Kings willing to trade No. 4 pick to acquire 'win-now' player?

One Western Conference team is the subject of an intriguing rumor with the NBA Draft looming in less than a month.

The Sacramento Kings could be willing to trade the No. 4 pick in the draft under the right circumstances, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Kings are seeking a “win-now” player, either in the draft or via trade, and would be willing to move down or even out of the draft completely if it got them what they wanted.

The Kings certainly seem to believe they’re closer to contention than most outsiders would believe. Their decision to trade young Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis last season was an illustration of that. The team appears to think it has a quality core in De’Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell and Sabonis that could be a playoff contender with the right addition.

On one hand, the Kings went just 30-52 last season, so it’s tough to believe they’re one player away from relevance. On the other, they’ve missed the playoffs for 16 seasons in a row, and their owner seems to want to enjoy that environment with his team. That may be the inspiration behind a move.