Kings Should Look To Warriors For Hope And Trades In Off-Season
Now that the NBA Finals are over, the off-season has officially begun; which means the draft, free agency, and trade talks are looming.
For teams like the Sacramento Kings, this time of the year is always interesting.
The off-season starts with "who are we going to draft?"
Then it switches gears to "which free agents can we pick up?"
And the final and most important piece in the Kings situation, "who can we trade for?"
Trades are most important for the Kings because as we have seen in the past, acquiring big name free agents in Sacramento is a daunting task.
Sacramento isn't a hot spot for free agents, but don't worry Kings fans, that can change.
Just look at the newly crowned champs, the Golden State Warriors. Before Stephen Curry and Klay Thompsen became the "Splash Brothers," a big name free agent heading to Oakland was as rare as the team's wins.
The team put a few winning seasons together, including a mini-playoff run, and a free agent by the name of Andre Iguodala landed in the Bay Area.
Iguodala earned First-Team All Defense in 2014, and the Finals MVP in 2015.
Not only should the Kings look to the Warriors as hope that they can one day land a free agent which will help change the organization, but they should also be looking to the Warriors for some trades this off-season.
There is a two-time all-star on Golden State who had his spot as a starter taken away from him this past season. David Lee has already been rumored to be out of Oakland, and there's no reason why he couldn't fit perfectly in Sacramento.
The first argument a knowledgeable basketball fan is going to say is, "the contract is way too big."
Yes, of course his $15.5 million contract is too big, but there are ways to balance that.
The Kings have two other power forwards with huge contracts in Carl Landry and Jason Thompson, both around $6.8 million. Sacramento would have to trade away those two to save some money.
It's pretty clear that the drop off in numbers for Lee in the 2014-15 season was attributed to his lack of playing time. With increased minutes, Lee can be a top power forward in the NBA.
From 2010-2014, Lee averaged 18.3 points and 10 rebounds per game.
The Kings desperately need someone like that on the roster.
DeMarcus Cousins needs someone like that on the roster. Cousins needs someone to help him with rebounding and inside scoring.
Lee would be a perfect fit.
Whether they want to start Lee and give him 35 minutes, or keep him as the number one guy off the bench and give him 25 minutes, he can put up the numbers to contribute to a few more wins.
The Kings wouldn't have to give up a whole lot to acquire Lee. Because of Lee's hefty contract and the drop off in numbers, the asking price from the Warriors won't be too high.