Sacramento Kings have lost 3 superstar point guards since 2018

According to the latest article by Eddie Bitar, senior contributor of US sports media F/W. The Sacramento Kings management has been under scrutiny for a series of decisions that have cost the team a heavy price. In a league where elite point guards play are crucial, the Kings successfully parted ways with three potential superstars in a relatively short period of time. These decisions, combined with the history of draft turnovers, have left fans and analysts questioning the organization’s direction and vision. Let's review the list of horrible decisions the Kings made, which would be shocking once names like Luca Doncic and Tyres Halliburton are mentioned.

1. Draft Marvin Bagley III instead of Luka Doncic

The Kings selected Marvin Bagley III with the second pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, a decision that has since been severely criticized. Luca Doncic, selected by the Dallas Mavericks’ third overall pick, has become one of the league’s top geniuses, five-time All-Star selections and led his team to the NBA Finals last year. He is now the spokesperson for the Los Angeles Lakers. On the other hand, Bagley struggled with injuries and unstable games during his tenure in Sacramento, failing to meet expectations for a second pick. The decision to abandon Doncic was reportedly influenced by then-general manager Vlad Divak, who had a personal reservation about Doncic's fit with the team.

This choice has become a symbol of the Kings' struggle in talent assessment and has had a long-term impact on the team's competitiveness. So far, Bagley III has averaged 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in his career and has played 289 games as a role player in seven seasons.

2. Trade Tyrese Halliburton with De Aaron Fox as the core

In the 2022 season, the Kings unexpectedly traded promising young guard Tyrese Halliburton to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Domantas Sabonis. Halliburton soon became a fan favorite and showed great potential as a general on the field, expressing his disappointment, saying: "They don't want me...I hurt when I was traded". While Sabonis has been an efficient player in Sacramento, Halliburton’s subsequent rise in Indiana, including two All-Star selections and impressive assist stats (10.9 assists that led last season) led many to question the wisdom of the deal. Halliburton led the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals in a row.

prioritized Fox over Halliburton's decision and later traded Fox, highlighting the lack of clear long-term planning within the organization. If the Kings had Halliburton now, they would likely make it to the playoffs instead of being in the lottery all the time.

3. Trade Fox begins to rebuild again

In February 2025, the Kings traded De Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs as part of a three-team deal that brought Zach Laven to Sacramento. Fox, who was the spokesperson for the team and led the team to the playoffs for the first time in 16 years, had his trade marks a shift toward rebuilding. The deal caught the attention, especially given Fox's contribution and leadership. His departure left the Kings without a clear cornerstone at point guard position after an earlier trade in Halliburton. Although the acquisition of LaVine increased its scoring ability, it did not solve the team's demand for major organizers, further highlighting the organization's inconsistent strategies. Fox is now a key member of the San Antonio Spurs, playing alongside Victor Vinbanyama, and the Kings must consider their past decisions that led to this decision. The Kings have made too many mistakes in modern history. The recent history of the Kings has been cast in shadow by a series of draft and personnel decisions that hinder the team's progress. In addition to the aforementioned point guard turnover, the team also chose Jimmer Fredette over Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard in 2011 and Thomas Robinson over Damian Lillard in 2012. Is there anything worse than this? These choices have led to a long-term downturn that has almost destroyed the confidence of the fan base. As the Kings continue to find their way forward, acknowledging and learning from these past mistakes is crucial to rebuilding a competitive team.

The Kings don't seem to go anywhere anytime soon until they show proper determination, unless it involves trading their star players in exchange for a massive rebuild. There is no doubt that Kings fans will be very disgusted by the way management has formed the team in the competitive Western Conference.