Kevin Huerter's time in Sacramento is winding down, and now it's just a matter of time before he's shipped out.

The Nets have been reported as demanding two first-rounds picks at minimum in return for the versatile combo-forward, but Sacramento may be able to land the 28-year-old for a single one. Despite this, The Kings have still been hesitant to remove protections from their first-round selections prior to moving them.

The Sacramento Kings were in a much different position a month ago. Now, they are trying to capitalize on their recent hot stretch with a long-awaited trade.

Evan Sidery, who covers the NBA for Forbes, reported Thursday the Kings and Utah Jazz have had exploratory conversations centered on Jazz forward John Collins. A deal for Collins would likely include Kings guard Kevin Huerter and forward Trey Lyles.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Domantas Sabonis had 29 points and 18 rebounds, and the Sacramento Kings beat the Washington Wizards 123-100 on Sunday night.

Shenendehowa will retire Kevin Huerter's jersey at a ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 28. The day will features a tripleheader against Shaker, with the boys' junior varsity game starting at 4 p.m., the girls' varsity game scheduled for 5:30, and the boys' varsity game scheduled for 7:15.

“The Jazz and Kings have conducted exploratory trade talks centered on John Collins,” Forbes’ Evan Sidery shared via Twitter/X on Thursday afternoon. “Sacramento can make salaries work while avoiding the tax by including Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles.”

The doom and gloom in Sacramento seems to have largely disappeared. There were points of the 2024-25 NBA season where the Sacramento Kings were included in all sorts of potential teardown rumors. Now, they are being positioned as aggressors in the pursuit of adding talent to the roster.

Two teams headed in vastly different directions go head-to-head on Wednesday night when the Golden State Warriors visit the Sacramento Kings as part of the NBA's rivalry week.

(AP Photo/Paul Beaty) Sacramento Kings’ Kevin Huerter (9) goes up to shoot against Chicago Bulls’ Patrick Williams (44), Matas Buzelis (14) and Jevon Carter, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Chicago.

The Golden State Warriors (21-21) are visiting the Sacramento Kings (22-20) on Wednesday night; find out how to watch the free live

Kevin Huerter joined the Sacramento Kings in 2022. He was an essential part of the franchise's growth under Mike Brown. However, Huerter's role has slowly diminished over the past 12 months.