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Sacramento Kings: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 16, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) looks on during the second quarter of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) looks on during the second quarter of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sacramento Kings
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Malachi Richardson (Syracuse) walks to the stage after being selected as the number twenty-two overall pick to the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Bye Bye Belinelli

Before the 2016 NBA Draft even began, the Sacramento Kings added another selection to their ranks by dealing Marco Belinelli to the Charlotte Hornets for the 22nd overall pick.

Belinelli was on a perfectly reasonable contract and had championship experience, but he struggled to contribute in his lone season with the Kings, averaging 10.2 points per game on 38.6 percent shooting from the field and 30.6 percent shooting from three-point range.

With Belinelli failing to spread the floor and Ben McLemore needing more minutes, it made sense to jettison the 30-year-old Italian. Even better, the Kings managed to turn him into quite the first round steal, using the 22nd pick on Syracuse’s Malachi Richardson.

A 6’6″ shooting guard with a 7’0″ wingspan, Richardson is extremely athletic and when he’s on, he’s a tremendous shooter. He’s a bit on the streakier side, as anyone could tell from his 36.3 percent shooting in his lone season for the Orange.

But if he can hone in his shooting skills, particularly from three-point range, the Kings will be glad to have some stability and depth at the 2-guard spot.

Richardson didn’t play particularly well in NBA Summer League action, averaging 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game on .361/.333/.591 shooting splits. Other than a 20-point, seven-rebound outing, he was largely ineffective in his five games in Las Vegas.

Even as a 20-year-old coming off his freshman season, however, Richardson was a solid get for a team that needs to start moving in a definitive direction. “Younger” wasn’t a bad place to start.

Grade: A-

Next: The Draft-Day Trade

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