NBA Trade Rumors: Sacramento Kings Placed Malachi Richardson and Skal Labissière on the Trading Block
The Sacramento Kings are reportedly looking to move two of their more recent first-round picks to make room for the players heading their way once they complete the deal to send guard George Hill to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
According to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee, the Kings have made second-year forwards Malachi Richardson and Skal Labissière available in trade talks.
The Kings already have 15 guaranteed contracts on their roster, so they have to get rid of one of them if Channing Frye and Iman Shumpert are shipped to Sacramento in the deal with Cleveland.
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As noted by Jones, Richardson hasn't really played much since he was drafted by the Kings last year, and he's currently behind Hill, Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Garrett Temple on the depth chart at guard.
The former Syracuse University standout is averaging 3.5 points and 1.4 rebound in under 13 minutes per game this season, and his shooting just 32.6 percent from the field, 30.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 77.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Meanwhile, Labissière had a promising rookie campaign with the Kings, but he seems to have regressed considerably this season.
The Haitian big man is averaging 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in under 18 minutes per game this season, and he's also shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 75.3 percent at the free-throw stripe.
Both players should draw some interest in the trade market because of their potential, but Jones has noted that the Kings may still keep them and part ways with someone else.
"Another option for the Kings would be to buy out or waive one of their current players. After last February's trade – when the Kings sent DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi to New Orleans for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and 2017 first- and second-round picks — the team waived Matt Barnes to clear room for the incoming players," Jones said in his report.
