Kings Trade Rumors: Nemanja Bjelica Shopped Amid Reduced Playing Time

Sacramento Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica's playing time was reduced this season before being eliminated entirely, and the 32-year-old's days with the team could be numbered it looks to continue its rebuild around point guard De'Aaron Fox.

Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reported Saturday the reduction in Bjelica's playing time is "part of general manager Monte McNair's plan to rebuild around" Fox, whom the Kings selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft:

"The Kings explored trades for Bjelica around the time of the November draft and will likely continue to do so as they begin to rebuild over the next two to four years with players who fit Fox's timeline, a source said. The organization's emphasis on developing younger players has temporarily, at least, eliminated the role of Bjelica, a 32-year-old power forward who had a career year for the Kings last season."

Bjelica has not played the last six games and only averaged 15.1 minutes over the team's first 10 contests, posting 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per contest.

Head coach Luke Walton previously said there was some "personal stuff" with Bjelica before benching him last Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

"I'm not going to play Belly again tonight," Walton said, per Anderson.

"Me and him have talked. ... There's some personal stuff and I'm just going to leave it at that, but we have been in communication and we are very confident in the player he is still."

Anderson reported Saturday that there is no "personal issue" for Bjelica, who went with the Kings to L.A. before the team returned home for a win over the New York Knicks on Friday.

Bjelica has played in six NBA seasons, with his first three coming with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2015 to 2018. The Kings signed him to a three-year, $20.475 million contract in 2018 when Vlade Divac ran their basketball operations.

Bjelica averaged 10.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in 25.5 minutes per game over the past two seasons.

Divac and the Kings parted ways last offseason, and now first-year general manager Monte McNair is tasked with ending the NBA's longest playoff drought. The team has been home for the postseason every year since 2005-06.