From DeMarcus Cousins trade rumors to building an exuberant team around the big man, the Sacramento Kings’ offseason has been fairly successful.
Before free agency began, Cousins was a hot topic, as many rumors suggested that the Kings organization was open to trading him for a high lottery pick. The Los Angeles Lakers garnered a lot of interest in Cousins and actually held discussions with Sacramento involving their second overall pick.
When the Kings selected Willie Cauley-Stein with the sixth overall pick, many believed the rookie big man was going to replace Cousins. However, Kings owner Vivek Ranadive put an end to all the rumors and speculations when he declared that Cousins is not available for trade.
With Cousins sticking on the roster, the Kings went into free agency looking to score big. They traded away Carl Landry, Nik Stauskas, and Jason Thompson to the Philadelphia 76ers for cap relief. Creating cap room, Sacramento snagged Rajon Rondo on a one-year deal.
Rondo had a disappointing year with the Dallas Mavericks, butting heads with head coach Rick Carlisle and failing to play up to his standards. With a new surrounding and a young team looking for a veteran play maker, perhaps Rondo could bounce back and return to All-Star form.
The four-time All-Star is well suited for George Karl’s system, as he should get the freedom to run the offense and control the pace. If Rondo can play like he did as a member of the Boston Celtics, he can certainly make life easier for DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay.
A great area of focus for the Kings this summer was improving their three-point shooting. To satisfy that need, they acquired Marco Belinelli and Caron Butler while re-signing Omri Casspi.
Belinelli, 29, is a lethal three-point shooter, averaging 39.2 percent from deep throughout his career. The former Three-Point Shootout champion is a great replacement for Stauskas and will significantly help the Kings’ outside shooting off the bench.
Butler, the 35-year-old veteran, may not have the explosiveness like he did back in the day, but he has transformed into an ample spot up shooter. He can help improve Sacramento’s three-point shooting as well when given the minutes.
As for Casspi, he has always been a high energy offensive player who can knock down threes, too. The Israeli not only has a nice touch from outside, but he also possesses great size for defensive purposes.
Turning their attention to other areas of need, the Kings signed big man Kosta Koufos. The seven-year player out of Ohio State brings size, defense, and rebounding to the table. He is one player who could substantially benefit from Rondo’s play making abilities since the 26-year old makes a living playing below the basket.
Another quality pickup for the Kings was Quincy Acy, an undersized, energetic power forward. Acy is a passionate, 110 percent effort every night type of guy. Last season, he received a huge opportunity with the New York Knicks and averaged six points and over four rebounds a game off the pine.
Finally came the addition of Seth Curry, brother of NBA champion Stephen. For years, Seth has been battling hard to receive an NBA contract, and that hard work has paid off. Curry signed a two-year deal with the Kings after amazing Summer League performances.
Curry averaged a league-high 24.3 points to go along with 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 steals, and 2.7 assists during the Las Vegas Summer League. He was drawing interest from the New Orleans Pelicans, but the Kings ultimately poached Curry to bring him in as the third guard off their bench.
The Sacramento Kings have finally put together a competitive team, one that could likely contend for a playoff spot this upcoming season. They redecorated their bench, filling it with three-point shooters and ridding themselves of unnecessary contracts. And with ‘Boogie’ Cousins staying on board, the city of Sacramento could heave a sigh of relief.
Off-Season Grade: B
