The Hawks have spoken with the Kings about a deal involving the No. 8 pick in this year’s draft, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com reports amid his chat with readers today. Ford wrote Tuesday about Sacramento’s interest in Dennis Schröder, though presumably much more would have to be involved to motivate the Kings to give up their pick. Ford’s Tuesday report also notes that Sacramento is merely listening to offers about the selection, rather than actively shopping it, so it sounds like Atlanta is the team that made the initial inquiry. Dario Saric and Nik Stauskas are likely players the Hawks would target with that No. 8 pick, Ford adds.
Ford also answered affirmatively when asked if his report of Sacramento’s interest in point guard Brandon Knight applied to Larry Sanders, too, though it’s not clear if the Kings are seriously thinking of making a play at either member of the Bucks. The No. 8 pick has also drawn mention in connection to Sacramento’s pitch for Kevin Love.
Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro has proven aggressive in his first year in charge of the front office, and Hawks GM Danny Ferry has constructed a roster that gives him plenty of flexibility to make trades. Atlanta possesses the 15th overall pick this year, not far from the 17th overall position at which the club landed Schröder in last summer’s draft.
Sanders is “available,” according to Ford, and it seems the Bucks have gone back and forth on their willingness to trade the center who ran into all sorts of trouble after signing a four-year, $44MM extension last year. A December report indicated they were trying to trade him, but Milwaukee apparently began to rebuff offers shortly before he suffered a fractured orbital bone that prematurely ended his season. Sanders also broke his hand in a nightclub brawl and served a five-game drug suspension during his tumultuous 2013/14 campaign.