NBA Trade Deadline: Keeping An Eye On the Kings

Nothing has been confirmed yet, but there are plenty of rumors circling the Sacramento Kings as the NBA trade deadline approaches.

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, there may not have been as much action as fans would like, but there are plenty of rumors surrounding Sacramento. The Kings have thrown their hat in the ring for big names like Pau Gasol, and there are also rumors that Iman Shumpert has been made available to the Kings in exchange for Ben Mclemore (and other pieces).

However, Ben McLemore isn’t the only one that could be on his way out of Sacramento, and it is believed that Rudy Gay is keen to be moved before the deadline.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to have been much interest, and although it is looking more and more likely that Rudy will be moved, we don’t yet have any indication as to what the Kings would receive in return.

It has long been rumored that the Clippers have an interest in Gay, but at the moment, they don’t have a lot to offer.  So until we get a better understanding of the market for Gay, let’s look at some of the possible trades that have already been rumored.

McLemore for Iman Shumpert

According to reports, the Cavs are interested in McLemore, and they have made Iman Shumpert available to obtain him. The other pieces involved in this deal are Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos, who would both be replacing each other as backup big men, so I won’t go into too much detail in regards to them.

As far as McLemore and Shumpert are concerned, neither are excellent players right now, but they do offer something different to their potential future teams.

McLemore would provide the Cavs with athleticism and a shooting upgrade on the wing (compared to Shumpert), and Shumpert would provide the Kings with a relatively sizeable upgrade on defense. For the Kings, defense is something that is desperately needed, so it’s possible that sacrificing some shooting would be worth it.

McLemore has never really pieced it all together in Sacremento, and while he has a lot of potential Shumpert would prove to be a much more steadying presence on a team that needs it. Shumpert doesn’t provide much offense (6.2 PPG this season), but his ability to lock down an opposing wing would be a lot more valuable than what McLemore has brought to the table this season.

If this trade were to go through, it seems to make sense for both teams. Ben Mclemore is ready to move on from Sacramento and Iman Shumpert would provide some defense for a team looking to improve on that end of the floor to make a playoff push. For both of these players, a change of scenery may be just what is needed.

Now for the big one.

The Bulls are looking to move Gasol, and the Kings are interested

At first, I’m sure most people would assume that a trade for Pau would include DeMarcus Cousins, but it doesn’t — at least according to the rumors. The reported deal involves Gasol and Tony Snell for Koufos, McLemore and the Kings first-round pick.

On the surface, this trade appears to be a significant talent upgrade for the Kings, and the inclusion of their first round pick shouldn’t be too unsettling considering what they have done with first round picks in recent years. But the Kings are also bringing in talent at a position where they don’t have a need.

Snell is a nice replacement for McLemore, but Gasol plays the same position as Cousins and Willie-Cauley Stein. Currently, the Kings can play Cauley-Stein and DeMarcus at the same time because Cauley-Stein is such a versatile defender, but the same can’t be said for Pau.

Neither Pau or DeMarcus are capable of guarding 4s, which could mean major defensive issues for a team that doesn’t need any more of them. Pau is also 35 years old, and the Kings aren’t ready to win anytime soon, so sacrificing a first-round pick might not be the most forward-thinking move.

Who am I to call the Kings front office forward-thinking, though?

For now, these are all just rumors, but if you keep an eye on the site, we will be updating on the trade deadline as soon as anything happens.