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Opinion: What Should The Sacramento Kings Do With Ben McLemore?

By Rafe Wong

Feb 12, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach David Joerger on the sideline against the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. The Sacramento Kings defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 105-99. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 12, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach David Joerger on the sideline against the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. The Sacramento Kings defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 105-99. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ben McLemore is finally starting to look like a legit shooting guard with the Sacramento Kings. But is it enough to convince Vlade Divac to keep Flight 23 on board?

For the last couple of games, Ben McLemore has been excellent, and it has given Kings fans a taste of what the four-year pro could be for their beloved team going forward.

In the month of February, McLemore is averaging 13.3 points per game while shooting 46.7% from the floor and 50% from the perimeter. He is starting to find his niche with the Kings in recent games, but is it too late for him to remain with the Sacramento franchise any longer? The trading deadline does expire on February 23rd.

Kings fans, we wanted to hear from you and you delivered. Not too long ago, the ARP team set up a survey asking what the Kings should do with McLemore going forth, and listed down below are the results.

My Thoughts

Despite Ben showing great success this month, I think the Kings should try to move him elsewhere before the trade deadline expires.

Feb 10, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) watches his shot during the second quarter of the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) watches his shot during the second quarter of the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /

Although he has shown maybe his best string of NBA games as of late, the sample size is still too small to definitely say that he has actually arrived. His recent success might even increase his trade stock and the Kings could get a solid asset(s) in return.

Also, keeping McLemore on the roster going into next season could create a logjam at the shooting guard position. Most likely, Bogdan Bogdanovic is going to join the Kings for the 2017-2018 NBA campaign, which would create a clog of young two-guards in McLemore, Bogdanovic, and Malachi Richardson if McLemore stays.

In order for McLemore to remain a King, in my opinion, he has to pretty much be the ideal two-guard during a legit string of time in order to prove that he is worthy of being a long-term solution for the Kings.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a tough decision to trade Ben considering that he seems to be on the verge of becoming a solid player, but I do think it’s a decision that can help both McLemore and Kings going forth. If there is an offer on the table where the Kings can pick up something solid in exchange for McLemore, I say do it.

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