New Chicago Bulls guard Kevin Huerter takes a slight dig at the Sacramento Kings after getting traded.
Dec 8, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (9) gestures after making a three point basket against the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
As many expected, the Sacramento Kings traded De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs ahead of the NBA trade deadline. However, the deal had a few unexpected facets. The Chicago Bulls entered the trade to help facilitate a Fox-to-San Antonio deal, sending Zach LaVine to Sacramento, while the Kings sent Kevin Huerter in return.
Huerter has yet to make his debut for Chicago, but the supposed sharpshooter has struggled over the past two years. Through 43 games this season, Huerter averaged 7.9 points and shot just 30.2% from beyond the arc, both extreme career lows.
Now, after Huerter got traded to Chicago, he has blamed the Kings for his shooting struggles.
“Sacramento was a little up and down,” Huerter said. “I didn’t really get much opportunity there the last couple months. The flow and rhythm of the game, I think it was very choppy the past year plus. The fact that we’re gonna play up and down here [in Chicago], the ball is gonna move side to side, no one’s really gonna dominate the ball and we’re gonna run the same action over and over again – it feels like it’s a place that I should be a better fit in.”
Huerter seemingly takes a slight dig at Sacramento here, blaming their offensive scheme and his lack of opportunity for his recent struggles. Huerter does not seem to understand that the reason he did not get much opportunity in Sacramento over the last couple of months is that he was playing poorly.
Huerter also revealed that he knew a trade was coming for weeks leading up to the deadline, as many fans expected it as well.
“It was something I think I knew for a couple weeks,” Huerter said. “I wasn’t too surprised, to be honest. I knew the deadline was coming up. I knew there were a lot of conversations going on.”
For Huerter’s sake, many hope he finds a good home in Chicago and gets plenty of opportunities, but not taking responsibility for his poor play is odd.
