Welcome back to the Royal Mailbag! We have a special guest joining us today, as Rich “bearded wonder” Ivanowski will be joining the trade machine parade.
From @SBNation via Twitter

Unemployment Line: Akis, Greg, Tim, Will, Tony, Richard, Brad, Robby, Omer, Kevin, Bryant, Kimani, Sanjesh, Sean, TJ, Blake
StR: One or two soulless corporate writers who have never been, and will never be, Kings fans

Tim: I hope and pray that not a single one of you reading this article visits Sactown Royalty after April 1^st rolls around and we’re all fired. The meteor is on its way. There’s not stopping it. The brand will be dead in a few months. I’m thankful for each and every one of you and all that you’ve put into this site. That’s all I’ve got.

From wyatt225 via the comments:

SAC: Marcus Morris
NYK: Dewayne Dedmon + unprotected 2022 SAC first rounder

Tim: Marcus Morris is a fine player, but giving up an unprotected first rounder so far into the future for a role player on an expiring contract would be a terrible idea, although ironically, not Vlade’s worst trade. The Knicks aren’t going anywhere soon, and they should absolutely sell of their veterans for draft assets, but there’s no situation in which Morris demands that high of a price. And that’s not even considering the fact that the combo forward wouldn’t be starting for the Kings and would only play about 20 minutes per game. I like the player but hate the deal. Talk to me again when the trade consists of a pair of second rounders and Trevor Ariza.

Richard: Morris is having a great year and he could certainly help the Kings. However, sending away an unprotected first would be unwise unless the return was some sort of elite asset. Even if the Kings felt that Morris was the missing piece for a playoff run, it would still be hard to see them offering this much value for a 30 year-old on an expiring contract.

From gregsactly via the comments:

SAC: Derrick Favors
NOP: Dewayne Dedmon, Harry Giles, 2020 SAC second rounder, 2021 MEM second rounder

Tim: Derrick Favors is a good player who’s having a bit of a down year, but I’m a little concerned about his pairing with Bagley, unless we’re planning on using Favors as a bench big. He’s not a floor spacer in the least, and I’m not sure exactly whose minutes he would take between Marvin Bagley, Richaun Holmes, and Nemanja Bjelica. If the Kings are going to target a big man in a trade, they need to be looking at All-Star level players who represent a major upgrade somewhere in the starting lineup.

Rich: As bad as Dewayne Dedmon’s season has been so far, the Kings signed him for a reason. They needed someone to space the floor and play strong interior defense — and they still need just that. As Tim mentioned above, Favors only does one of those things. He would be too redundant with Richaun Holmes, and would likely just confuse the Sacramento frontcourt even more.

From gregsactly via the comments: Harrison Barnes, Bogdan Bogdanovic, top-10 protected 2020 first rounder, lottery-protected 2021 first rounder for Brandon Ingram, Derrick Favors, and E’twaun Moore

Tim: On Tuesday afternoon (after this trade idea was posted), Marc Stein tweeted that Brandon Ingram was not going to be moved, and I’m inclined to believe one of the more reliable NBA reporters out there. That being said, I could be tempted into a Bogi + protected first rounder + Dedmon for Jrue Holiday swap.

Rich: The downside of this deal is the payday that is assuredly awaiting Brandon Ingram in the offseason. If the Kings made this deal, it would come with the expectation of a max or near-max deal this summer. There have been rumors swirling that Sacramento may have some concern about affording Bogdan Bogdanovic’s next contract. That concern would be doubled with Ingram. Personally though, I would be all in for a young core of Fox, Bagley, and Ingram. If this deal were on the table, I would take it.

From aalbatros via the comments:

SAC receives: Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., 2022 CLE second rounder
CHI receives: Marvin Bagley III, Kevin Love, top-10 protected 2021 first rounder
CLE receives: Otto Porter Jr.

Tim: I don’t think any of these teams would execute this deal. The Kings love Marvin Bagley’s potential. When Vlade talks about Marvin’s future and how excited he is about the former second overall pick, he’s not just playing to the media. The front office truly believes Bagley can be a top-10 type player. For Chicago, Bagley isn’t worth the combination of Markkanen and Carter, even with a first rounder thrown in, and Kevin Love doesn’t fit their timeline at all. Meanwhile, Cleveland is going to look for some draft assets for Love; they won’t want another long-term veteran salary.

Rich: This is a lot to sort through. Luckily there is a simple answer here, which is that there is no way that Chicago would give up on two of their high level prospects at this point in their rebuild, especially if it came at the cost of taking on Kevin Love’s monstrous contract. It would also be shocking if the Kings even considered moving Bagley at this point. This is Sacramento’s guy, like it or not.

