With Chris Webber‘s official induction into the Hall of Fame, now is as good of a time to look back just how he got there in the first place. Not seen as a popular free agent destination by many, the Sacramento Kings were forced to acquire the legendary big man via trade. This, like many other trades in team history, ended up working out for the best and helped the team establish a real identity and culture that is remembered even today.
Webber isn’t the only Hall of Fame-caliber talent the Kings have traded for in the past, however, as there is a litany of other trade steals littered throughout the team’s history. This should come as little surprise for a franchise that has existed for over 70 years, been recognized in five different locations, and even had a different team name once upon a time.
Webber’s induction into the Hall of Fame gives us a rare opportunity to reminiscence about the past and the rich history of this franchise. It’s all we can do to ignore the current state of affairs and postseason droughts, if only but for a moment.
For that reason, we’ll be reviewing the singular best trade made with every other team in the NBA today. Since we’re celebrating Webber’s induction, why don’t we just kick things off with him?
Best trades in Sacramento Kings history: Chris Webber finds his home
Few players have had as dramatic of an impact on the locker room and basketball culture in their city as Chris Webber. Coming in, the Kings had been on a 15-year streak of losing records. In his very first season with the team, the Kings go 27-23 and make the playoffs. In the five seasons after that, the Kings never again go back to their losing ways, and win five playoff series with Webber leading the team.
Thorpe and Richmond played well for Washington and continued on to have solid careers, but nothing so sudden and impactful as Webber’s time in Sacramento. Webber averaged 23.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game with the Kings, racking up four All-Star selections and five All-NBA team nominations en route to a Hall of Fame career.
- Sacramento received: 45.5 future win shares
- Washington received: 13.8 future win shares