Sacramento Kings: 3 trades team should make before deadline

1. Enes Kanter

When Enes Kanter isn’t scarfing down cheeseburgers, he’s busy putting up career numbers with the New York Knicks. Kanter is posting career-highs in assists (2.0) and offensive rebounds per game (4.0) as well as his second-highest points per game average (14.4) and rebounds (10.8 per game).

Kanter might not be the guy to put a team over the hump, but he certainly can push a team like the Kings one step closer into that playoff territory they’re desperately trying to reach.

Upgrading their frontcourt depth wouldn’t be a bad strategy. The Kings haven’t had a consistent backup center all year. Harry Giles is still a bit undeveloped, Marvin Bagley III is undersized, and Kosta Koufos isn’t exactly terrorizing teams when he’s on the floor.

Adding Kanter would give the Kings a much-needed boost in their rebounding numbers, as they’re 20th in rebounds per game and 13th in offensive rebounds. Throw in Kanter’s 10.8 rebounds and 4.0 offensive rebounds a night, and they easily become one of the better rebounding teams across the league.

In addition, Kanter is a career 78.2 percent free throw shooter and 81.9 percent on the season. Other than Nemanja Bjelica (78.3 percent), none of the Kings’ bigs are reliable at the foul line. Kanter would have the fourth-highest free throw percentage on the team.

As an extra bonus, Kanter can occasionally knock down a shot or two from deep, something Giles, Cauley-Stein and Koufos can’t do. Kanter is 7-for-21 on 3s this season, while Giles, Cauley-Stein and Koufos are a combined 1-for-6.

Lastly, Kanter’s loyalty to his teammates is unmatched. You won’t find many ride-or-die guys around the league quite like him. It might not seem like a big deal, but sometimes a loyal and supportive teammate is all a team needs on nights when guys come out flat. He can be that guy to push everyone and keep spirits high.

So, the Kings send Iman Shumpert and Ben McLemore to New York, in exchange for Kanter. Shumpert makes his return to the Garden, Kanter ends up in a winning situation, and the Knicks improve their outside shooting.

The Knicks are currently the fifth-worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA in terms of how many they make per game (10.3). Shumpert’s 37.3 percent and McLemore’s 38.5 percent shooting from downtown should help increase the team’s numbers from beyond the arc.

If we’re being honest, Shumpert and McLemore are instant upgrades over Mario Hezonja, who shoots 28.4 percent from 3, and Courtney Lee, who has only played in 10 games this season.

The Knicks need more wing players while still keeping cap space available for this summer, and the Kings need a consistent backup center. Who says no?