Record-wise, the Sacramento Kings didn't do much worse than last season.

In terms of trajectory, though, things sure feel a lot different after Sacramento's ouster from the NBA Play-In Tournament with a 105-98 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.

Last season, the Kings seemed like a team on the rise after snapping their record-setting 16-year playoff drought by snagging the West's No. 3 seed and showing plenty of fight during a seven-game first-round loss to the playoff-proven Golden State Warriors. This time around, though, Sacramento seems like a club either plateauing or even declining.

If the front office shares that perception, this could be a busy summer in Sactown. The Kings have enough trade chips to broker a big one, and they might feel motivated to use them with stars De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis in the heart of their primes.

3. Alex Caruso, Chicago Bulls

Sacramento's defense made significant strides this season, but considering where the bar after ranking 24th in efficiency during 2022-23, the club could sense the need to keep pushing things farther.

Having a mediocre defense is better than having a bad one, but it's not good enough to get this team into the league's top-tier, especially if the offense ranks closer to decent than dominant as it did this season.

That's all a long-winded way of saying the Kings could be in the market for a stopper, and few are stingier than Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso. He was an All-Defensive first-teamer in 2022-23 and has played his way into consideration for this season's honors, too. Better yet, he's not a one-way specialist, as he can fill a number of complementary roles—shooter, slasher, cutter, playmaker, transition attacker—on the offensive end.

Even better still, his contract ranks favorably among the best non-rookie deals in the Association. It's down to its last season, but he'll still spend the 2024-25 campaign as one of basketball's best bargains with a $9.9 million salary, per Spotrac. So, unless the Kings wanted some of his Bulls' teammates included in the deal, they wouldn't have to send out much money to make a sizable splash.

2. Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers

Different folks may have different ideas on what could help the Kings take the next step, but the simplest path is probably this: Have Keegan Murray make a leap toward stardom and find an impact wing to slot alongside him.

Sacramento has apparently identified Jerami Grant as a leading candidate for that role. The Kings made multiple "overtures" on the Portland Trail Blazers swingman ahead of the trade deadline, but they couldn't get the Blazers to bite, per Kings insider James Ham.

Perhaps that will change with Portland having a better feel for the size and scope of the rebuilding project it faces. Grant has appeared—from the outside, at least—as a logical trade candidate since the second Damian Lillard decided he was done with the Pacific Northwest, and it feels like the front office could concede that fact at any time.

Now, the Kings might have to cough up a first-round pick or two to really get the Blazers' brass on board, but the trade cost shouldn't be overwhelming. Not when Grant, a 30-year-old with no All-Star appearances to date, is only one season into the five-year, $160 million deal he signed last summer. If Sacramento sees him as a potential winning piece, though, it might be willing to add his deal to the books, particularly since Murray will still be making rookie-scale money for the next two seasons.

1. Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets

If you built the ideal addition for the Kings in some kind of basketball factory, you'd probably end up with someone who bears a striking resemblance to Mikal Bridges.

The Brooklyn Nets swingman could help scratch a number of itches in Sacramento. The Kings covet "length and athleticism...at the forward position," per Ham. Bridges provides both, plus some of the best on-ball defense in the business, steady shot-making and enough in his offensive bag to thrive as a third option.

While he is clearly over his skis as the Nets' go-to scorer, he wouldn't have that same role on the Kings. Fox and Sabonis would steer the offense, allowing Bridges to pick his spots on that end while going full-throttle on defense. Add a hopefully further developed Murray to the mix, and that'd be a pretty ferocious foursome. Save space for a re-signed Malik Monk, and maybe the Kings could climb their way back into the West's top four as soon as next season.

Admittedly, this might all be a pipe dream, as the Nets have shown no inclination they're willing to let Bridges go, but it's tough to tell what might convince Brooklyn it can win big while he's still at his peak. The Nets might be better off flipping him for multiple first-round picks, and if the Kings think he gives them a realistic shot at contention, they'd be willing to fork over plenty.