Sacramento Kings: Complete 2018 offseason grades

Trading for Ben McLemore and Deyonta Davis

After a one-year separation, the Kings are giving it another go with shooting guard Ben McLemore.

The No. 7 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft spent his first four seasons in Sacramento, averaging 9.4 points per game while hitting 35.2 percent of his 3-pointers. A lot of fans and media have labeled him a bust. While McLemore’s numbers aren’t terrible, he has been a disappointment at the pro level considering his draft position and the fact that he was being compared to the likes of Hall-of-Famer Ray Allen and All-Star (and former AAU teammate) Bradley Beal.

McLemore left the Kings last summer to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies in free agency, and proceeded to post a career-low 7.5 points per game as the Grizzlies posted one of the worst records in the league.

Now McLemore returns to Sacramento, traded in July along with center Deyonta Davis and a future second round pick in exchange for veteran wing Garrett Temple. Whatever Kings fans think of McLemore from his first stint, it can’t be a good sign that Memphis followers seemed so happy about the trade.

McLemore has one year left on his contract at $5.4 million, so it’s possible he’s only going to be back with the Kings for a brief time. The 25-year-old still has potential; he’s a smooth athlete with a good-looking jump shot. He just hasn’t been able to put it all together in the pros.

At 21 years old, Davis is another young player who physically has the tools (6’11” and 237 pounds) but has yet to find his niche in the league. He averaged 5.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game for the Grizzlies last season.

What I don’t get about this trade is that the Kings brought in a shooting guard and center who will only improve with more playing time … but the Kings don’t appear to have a lot of playing time available at those positions.

Sacramento has Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Iman Shumpert to play 2-guard, and free agent acquisition Yogi Ferrell can also play that position. At center, the team seems invested in Willie Cauley-Stein as the top guy, with Harry Giles and veterans Zach Randolph and Kosta Koufos also in the mix. How much will McLemore and Davis be able to play?

Grade: C-