Marvin Bagley III Rumors: Kings PF Viewed as 'Unappreciative' of Opportunities in SAC

Sacramento Kings power forward Marvin Bagley III is reportedly viewed as "unappreciative" of the opportunities given to him by the organization.

Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reported Thursday that social media actions by Bagley and family members suggesting he wants a trade have perturbed some in the Kings front office, who pointed toward how they've stuck with him despite his "struggle to grasp team concepts at both ends of the floor."

Bagley hasn't lived up to expectations since Sacramento selected him with the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, and his shortcomings have been magnified because two of the next three picks in that year's draft were Luka Doncic and Trae Young.

The Kings argue they've been "patiently waiting for him to tap into his enormous potential," which led to disappointment after the 22-year-old Duke product liked a Twitter post that read "we gotta get [Marvin Bagley] outta Sac," per Anderson.

Bagley has averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field across 118 appearances through three seasons with the Kings. He ranked 31st among power forwards in ESPN's Real-Plus Minus during the 2020-21 campaign.

Those aren't terrible numbers, and his RPM ranking suggests he's a fringe NBA starter or solid role player, but Sacramento expected more when it made him a top-five pick.

The problem for the Kings is that trying to trade him now likely wouldn't generate a game-changing return.

Jason Jones of The Athletic reported Tuesday the team's front office made Bagley available ahead of the trade deadline in March and "never received the kind of offer that made a deal worthwhile," with a few second-round picks viewed as the most likely return.

The Arizona native has one season left on his four-year, $50.9 million rookie contract, and he'll be a restricted free agent next offseason, giving the Kings a chance to match any offer he receives.

So, in terms of asset management, Sacramento is best off keeping him for at least another year and hoping he can rebuild value to make him a potential sign-and-trade target next summer.

Whether Bagley's apparent unhappiness with the Kings will cause the team to act sooner is a question to watch heading into the offseason, though.