The Sacramento Kings have been attached to almost every forward made available for the last year. Pascal Siakam, Kyle Kuzma, and now, Washington has joined the list. It makes sense since Harrison Barnes has regressed this season after signing a three-year, $54 million extension over the summer.
Washington’s ability to play both forward spots would allow the Kings more versatility. He could be a scoring microwave off the bench, a starting forward next to Keegan Murray, or a small-ball five who can pass, dribble, shoot threes, and post up while Domantas Sabonis sits.
The Kings are middle in the pack on offense and defense, with 14th and 17th-ranked ratings in each category. Sasha Vezenkov, Chris Duarte, and Davion Mitchell aren’t making the impact off the bench the Kings want, so a deal for PJ Washington would help their rotations.
If the Kings packaged their 2025 first-round pick lottery protected with Vezenkov and Mitchell, they could take on Washington’s contract and remain $18.8 million under the luxury tax. This allows Barnes or Washington to come off the bench as a microwave next to Malik Monk.
The Kings potentially would like to move on from Barnes and flip his contract for Washington’s while maintaining future cap flexibility. If they were to trade Barnes for Washington, they’d have to give up more significant draft pick compensation due to Barnes’ contract.
