The noise surrounding the Kings and a potential trade with the Brooklyn Nets for wing Cam Johnson is growing louder.
However, Sacramento reportedly is drawing a line in the sand regarding what players it’s willing to deal. NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Sunday that the Kings are keeping their prized rookie out of trade talks with the Nets for Johnson.
“Sources also confirmed to The Stein Line that the Kings have indeed held trade talks with the Nets regarding Johnson, but I'm told that prized rookie Devin Carter to this point has not been included in any of the teams' discussions,” Stein wrote. “The Kings value Carter highly and excitedly watched the 22-year-old make his NBA debut Friday night against visiting Memphis [Grizzlies] with his father, Grizzlies assistant coach Anthony Carter, on the opposing bench."
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Carter indeed had a promising NBA debut. In Sacramento's 138-133 win over Memphis, he had five rebounds and two assists and helped the Kings win their third consecutive game, all with his father watching from the opposite bench. Most importantly, Carter looked healthy after missing 5 1/2 months recovering from an offseason surgery on his shoulder.
Sacramento, while interested in Johnson and his 19.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, wants to see what it has in its 6-foot-2 rookie out of Providence. But the Kings must move quickly.
Stein reported that a few other teams are kicking the tires on Johnson and the Nets, and that probably will remain the case until, if at all, he is dealt before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
League sources say that Indiana is a team to watch in the trade pursuit of Brooklyn's Cam Johnson,” Stein wrote. “Memphis is another team frequently mentioned as a likely Johnson suitor ... although it's unclear how eager the Grizzlies are to return to the trade table with the Nets in the wake of Brooklyn deciding to swap Dorian Finney-Smith to the Lakers after extensive talks with the Grizz.”
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Whether Johnson will be dealt to California’s capital city is unknown. Regardless, it seems the Kings see Carter, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, as part of their future.