The Kings are off to an even better start than last season, but that doesn't mean that reigning NBA Executive of the Year Monte McNair hasn't previously tried to improve his team.
In the past year, the Kings have "checked in and engaged" about two-time NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Monday.
The Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers also reportedly approached the Toronto Raptors about a trade for the star forward, who averaged a career best 24.2 points per game last season.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"The Hawks held intense conversations with the Raptors surrounding a Siakam deal over the offseason, as The Athletic reported, and the Pacers and Kings have both checked in and engaged at different points with Toronto over the last year," Charania wrote in a Monday article.
While Charania did link the Kings to Siakam, he quickly pointed out that a deal is unlikely at this time.
"For the Kings, a better start to this season than a year ago (12-8 this season compared to 11-9 last season en route to a 48-win campaign) provides confidence that they can grow internally rather than compete for the expected cost of talents such as Siakam and [Raptors forward OG] Anunoby."
Siakam is averaging 20.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game this season. He, along with Anunoby, is in the final season of his four-year contract with Toronto. With free agency on the horizon, the price tag in a potential trade likely wouldn't be as hefty as it would if he had a long-term deal.
NBA
The Kings, through 20 games, are in the middle of a crowded Western Conference. They currently are slotted in as the No. 6 seed with still about three-quarters of the season to play.