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Pete D'Alessandro certainly hasn't been shy about making moves in his first few months as Kings general manager. First he traded Luc Mbah a Moute to Minnesota for Derrick Williams and then he made an even bigger move last month by acquiring Rudy Gay from the Raptors.
Given this team's 10-21 record and glaring weaknesses, it's clear that more moves will have to be made. According to CBS' Ken Berger, the Kings, along with the Cavaliers, have been among the most aggressive teams in trade talks.
From Berger:
On the heels of acquiring Rudy Gay from Toronto, the Kings are "swinging for the fences" on the trade market, one rival executive said. One top priority is shoring up the point guard position, with Andre Miller jumping to the top of the list after his falling out with Nuggets coach Brian Shaw and ensuing two-game suspension. But Kings GM Pete D'Alessandro's true long-term target is said to be Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson, who will be a restricted free agent after next season.
We had heard the Andre Miller rumor yesterday from Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski, but Sacramento's interest in Klay Thompson is new and somewhat surprising at first glance. Golden State loves Thompson and probably wants to keep him and Steph together long term. Still, the Warriors will have $50.57 million in salary locked in for just Bogut, Lee, Iguodala and Curry in 2015-16, the year Thompson becomes a Free Agent. Sacramento has just $30.82 million locked up for that season (although that number goes up if you think the Kings re-sign Isaiah and/or Gay long term).
Getting Thompson from the Warriors will be no easy feat, especially since he can get an extension this summer and render all this moot anyway. Still, it's nice to hear how aggressive this front office is being in seeking improvement. I expect a trade or two more before the deadline in February and maybe again at draft time. We're not likely to become a good team this season, but we can definitely lay the foundation.
