When DeMarcus Cousins was traded for Buddy Hield, basketball analysts declared it a “fail ” for the Sacramento Kings and a “steal” for the New Orleans Pelicans.
In 2017, while the NBA All-Star game was being played, DeMarcus Cousins was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the New Orleans Pelicans. Cousins, along with Omri Casspi, went to the Pelicans while the Kings received Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, and draft picks in return.
Every media personality called the trade another boneheaded move by Vivek Ranadive and Vlade Divac. The main piece in the trade was Buddy Hield who Vivek said had Stephen Curry type potential. Ranadive had a strong opinion on wanting Hield and was risking a three-time All-Star in Cousins in order to get him.
Prior to his Sacramento tenure, Buddy averaged over eight points a game while making just 39% of his shots from the floor and 37% of his three-pointers.
Analyzing The Draft Picks
The Kings ended up getting the 10th and 34th picks in the draft from the Pelicans. On draft night, Sacramento traded the 10th pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for the 15th and 20th picks in the first round.
At the 15th spot, the Kings took Justin Jackson who is slowly but surely showing promise as a solid asset. With the 20th pick, Harry Giles’ number was called. After taking a smart one-year plan to strengthen his legs, Giles was heavily promoted for this coming season and has shown flashes of his skill set. With the last pick Sacramento got from New Orleans, they took Frank Mason III with the 34th pick. Mason has only shown at times his full potential, but he is still young and can eventually become more consistent.
Front Office Has Huge Guts
Vlade Divac got a lot of criticism over how Sacramento did not get enough in return for DeMarcus Cousins. But here we are, and the Kings look like winners once all of the dust has cleared up.
Looking back, it was a risky decision by the Kings’ front office to dismantle the team one more time after many years of rebuilding. Knowing the next couple of seasons would be very tough with the losses piling up, they stayed patient and waited until their young guys fully developed. To trust in Dave Joerger along with the staff to not just rebuild a team but change the culture of the franchise.
Vivek Ranadive’s Thoughts On Buddy Were Right
Buddy Hield is proving that Vivek Ranadive’s Steph Curry comparison is not all a fantasy. According to the numbers, Hield is currently second in three-point shooting percentage at the shooting guard position and is third in three-pointers made in the entire league.
Buddy has excelled in his third NBA season. He is known as a gym rat that is always trying to improve on his game, and his hard work is paying off tremendously. Compare Buddy now to when he first came to Sacramento and it is a night-and-day difference. Buddy is no Steph Curry, yet. But in another two years, it is anyone’s guess how much he will progress.
This Trade Has Worked Out After All…
The first reason is the Kings are finally a competitive team this season. Buddy Hield is the team’s leading scorer with DeAaron Fox close behind him. Also, Justin Jackson’s steady play along with his long-ball shooting is becoming accurate enough to keep opponents honest on defense. And Harry Giles is starting to play consistent which is giving him more playing time on the court.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans let DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi walk away without getting anything back in return.
Vlade Divac and Dave Joerger Deserve Credit
It is about time the national media gives Vlade Divac a slap on the back for a job well done. It would be a safe bet that no one saw most of the players the Kings got in the DeMarcus Cousins deal to still be with Sacramento and playing well. Also, give coach Joerger credit for developing these guys in a short amount of time. It takes good coaching for young players to improve, and that pattern has existed with Joerger in charge.
The reality is the league will not give the Kings organization any credit till they make the playoffs. For the first time in a decade, Sacramento fans still have a chance to cheer the hometown team on for a realistic chance for a postseason berth, instead of pinning their hopes on next year.
It is good to be a Kings fan once again.