NBA Rumors: Willie Cauley-Stein Available in Trade

The Sacramento Kings' front office is exploring trade possibilities before the deadline, and Willie Cauley-Stein is reportedly available.

Per ESPN.com's Zach Lowe, the Kings are "willing to talk" about deals involving Cauley-Stein.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported earlier in the week that the Kings and Detroit Pistons have shown interest in Marc Gasol, though Lowe noted teams are waiting to see if Memphis lowers its asking price.

The Kings have the ability to make a bold move before Thursday's trade deadline thanks to their $90.8 million payroll, which is $11.1 million under the NBA's $101.9 salary cap this season.

Cauley-Stein can become a restricted free agent this summer. His qualifying offer from the Kings would be worth $6.27 million, but Lowe said the team "could bail" if his market hits a certain level. The 25-year-old is averaging a career-high 13.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game this season.

At 26-25, the Kings have been one of the NBA's biggest surprises. They are still 10th in the Western Conference, 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the final playoff spot.

Sacramento hasn't finished a season over .500 or made the playoffs since the 2005-06 campaign.