One day after the NBA Draft, where the Kings didn’t execute any trades as many thought they might, general manager Monte McNair pulled off a deal to add some much needed toughness and girth to his Sacramento team.
According to league sources, the Kings have agreed to ship guard Delon Wright to Atlanta, as part of a three-team swap, where they will bring back big-man Tristan Thompson from Boston.
Those sources spoke to ABC10 on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official. It expected to be announced on Saturday.
The addition of the 6-foot-9, 264-pound Thompson could provide the Kings with a bit of insurance in the event they lose center Richaun Holmes to another team in free agency, which begins on Monday.
Thompson, 30, will enter the final year of his two-year, $18 million that he signed with the Celtics last season. He was a starter in 43 of the 54 games he appeared in, posting averages of 7.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and .6 blocks per contest in nearly 24 minutes per game.
He spent the prior nine seasons in Cleveland where he won a championship alongside LeBron James with the Cavaliers in 2016.
The 29-year-old Wright was acquired by Sacramento last season from Detroit in exchange for Cory Joseph. He will now backup Hawks star Trae Young, after he providing some much needed playmaking and defensive grit during his 27 games with the Kings, where he averaged 10 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Wright's departure helps ease the crowded backcourt with the addition of Baylor's Davion Mitchell, selected by Sacramento with the ninth overall pick in Thursday's NBA Draft, who joins the team's other point guards De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton.
ESPN was first to report the trade.
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