5 trades Sacramento Kings should make before the deadline

2. Move Kosta Koufos

Kosta Koufos, as a backup center, is earning $7.5 million this year, which is more than Ben McLemore or Omri Casspi, who are more productive players. Koufos puts up typical backup center numbers (6.9 PPG 5.8 RPG), but what is telling is that he has the lowest +/- on the Kings for players that play significant minutes (AKA players not named Caron Butler).

It is clear that Koufos is not living up to his price tag, but moving him could be difficult, as he doesn’t have a ton of value. One possibility could be Tyson Chandler of the Suns. The Suns are in full tank mode and are likely looking to dump any expensive contracts they have on their books. While Chandler is more expensive than Koufos, he is a better player and can add a veteran presence that this young Kings team is missing. Chandler’s numbers aren’t incredibly impressive this year (5.5 PPG 8.3 RPG), but some of this can be attributed to the Suns being mired with injuries and overall poor team play.

Chandler rebounds much better than Koufos (8.3 per game compared to 5.8), despite averaging only 3 more minutes per game. Additionally, Chandler has shown he is a much better offensive presence when he has a quality point guard, which the Kings have in Rajon Rondo.

Next: 1. Acquire Markieff Morris