After passing on a big man in last night’s NBA draft, the Sacramento Kings still needed to address the depth at the center position through trades or free agency with Richaun Holmes entering the market.
Today, the Kings acquired Celtics big man Tristan Thompson in a three-way trade with the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics.
With Thompson headed to Sacramento, the Kings will send veteran point guard Delon Wright to Atlanta and Boston will acquire Kris Dunn, Bruno Fernando, and a 2023 second-round pick from the Hawks, according to ESPN
Thompson will slide right into Sacramento’s backup center role behind Holmes if he re-signs with the team. Thompson currently provides insurance for the Kings if Holmes’ free agency destination goes in a different direction.
In 24 minutes of play, Tristan Thompson averaged 7.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last season for the Celtics.
For Boston, they free up some salary cap to re-sign Evan Fournier–who’s an unrestricted free agent this offseason–and possibly make other moves. Thompson’s exit also frees up playing time for third-year center Robert Williams III and Al Horford, who returned to Boston as a part of the Kemba Walker trade.
Dunn and Fernando will be additions that add depth to the Celtics’ roster as the season progresses.
The Hawks are addressing the backup point guard position with the insertion of Delon Wright. A question mark remains on whether or not the Hawks will resign Lou Williams and Brandon Goodwin this offseason.
Wright, 30, appeared in 63 games and averaged 10.2 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game last season for Sacramento.
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