Saturday, January 22, 2011

Midseason Sacramento Kings Trade Value Report Card

Okay, the Kings suck.

Let's get that out of the way quickly.

But oddly, they have some very marketable pieces. They have attractive expiring contacts and solid role players.

Who should stay and who should go?

Well, we're gonna make it easy for you. Take notes, Mr. Petrie.

Tyreke Evans
Value: High
What should the Kings do? Move him for a strong offer.
The Skinny: Evans should be the centerpiece for the team's future, right? After all, they built his rookie season into a dramatic sports event and plastered his image across the side of the arena. I say no. I say he's not the centerpiece and, in fact, he's an impediment. First of all, let's start with the fact that this is a 21-year-old guy with chronically bad ankles and feet. That does not bode well for the future. Secondly, Evans is not a smart player. Nor is he particularly athletic. Yet when he is on the court, he demands to be the center of the offense. The result is either feast or famine. I'd rather trade him for a young, talented point guard and a first-round pick. It has to be a great offer, though. True talent in return.

DeMarcus Cousins
Value: Fairly high
What should the Kings do? Hold onto him unless a ridiculous offer comes to the table.
The Skinny: He's got skills, but will he mature before he implodes? That's the gamble. He has just as much chance as becoming Benoit Benjamin as an All-Star. Right now, I don't think you could get equal value for him so I'm pretty sure I'm not dealing him. But at the right price, he's not untouchable.

Carl Landry
Value: Average
What should the Kings do? Trade him.
Landry has to be dealt. There's no other option. He's leaving the Kings after this season and the Kings can't be left with nothing to show from the Kevin Martin trade. You also can't deal him simply for financial relief. That would be a sign of ultimate surrender for the team. At the very least, get a middle to late first rounder or a nice shooter.


TRADE COMPLETED: DEALT TO NEW ORLEANS FOR MARCUS THORNTON, A NICE SHOOTER

Sam Dalembert
Value: High
What should the Kings do? He's gone.
The skinny: Dalembert owns a huge expiring contract. For that reason alone, he's a big bargaining chip. He's also a very good defensive big man and would be a nice cog for a playoff contender. So long, Sam, we hardly knew ye.

Donte Greene
Value: Low
What should the Kings do? Hold him until he has a pulse.
The skinny: Easily the most disappointing player on the team this year, Greene should be showing flashes of potential. Instead, he's showing flashes of bust. He not worth much on the trade market right now and you can't take a chance and deal him for a bag of chips. I say wait until he shows some skills and then re-evaluate. Unless, of course, you need to use him as a piece in a blockbuster deal, which is almost certainly not going to happen.

Omri Casspi
Value: Rising fast
What should the Kings do? Maybe the only player on the team I'd rate as untouchable.
The Skinny: Casspi has captured the attention of teams around the league for good reason: He just might be the one player on the team to realize his potential. He is improving in every aspect of his game. An intense, emotional player, he is shooting better and rebounding way better. Give him two years and he might become one of the best small forwards in the game. There is no way you get equal value for him right now.

Beno Udrih
Value: Highest of his career
What should the Kings do? Only package in deal that involves a good young point guard.
The skinny: Udrih has been the steadiest of the Kings players this season -- and that's not saying much. But he is having a career year and a lot of teams would love him as a bench player. That being said, he is the only legitimate guard talent on the team besides Evans. You can't trade him unless you get some credible help in the backcourt.

Jason Thompson
Value: Medicore
What should the Kings do? Let him ripen.
The skinny: Mismanaged by the Kings, Thompson should be much further along in his career. Fans from other teams constantly dream up trades to land the big man, mistakenly thinking he's better than he's shown. I think that might be true. Dealing him now could end up a huge mistake.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

TOTALLY agree about trading Tyreke. Nothing more destructive to a team than a ball hog