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Sacramento Kings: Free Agency Begins With A Whimper

By John von Volkli

Mar 25, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Nik Stauskas (10) against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Kings defeated the Suns 108-99. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Nik Stauskas (10) against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Kings defeated the Suns 108-99. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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As the NBA’s free agency period got under way on July 1, the league was aflutter with player movement and securing of key pieces alike. Meanwhile, in Sacramento, a tentative silence reigns. California’s least-storied franchise has spent the free agency period clearing room for moves often as questionable as they are ill-defined.

Their primary accomplishment has so far been making sure Sam Hinkie’s Glut of Enormous Human Men remains consistently replenished.

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Wednesday evening saw the Kings move last year’s first-round draft selection and ongoing condiment joke, Nik Stauskas, to the Philadelphia 76ers along with beleaguered forward Carl Landry and Sacramento’s long-serving (but little-delivering) big man Jason Thompson.

This move, which included additional draft compensation, seemed like a hasty dump without someone in the wings (pun option applicable) to fill the new expanse.

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Granted, the intervening hours have seen the signing of 76ers free agent guard James Anderson. Anderson finally broke the double-digit scoring average mark in 2014-15 with the Sixers this year, so despite his six-year tenure in the NBA, he is a lesser — if at all — known quantity on the floor.

This simply seems like an easy way to fill Stauskas’ backup slot with someone more seasoned. His NBA career is so far defined by his ability to spice up closed captioning and supermarket aisles. Alas, the Lazy Susan of the Kings roster continues to turn.

Fair warning, the food and condiment wordings will continue, premeditated or otherwise.

Though the real-time feedback has been understandable dour following this big move, and though attempts at a subsequent luring of Monta Ellis fell through, this initial shake-up should not be viewed as a failure until all is said and done.

The Kings are still plugging away at ne’er-do-well NBA champion Rajon Rondo after striking out with both Ellis and recovering Portland swingman Wesley Matthews. Signing both of those prospects was always going to be a bit of an impossibility, despite the inherent drawbacks of securing a deal with either one.

Rondo’s last few years with the Boston Celtics were not what anyone in their camp could have hoped for, and his stint with the Mavericks after last season was one which tarnished that championship ring — perhaps beyond restoration. Matthews, though a solid contributor to the Portland Trail Blazers in recent years, has been recovering from an Achilles tear suffered on March 5.

The shooting guard has been showcasing his ramp-up to playability in recent days, hoping to secure a figure close to what he’d have been paid in free agency with his health in better stead. Though the Kings were willing to bet big on that recovery — offering a four-year, $64 million contract — Wes apparently found the Kings themselves to be the risky part of the partnership.

Though there are issues to be had with the Kings’ pursuit of either player, one must take a more patient view of how this courtship is being executed. The Kings are a den of instability and ineptitude, without a clearly conceived or implemented

rebuilding

building strategy in place.

Their coach and star player are known to be brash, outspoken, and anxious to make progress — though the latter-most quality often has them hoping for one another’s dismissal.

This is clearly going to put a qualitative cap on the kind of player they can attract, and coupled with the numerical cap they are currently combating, it seems hard to imagine a scenario in which a free agent would sacrifice both money and time on a team which neither has winning culture nor top draft pick contention in the mix.

This brings us to a point where a Kings fan must swallow more bitter medicine. It’s a taste which they’ve already acquired.

A Monta Ellis would much rather give up an additional million dollars per year to join with a Frank Vogel and Larry Bird than earn more with a George Karl and Vlade Divac. A Wes Matthews would rather venture back into the spotlight with a perennial playoff organization, even if it’s to pair with an aged sunset rider like Dirk Nowitzki.

A Rajon Rondo, however, may be out of luck entirely if he does not spend a year in the basketball purgatory of Sacramento. He may indeed eat most of the Kings’ cap space for that period, but since it would be unrealistic to hope for an eighth seed playoff berth, maybe a mutual healing session is needed in Sacramento.

Karl, Rondo, DeMarcus Cousins, and Kings owner Vivek Ranadive are all afflicted with lingering bad sentiment from media and basketball personnel alike, and perhaps a Betty Ford Clinic is in need in Sacramento.

Maybe the chips on the shoulders of all involved can create some sort of progress or affirmation of everyone’s better qualities, allowing them to all improve in the coming years, apart or together.

Rosy thinking is not fashionable these days regarding the Kings, but I’ll reserve my bashing of things like salary dumps until some tangible end points are met.

Or not met.

Next: 5 Potential Steals In The 2015 NBA Draft

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