In the event of a Lauri Markkanen deal, might the Sacramento Kings outbid the Golden State Warriors?

The Golden State Warriors seem to be the team

most likely to make a deal for Lauri Markkanen,

if he is going to be traded this offseason.

According to rumours, a Markkanen trade

between the Warriors and the Utah Jazz would

probably involve one of Brandin Podziemski or

Jonathan Kuminga as well as a tonne of

selections or pick swaps (albeit the Warriors

haven’t been willing to trade either player up

until now).

The Sacramento Kings Have A Better Trade Piece Than Anything The Warriors Can Offer

However, while the Warriors may be the only

team seriously connected to Markkanen right

now, the Sacramento Kings were also once

connected to the one-time All-Star and 2022-23

Most Improved Player (MIP) of the Year.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, the Kings, if they

so please, tout a trade centerpiece that is more

valuable than Podziemski, Kuminga, or any other

player that Golden State can realistically offer.

That headliner is soon-to-be third-year forward

Keegan Murray. Murray is not only the superior

player at the moment (see the chart below), but

title-contending clubs also greatly value his

player typology. Murray, a big forward (6’8), has

the potential to join players like OG Anunoby and

Mikal Bridges in the elite role player category. He

can shoot the ball (career 38.4% shooter), defend

(90th percentile Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus

last year, per Dunks & Threes), and have some

upside as a driver (59th percentile true shooting

on drives, per Thinking Basketball).

Player	Estimated Plus-Minus (Percentile)
Jonathan Kuminga	+1.0 (79th)
Keegan Murray	+1.8 (86th)
Brandin Podziemski	+0.1 (71st)

In the meanwhile, players like Kuminga and

Podziemski have some detrimental weaknesses

that somewhat limit their upside. Kuminga is a

lacklustre passer (14th percentile Passer Rating)

and a bad shooter (32.1% 3-point shooter last

year), while Podziemski is a tiny guard with low-

end creation juice (34th percentile midrange

efficiency). Furthermore, the Kings are able to

match the majority of selection packages that the

Warriors would attempt to provide to the Jazz.

The top 12 protected 2025 first round selection

that the Kings owe the Atlanta Hawks (or the top

10 protected in 2026 if it doesn’t convey) is the

only item that is hurting the Kings. However,

despite that disadvantage, the Kings ought to be

able to deal Murray several first-round selections

and pick swaps in exchange for Markkanen.

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In the event of a Lauri Markkanen deal, might the Sacramento Kings outbid the Golden State Warriors?