Assessing Assets

The NBA trade extravaganza officially began last Thursday with the super mega blockbuster deal that had Charlotte sending Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes to the Bucks in exchange for a randomly generated Plumlee clan member. Due to the unusually large number of teams still technically in playoff contention, most pundits believe this will be the busiest deadline in recent memory and the Kings have many pieces they should consider moving.

Because I don’t believe there is any chance that the Kings are going to move Boogie (and Vlade Divac is saying the same to anyone who will listen), Bogdan Bogdanovic (other teams might just think we made him up), or the 2021 first round pick (I’m pretty sure Vivek’s banned Vlade from trading future picks at this point), I didn’t include them in the thread below.

So, what do we have?

Kosta Koufos

Kosta is the very definition of a blue-collar player. He’s one of the best backup centers in the league (when used properly) and will give you post defense, rebounding, and a bit of offensive production. Koufos wouldn’t start on a true contender, but adding his depth would be a smart move for several teams.

Value: Future, lottery protected first round pick or a young, developing player.

Contract: 3 years, $25M

Possible trade partners: Boston, Cleveland, Toronto, Houston, Minnesota, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Portland

Likelihood to be moved: High

Willie Cauley-Stein

Willie isn’t likely to be dealt with his recent uptick in production, but a rebuilding team with veterans to spare may seek out his potential. Cauley-Stein struggles to focus at times and is an oddly poor rebounder for a seven footer, but his possible future as a defensive stopper is titillating.

Value: Future, lottery protected first round pick or a productive veteran who doesn’t fit his team.

Contract: 3 years, $11.9M

Possible trade partners: Boston, Minnesota, New Orleans, Phoenix

Likelihood to be moved: Low

Garrett Temple

Any playoff team that needs wing help should be calling Vlade about Garrett Temple. He’s one of the better perimeter defenders in the league, he can knock down the three ball (37%), and his veteran presence would be felt in any locker room. His toughness and hustle could be a difference-maker in a post season game, especially if injuries occur. A coach that uses Temple correctly, as a shooting guard, not a point guard or small forward, would greatly benefit from his services.

Value: Late first round pick or multiple second rounders or a productive role player.

Contract: 3 years, $24M

Possible trade partners: Atlanta, Indiana, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Toronto, Washington

Likelihood to be moved: Low

Malachi Richardson

Malachi has been the most productive Kings rookie and he should get the opportunity to show even more of his talent over the next few weeks. ‘The Prophet’ oozes poise and confidence every time he touches the floor and his ability to put the ball in the buckets is evident on a nightly basis. His defense is as porous as any rookie, but his seven foot wingspan speaks to the future of a strong defender.

Value: Lottery protected first round pick or productive veteran who doesn’t fit his team.

Contract: 4 years, $7M

Possible trade partners: Chicago, Phoenix, Dallas

Likelihood to be moved: Extremely Low

Skal Labissiere

While he was Vlade’s third pick on draft night, One Big Haitian probably has the most potential to be an NBA contributor. His less than stellar play in college dropped his draft positioning quite dramatically, but his skill set is obvious. He needs to put on 20 or more pounds before he can bang in the league, but his outlook could be that of a Chris Bosh or Channing Frye type player.

Value: Lottery protected first round pick or productive veteran who doesn’t fit his team.

Contract: 4 years, $6M

Possible trade partners: Chicago, Phoenix, Dallas, Miami, Orlando, New Orleans

Likelihood to be moved: Extremely Low

Darren Collison

Everyone pretty much knows who Darren Collison is at this point in his career. He’s either a slightly below average starting point guard or a great bench contributor. Darren is a scoring guard who can shoot from most areas on the floor and is a good defender, when engaged.

Value: 2nd rounder and a productive role player or overseas prospect

Contract: 1 year, $5.2M

Possible trade partners: Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, Denver, Memphis, Minnesota, Oklahoma City

Likelihood to be moved: Medium

Ty Lawson

Ty has had a bit of a career resurrection in Sacramento. After disastrous stints with Houston and Indiana last season, he’s established himself as a solid backup point guard and his recent play has some questioning if he should be inserted into the starting lineup. Lawson’s incredibly cheap contract, along with his ability to run an offense, should attract a few suitors.

