The Sacramento Kings have had one whirlwind of an offseason. Between the DeMarcus Cousins and George Karl saga, and the reported growing dissatisfaction between Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and Karl, the Kings selected one of the best defensive prospects in this years draft.
On Wednesday evening the Kings added another page to their mind-boggling offseason story. They traded Nik Stauskas, the #8 overall pick in last years NBA draft, Jason Thompson, the longest tenured King, and Carl Landry to the Philadelphia 76ers. This very obvious salary dump raised quite a few questions among fans and media alike.
Sacramento is trading Jason Thompson and Carl Landry as part of a salary dump to the Philadelphia 76ers, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2015
It seemed that the Kings and finally come to the realization that they will need to overpay to get some of the top free agents to come to Sacramento. One of their top reported targets is Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Wesley Matthews.
Matthews was in the middle of another great season with the Blazers, averaging 16 points and nearly four rebounds per game. He was also shooting 39% from behind the arc. Unfortunately, a torn Achilles cost Matthews the last 20 games of the season, and raised some serious questions on his earning potential this offseason.
Players do not have a great history of coming back from Achilles injuries, and that led many to believe Matthews would no longer get the $15 million a year he was anticipating this offseason.
Following the trade on Wednesday night, the Kings opened up nearly $20 million in salary cap space. Their plans were originally to pursue a backcourt tandem of Rajon Rondo and Monta Ellis. However, it was announced Thursday morning that Ellis declined a larger contract from the Kings to play for the Indiana Pacers.
Thus the Kings turned their full attention to Matthews. Matthews and the Kings are reportedly meeting Thursday morning to discuss contract options and it seems they have emerged as one of the favorites to land the talented shooting guard.
Kings will make Wesley Matthews an offer that will be hard to refuse
— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) July 2, 2015
There is no questioning that Wesley Matthews would be a terrific fit for the Kings. Matthews has been a prolific three-point shooter for a majority of his career, and that is something the Kings desperately need help with. Matthews was also known for his defense and toughness, thus the reason for his nickname, “Iron Man”. Another area that the Kings have struggled with is defense, and Matthews presence on the court, especially paired with Darren Collison, would be quite the formidable backcourt.
The million dollar question – literally – is what kind of player Matthews will be when he returns from his injury. While Matthews was a very athletic player, his style of play wasnt overly reliant on it. His primary role for the Blazers was as a spot up shooter. His shooting ability should not change as a result of the injury, meaning he will still possess his most valuable asset.
On the defensive end is where the injury would affect him the most, however he is still a very long and strong perimeter defender, which should help make up for any lost explosives. Even if his defensive ability does decline, he would still be substantially better than any of the Kings other options.
Matthews would also find himself in a position similar to that in Portland. DeMarcus Cousins commands double teams routinely, similar to LaMarcus Aldridge. Matthews would excel at exploiting the extra attention given towards Cousins and Rudy Gay.
Perhaps Matthews biggest contribution for the Kings would be his leadership and toughness. He is a veteran player who has been with a Portland team that has experienced some great years and a few disappointing ones. He was very well liked by fans and players alike, and he would bring a great mentality to a team that has had all sorts of internal struggles.
At 28 years old, Matthews is still in the prime of his career, regardless of the injury. He would also serve as a great mentor to Ben McLemore, who would be wise to mold his game after Wesley. If the Kings desire to play more small ball he could also play the small forward spot, allowing McLemore to still see plenty of action.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle for the Kings would be convincing Matthews that they are not a complete dumpster fire. Fortunately, the Kings have come into quite a bit of money, and as they say, money talks.