The Philadelphia 76ers success has dimmed the luster of their 2017 NBA Draft. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports The Philadelphia 76ers received the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. New York, NY, USA General view during the NBA draft lottery at New York Hilton Midtown. For this moment, let’s ignore the incredible value of that 2019 first round pick, and just look at the 2017 draft swap rights, okay?
#RUDY GAY INJURY 2016 PLUS#
Plus the team gets a clean first round draft pick in 2019.
From that willingness to absorb expensive contracts, the Philadelphia 76ers received the draft swap rights in 2016 (expired) and 2017. And right now, it appears it may end up that way. That first round pick belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers if the pick becomes more valuable than the one held by the 76ers. Commit that four-letter word (tank) to memory, and do nothing, absolutely nothing, to jeopardize that top-10 protected first-round pick. Trade veterans for assets and to clear cap space. But, if Vlade Divac - the team's general manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations - can somehow find a trade partner willing to depart with substantial assets, he should make it happen.The path forward is pretty obvious. In November, general managers said Sacramento was asking far too much in return for the big man's services. That type of player should net at least one first-round pick and two younger players of promise. And this, through just 40 games, has been the best season of his career, having tallied. In Cousins' last four seasons, he's averaging 25.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game and has a total of 24.5 win shares in that span. The Kings should listen to offers starting now. Maybe it shouldn't take a demand for Cousins to be traded. It could cause outrage from Boogie's camp, including yet another trade demand. He's owed over $18 million in 2017, which isn't bad, but not enough for a player of his caliber in the booming NBA economy. On one hand, they could decide to let Cousins' current deal ride.
#RUDY GAY INJURY 2016 FREE#
On the Kings' part, that's a yearly investment of $41.4 million, or roughly 35% of the new $102 million salary cap.īut if that's all their money is going to buy, what's the point? The Kings could be stuck with a disappointing Arron Afflalo and a damaged Gay as Cousins' supporting cast if they don't open up enough cash to curious free agents. The extension would keep Boogie in Sac-Town through 2022-23 and pay him an estimated $207 million over five years. In the last week or so, reports have surfaced regarding a new and improved contract for Cousins. The Kings have a crucial decision to make about the very cornerstone of their franchise. That'd allow the Kings to pursue an above average or star player to team up with Cousins in the future.īut, Cousins' future could now also be uncertain. In the coming months, he will ponder whether to bet on himself and look for a new deal in the summer, or to play it safe, take the guaranteed money and remain in Sacramento for one more year.įor the Kings, you'd have to think they were content with letting Gay walk, providing them with more cap space. However, after what has been both a career-threatening and changing injury for many others, Gay's decision has become much more difficult. Prior to this injury, Gay was expected to opt out of a $14.3 million player option for 2017-18 in favor of the riches NBA free agency promises. They'll now be without him for the entire second half of the season and possibly even longer. And, last year, we saw him struggle to lead a team absent any other offensive weapons, as the Kings finished the season 3-8 absent their shot-maker and shot-taker.
More will be asked of DeMarcus Cousins, a player already leading his team with a usage rate (36.8%) that places him second among all players. Without Gay, his 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds per game and 2.0 win shares, Sacramento is all but out of the playoff picture. While they're just one game back, the Kings rank 24th in our power rankings and, according to our algorithms, have a paltry 13% chance of reaching the postseason. Like Gay, the Kings have a long road ahead of them.Īt 16-25, they currently stand 11th in the Western Conference. What can we expect from the Kings moving forward? With many challenges before them, what should their front office do? The Setup
At best, he will be fully healthy by the start of the 2017-18 season.Īs Gay's world has been turned upside down, so has the franchise's future. This injury all but spells the end of his 2016-17 NBA campaign. The forward completely ruptured his Achilles in a non-contact play and is set to have surgery in the next few days. If the Sacramento Kings' most recent loss on Wednesday to the Indiana Pacers wasn't devastating enough, they also lost their second-best player in Rudy Gay.