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.
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.
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.
