Best Potential Landing Spots, Packages and Trade Scenarios for Nik Stauskas
The Sacramento Kings have done it again. Or they are considering doing it, at least.
Less than two years removed from trading Thomas Robinson months after taking him with the fifth overall pick, the Kings are now reportedly considering moving Nik Stauskas, the No. 8 selection in 2014.
League sources told CBS Sports' Ken Berger that Sacramento is "willing to discuss" putting the 2014 Big Ten Player of the Year in a potential trade for a frontcourt upgrade. The Kings are searching for someone to pair with rising star DeMarcus Cousins, "either a stretch 4 or above-the-rim defender," per Berger.
This is hardly a surprising report.
There were red flags raised nearly the moment Stauskas was selected, since the Kings had just spent a lottery pick on a player at the same position the previous year (Ben McLemore). Former Kings coach Michael Malone said the pair could play together, per Kings.com's Steven Wilson, but Sacramento has only tried that look for 79 minutes this season—and been outscored by 7.8 points per 100 possessions with both on the floor, per NBA.com.
With McLemore making an impressive leap in his sophomore season, it seems like Stauskas is the odd man out. The Kings still need to turn the rookie into something valuable, and these are five options worth exploring.
Denver Nuggets
1 of 5
Sacramento Kings receive: JaVale McGee, Randy Foye
Denver Nuggets receive: Nik Stauskas, Derrick Williams, Jason Thompson
There are many more colorful ways to describe Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee than "above-the-rim defender," but that description still fits the springy 7-footer. The 26-year-old owns a career average of 3.3 blocks per 36 minutes.
He is battling through his second consecutive injury-plagued season and has been sidelined since Dec. 5 by an aggravated muscle near the tibia he injured last year. But Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said McGee is close to making his return, per Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, so that information might bend Sacramento's ear.
The Kings could easily regret this deal if McGee proves to be damaged goods. If he's not, though, Sacramento could pick up a player with some of the NBA's most intriguing physical tools.
Sharpshooter Randy Foye has been dealing with his own attack from the injury bug. But when he's healthy, he brings similar shooting touch and ball skills as Stauskas, only the veteran's are more polished.
The Nuggets can double-down on rookie shooting guards, pairing Stauskas with Gary Harris. If one develops, Denver could have that position filled for the next decade. If both fulfill their potential, the Nuggets would have either a nice 2-guard rotation or a trade chip to fill a different need.
Derrick Williams is set to hit restricted free agency this summer, so Denver's commitment to him would only be for as long as it wanted. It might sting the Nuggets to take the two years and $13.2 million left on Jason Thompson's deal, but they might see that as a better option than paying the mercurial McGee $12 million for the 2015-16 season.
Milwaukee Bucks
2 of 5
Sacramento Kings receive: Ersan Ilyasova
Milwaukee Bucks receive: Nik Stauskas, Derrick Williams
Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova stands 6'10" tall and owns a career 36.2 percent three-point percentage. If the Kings opt to take the stretch 4 route in a Stauskas exchange, that's the combination of size and shooting touch they should be after.
Ilyasova's body hasn't allowed him to show his best hand for a few seasons. He missed 17 games and shot just 40.9 percent from the field in 2013-14. This year, he has sat out 19 contests and connected on only 29.6 percent of his long-range looks.
But he's only 27 years old, so if his health allows it, his best basketball could still be ahead of him. And that's saying something considering he had a two-year stretch from 2011 to 2013 when he averaged 13.1 points and 7.9 rebounds while posting an impressive .475/.448/.788 shooting slash.
On Milwaukee's end, this move likely hurts the team for this season. But that shouldn't be the Bucks' focus, since the Bucks face a steep uphill climb to crack the Eastern Conference's top four.
With Brandon Knight, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker on the roster, Milwaukee should plan for what looks like a blindingly bright future. Buying low on Stauskas only adds to that illumination and potentially injects this backcourt with a potent scorer.
"Much like Golden State Warriors gunner Klay Thompson, Stauskas will take advantage of every crease of daylight to get his shot off," Bleacher Report's Daniel O'Brien wrote in June. "He could eventually be the second or third scorer on his club, and he may post more assists than Thompson."
Williams is mostly salary-filler in this exchange, unless the Bucks decide their frontcourt could use another high-end athlete.
Minnesota Timberwolves
3 of 5
Sacramento Kings receive: Thaddeus Young, Glenn Robinson III, 2015 second-round pick
Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Nik Stauskas, Jason Thompson
The Minnesota Timberwolves could soon decide to shake up this already-active trade market by parting ways with some of their proven commodities. If that domino drops, Sacramento should come calling with its sights set on versatile forward Thaddeus Young.
