Should The Kings Put Ben McLemore On The Trading Block?
By Rafe Wong
When the Sacramento Kings invested their first-round pick on Ben McLemore in the 2013 NBA draft, they made the delusional accusation that McLemore would develop into a star player right out of the gate.
Unfortunately, it has been two plus seasons later and it still hasn’t happened yet. Heck, it hasn’t even been close.
In his first two plus seasons with Sacramento, McLemore has averaged 10.1 points a game, shooting 41.3% from the field and 34.7% from the perimeter. Not bad, but nowhere near the expectations where fans, and myself, thought he would be.
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With that being said, has there been enough of a sample size where the Kings should consider cutting the McLemore project, and pursuing other options at the starting two guard slot?
For a team that is looking to win now, this might be something that the front office could consider, especially if there is trade value for McLemore. Right now he is just averaging 8 points a game, but his shooting numbers have been pretty solid so far (FG: 44.6% / 3P%: 41.4%). Plus he is still an athletic stud that is only 22 years of age, so he still has time to reach his full and high potential.
Although a deal containing McLemore is intriguing, I don’t see a scenario where the Kings would win if they decided to trade the third year pro. Especially if it is for another two guard. Trades that I can see being realistic would be receiving Kevin Martin from the Minnesota Timberwolves (actually trade rumor) or Lou Williams from the Los Angeles Lakers. Both are teams that are currently in the rebuilding process of their franchise, and are searching for young talent.
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I would consider trading McLemore if the right deal was in place, but if these are the only deals that are shown for the Sacramento Kings, I would deny them in a heartbeat. The Kings could get more value if someone else were to join McLemore in the trade, but I rather wouldn’t want anyone else from the Kings rotation to dealt with.
Overall, I think the Kings should not put McLemore on the trading block. Despite the rough start to the season, McLemore has done a moderate job with the Kings so far. As the season has progressed, McLemore has become been more comfortable in George Karl’s system, by making smarter decisions on the floor and limiting his mistakes.
The numbers may be down this season, but considering this offseason the Kings added more scorers like Marco Belinelli and Omri Casspi that playing bigger roles in the offense, it was inevitable that McLemore’s stats would deflate to an extent.
Yes, Ben McLemore may not be that star player that Kings fans, and myself, hoped he would be, but that does not mean that he cannot become an asset for the Kings going forward. Therefore, the Kings should keep him and hopefully he can continue to reach the potential that fans hope he will eventually grasp.