Editor’s Note: The recent trade between the Kings and Sixers will be discussed from two perspectives. The following is from Mike Madden, a fan of the Kings. An upcoming post – from Sam Cohen – will discuss this trade from the perspective of the Sixers.
Mike Madden is a noble man living in the slums of Cincinnati. He follows the Kings because they used to be the Cincinnati Royals, and they’re the closest thing Cincinnati has to a basketball team. One day, if he’s up to it, Mike will buy the Kings from the Maloofs and relocate them back to da ‘nati. Until then, he’s stuck hoping Vlade Divac will come back and resurrect the Kings.
The Sacramento Kings recently traded Andres Nocioni and Spencer Hawes to the Sixers for Samuel Dalembert. Seems like a harmless trade on paper- two tall men are swapped, and the Sixers get a solid bench player. Philly also sheds about $3 million in net salary. One would think that the Sixers got the better end of the deal, right?
Wrong.
According to the production posted by each player involved in the trade this past season, it appears as though the Kings got the better end of the deal:
Hawes: -.007 WP48
Nocioni: -.015 WP48
Dalembert: .243 WP48
Hawes and Nocioni combined for -.74 wins, while Dalembert produced 10.75 victories. From 2006-10, Slammin’ Sammy D has been an above average player in terms of Wins Produced, averaging between 7-10 wins per season (with this past year being his best). This is due primarily to his rebounds and blocked shots, as well as his relatively high field goal percentage.
The Kings were eager to get rid of both Nocioni and Hawes. Nocioni demanded a trade out of Sacramento, and is due $13 million over the next two years. His best year was 2006 when he produced 9.38 wins, but his production has dwindled tremendously since then. Hawes was drafted 10th overall in 2007, has been in the negatives in terms of WP48 since then, and doesn’t show many signs of improvement. Once again, the Kings were happy to rid themselves of these two players.
With this trade, this is what the Kings’ roster looks like for next year:
Starting:
PG: Tyreke Evans: .158*
SG: Francisco Garcia: .097
SF: Omri Casspi: .069
PF: Jason Thompson: .044
C: Samuel Dalembert: .243
Bench:
PG: Beno Udrih: .136
SG: Ime Udoka: .132
SF: Donte Green: -.063
PF: Carl Landry: .026
C: Jon Brockman: .252
Projection: 36 wins.
*Evans played the majority of his time at SG, but the team is looking to move him to PG next season.
The Kings also have the fifth pick in the upcoming draft, and with the recent success of Evans, I’m expecting a player who will be an above average rookie and produce between 2-3 wins.
In conclusion, this may not be the trade of the century, but Sacramento did take a step in the right direction. Their record next year will be dependant upon a number of variables; particularly Evans success at point guard, Beno Udrih’s decreased playing time, Dalembert’s consistent production, the rookie, and the development of younger players such as Casspi, Thompson, and Brockman (and Evans, of course). And if the Maloof’s can lure a quality free agent (Joe Johnson?) for next season, don’t be surprised to see the Kings finish above .500.
- Mike Madden
