Dewayne Dedmon has asked the Sacramento Kings to trade him before February’s NBA trade deadline. What are the chances that he gets his wish to come true?
When Dewayne Dedmon signed with the Sacramento Kings last summer, many fans thought that their team had their starting center going forward. That optimism ended after the first week of the season.
The Sacramento tenure for Dedmon has been disappointing. After being a liability in his first four games as a starter, the seven-year pro got demoted to the bench and now is not even in Luke Walton’s rotation of players.
We know that Kings fans have been fed up with the lack of production Dedmon has shown while wearing purple, but now the news is out that Dedmon is also not happy with his team.
According to Sham Charania, NBA Insider, Dedmon has informed the Kings that he would like to be traded before February’s NBA trade deadline. The report also said that multiple teams have gained interest in requiring the veteran big man.
For Kings fans, trading Dedmon would be a small win to what has been a nightmarish season. But just because the report says that teams are interested in Dedmon, does not mean anything is guaranteed. Will the Kings be able to trade him before the upcoming deadline?
Is Dedmon Tradable?
Why would someone want Dedmon on their team? He has been terrible all season.
Even with Dedmon having a horrific campaign, I still think the Kings will be able to trade him this season. In the past years, Dedmon has shown he can be a serviceable big man in the NBA due to the production he has had with multiple teams. I think teams around the league believe his struggles with Sacramento are more about the franchise than the player.
But what about the big deal that Dedmon signed this last summer? What team would want to take that contract on?
Yes, Dedmon signed is a 3-year deal worth around $40 million, but his contract is only fully guaranteed through the second year. This means that a team would only have to swallow his salary for this year and the next before they can let him go. It is still a risk for any team that trades for him, but it is not as bad as what many perceive it to be.
Final Thoughts
Dedmon wants the Kings to trade him before the season’s end, and I think there is a good chance he might get his wish. Although the veteran center has been bad for the Kings, he has a track record of being a versatile big man who could certainly provide some assistance with teams dire of that need.
I do not expect a trade to be done any time soon, but the trade deadline is still over five weeks away and both Dedmon and the Kings seem to foresee a future without each other. I believe Vlade Divac will be active in receiving and making trade offers regarding the team’s former starting center and eventually get a deal done, officially ending the Dedmon era in Sacramento.