June has arrived, meaning that the start of NBA free agency and trade season is right around the corner for the Sacramento Kings.
With new general manager Scott Perry, assistant general manager B.J. Armstrong, and head coach Doug Christie all being signed to their new positions in the early stages of the offseason, all eyes will soon shift to how this Kings roster is constructed for the 2025-26 season.
Sacramento is fresh off a 40-42 season that concluded in disappointing fashion–a blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks at Golden 1 Center in the ninth vs. tenth seed Play-In Game, putting the finishing touches on a tumultuous season that included the firing of head coach Mike Brown and the trade of star guard De’Aaron Fox.
Not even one hour removed from their season-ending loss to Dallas, the Kings announced that 2022-23 Executive of the Year winner Monte McNair would not return as general manager.
Perry, who assumed the role as GM the following day, will have to make decisions on several key positions on his roster, including the starting point guard role.
It’s no secret that Sacramento is in the market for a starting guard, as they have already been linked to several players on the trade market, including former Defensive Player of the Year award winner Marcus Smart.
Does Marcus Smart make sense for the Sacramento Kings?
According to Bovada, the Sacramento Kings are currently listed as the favorite to acquire Marcus Smart in a trade this offseason.
“The Wizards would like to move Marcus Smart to a contender, but there’s been little interest so far,” Action Network’s Matt Moore said of Smart this week. “He might be one of the guys moved in the latter days of free agency after teams strike out on other targets.”
Smart, who won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021-22, has appeared in only 54 games over the past two seasons after being traded from his longtime professional home, the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics traded Smart to Memphis following the 2022-23 season in a deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. After playing just 20 games in 2023-24, Smart was included in the three-team deal that brought Jake LaRavia to the Kings during February’s trade deadline, sending him to Washington in the process.
In 34 games with the Grizzlies and Wizards during the 2024-25 season, Smart averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 39/34/76 shooting splits, although he shot 39 percent from three-point range during his time in Washington (15 games).
If Sacramento were to trade for Smart, they would need to assume his expiring $21.6 million salary for the 2025-26 season. From a trade standpoint, swapping DeMar DeRozan ($23.4 million) or Malik Monk ($17.4 million) could get a deal done, although it seems both DeRozan and Monk could bring the Kings more in a return than Smart alone.
Smart, who will be entering his age-32 season come this fall, is a question mark due to his recent health issues and career-long struggles from the three-point line (32%).
Bringing Smart into the fold wouldn’t supply Sacramento with a true, pass-first point guard, but rather a hard-nosed defender who has built an overall successful career by acting as a disruptor on that end of the floor.
Pairing Smart with fellow defensive-specialist Keon Ellis, who also ranked eighth in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage this season (43%), would arguably form the Kings’ best defensive backcourt in years–maybe, ever.
Adding Smart to a lineup that includes Ellis, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis, while potentially subtracting DeRozan, would hurt the team’s offensive outlook. Still, we’re talking about Sacramento, a team that has struggled to defend consistently for nearly two decades.
If Smart is Perry’s choice to assume starting point guard duties, the Kings will still need to add a proven scorer into the equation as well, especially if they are moving on from DeRozan.
Smart’s expiring contract would provide Sacramento with some flexibility in a potential flip at the deadline, or, at worst, freeing up salary heading into the 2026 offseason.
Does Smart make more sense for the Sacramento Kings than a larger swing for Trae Young or Darius Garland? He would surely be easier to acquire, but it remains to be seen if Perry is thinking larger than just around-the-edge type of moves.
What’s next for the Sacramento Kings offseason?
Although the Sacramento Kings do not own a first-round pick, they are in the process of preparing for June 25-26th’s 2025 NBA Draft.
Sacramento’s first-round pick was finally conveyed to Atlanta in what was the final ripple effect from the 2022 offseason trade that brought Kevin Huerter to the Kings.
While they won’t select in the first round, Sacramento owns the 42nd pick in the draft, meaning they will select at least one player on Day 2 (June 26th) of the draft.
Be sure to keep up on all Sacramento Kings offseason news right here on Sactown Sports 1140, with live on-air coverage every Monday-Friday from 6 am to 6 pm PT.
Upcoming offseason schedule for the Sacramento Kings:
Wednesday, June 25th – 2025 NBA Draft
Monday, June 30th – NBA free agent negotiations can begin
Sunday, July 6th – NBA free agents can officially sign with teams
July 10th-20th – Las Vegas NBA Summer League
August TBD – Release of 2025-26 regular season schedule
September TBD – Start of NBA training camps for the 2025-26 season
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