Kings are sticking around. Will they go for it?

The Sacramento Kings picked up another signature win on Monday, smacking the San Antonio Spurs at home with rookie Marvin Bagley III going for 24 and 12 and one incredible 360 alley-oop finish. This comes after the Kangz whomped the Sixers on Saturday.

Sacramento is now three games above .500, and just a half-game behind the lilting Clippers for the No. 8 seed. The Lakers loom one game back in the No. 10 spot. The Kings are fully in the mix here, depending on what happens between now and Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

We know what the Lakers are trying to do. It’s unclear whether the Clippers or Jazz (No. 7, 1.5 games ahead of Sacramento) will do anything to help their rosters, with LA looking ahead to summer and Utah rumored to be trying to pry Mike Conley away from Memphis.

But what about the Kings? No other team has usable cap space going into a free agent feeding frenzy. That’s a huge benefit right now. As Zach Lowe and Kevin Arnovitz discussed on a rollicking deadline-related podcast on Monday, the Kings are unlikely to be major players in free agency. So using that space will more likely need to happen via trade or waiting for its own young stars to get expensive.

The Kings must be loving this playoff chase right now, and they might be the only team for which a series against the Warriors actually sounds like fun. (True story: the Kings and Warriors have never made the playoffs in the same year since the former moved to Sacramento in the mid-1980s. Forget never having faced each other in the playoffs: they’ve never been in the same postseason!)

That sounds like a recipe for the Kings adding a player by the end of Thursday. But when has Sacramento under Vlade Divac ever done anything expected, rational or sane? Nothing makes sense, so why should this?

Nuggets 103, Pistons 129
Hawks 137, Wizards 129
Bucks 113, Nets 94
Pacers 109, Pelicans 107
Rockets 118, Suns 110
Spurs 112, Kings 127

All times Eastern. Games on League Pass unless otherwise noted.

Clippers at Hornets, 7
Celtics at Cavaliers, 7
Lakers at Pacers, 7
Pistons at Knicks, 7:30
Raptors at Sixers, 8, TNT
Timberwolves at Grizzlies, 8
Magic at Thunder, 8
Heat at Blazers, 10:30, TNT

Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks have some beef that neither side is really divulging.

I wrote about Anthony Davis’ rejection of the Celtics and the bulls--t loyalty narrative. Meanwhile, Davis’ list is now bigger than just “the Lakers.” That shouldn’t worry L.A. fans, though. The Lakers are reportedly offering two firsts and every decent prospect. Woj reports the Pelicans want four firsts and four seconds plus the players.

LaVar Ball is openly agitating to get Lonzo to the Suns if he’s traded for Davis. Respect the hustle.

Seven potential Markelle Fultz trades. Weird, I don’t see Jayson Tatum and a pick on this list ...

WNBA free agency is happening, and the trend is for players to stay with their home teams.

Mirin Fader on extremely cool prospect Ja Morant.

Chris Ryan and Justin Verrier on what the hell is happening with Kyrie Irving.

Be excellent to each other.