Sacramento Kings “as active as anyone” as trade deadline approaches
The NBA trade deadline is on February 19th, exactly one day before the Kings play the Boston Celtics, or otherwise know as George Karl’s Sacramento Kings debut.
It’s a bit of an awkward spot, I’d imagine. Karl won’t have a single game under his belt before he has to set his roster for the rest of the season. I’d be shocked if the Kings stand pat at the deadline, but having your third head coach in a single season try to evaluate this roster without getting a chance to coach it isn’t ideal.
Earlier in the week, Racine Journal Time’s Columnist Gery Woelfel reported that the Bucks and Kings have had discussions around Nik Stauskas, which I don’t find terribly surprising. Ben McLemore has improved tremendously this season, and as I’ve been saying since the moment the Kings drafted Nik, there just won’t be enough long-term minutes in Sacramento for both of them. And if the goal is to improve the Kings this season, you’re going to have to give up something to get something. Nik Stauskas is the most tradable asset on this roster.
Sporting News’ NBA Columnist Sean Deveney also reported that the Kings have been very aggressive, looking for ways to not only improve the team, but find players that fit George Karl’s system.
"“They have been as active as anyone,” one general manager told Sporting News. “Obviously they want to make a lot of changes, and they’re pushing hard to get something done.”"
Deveney speculated that the Kings could be interested in Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilysova, which would line up with Gery Woelfel’s report that the Kings and Bucks have been talking.
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Ilysova is an interesting player. He’s probably better than his numbers this season indicate, but he doesn’t produce enough to justify the remaining two-year, $16 million contract the Kings would have to take on if they acquired him. If the Kings are talking to the Bucks about Stauskas, I can’t imagine Ilysova being enough of a return on that asset.
Deveney also linked the Kings to Arron Afflalo and Wilson Chandler of the Denver Nuggets, Thunder guard Reggie Jackson, and Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko.
The Kings now have members of the front office and coaching staff that are extremely familiar with the Denver Nuggets roster, so the interest there makes a lot of sense. Afflalo and Chandler are both good, versatile players that could theoretically spread the floor by providing perimeter shooting that the Kings sorely need. The only reason I threw in that ‘theoretically’ qualifier is because neither player has shot the three ball particularly well this season.
Reggie Jackson is another solid player that the Thunder have been (sort of) trying to move all season. I’m not sure where he’d fit in with this team, or if the Kings have the necessary assets to trade for him. Jackson is sort of a tweener in the sense that he probably wants a starting role, and he might even deserve an opportunity in that role, but ideally he’s your sixth man. He’s only 24, though. He still has room to grow.
Jerebko might be my favorite player in Deveney’s report, for a few reasons. His price should be considerably lower than the other players mentioned, and I think there is still some untapped potential in Jonas. A change of scenery could help. He’s versatile. He can run the floor, he plays hard, and his three-point shooting has improved considerably since his first few seasons in the league.