NBA Rumors: Kings Could Trade Iman Shumpert, Zach Randolph & Justin Jackson For Andrew Wiggins, Per ‘ESPN’
Before the 2018-19 NBA season officially started, no one believed that the Sacramento Kings could make a huge impact in the deep Western Conference. With their current roster, the Kings are expected to focus on the development of their young players and aim to acquire a lottery pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
However, despite not having a legitimate NBA superstar on their roster, the Kings are still able to compete against powerhouse teams in the league, and as of now, they are sitting in the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference with a 15-13 record. In a recent podcast, Brian Windhorst of ESPN revealed that the Kings are really eyeing to earn a playoff spot in the Western Conference this season.
The Kings won’t get anything from tanking since their 2019 first-round pick is already owned by the Boston Celtics. As Windhorst noted, the Kings are currently active on the market, searching for players that could make them more competitive this season. NBA insiders from ESPN recently created a list of 10 big deals they would want to see before the February NBA trade deadline.
For the Kings, ESPN suggested that they could target Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves. In a proposed trade deal, the Kings would be sending Iman Shumpert, Zach Randolph, and Justin Jackson to the Timberwolves for Wiggins. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine.
“For Sacramento, the acquisition would be a bit of a chemistry experiment. But the Kings are flush with cap space moving forward and are an improbable destination for any max-level free agent. Wiggins might never live up to his potential and could be a drag on a team that plays with as much energy as any young team in the league. But perhaps a change of scenery would draw out more of his raw talent and give Sacramento a true creator on the wing, something lacking on a roster loaded with 4s and 5s.”
Andrew Wiggins' MASSIVE put-back jam is the Canada moment of the week!
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— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) December 10, 2018
The Timberwolves would only push through with the deal if they start to realize that giving Andrew Wiggins a massive contract extension is a big mistake. Iman Shumpert and Zach Randolph will become unrestricted free agents after the 2018-19 NBA season which will help the Timberwolves free a huge chunk of their salary cap space for the summer of 2019. When the 2019 NBA free agency starts, the Timberwolves could chase the likes of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Kemba Walker, and Kyrie Irving to pair with Karl-Anthony Towns.
