A Royal Pain
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Kent Bazemore Should Be Kings’ Top Priority

By Spencer Ault

Jan 21, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Kent Bazemore (24) drives to the basket against the Sacramento Kings during the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Atlanta Hawks 91-88. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Kent Bazemore (24) drives to the basket against the Sacramento Kings during the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Atlanta Hawks 91-88. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /
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It’s pretty safe to say that the Atlanta Hawks won’t be moving on to the next round of the NBA Playoffs. Any and all Hawks fans reading this can feel free to tweet me all the hate you want if I’m wrong, but the Cleveland Cavaliers have essentially ended Atlanta’s season.

When that end becomes official, Kent Bazemore, Atlanta’s starting small forward, will no longer be under contract with the Hawks. Given the weaknesses of the Sacramento Kings’ roster, Bazemore should be priority #1 for Vlade Divac this offseason.

Bazemore is in his 4th year in the NBA. He debuted in 2012 as a defensive specialist with the Golden State Warriors, who traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2013-14 season, and signed a 2-year deal with the Hawks in 2014.

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Over the course of his short but winding career, Bazemore has grown into a prototypical “3-and-D” player. He knocks down threes at a 36% clip, and has a solid defensive rating of 100, per Basketball Prospectus.

That’s exactly what this Sacramento roster needs. The “3-and-D” guy is a staple of almost every single playoff team, but the Kings don’t have a single one.

Bazemore would fill that role for the Kings. He would also replace the man that was supposed to be a “3-and-D” guy: Ben McLemore.

Unfortunately, McLemore has fallen short in that regard; the third-year guard has proven to be a tentative shooter with a sky-high 112 defensive rating. His closest player comp is Alexey Shved, an international superstar but an NBA flameout responsible for the worst shot in league history.

If Sacramento wants to contend for the playoffs next year, it needs to get real about its shooting guard situation. McLemore is a role player, Seth Curry looks cool but isn’t a starter by any stretch of the imagination, and the idea of James Anderson getting major minutes gives me debilitating flashbacks.

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Kent Bazemore is a starter for a top-eight NBA team, with the shooting and defensive abilities to give the Sacramento roster a major boost. The only question, of course, is how much he would cost.

Under his current contract, Bazemore is making $2 million a year. He won’t be as cheap this summer. Harrison Barnes, another solid wing that’s hitting the market, might actually command a max contract, which could drive up Bazemore’s price.

Now, Bazemore isn’t worth a max contract – Barnes isn’t either – but the Kings should be willing to open their wallets a bit to sign him. Sacramento, depending on what it does with Rajon Rondo, could have over $20 million in cap room this offseason. A four-year, $10-14 million deal for Bazemore makes sense, and wouldn’t force Vivek to break open his daughter’s piggy bank.

The Sacramento Kings have proven to be entirely incapable of developing a viable “3-and-D” player over the past few years. Instead of continuing to push that Sisyphean rock back up the hill, it’s time for them to turn to free agency. First up on the list of candidates for a contract should be Kent Bazemore, who can play a major role in pushing the Kings to playoff contention.

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