Fansided

5 NBA teams that should start tanking now

By Adam Cox

Oct 13, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton talks with Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) while playing against the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 13, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton talks with Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) while playing against the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings have not had a winning record or made the playoffs in 10 years. The team has been in a seemingly endless period of transition. Since that last playoff appearance in 2006 the Kings have had nine head coaches and are rather worse than before. Their roster turns over every offseason with the coaching change and ownership change in 2013 appeared to have breathed new life into the franchise, but nothing has really changed.

Endless roster turnover and attempts to win every season have resulted in a mismatched roster of castoffs from other, more successful NBA teams. Ty Lawson failed with three teams prior to joining the Kings and the Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors did not want Rudy Gay. Also, perhaps most damning, Kosta Koufos is starting.

The Kings need these castoffs, however. If any of their string of lottery picks looked like a legitimate NBA starter they may not have to turn to the Ty Lawsons and Rudy Gays of the NBA world. Nick Stauskas didn’t work out and Ben McLemore hasn’t shown much in 3+ seasons. Furthermore, the Kings haven’t helped themselves much by taking three C/PF in the past two NBA drafts.

All of these picks now sit behind DeMarcus Cousins, one of the best centers in the NBA and the best player on the roster, also a player who seemingly cannot coexist with any Sacramento Kings head coach. Basically, Cousins loses trade value every time he has an outburst on the court.

The Kings need to begin tanking right now. They are 5-9 this season in a stacked Western Conference. Find a team to take Cousins, start there, and move on to any other player on the roster.

Constant rebuilding isn’t working. Therefore, it’s time to try building from the ground up. Try tanking.

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