Sacramento Kings: With Pick No. 6, Options Arise

As predictable as a trip to the NBA Draft Lottery was this season, so too was the end result May 19 of a No. 6 pick for the Sacramento Kings. Another year, another mid-table finish in the lottery — but this offseason could present a great deal of substantive change for the franchise.

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It seems, however, that change in the form of a DeMarcus Cousins trade is finally laid to rest. After consistent rumors regarding a bit of a courtship dance by the Boston Celtics, Kings vice president of basketball and franchise operations Vlade Divac finally butchered and buried the notion that the team would dangle their franchise player in the wind.

Following the Boston overtures and head coach George Karl‘s casual mention of having never worked with a player who couldn’t ever be traded, Divac called the 24-year-old center just that – “untradeable” – while speaking to SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday.

While that avenue is now sealed off for Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, it has been floated that the Boston camp may be interested in trading for Willie Cauley-Stein, who is, of late, the presumptive pick for the Kings.

As Comcast Sportsnet’s A. Sherrod Brown has reported this week, Cauley-Stein has been courted by the Celtics, and is highly amenable to rejoining the likes of his old Kentucky teammate James Young.

April 3, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) dribbles the basketball during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Sleep Train Arena. The Pelicans defeated the Kings 101-95. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

In truth, the Celtics seem like a reasonably comfortable nest for someone like Cauley-Stein. At the moment, Boston has a young team with a young, hungry coach whose name was made during his time with Butler University.

Brad Stevens’ knack for maximizing the sometimes narrow strengths of players gives him a high-gloss appeal for young players looking to enter the league and become part of a constructive system based on individual and team growth.

Speaking to USA TODAY recently, Stevens said his players and those having recently entered the league “are in the NBA for a reason, and they’re really, really good at something. If you can separate yourself at being one of the best at the things you do well, then you always have a spot where people are going to value you. It just makes sense to a be a superstar in your role.”

For someone like Cauley-Stein, Stevens’ mantra of specialization for the good of the group might sound enticing. Having stayed at Kentucky for a full three years, Cauley-Stein has shown patience and a somewhat conservative attitude with regard to collegiate development, so Steven’s rigorous style would not be expected to smother his enthusiasm and work ethic.

“I understand what it takes to be an elite player in the league. I didn’t know that a year ago. If I came in and got thrown to the wolves, who knows what would’ve happened,” he told the Los Angeles Daily News ahead of the Draft Lottery.

Mar 28, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Jerian Grant (22) shoots over Kentucky Wildcats forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) in the finals of the midwest regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Willie has what Liam Neeson would call a very particular set of skills — skills he has acquired over a very long career, skills that make him a nightmare for people like, say, opposing shooters in the East. If anyone is going to utilize those skills immediately while working on weak spots, Stevens may be just the person to do it.

The Kings and Celtics, in their most current iterations, are organizations which rely on the numbers on hand to make moves, with their own rosters and with opposing squads and players.

Stevens is quickly becoming known for his insatiable drive when it comes to researching players inside and outside his locker room, so due diligence is likely to be done by not only Boston’s front office, but by Stevens himself prior to a deal being put forth.

What the Kings would receive from Boston has yet to see the light of day. Boston and Sacramento are both poised to shuffle their respective decks, so numerous scenarios are imaginable. The Kings could demand a more tested, but still fresh, power forward in Jared Sullinger, but that would likely require that Cauley-Stein be bundled with either another pick or a current Kings player.

As it stands, the Kings would likely hold out on any exchange unless it were a blockbuster that guaranteed immediate results on the defensive end.

Boston could do great things with someone like Willie Cauley-Stein, but Vlade Divac, Vivek Ranadive, and George Karl will all have to be convinced that their upside is very substantial before they risk trading away such a uniquely talented big man.

Cauley-Stein is so sought after that we will likely hear rumblings and rumors about him and the Kings for the next few weeks.

Until the June 25 and the days thereafter, we won’t know for sure what best laid plans the Sacramento Kings’ (and/or the Boston Celtics’) front office has prepared.

Next: Golden State Warriors: 5 Lessons From WCFs Game 1

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