Despite the prolonged trade talks, there was no change in the package for any of the teams involved.
The Sacramento Kings announced Saturday that the three-team trade that is netting them Tristan Thompson is now official.
In the trade, the Kings are sending Delon Wright to the Atlanta Hawks while the Hawks are sending Kris Dunn, Bruno Fernando and a 2023 second-round pick to the Boston Celtics.
For whatever reason, the trade was initially reported on July 30th but wasn’t able to be finalized until Saturday. It’s unclear what the hold-up on completing the deal was, as none of the details of the deal changed in that timespan.
From a roster balancing perspective, this trade makes sense for Sacramento, as it clears some of the backcourt positional glut following their selection of Davion Mitchell with the No. 9 pick. From a talent perspective, this trade makes much less sense, as it seems pretty clear that the Kings traded the best player in this trade.
Wright was solid for the Kings in his 27 games following his acquisition at the trade deadline, averaging 10 points 3.6 assists per game. He helped solidify the Kings’ bench.
Thompson, on the other hand, was pretty disappointing in his first and only season with the Celtics on the court and he reportedly wasn’t the most liked guy in the Boston locker room either.
Additionally, the 30-year-old Thompson doesn’t have a super clear path to playing time, as the Kings’ center position is already inhabited by Richaun Holmes, Alex Len, Damian Jones, and Neemias Queta.
Could Thompson and his expiring $9,720,900 Million contract be used for a more substantial trade at some point later this offseason? That remains to be seen, but something about this trade makes it seem like there could be something more in store for the Kings offseason.