NBA Draft 2011: Why the Sacramento Kings Need to Stay Put at No. 7
Sacramento Kings Reportedly Committed to Trading No. 7 Pick in 2011 NBA Draft
The Sacramento Kings are going to be in an enviable position in tonight's NBA Draft. They have the No. 7 pick, and the odds are good that they will be able to choose any number of players that fit the team's most pressing needs.
However, the word around the campfire is that the Kings are looking to move the No. 7 pick. In fact, Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported via Twitter a short while ago that the Kings "have made it privately clear that they expect to trade 7th pick."
Said one official: "They're confident they have [a] deal."
More recently, Wojnarowski tweeted that the Kings could be looking to make a deal with the San Antonio Spurs, possibly for All-Star point guard Tony Parker. Wojnarowski was the same guy who broke the story about the Spurs shopping Parker a couple nights ago.
Personally, I just don't get it. Sure, this is a pretty weak draft class compared to those of years past, but I don't think the Kings should be so quick to wash their hands of it. Especially not when you consider the players that they could draft with the No. 7 pick.
Perhaps the trendiest pick for the Kings is UConn point guard Kemba Walker. He could start right away, and he would give the Kings an excuse to slide Tyreke Evans over to the two guard position. The two of them together would make for a pretty dangerous backcourt.
There have also been rumblings of the Kings looking at BYU point guard Jimmer Fredette. Drafting him would still allow the Kings to shift Evans, but Fredette might be an even better fit alongside him because of his impressive shooting abilities.
If he's still available, San Diego State small forward Kawhi Leonard would also be a great pick for the Kings. He's super-athletic, and he has plenty of room to grow. Better yet, he would easily fill the Kings' need for a capable small forward.
Instead, the Kings would rather have an established player. It's a strategy that reeks of a simple desire for a one-year fix. Because the Maloofs clearly want to leave Sacramento, this makes sense. This is not the time for them to cultivate a team that people will actually come to love. That's a mission that will be carried out another year in another city.
Lame. Very lame.