Value: 2nd rounder and a young, developing young player, or overseas prospect (ahem, Cleveland)

Contract: 1 year, $980K

Possible trade partners: Cleveland (ahem), Oklahoma City, Chicago, Washington

Likelihood to be moved: Medium

Georgios Papagiannis

The Kings young project is making progress, but there aren’t many signs that Papa G will be a rotational player anytime soon. A team in the middle of a tear down won’t want to wait for his development and playoff squads will have no interest.

Value: Multiple 2nd rounders or possible late first round pick

Contract: 4 years, $10.3M

Possible trade partners: Phoenix, New Orleans

Likelihood to be moved: Extremely Low

Arron Afflalo

Arron Afflalo hasn’t been good this year, but his recent move to small forward has seemingly put a bit of a pep in his step. Since Rudy Gay went down, Arron is average 10 points per game and is shooting 43% from the three point line. Obviously, he can’t stick with the top tier wings in the league, but his slower step and bulk aren’t hurting him as much on the defensive end of the court when he’s facing small forwards as opposed to shooting guards.

Value: 2nd rounder or struggling young player on a contender

Contract: 2 years, $25M (2nd year $1.5M guaranteed)

Possible trade partners: Oklahoma City, Washington, Milwaukee

Likelihood to be moved: High

Omri Casspi

Oh Omri, we had such high hopes for you coming into the season. After a career-best campaign under George Karl, Casspi has played in only 22 games this year amid random injuries, illness, and inability to find his way into the rotation. Teams that are interested in our fan favorite will be looking to his shooting prowess and hustle plays as well as his production last season.

Value: 2nd rounder or young, struggling player on a contender

Contract: 1 year, $2.9M

Possible trade partners: Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, Washington, Houston, LA Clippers

Likelihood to be moved: High

Anthony Tolliver

Outside of Matt Barnes’ minutes, Anthony Tolliver may be the biggest disappointment from the off-season acquisitions. He’s shot the long-ball pretty well recently which has brought his three point percentage up to 40%, but he doesn’t defend, doesn’t pass much, and is a worse rebounder than Willie Cauley-Stein. To put it simply, if Tolliver isn’t hitting his shot, he can’t be on the floor.

Value: 2nd rounder or overpaid player in a salary dump

Contract: 2 years, $16M (2nd year $2M guaranteed)

Possible trade partners: Washington, Chicago, Portland, Denver

Likelihood to be moved: Medium

Matt Barnes

Barnes is bad at basketball and bad at life. He doesn’t do much well, and what he does accomplish, it’s outweighed by his carelessness and lack of poise. A team looking for an enforcer may have a slight amount of interest in “Sacramento’s Finest”.

Value: Top-60 protected 2nd rounder, free Jumbo Jack coupon (with the purchase of a large drink)

Contract: 2 years, $12.2M (2nd year, player option)

Possible trade partners: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Likelihood to be moved: Extremely Low

Ben McLemore

At no point in his career has Ben proven that he’s an NBA-caliber player. If the Kings don’t find someone to take him in a multi-player deal, I believe he’ll be released by Sacramento in order to free up a roster spot.

Value: protected second rounder for a team looking to reach the salary floor or a contender willing to take a flyer on a bench wing.

Contract: 1 year, $4M

Possible trade partners: Denver, Philadelphia, Shanghai Sharks

Likelihood to be moved: Extremely High

So, what do we have?

To be honest, we don’t have much. Two major past mistakes (the Hickson trade and the Philadelphia trade) as well as a myriad of smaller issues have put the Kings in a precarious situation. The cupboards are pretty bare, but smart, future-motivated moves could help to repair the damage. Teams that overspent in the off-season may value some of our still productive, but expiring contracts. A combination of Kosta and Darren or Ty and Omri might just be enough to pry a future first round pick or young player from a desperate contender. For once, the Kings should be stripping teams of assets instead of giving them away.