The Jimmer Fredette trade talk has started to heat up as the trading deadline comes on Thursday and the Kings reportedly want a record round pick for him and teams that could be interested include Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, NY Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Pelicans, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs.
Yahoo Sports reports that the Kings are looking for a second round pick and that while a number of teams need backcourt help, they do not want to give up picks for a player that is set to be a free agent and may leave. Rumors about the Jazz and Celtics have come up, but those appear to be wishful thinking, while SI.com reports that the Wizards could be a real option. The team is looking for more depth behind John Wall and along with Andre Miller and Luke Ridnour, the Wizards are an option.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Kings are looking for a deal with Fredette and are listening to offers from other teams. The Kings feel good about their young players and free agent signings in Ben McLemore, Marcus Thornton and John Salmons as well as Greivis Vasquez, Isaiah Thomas and Ray McCallum, making Fredette the odd man out after two uneven seasons with the franchise.
Many though Fredette was picked too high when he was selected and over the summer he was mentioned in various trade rumors with the Cavaliers and the Utah Jazz as well. The Kings have said that they aren't shopping Fredette actively but that they are listening to offers for the star and likely will continue to do so into the season if a deal doesn't come through. Fredette is most valuable as a shooter and is solid from three after shooting over 40 percent last season and while he has been improving slightly over the past two years, it hasn't been enough to win over the Kings.
Fredette was the number 10 pick in 2013 draft and he has averaged under 20 minutes per game, meaning he can't consistently get onto the court for the Kings and now it will be even tougher after the team brought back Carl Landry. There are a number of teams that could fit with a deal, including the Philadelphia 76ers, who have said they may be active on the trade market and some options could be Royce White as well as Thaddeus Young. The team already traded Jrue Holiday and clearly is ready to move on to rebuild.
The Jazz could be a nice landing spot since Jimmer went to BYU and is a Mormon, but Utah likely won't want to give up any of their top young players and a deal likely will depend on how badly or not Sacramento wants to get rid of Fredette. Through his career so far Fredette has not had the chance to play in a consistent system and after multiple coaching changes now could be the chance for him to start playing a bigger role.
When Fredette was drafted many experts in the league felt that he would struggle offensively since the college game has less talent and a shorter three point shot and so far that has been mostly right. Fredette was able to dominate on college and could find an open shot on his own, but in the NBA the defense is too good and he has not been able to adjust completely while playing with the Kings. The Lakers are a pipe dream but not impossible, while the San Antonio Spurs could also be an interesting fit. The team usually does unexpected things when it comes to roster moves and this would fit into that.
The Washington Wizards have been mentioned in other trade talks and adding Fredette to an offense with John Wall and Bradley Beal could help his development and they have some players they could move in a trade. Last season he averaged less than 10 points per game and while he has nearly 20 over his 36 minute average, he has yet to be a consistent threat on offense.