At 6'8", he's a tad undersized for the power forward position, but his 7'0.75" wingspan (per DraftExpress) allows him to play bigger than he actually is. He's also a terrific athlete, and his quickness pays dividends on both sides of the ball.
He isn't a knockdown shooter (career 32.1 percent three-point percentage), but he's a willing one (3.0 attempts per game since the start of last season), and defenses have to respect his trigger. He also has the handles to survive on the perimeter, freeing up Cousins to do his damage underneath.
But Young isn't exactly what Sacramento is seeking, which is why Minnesota also coughs up the explosive Glenn Robinson III and a future second-round selection to get this done. The Kings could also follow up this deal by shipping out Carl Landry (another undersized 4) for the rim protector they would still need.
In Stauskas, the Wolves would receive a player who can run and most certainly gun alongside a young core that includes the likes of Ricky Rubio, Andrew Wiggins, Shabazz Muhammad and Zach LaVine. Minnesota's best quantity-plus-quality shooters are Kevin Martin and Mo Williams, veterans who don't fit into any long-term plans. That's why Minnesota takes a low-cost flier on a high-upside sniper.
The Wolves also bite the bullet on Thompson's remaining salary, but sacrificing cap space isn't a big deterrent for a franchise that has rarely had any luck in free agency.
New Orleans Pelicans
4 of 5
Sacramento Kings receive: Ryan Anderson, Jeff Withey, John Salmons
New Orleans Pelicans receive: Nik Stauskas, Carl Landry, Ramon Sessions
Just say the phrase "stretch 4," and most hoop heads will conjure up an image of 6'10" marksman Ryan Anderson pretty quickly. Why? Because his resume includes an average of 2.1 made threes per game and a 38.2 percent conversion rate from distance for his career.
But he's more than a spacing specialist. Anderson has also honed his scoring craft to make him a threat from multiple spots on the floor. He crashes the offensive glass well and has a high enough basketball IQ to know when to call his own number and when to look for a teammate.
"He is not prone to taking dumb shots," Bourbon Street Shots' Michael Pellissier wrote of Anderson in April, "and if he receives the ball in a non-threat position, he almost always looks to find a capable ball-handler to initiate another offensive set."
Anderson is also one of the league's better bargains, as he's only on the books for $8.5 million next season. It comes as no surprise, then, that Bleacher Report's Howard Beck heard from league sources that the Pellies want to keep Anderson around.
So why would New Orleans sign off on this? Because it needs more depth. Even with Anderson's 15.3 points per game, the Pelicans' bench ranks 18th in second-team scoring, per HoopsStats.com. This deal would net New Orleans three usable players for the price of one.
Carl Landry is quietly having another strong season, tallying 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in only 18.7 minutes a night. Ramon Sessions has struggled with his shot (35.3 percent), but he's a 43.6 percent shooter from the field in his career. Stauskas might even contribute right away, as the Pelicans are paper-thin on the perimeter.
New Orleans doesn't have a real need for Jeff Withey, with Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca chewing up playing time at center, but Sacramento could use Withey's paint presence. John Salmons is needed to make the money work.
Utah Jazz
5 of 5
Sacramento Kings receive: Enes Kanter
Utah Jazz receive: Nik Stauskas, Derrick Williams, 2018 second-round pick
Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter initially seems like an awkward choice for Sacramento. He isn't a stretch 4 or a rim protector, the two prototypes the Kings covet.
But Kanter has the highest ceiling of any trade target listed here, and he might fit surprisingly well with Boogie.
Kanter is slowly adding a three-point shot to his offensive arsenal (11-of-32 on the season), and Cousins has emerged as one of the NBA's top shot-blockers (1.70 per game, 10th overall). It's somewhat of a reach, but the combined talents of Cousins and Kanter could make it work. There may be some defensive drawbacks, but the potential at the other end is incredible.
The Jazz have a decision to make with Kanter. He's set to become a restricted free agent at the season's end, and sophomore center Rudy Gobert's rapid rise could make the former No. 3 pick expendable. Jazz coach Quin Snyder is already having a hard time finding enough frontcourt minutes to keep Kanter, Gobert, Derrick Favors and Trevor Booker happy.
"The challenge is when you have a lot of guys," Snyder said, per Jody Genessy of Deseret News. "From my standpoint, I'd love to play everybody. That's not the reality."
The reality is, the Kings need more talent (or more assets), and the Jazz need more shooting. This transaction would scratch both itches.
Stauskas would give Utah the three-point presence that rookie Rodney Hood hasn't. Between Stauskas and Alec Burks, the Jazz should have a reliable starter and a spark-plug sixth man for the present and future.
Williams, again, is an expiring contract unless Utah sees him as something more. That future second-round pick could wind up being an early one, as it carries the option of being switched for the Portland Trail Blazers' pick.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
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