A Royal Pain
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Sacramento Kings hit a home run with Dewayne Dedmon signing

By Jonathan Roberts

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 16: Dewayne Dedmon (14) of the Atlanta Hawks shoots a three-pointer during the game against Daniel Theis (27) of the Boston Celtics on March 16, 2019 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 16: Dewayne Dedmon (14) of the Atlanta Hawks shoots a three-pointer during the game against Daniel Theis (27) of the Boston Celtics on March 16, 2019 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Sacramento Kings are expected to come to terms with center Dewayne Dedmon on a three-year, $40 million deal.

Vlade Divac did it, and the Sacramento Kings are primed for big on-court improvement next season as a result.

29-year-old Dewayne Dedmon is headed to Sacramento for $13.3 million a season, and is nearly everything the Sacramento Kings need in a center. Dedmon is the perfect piece for this team, and this signing is one of the best of Divac’s career as a general manager.

He’s not the star many Kings fans (and myself) were hoping for, but that might be for the better. Dedmon isn’t a player who will dominate the ball on offense (10.8 points per game), but he does — and will — be a more impactful player on the boards and defensively. Perhaps more importantly though, is he’ll be a low-risk player for a team that’s looking to add ancillary pieces to its core and not make a big splash.

Dedmon is a fantastic rim-protector and floor-spacer as well, which could be huge for a Kings starting lineup that could feature five 35%-plus three-point shooters. And he won’t block Harry Giles’ development should he earn a bigger role this season or next.

In early June, A Royal Pain identified Dedmon as one of three free agent centers the Sacramento Kings should target, saying:

"Have you ever been one missing piece away from finishing a puzzle? Think of Dewayne Dedmon as that piece for the Sacramento Kings. Now, that’s not to say the Sacramento Kings are suddenly going to make the Finals if they sign Dedmon, but he could unlock a world of options for the team as their starting center."

A plus-shooter, rebounder and defender on a low-risk, low-year deal on a team that was excellent when Willie Cauley-Stein actually tried will see huge improvement by adding a player who gives more effort than Cauley-Stein and is better in some key areas like rebounding and spacing.

Next. Kings should throw the bag at Patrick Beverley. dark

No matter what else happens in free agency, this was a big-win for the Sacramento Kings, and a promising sign of things to come for next season.

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