NBA Free Agency 2017: One trade every team should make
Sacramento Kings
Rudy Gay opted out of the last year of his deal, Arron Afflalo’s final year got waived, and Tyreke Evans’ contract expired. Sacramento’s highest paid player right now is Kosta Koufos at a shade over $8 million per. The Kings are in sterling financial standing, their books a cornucopia of rookie deals and a smattering of mid-level vets. As long as the killer V’s, Vivek and Vlade, don’t start launching free agent contracts this summer like a t-shirt cannon at halftime, the Kings are on the road to recovery.
The Sacramento front office took a lot of heat with the last trade they made. Sending their star player out of town for 60 cents on the dollar was not well received. So far though, it’s actually worked out okay. Buddy Hield isn’t the next Steph Curry, but he’s part of a nice young core that now includes his perfect running mate in De’Aaron Fox. They measure up as the poor man’s version of the Washington backcourt. How quickly the Kings can go from afterthought to playoff team directly aligns with their development.
In the meantime, Sacramento should use their copious cap room to help out a team in dire monetary straits and pilfer assets for their trouble.
I think the Wizards would be so floored that someone would take Ian Mahinmi off their hands, they wouldn’t even think twice about packaging Kelly Oubre Jr.
Oubre Jr. just started exhibiting the qualities that made him a 5-star recruit out of high school.
By the time Sacramento could realistically become a contender, Mahinmi’s contract will either be expiring, rolling off the books, or maybe won’t be as much of an albatross. If Oubre ends up as a legitimate starting swingman, it would have been worth the price paid.
Sacramento has the space to burn, stack up as many assets as possible.