Rumors are spiraling the NBA world that the Sacramento Kings are interested in acquiring Otto Porter Jr. This article will showcase three reasons why this potential move from Vlade Divac and company makes sense for the franchise.
The Sacramento Kings have been a fun team this season. Currently, they have one of the fastest and more exciting offenses in the league which has earned them a record of 11-11 in their first 22 games. The record is not great, but considering their pre-season expectations, it is a pleasant surprise.
The Kings look like they are on the rise as they contain a bevy of young talent on their team. With that being said, however, this does not mean that the Kings do not have holes on their roster. Let us focus on arguably the biggest weakness, the small forward position.
Right now, the Kings do not have a single wing player that they can rely on. The team has guys like Iman Shumpert and Bogdan Bogdanovic who have been decent when being called upon, but they are playing out of their positions.
In order for the Kings to take that next step forward in their rebuild, a legit starting small forward needs to be added to their roster. The front office of the organization seems to understand this as recently the news came out that the Kings may be interested in acquiring Otto Porter to the squad.
For the Kings to get Porter to Sacramento, a trade has to be made because Porter is currently under contract with the Washington Wizards. Assets that the Kings may have to part ways with are Willie Cauley-Stein, Justin Jackson, Frank Mason III, and draft picks.
Obviously, acquiring Otto Porter fills a big positional need for the Kings. But how can his impact benefit the franchise going forward? In this slideshow, I will analyze Porter’s game and explain three reasons why the Kings should go after the Washington forward.
Offensive Impact
During his time with the Wizards, Porter was never a powerhouse scorer. But he was a reliable asset on the offensive end. Throughout his tenure with the Wizards, Porter is averaging 10.6 points while shooting over 48% from the floor and 40% from the perimeter.
As the years have gone by, Porter has been able to improve his numbers. His best statistical season came last year as he averaged almost 15 points a contest while making over 50% of his shots from the court and 44% from beyond the arc.
Look, the Kings do not need a budding star to play the wing for them. What they do need, however, is a player who can be reliable in making shots while moving well without the ball in his hands.
Based on those expectations, Porter seems like a good fit. With De’Aaron Fox running the point and facilitating a fast-paced offense, Porter will surely get a good amount of open shots on the floor. And if he is able to provide a similar impact with Sacramento as he did with Washington, it will make the Kings’ offense even more lethal.
Defensive Impact
Let us face it, the Sacramento Kings have been absolutely terrible on the defensive end. Currently, they are allowing over 117 points a night and have recorded a 108.4 defensive rating which is ranked 19th amongst the rest of the league. With there being an emphasis on defending guards and wings in today’s NBA, the Kings definitely need a small forward who can play defense. Otto Porter has a good chance to be that guy for the franchise.
Porter is no All-Pro defender, but he is good enough where he can give the Kings a great spark on that end of the floor. He displays great length as he stands at 6’8″ while having a wingspan that is over seven feet. Porter is not a top-tier athlete but has great instincts on the court which have made him productive so far. He also is a solid rebounder at his position as he can get his team around four to five boards a night.
As I said before, the Kings really lack defenders on their squad right now. So adding a guy like Porter will definitely improve their defense going forth. Obviously, he is not going to turn around the Sacramento defense on his own, but maybe his play and presence will help motivate and teach the young Kings that good defense is essential when trying to compete for a playoff berth.
It has to start somewhere, why not with Porter?
Follows The Age Wave
For the last couple of years, Vlade Divac and company have been loading up on young talent in the hopes that at least a majority of the group can develop into solid players. Therefore, creating a potential super team for years to come.
Although the Kings have made great moves like drafting De’Aaron Fox, trading for Buddy Hield, and also trading for Bogdan Bogdanovic, they still have not hit the target when it comes to finding their small forward for the future. Even though they have constantly tried.
Like I mentioned, Porter is not a future star in the making, but he is a young player who could give the Kings consistent production at the small forward spot. Right now, Porter is 25 years of age and will not turn 26 until next summer. He may be on the older side, but I think he still fits the window where he can be productive with the Kings’ young core for many seasons.
In my previous slides, I discussed how Porter can be a solid asset on both sides of the ball. In terms of what is available in the NBA, Porter seems like the best option for the Kings if they want to find their 3-and-D guy not just for this season, but for the future.