Bulls Fans Can Only Laugh at Kings’ Kevin Huerter Trade Disaster
When the Sacramento Kings traded for Kevin Huerter in July 2022, they believed they were securing a sharpshooting wing to help stretch the floor and support De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. At the time, Huerter had just wrapped up a solid stint with the Atlanta Hawks, where his mix of outside shooting, secondary playmaking, and playoff experience made him a desirable piece. But two seasons later, Kings fans are shaking their heads — and Bulls fans can’t help but laugh.
The Kings sent out a protected first-round pick and promising rotation player Justin Holiday to the Hawks to acquire Huerter. Fast forward to today: Huerter has regressed, both offensively and defensively. After a decent 2022-23 season, his 2023-24 campaign was riddled with inconsistency, poor shooting, and a complete defensive liability. By the end of the season, he was barely playable in meaningful minutes.
Meanwhile, Bulls fans have seen their own team make questionable roster decisions, but nothing quite like this. Huerter’s inability to evolve into the Kings’ envisioned elite 3-and-D wing — especially under a coach like Mike Brown who demands defensive intensity — makes the trade look worse in hindsight. The first-round pick the Kings gave up could become especially painful if Sacramento plateaus or regresses in the Western Conference standings.
Chicago fans are used to questionable front-office decisions — see the Vucevic trade or the Lonzo Ball injury situation. But even the most cynical Bulls supporter has to admit that at least those deals had upside and context. Huerter was supposed to be a missing piece for Sacramento. Instead, he’s become an expensive role player without a clear role.
For Bulls fans, it’s a rare moment to enjoy someone else’s misstep. In a league where bad trades haunt franchises for years, the Huerter trade is beginning to look like a cautionary tale — one that Kings fans will wince at, and Bulls fans can only laugh about.NEWSRAY.COM
