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5 reasons the Sacramento Kings need to hire Sam Hinkie

By Ian Levy

Feb 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie prior to a game against the Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie prior to a game against the Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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It has been reported that the Kings are looking to bolster their front office and may be considering former 76ers’ GM Sam Hinkie. It’s a no-brainer.

Zach Lowe and Marc Stein of ESPN reported yesterday that the Kings have requested and received permission from the Sixers to talk with Sam Hinkie about a potential position in their organization. Although Hinkie is no longer with Philadelphia, he is still under the terms of a non-compete agreement he signed when he left the team.

It’s unclear from the current reporting whether the Kings’ interest in Hinkie would be as a replacement for current GM Vlade Divac, or as someone who would work in tandem with Divac. For the Kings part, they have denied they are hiring Hinkie or looking to replace Divac.

It’s no secret that Sacramento’s front office has operated with a certain level of structural chaos over the past few years. Bringing in Hinkie would certainly be controversial. It’s also absolutely the right move for these five reasons.

April 3, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center Sim Bhullar (32, left), guard Nik Stauskas (10, center), and forward Derrick Williams (13, right) pose for a photo before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Sleep Train Arena. The Pelicans defeated the Kings 101-95. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
April 3, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center Sim Bhullar (32, left), guard Nik Stauskas (10, center), and forward Derrick Williams (13, right) pose for a photo before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Sleep Train Arena. The Pelicans defeated the Kings 101-95. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Remember Nik Stauskas?

Remember that dude in the middle? That’s Nik Stauskas. The Kings took him with the No. 8 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He was supposed to be a shooter and a playmaker from the wing, neither of which appeared to be true during his rookie season — he shot 36.5 percent from the floor, 32.2 percent on 3-pointers, with a 9.0 assist percentage. At the end of that year, in an attempt to clear cap space, the Kings sent Stauskas and the weighty contracts of veterans Carl Landry and Jason Thompson to the Sixers for the rights to two European prospects. Oh, and they also included a 2019 unprotected first round pick. Oh, and they gave the Sixers the rights to swap first round picks this year.

So, for sinking some veterans into his cap space and taking a shot on Stauskas — a top-10 pick who had struggled in his rookie season — Hinkie acquired two unbelievably valuable draft assets. The Kings unprotected pick next year is almost certainly going to be in the lottery. The pick swap this year ensures that the Kings have no chance at actually selecting No. 1 and that the Sixers’ chance of landing the top pick is equal to their own odds plus the Kings’ odds.

The Kings used the cap space they cleared in this deal to sign Rajon Rondo, Caron Butler, Kosta Koufos, Marco Belinelli, and Luc Mbah a Moute. Only Koufos is still on the roster. Stauskas has host 37.7 percent on 3-pointers this season started 27 games for the Sixers, and may in fact be an NBA player.

Seems like having Hinkie on your team, getting on the other side of deals like this, would be nice for a rebuilding team.