30Q: Which Kings are most likely to be traded this year?

In this 30Q, let's take a look at each player on the Kings and determine whether or not they are likely to be traded this season, because as we know, rarely does a season go by without the Kings making some sort of mid-season move.

Marcus Thornton
26 years old
2 years, 16.63 million
Trade Value: Medium
Analysis:  Marcus Thornton does one thing really, really well: put the ball in the basket.  Fortunately for him, that's a really important thing to be good at in the NBA.  As his contract shortens, his trade value goes up.  However, because the Kings only really have him and rookie Ben McLemore as solid SG depth, I think the Kings will hold onto him for at least another year to make sure McLemore isn't thrown straight into the frying pan.

John Salmons
34 years old
2 years, 14.58 million (last year only $1 million guaranteed)
Trade Value: Medium
Analysis:  Salmons is essentially an expiring contract this year, albeit with $1 million left on the books after this season.  He could be a valuable bench contributor to a good team, and I would be a little bit surprised if the Kings weren't able to find a deal to send him out this year.  The Kings won't get much in return though, perhaps a 2nd round pick.

Carl Landry
30 years old
4 years, $26 million
Trade Value: Medium
Analysis:  I was a bit surprised that the Kings brought Landry back, but as I've detailed before, I think this time will go a little bit better, as Malone especially realizes how to use Landry, having coached him in both New Orleans and Golden State.  His 4 year contract and age doesn't particularly help his tradeability but he's a very solid player and if he stays that way there will always be teams interested.

Chuck Hayes
30 years old
2 years, $11.68 million
Trade Value: Medium-Low
Analysis:  Hayes was brought in to make a big impact on Sacramento's defense, but he wasn't able to partly because he couldn't get enough time on the floor, and partly because when he did get time on the floor, he was in terrible lineups that saw him guarding 2nd or 3rd string bigs.  I think Malone would like to use him more, but I also think that if the Kings could get something of value for him from a playoff team, they'd probably pull the trigger.

Jason Thompson
27 years old
4 years, $24.94 million (last year only $2.65 million guaranteed. Contract contains 5% trade kicker)
Trade Value: Medium
Analysis:  Thompson is the type of big man that almost every team in the NBA would love to have as their first big off their bench, but he also suffers from the fact that his contract runs for 4 years, an eternity in today's NBA.  Aside from length, Thompson's contract isn't that bad, and he is a hard worker and solid player who will do fine for Sacramento.  I don't think he will be traded.

DeMarcus Cousins
23 years old
1 year, $4.92 million (Restricted Free Agent after contract is up)
Trade Value: Very High
Analysis:  I have a hard time seeing the Kings trade DeMarcus Cousins now, but come the season, it might be worth exploring, even if he's behaving himself and playing well.  I'm still not sold on this guy as a franchise centerpiece, and the possibility of giving him a max contract scares me a little bit.  If he is having a good year, I think the Kings should look at possibly selling high at the deadline, but it's not up to me.  The franchise seems to have put their faith in Cousins, for better or worse, and so unless stuff completely blows up between him and Malone, I think he's a Sacramento King for a long time.

Luc Mbah A Moute
27 years old
2 years, $8.97 million
Trade Value: Medium
Analysis:  The Kings probably aren't going to trade the first real SF they've had since Ron Artest, especially if he doesn't incur more injuries and displays the defensive acumen he was known for in Milwaukee.

Patrick Patterson
24 years old
1 year, $3.1 million (Restricted Free Agent after contract is up)
Trade Value: Medium-High
Analysis:  The Kings have a bevy of Power Forwards and Patterson is perhaps the most interesting one as he is the youngest and most versatile, able to bang inside or step out and hit the three at a high rate.  I think the Kings will experiment with him as the starting Power Forward this year to see how he and Cousins work together.  It also makes a lot of sense with Mbah a Moute as a starting SF.  I don't see the Kings trading Patterson.

Travis Outlaw
29 years old
2 years, $6 million
Trade Value: Nonexistent
Analysis:  The Kings would probably trade Travis Outlaw in a heartbeat if they could. But I don't think there are many takers out there.  We'll have to hope that Outlaw can regain some of his confidence and shooting stroke that seemingly left him when he left Portland.  I'm not holding my breath but I would like to be proven wrong, as I really like Travis Outlaw the person.

Ben McLemore
20 years old
4 years, $13.09 million (last two years are team options)
Trade Value: High
Analysis:  Teams almost never trade Top 5 picks in the middle of their first seasons. Unless you're the Kings last year and that pick happened to be Thomas Robinson.  I don't see the same thing happening with Ben McLemore, even if he proves to have a disappointing rookie year.

Jimmer Fredette
24 years old
2 years, $5.55 million (last year is a team option)
Trade Value: Medium-Low
Analysis:  I'm actually a little bit surprised that Jimmer hasn't been traded already.  He really hasn't had an opportunity in Sacramento, and with the additions of even more guards this summer, I don't see where he gets that opportunity this season.  Jimmer is a very good shooter so there will always be someone interested, but I don't see him fetching very much in a trade. Still, I think it's more likely than not that he isn't with the team by the end of the season than is.

Greivis Vasquez
27 years old
1 year, $2.15 million (Restricted Free Agent after contract is up)
Trade Value: Medium
Analysis:  The Kings are unlikely to trade Vasquez this year unless he turns out to be a complete disaster.  I think they want to see how the team runs with a Point Guard like Vasquez before they make any decisions regarding his future.  The fact that he's a restricted free agent after the season helps matters a lot as it gives the Kings a lot more flexibility going forward.

Isaiah Thomas
24 years old
1 year, $.88 million (Restricted Free Agent after contract is up)
Trade Value: Medium-High
Analysis: Thomas is an intriguing trade asset in that his contract is so small, it's incredibly easy to trade him, but would also probably require trading someone else with him to make a trade work, unless you're just trading him for picks or something.  Thomas' value to the Kings will depend on the two new Point Guards they acquired this summer: Vasquez and McCallum. If Vasquez takes the starting role and Thomas can't fully adapt to a bench role, he might be on the way out.  If McCallum is showing promising signs in Reno/practice, that could be another lubricator to a possible trade.  But Thomas loves competition, so I wouldn't count him out just yet.

Ray McCallum
22 years old
3 years, $2.29 million (Last year is fully unguaranteed)
Trade Value: Unknown
Analysis:  We can't really say for sure what exactly McCallum's trade value is right now.  I'd probably peg it at around medium, as his contract is super cap friendly and he showed some promise in the Vegas summer league.  But success in the summer league doesn't always translate to success in the NBA, and he'll have stiff competition for playing time this year in the form of Isaiah Thomas and Greivis Vasquez.  I think McCallum will see a lot of time in Reno this year to further his development and I don't really see him being traded.