlooked and will be a very solid NBA player. There appears to be a fair amount of talent in this upcoming draft that would be great fits with our young core.
I rather see a young team taking its lumps but improving and growing together than a slight upgrade over the current roster that maybe sneaks into the playoffs but is not sustainable and improving. I think that’s what we’re likely to end up with on some of the deals for Simmons, Sabonis, perhaps Siakam and others. Let’s build up our draft capital and create some cap space and build with youth. If we fielded this roster next year I’d be very excited
Fox
Haliburton
Mitchell
Jabari Smith or Banchero
Jones, Queta
maybe also get someone like Hachimura in a trade
TD
and maybe even Bagley
Badge Legend