Sacramento Kings Trade For Harrison Barnes, Alec Burks In Playoff Push
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Is this the season that the Sacramento Kings end their more than decade-long playoff drought?
Sacramento and GM Vlade Divac were busy before the NBA trade deadline.
In a series of moves that saw several different players dealt, the Kings welcomed Harrison Barnes and Alec Burks to Sacramento.
Harrison Barnes and the Kings at morning shootaround. pic.twitter.com/A0niar8vrc
— Marshall Harris (@mharrisonair) February 8, 2019
Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph were traded to the Dallas Mavericks for the 26-year-old Barnes – who learned of the deal during a Wednesday game against the Charlotte Hornets.
Barnes had signed a four-year, $94 million deal with the Mavericks back in 2016. Before that, he was a key player on the Golden State Warriors' first two recent trips to the NBA Finals.
"For me, I think the biggest thing is just trying to come in and just compete," Barnes said in his introductory press conference.
Burks comes to the Kings in a three-team trade that sent Iman Shumpert to the Houston Rockets. Sacramento also got a second-round pick in the 2020 draft.
It's easy to see Harrison Barnes is going to have a huge positive effect on this Kings locker room. Thoughtful, experienced poised to make an immediate impact.
— Joe Musso (@MooseOnAir) February 8, 2019
At 28-26, the Kings have already met or exceeded the amount of wins they've had in seven of the past 13 seasons since they last made the playoffs (the 2005-06 campaign).
However, if the season ended today, the Kings would still be on the outside looking in to the playoffs – with the LA Clippers just ahead of them in the 8th and final spot at 30-26. The LA Lakers are also just behind the Kings, at 28-27.
Both Barnes and Burks are expected to be available for the Kings' game Friday night game against the Miami Heat at the Golden 1 Center. Of note, it will be the last chance people can catch Dwyane Wade – who is in his final season – in Sacramento.