Sacramento Kings' 2015 Trade-Deadline Shopping List
With the NBA's trade deadline fast approaching, now is the time for the Sacramento Kings to start preparing.
The team first needs to assess its own roster to identify the biggest areas that need improvement. From there, the next step is targeting a few realistic options who can be acquired for reasonable prices and also make a difference on the court.
Sitting at 16-22 and 5.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, the Kings need to do something fast if they plan on turning around their season. Of course, as unappealing as it may be, they also need to accept the fact that maybe the ship has already sailed. In that case, giving up long-term assets for a short-term gain doesn't make sense.
Considering those factors, here's a trade-deadline shopping list for the Sacramento Kings.
Backup Point Guard
The offseason addition of point guard Darren Collison has turned out about as well as anyone could have hoped.
Collison has been just what the Kings needed. He's shown the ability to lead the offense effectively and does a solid job on defense. The problem is the drop-off the team experiences when Collison goes to the bench and a backup comes in.
| OffRtg | DefRtg | eFG% | |
| On court | 107.6 | 102.7 | 51.7 |
| Off court | 95.4 | 111.0 | 44.1 |
The drag on the team's offense and defense is something that needs to be fixed. It looked like the Kings had done just that when they signed point guard Ramon Sessions this offseason. Sessions had a track record of success as both a starter and reserve.
For some reason, it just hasn't clicked for him. As an individual player, Sessions is performing well below his career benchmarks. His scoring, assists, turnovers, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage are all down.
| Points/36 mins | Ast/36 mins | TOV% | PER |
| 12.8 | 5.3 | 17.7 | 9.6 |
| 16.2 | 6.5 | 14.9 | 16.5 |
Worse yet, he's not making anybody else around him better. Too often Sessions is more concerned with getting his own shot than creating one for a teammate. This has led the offense to stagnate when he's on the court.
And that's not even mentioning that Sessions has missed the last eight games due to injury.
In his stead, second-year player Ray McCallum has been the primary backup point guard. With the increased opportunities, McCallum has looked solid at times, as on Dec. 22 against the Golden State Warriors, when he dished out seven assists with no turnovers, or Jan. 4 against the Detroit Pistons, when he scored 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
But the point guard has been largely inconsistent. He's struggled to find his shot or keep the offense rolling.
One option who has been rumored is Los Angeles Clippers point guard Jordan Farmar:
Of course, ESPN's Marc Stein reported that Farmar was expected to be released on Thursday. If that's the case, the Kings may be able to get him without giving up Sessions since they're only carrying 14 players and can add one more player. Getting rid of him would be a good way to shed his salary and would free up a roster spot.
There are also a couple other players worth considering, including another fellow Los Angeles point guard.
Realistic Options: Jordan Farmar, Ronnie Price (Lakers), Mo Williams (Timberwolves)
Three-Point Shooting
Three-point shooting has been an issue for a while now. The Kings thought drafting shooting guard Nik Stauskas would help considerably in that area, but the rookie has struggled with consistency.
Sometimes Stauskas is timid and won't take open shots when they're there. Other times he just misses open opportunities. That isn't to say he hasn't shown flashes, like a Dec. 8 win against the Utah Jazz in which he scored a career-high 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 2-of-4 from downtown.
But his 27.2 three-point percentage is underwhelming, especially considering he knocked down 44.1 percent of his threes while at the University of Michigan.
Rudy Gay (37.6 percent), Collison (37.5 percent) and Ben McLemore (36.5 percent) have been Sacramento's only consistent three-point shooters. Of the players who have fired more than two three-point attempts, they're the only ones making at least a third of their opportunities.
While Sacramento's 33.6 three-point percentage is ranked 23rd and leaves a lot to be desired, it's not the only issue with the team's long-range shooting. The Kings are also 28th in three-point attempts per game (15.6) and 29th in three-point makes (5.2).
As Akis Yerocostas of SacTown Royalty points out, the presence of low-post force DeMarcus Cousins is another reason three-point shooting is a necessity:
"The Kings possess arguably one of the best low post players in the NBA right now in DeMarcus Cousins. He sees double teams on a nightly basis and is a willing passer. Surrounding him with shooters not only makes it more dangerous for other teams to double, it gets our other guys better looks.
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The Kings also may be willing to trade Stauskas, which we'll tackle in depth in a minute. However, if they do, it's not expected to be for a three-point shooter.
Rim Protector
Center DeMarcus Cousins has improved his defense immeasurably in the last year. He's giving much more effort on that end of the court and has improved his ability to rotate on pick-and-rolls. But his biggest need for improvement comes with his on-ball defense.
According to NBA.com/stats, his opponents are averaging a field-goal percentage of 47.7 percent, but that number drops to 45.6 percent when Cousins guards them. It's an even bigger difference near the hoop, where DMC's opponents shoot 59.5 percent within six feet of the tin but only 52.1 percent when he's on them.
He's also become a better rim protector, averaging a career-high 1.8 blocks per 36 minutes. That's up from 1.4 last year, which was previously a career best.
The problem is that nobody else on the Kings provides that type of defense near the hoop.
Cousins has 46 blocks on the season. Despite playing 10 more games than him, Jason Thompson has the second-most with 24. The team's backup center, Ryan Hollins, has only blocked eight shots in 24 games.
Adding another interior presence is a need for the Kings. The team has acknowledged as much and is looking to trade for a big man to complement Cousins:
That the Kings might be willing to include Stauskas in a trade shows they realize it's a dire need. It also means they could bring in an even better player.
Realistic Options: John Henson (Bucks), Bismack Biyombo (Hornets), JaVale McGee (Nuggets)
Long-Term Outlook
With the Kings losing their first-round pick to the Chicago Bulls if it falls outside of the top 10, there isn't much margin for error. Either Sacramento wants to make the playoffs or miss them by enough to keep the draft pick. That's something to consider.
Yet if the Kings can get the type of player who can provide an impact and is under contract for a few seasons, they should jump at the opportunity. Keeping the draft pick would be nice, but not at the cost of adding someone who will be a difference-maker in the future.
After all, draft picks are nice and affordable. They can also be volatile. Just because you draft someone in the top 10 doesn't mean you'll get the return investment expected with a selection that high. The Kings have two reminders in Jimmer Fredette and Thomas Robinson if they forget.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
Where do you think the Kings should upgrade? Let me know on Twitter @SimRisso.
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