The Sacramento Kings did a big salary cap dump in hopes of getting a few marquee names and only came away with Rajon Rondo on a one-year contract. The Kings were targeting everyone from Wesley Matthews and Monta Ellis to trade deals for Ty Lawson and Eric Bledsoe. They came up short and now have holes to fill on the roster heading into the second week of NBA free agency. With money left to burn, is Josh Smith the intended target?
Smith helped himself at the end of the 2014-15 season by coming up big in the playoffs. The shooting guard arrived in Houston after a disaster stint in Detroit. Smith told the media that he felt at home in Houston and loved how he fit in with the team. The issue is that the Rockets are strapped for cash and might not be able to give him a new contract which has the Kings stepping in.
According to Rudy Gay on his Snapchap, Smith is going to be a King in the near future. Sacramento's interest in Smith is nothing new. At a point last season they were hoping to acquire the shooting guard in a trade in order to bring in Rondo as well. Now, the team has Rondo on a one-year contract and could be looking to bring in Smith to round out a starting lineup that would also consist of DeMarcus Cousins. While some might say that is a potential coaching disaster waiting to happen, the Kings are seeing it as production on the court.
Sacramento re-signed Omri Casspi along with drafting Willie Cauley-Stein. Their roster is certainly improved from last season and Smith would no doubt help that effort. If Smith is not an option for the Kings, they could chase a few other players including trade deals for Nick Young or Joe Johnson. Neither of their contracts are truly wanted by the franchise.
According to the Sacramento Bee, a trade of Cousins is still not entirely out of the question. The center was the topic of conversation at the NBA Draft and the Kings opted to stay put and keep the center. There is still plenty of interest in Cousins if Sacramento is willing to sell. Head coach George Karl will likely wait and see just how Cousins and Cauley-Stein complement each other before truly making a call on what move to go with.