The Kings put some of their cap space to use Friday morning.
Sacramento is “nearing a trade” to acquire Indiana Pacers guard Chris Duarte in exchange for draft compensation, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported, citing sources.
Duarte, 26, was drafted by the Pacers at No. 13 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-6 guard had a solid rookie season in Indiana, averaging 13.1 points on 43.2 percent shooting from the field and 36.9 percent from 3-point range, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 28.0 minutes per game.
In his sophomore season, though, his minutes decreased as rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin, the No. 6 overall pick in 2022, taken over.
Duarte played just under 20 minutes per game, averaging 7.9 points on 36.9-percent shooting from the field and 31.6 percent from downtown.
The talent is undeniably there, but he needs the reps. Sacramento could serve as a fresh start for the third-year guard.
In the 2023 draft last Thursday, the Kings traded away their No. 24 pick and center Richuan Holmes to the Dallas Mavericks in a move that bumped their salary cap space to about $35 million. Sacramento reportedly agreed on a new three-year contract extension with veteran forward Harrison Barnes, cutting that number to roughly $18 million.
This move isn’t the first time Sacramento and Indiana have engaged in trade talks regarding Duarte. Before the 2022 draft, the Pacers reportedly offered the sixth pick and Duarte in exchange for the Kings’ fourth pick, which they later used to draft Keegan Murray, whom the Pacers also wanted to draft.
Adding Duarte to the mix would add depth to the roster while still giving Sacramento some wiggle room with their remaining cap space. The Dominican guard is entering Year 3 of his four-year, $17.7 million rookie contract he signed with the Pacers. He’s owed just over $4 million in 2023-24 and has a team option at almost $6 million in 2024-25, per Spotrac.