From joeburg3 via the comments:

SAC: Chris Paul
OKC: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cory Joseph, Trevor Ariza, Harry Giles

Tim: This is one of those deals that doesn’t work due to roster spots. The Kings would need to receive at least two additional players in return, unless the Thunder were willing to cut two fully guaranteed salaries from their books. Another option for an OKC-SAC trade? Dedmon, Ariza, and a top-3 protected 2020 SAC first rounder for Gallinari.

Rich: I don’t want to pay $45 million to a 36 year-old in 2021-22.

From adamsite via the comments:

SAC: Matisse Thybulle, Zhaire Smith, NYK 2020 second rounder
PHI: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Tim: There’s less than a 0% chance that the Sixers are parting with Matisse Thybulle this season. Even as a rookie, he’s already one of the most impactful perimeter defenders in the NBA, and his three-point shot is coming along as well. Philadelphia desperately needs another ball-handling combo guard who can shoot, but they can acquire that type of player without giving up Thybulle. They own Oklahoma City’s 2020 first round draft pick (which may turn into two second rounders), a billion more second rounders, and every one of their own first round picks outside of their 2020 selection.

Rich: I’ve seen a lot of Philly fans create fake trades for Bogdanovic and I seriously don’t get it. The Sixers have $148 million on their books already for next season. They obviously couldn’t afford to keep Bogi around, so this would just be a rental for them. No way would the Sixers throw away a guy like Thybulle for a few months of a player they couldn’t retain.

From KenCoop via the comments:

SAC: Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, Quinn Cook
LAL: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Dewayne Dedmon, Harry Giles

Tim: Can I ask a question to the general audience? What exactly is Kyle Kuzma good at? He’s a stretch-four who’s shooting 33.8% from deep for his career, his rebounding is average, he’s not a particularly competent ball mover, and his defense isn’t great either. Bogi is the better scorer, more efficient, shoots far more accurately from three-point range, and plays the more important position. This would be a hard no.

Rich: I think the important part of this deal is weirdly realistic. The Lakers wouldn’t move Danny Green or take on Dedmon, but they probably would swap Kuzma for Bogdanovic. There is a different iteration of this deal below that makes more sense to me.

From Kangz_Landing via the comments:

SAC: Kevin Knox, Wayne Ellington, Taj Gibson
NYK: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Harry Giles, 2020 SAC second rounder, 2020 MIA second rounder

Tim: I don’t really see what’s in this deal for either team. The Knicks suck and aren’t going to be good for two or three years at a minimum, and Bogdanovic is in his prime right now, ready to win. He’s also going to be very expensive to keep this summer. For the Kings, Knox might be fine eventually, but he’s been pretty bad to this point in his career, and I’m not confident he’s more impactful than Trevor Ariza.

Rich: If the Knicks want Bogdan they can just throw the bag at him this summer.

From Tainted Meat via the comments:

SAC: Robert Covington
MIN: Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith, OKC first rounder
PHI: Bogdan Bogdanovic, MIN 2020 second rounder

Tim: This intrigues me. It seriously intrigues me. Robert Covington is a really good defender, a competent three-point shooter, and he’s locked up at a reasonable rate of $12 million per year through the 2021-2022 season. The Kings could play a ton of small-ball with two guards, Barnes and Covington, and one big. That could wreck some teams. Philadelphia would probably be into this deal as well, as Bogdanovic fills a very large need on their team, so the biggest question mark is really Minnesota. If they make this deal, they’re essentially giving up on the season. If all teams were in, I think I would pull the trigger.

Rich: This trade doesn’t work for one big reason, which is that OKC’s first rounder is protected 1-20 and will convey into two second rounders. I don’t see Minnesota giving up on Covington for that. His contract is great and much more valuable than this return.

From VladesBurner via the comments:

SAC: LaMarcus Aldridge
SAS: Dewayne Dedmon, Bogdan Bogdanovic, top-10 protected 2020 SAC first rounder, HOU 2020 second rounder

Tim: LaMarcus Aldridge is a good player, but this would be quite the haul to give up for a 34-year old who can walk after next season. I would not give up Bogi or a first round pick for Aldridge, much less both.

Rich: This is probably about what the Spurs would want for Aldridge if they do move him, but it doesn’t make sense for the Kings. Sacramento might get a little better in the short term, but they would be surrendering a major asset for a guy who doesn’t fit their timeline whatsoever.

From ahgraham via the comments:

SAC: LaMarcus Aldridge, Lonnie Walker IV
SAS: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Harry Giles, Dewayne Dedmon

Tim: The Spurs aren’t giving up Lonnie Walker under almost any circumstances. This one would be dead in the water the moment Vlade mentioned Walker’s name.

Rich: If the Spurs trade Aldridge, they will want more than just the rights to pay Bogdan in the summer. And they wouldn’t attach their best prospect as a throw in either.

From mjalmighty via the comments:

SAC: Kevin Love, top-10 protected 2021 CLE first rounder
CLE: Marvin Bagley III, Harry Giles, Dewayne Dedmon, lottery protected SAC 2020 first rounder

Tim: YUCK.

