- Here's a list of the biggest Sacramento Kings trades in franchise history.
- Chris Webber leads the list of players Sacramento received through trade.
- Other notable players the Kings acquired were Mitch Richmond, Mike Bibby, and Domantas Sabonis.
The Sacramento Kings have a long and storied history in the NBA, as the team’s arrival in the league dates back to 1948. They were initially known as the Rochester Royals but moved to different cities and eventually were renamed in 1985 when they finally settled as the team we now know. But since moving to Sacramento, the franchise has yet to find much success.
They are the record-holder for the longest NBA Playoff Drought, with 15 seasons after missing the postseason from 2007 and 2022. Because of this infamous feat, Sacramento’s chances of winning a title in basketball odds became almost impossible. Thankfully, they made several trades to improve their roster. Here’s a list of the team’s biggest trades in history.
Chris Webber
After making the list of the biggest Washington Wizards trades, the team decided to move on from Chris Webber in 1998 and decided to trade the 6-foot-10 forward to Sacramento.The Kings gave up Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe for Webber in the deal. It was a big gamble for the Kings, but it paid off, and “C-Webb” played well for the team.
The 1993 first-overall pick was a double-double machine for Sacramento after averaging 23.5 points and 10.6 rebounds with 4.8 assists in 377 games across seven seasons. Webber also helped the team reach the postseason for six consecutive years and was selected to four NBA All-Star Games. He was again on the move during the 2004-05 trade deadline after Sacramento traded him to Philadelphia.
Mitch Richmond
When the team moved to Sacramento in 1985, the Kings didn’t have any legitimate stars, and they only qualified for the playoffs once. But everything changed when Mitch Richmond arrived to the team in 1991 via a deal with Golden State. The Kings sent Billy Owens to the Warriors for Richmond, Les Jepsen, and a future second-round pick.
The 6-foot-5 guard brought his dynamic scoring ability and led Sacramento in the offensive end. Richmond put up over 20 points a game in all his seasons with the Kings, finishing with 23.3 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in 517 games. He also represented the team in six NBA All-Star Games before being included in the trade package for Chris Webber.
Mike Bibby
After three consecutive years of being booted out of the playoffs from 1999 to 2001, Sacramento needed a few tweaks to their roster. Included in that process was their deal with the Memphis Grizzlies when they acquired Mike Bibby and Brent Price for Jason Williams and Nick Anderson. At first, it was an eyebrow-raising move by the front office, but shortly after, Bibby proved them wrong.
Mike Bibby was a 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌 during the 2005-06 Season 🔥
👑 21.1 PPG (17th in NBA)
👑 5.4 APG
👑 50.1% eFG
👑 1728 Total PTS (15th in NBA)Take a look back at the best moments of Bibby's best statistical season in our latest 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗠 𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠 series 👑 pic.twitter.com/dS8eRS4n0P
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 13, 2022
The former Arizona standout, who was picked second overall in the 1998 NBA Draft, provided solid playmaking to Sacramento and was one of the key players in the 2002 playoffs when they reached the Western Conference Finals, where the Lakers defeated them in seven games. Bibby played 476 games for the Kings and averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.2 rebounds.
Domantas Sabonis
Sacramento’s most recent big trade was when they acquired Domantas Sabonis from Indiana in February 2022. Aside from Sabonis, they also received Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, and a second-round pick for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson. This move aimed to pair De’Aaron Fox with an All-Star caliber player to end their postseason drought.
True enough, Sabonis played a vital role for Sacramento during the 2022-23 season as they finally snapped the 15-year playoff drought by winning 48 games in the regular season and finished as the No. 3 team in the Western Conference. The 7-foot-1 player became the team’s second option on offense with his average of 19.1 points alongside 12.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists.
𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒 🔦🟣
The Kings have clinched a spot in the #NBAPlayoffs! #BeamTeam | @dialpad pic.twitter.com/RrChLgnFQc
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 30, 2023
4 Biggest Sacramento Kings Trades
| Year | Player Acquired | Trade Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Mitch Richmond | Kings received: Mitch Richmond, Les Jepsen, and a second-round pick / Warriors received: Billy Owens |
| 1998 | Chris Webber | Kings received: Chris Webber / Wizards received: Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe |
| 2001 | Mike Bibby | Kings received: Mike Bibby and Brent Price / Grizzlies received: Jason Williams and Nick Anderson |
| 2022 | Domantas Sabonis | Kings received: Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, and a second-round pick / Pacers received: Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson |
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