5. Sacramento Kings
The Kings front office delivered their promise to its fanbase, finally improving a roster lacking consistency outside of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Sacramento acquired DeMar DeRozan in a three-team sign-and-trade with the Bulls and Spurs, signing the Six-time All-Star for a three-year, $74 million contract. Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte, an unprotected 2031 pick swap (San Antonio), and multiple second-round picks found new homes. However, the Kings don't appear to be finished.
With Kevin Huerter, an expiring Jalen McDaniels contract, and several first-round picks, Sacramento is still rumored to have interest in another top player. Lauri Markkanen, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma are among Sacramento's top targets, even after the acquisition of DeMar DeRozan to the team.
Pre-DeRozan, the Kings appeared to be one of the best fits for Ingram. Lacking a secondary scoring option, his fit next to De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis would've been seamless. However, adding DeRozan into the mix adds another layer to the puzzle, making Ingram's fit in Sacramento (and the likelihood they trade for him) more questionable. The Pelicans would acquire shooting in Huerter, but the need for a center would still be imminent. But, an Eastern Conference team could fix that need.