Despite what the Sacramento Kings' front office originally said, Jimmer Fredette is still sitting on the trade block. The point guard is entering his third year in the NBA and has to truly capitalize in the hype that followed him from college. Fredette is not a draft bust, just on a team that is fairly set at the point guard position. While the Kings are insisting they are not actively shopping Fredette around, they are certainly answering the phones when interested teams call.
Fredette road with the Kings has not been an easy one. As a rookie he was forced to deal with DeMarcus Cousins who quit for a few days, along with multiple disputes and ownership changes in the front office. He also cannot determine his position with the team. Fredette insists on playing point guard, but might be just the third best of the team behind Greivis Vasquez and Isaiah Thomas. After rookie Ray McCallum had a strong Summer League performance, Fredette once again is likely to be traded.
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports the Kings are not actively shopping the young star, but they are considering offers. Sacramento knows Fredette has value and the Kings will push it over the next few months. Fredette is entering into the third year of his rookie contract, set to make $2.5 million and has a team option fourth year remaining on the deal. It is assumed the Kings will exercise the option with a chance to trade him.
Fredette has always been a pure shooter and could greatly help any rebuilding team. Last season he shot 41.7 from behind the arc. Overall he shot 42.1 percent, an improvement from 2012. One issue is that Fredette cannot create his own shot. He mainly shot off the pick-and-roll, hitting 46.4 percent of his shots from the set up. His future is a catch-and-shoot type player with mediocre defensive skills. He is limited, not helping his future.
It will not be shocking if Fredette is off the roster come February. The NBA trade deadline is essentially the deadline for the Kings as well. They are hoping to get a deal done soon. Every front office team official that backed Fredette is gone, leaving his future in Sacramento pretty grim.