Rich: This obvious troll made it through Tim’s selection process. Congrats.

From samaaron1 via the comments (an Orlando Magic fan):

SAC: Mo Bamba
ORL: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Tim: Orlando already has Evan Fournier filling the role of combo guard, and although I think they need to move one of the 6,000 bigs on the roster, Mo Bamba probably isn’t the guy they’ll move. Aaron Gordon probably won’t stay with the Magic past the trade deadline. From the Kings side of things, Bamba would be an intriguing long-term fit next to Bagley, but his career to date hasn’t been impressive. I think both teams pass on this one.

Rich: This is an interesting trade if we accept the hypothetical assumption that the Kings are unwilling to pay up for Bogdanovic’s next contract. The Kings could keep costs down while investing in youth. But that is just a hypothetical for now.

From @jonah_wheeler via Twitter:

SAC: Kevin Love, Collin Sexton
CLE: Dewayne Dedmon, Trevor Ariza, Bogdan Bogdanovic, 2020 unprotected SAC first rounder

Tim: Collin Sexton doesn’t work next to De’Aaron Fox, nor does Kevin Love hold enough value to give up multiple, high-value assets. No thanks.

Rich: Kevin Love’s contract is one of the worst in the NBA. I personally feel it would be crippling to Sacramento’s growth over the next few years. Trading away another unprotected first round pick would also hurt in that department. Sexton has some appeal but it doesn’t even begin to outweigh the loss of Bogdan, a first rounder, and all the cap space the Kings would have for the next three summers.

From @teedubb131 via Twitter:

SAC: Matisse Thybulle, Josh Richardson
PHI: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Tim: Similar to what I said above, the Sixers simply aren’t giving up Matisse Thybulle.

Rich: Josh Richardson, with his cost controlled contract, is significantly more valuable to the Sixers than Bogdanovic would be. This trade is way out of balance.

From @chris_b03 via Twitter:

SAC: Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
LAL: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Tim: I already ranted about Kyle Kuzma above. I think he kinda sucks. Bogi doesn’t suck.

Rich: I actually think this trade is pretty realistic. This would certainly help the Lakers, and I think the Kings could convince themselves it would help them in the long run too. (It probably wouldn’t though.)

SAC: Dennis Schroder
OKC: Dewayne Dedmon, Harry Giles

Tim: I don’t think Oklahoma City would be interested in taking on worse salary to be able to not pay Harry Giles this summer. The Thunder hang up the phone.

Rich: The Kings need a stretch five much more than they need another pure point guard. I get that Dedmon is having the worst year of his career while Schroder is having his best, but I would turn this down and bet on regression to the mean for both players.

SAC: Bobby Portis
NYK: Trevor Ariza, Yogi Ferrell

Tim: Portis is a very average player who would probably struggle to find minutes behind Bagley, Holmes, and Bjelica. The Kings would also lose all semblance of wing depth, as Harrison Barnes would be their only remaining quality small forward. I haven’t loved Ariza’s play to date, especially with his contract, but he’s better than nothing.

Rich: I’m kinda into this. Portis can definitely stretch the floor, but I have zero confidence in his defense. He might be an upgrade to Dedmon though, if things keep going in this direction. This is inventive and I don’t hate it. But I also don’t see any reason for the Knicks to be interested. Ariza and Ferrell aren’t helping them. Throw in a second rounder at least to pique their interest.

From @journalistnate via Twitter:

SAC: Alfonzo McKinnie
CLE: Caleb Swanigan, 2020 MIA second rounder

Tim: I like the deal. The Kings own four second rounders in the 2020 draft, and they need to figure out a way to utilize one or two of those before the trade deadline expires. This is a good example of a low-risk deal that might provide some wing depth for Luke Walton.

Rich: McKinnie fits the mold of the player that the Kings should be targeting, I’m just not sure how good he is. I might prefer to experiment with a revolving door of G-Leaguers and see if someone sticks.

SAC: Marko Guduric
MEM: Caleb Swanigan, 2020 MIA second rounder

Tim: If you don’t already follow Nate on Twitter, you should because he’s the only guy outside of Memphis who knows anything about Marko Guduric (or any other fringe NBA players). I’ll trust Nate’s instincts and say yes because I know absolutely nothing about this guy.

Rich: He’s Serbian, so yes.

SAC: Josh Hart
NOP: Caleb Swanigan, 2020 DET second rounder, 2020 MIA second rounder

Tim: This would be an interesting deal from Sacramento’s perspective, but I don’t think New Orleans would pull the trigger. They can probably get a slightly better deal for Hart if they’re looking to move him.

Rich: I really like Josh Hart and I would do this deal in a second. Tim is right though, this probably does very little for the Pelicans. Hart’s value will hold through next season’s trade deadline as he is on a very affordable rookie deal. New Orleans would likely hold out for more, or at least wait to see how Hart fits with their evolving roster.