NBA trade deadline: Kings acquire Robin Lopez from Bucks, but he won’t play for Sacramento

The Kings made just one move at the NBA trade deadline Thursday, but it won’t do anything to help a team that is coming off its worst loss of the season.

The Kings acquired Robin Lopez and cash considerations from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for the draft rights to Dimitrios Agravanis, sources told The Sacramento Bee. However, the veteran center will never suit up for Sacramento. The Kings waived him later in the day, making him a free agent.

Lopez had some fun on social media after a Kings fan tweeted: “Thanks for all the memories in Sacramento! Kings legend, once a King always a King.”

Lopez quote tweeted the fan’s comment, saying: “I just hope it’s enough to get my number in the rafters I hope I left a legacy there.”

Lopez, a Fresno native who starred at Stanford from 2006-08, is a 16-year NBA veteran. He has played for nine teams, including the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls. The 7-foot-1, 281-pound center has appeared in 16 games this season, averaging career lows of 1.1 points and 0.3 rebounds.

News of the Lopez trade did little to relieve the angst of fans following Wednesday’s 133-120 loss to the Detroit Pistons at Golden 1 Center. The Pistons, who came in with a 6-43 record, were missing three starters, including their two leading scorers, Cade Cunningham and Bojan Bogdanovic.

Kings coach Mike Brown called the loss “unacceptable.” All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis said it was “one of those games we have to win and we have to take accountability for it.”

The Kings (29-20) fell from fifth in the Western Conference to seventh, a half-game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the final automatic playoff berth. If the season ended today, the Kings would be in the play-in tournament after going to the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the West last season.

Meanwhile, a number of other teams in the West made moves to improve their rosters, including two of the Kings’ closest competitors in the standings. The Phoenix Suns (30-21) acquired Royce O’Neale and David Roddy in a three-team trade involving the Brooklyn Nets and Memphis Grizzlies. The Dallas Mavericks (28-33) acquired P.J. Washington in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets.