The basketball coach at my high school and I will often swap ideas and news from around the basketball world. He and I would take the talking points from potential trading partners, playoff races, and inevitably the draft. He and I share a love for the game, but our perspectives as fans are largely different. I am, obviously a Kings fan and he is a Spurs fan. Their coaching and play style drew him in over a decade ago, and he has enjoyed a lofty experience with them. I will usually bring up the draft, because my team has a much larger stake in it than his, and he will weigh in on my amateur scouting reports.

Today, I asked him about the enigmatic forward from Baylor, Perry Jones III. He has been ranked from 20th all the way to the top three in this year's draft. Possessing a tantalizing set of skills that translates to extremely high potential, he has sparked much interest from STR readers. Some here even say he could be the second best player picked behind Anthony Davis. While I knew he was talented, I couldn't help but be cautious with my enthusiasm. My coach asked me if I'd heard of Casey Arent. He was a student who completed two years at Sierra Community College in Rocklin and transferred to play for the Oklahoma Sooners basketball team. He towers over most at 6'10, and more interestingly he played in direct competition with both Perry Jones III and another first round candidate, Quincy Miller.

The Sooners faced the Bears in the regular season and lost 65-77, with Perry Jones posting 21 points and 12 boards. He seemingly dominated on the scoreboard, but coming away from the game Casey and the other guys all had a consensus on Jones and Miller. They were tissue paper soft. My coach went on to tell me that Oklahoma had begun game planning to out-muscle Jones, and only by the grace that their shots were not falling did they lose. Players on the Oklahoma bench were marveling at how Jones or Miller expected to make it in the NBA with their body-types if they were so afraid of contact. Jones is a very lengthy player who will succeed in this league by getting to the rim (he sure won't succeed with that 27% college 3PT%), and if he is afraid of contact he will be losing out on a lot of opportunities to score for his team. The same goes for Miller, who was a mediocre shooter in college that has the length to get to the basket. But Miller and Jones are at different positions in the draft, with Jones III getting much more scrutiny as he will likely be a top 10 pick based off of his potential.

Jones has been labeled by scouts a low motor player, and many worry his potential will never pan out. Two years ago, we took a gamble on a "bad-character" player and it paid off rather nicely, but DeMarcus Cousins never had issues with motivation. He posted some amazing statistics that were often compared to a young Shaquille O'Neal. His negative attitude could always be rooted out with age and experience, and he has grown up plenty in his two seasons in Sacramento. In fact, his attitude might be one of his strongest assets. He never wants to lose, and personally, I want my players to be angry when they lose. They just have to be careful not to lose sight of the gameplan as well as the scope of an entire season's worth of progress. DeMarcus Cousins was just never largely questioned for his motivation by anyone who had met him or seen him play. However, Perry Jones III has been labeled as a player who will mentally check out of a game. This is a much more prevalent issue that leads to busts. Just for posterity's sake, I checked out the scouting reports on high-profile players coming out of college that were famous for their underwhelming production in the NBA.

Continue reading this post »

Needless to say, the events of Friday the 13th will forever mark a dark day for me. The Kings' chances of staying in Sacramento were greatly hindered, detonating countless 'f-bombs' across the valley. I watched the press conference, unblinking. The Maloofs were betraying us, and were genuinely offended by the city's valiant attempt to keep the team. A tear rolled down the side of my face.

A major foundation in my life was leaving.

The stability the team created in my life was paramount to my development as a person. This team taught me glory, fear, joy, loss, and most of all: perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds. In the world they exist in, the Kings are handcuffed in their attempt to succeed due to an element they themselves cannot change. They are located in a small market, unfortunately. I, like them live in a world where I deal with disadvantages from the get-go. As an autistic there are things that I am simply not able to do easily, much like the Sacramento Kings. However, I have reached the age of eighteen and events in my household have begun to push me out of the family unit. I myself know, I am not ready to leave the nest but I may soon be forced to by my mother's boyfriend. He and I share the same name, but that's pretty much it. Fights break out constantly, many verbal, some nearly coming to blows. My sister and my own mother have begun to side with him on many occasions. I understand that I need to improve some things, but as the task-list he presented me was whittled down, I got a job, paid for my own food and gas, and began to take a much more independent stance in the family; he began to scream and rage over the smallest missteps I made around the house. He alienated me from my blood relatives in the process, and I've been escorted out the door several times to live elsewhere. The situation has been tense for awhile, but it boiled over on, you guessed it Friday the 13th.

That night, I admitted it. I admitted that I feared the man who shared only my name. He sneered down at me, and told me I was worthless. I turned to my family, and they did not answer my desperate gaze. Seconds passed, and then they broke the silence by telling me in polite terms that he was correct and that if things didn't change quickly, I would be out. They told me they no longer could stand living in the same house as me. I had been trying my best to make things work, I had truly tried. But now, I am apartment shopping and trying to get a second job for the summer. One of my few bastions of security has fallen, and the team that has long been so important to me is about to follow. I love my family, and I love my Kings; both now stand on the precipice of being lost to me. I am continuing to try to make things work here, but my exit is imminent. My future is decided, but the Kings still have hope.

The esteemed Tom Ziller detailed the Kings as directionless, and they have been for far, far too long. Yet, we are reaching a turning point, if we win this fight the Maloofs will surely be ousted by either their peers or their own incompetence. Dream, Kings fans. Dream of a day where you can be proud of your ownership, know that they are working tirelessly to put the best product on the floor like the Mark Cubans and Mikhail Prokhorovs of the world. Kings fans have been presented an extraordinary opportunity throughout all of this. We have been given the power to sway the course of our team's trajectory far beyond a cheer or a boo ever could. Sure, by choice we would never reach this point where we receive this power, but here we are. Whether it is a war of attrition or a grand show of strength, we can still win this. It will be hard, and let's face it we still have a long way to go to keep our Kings thanks to those asshat Maloofs.

We have done more than any other fans to keep our team, and it has been said there is nothing else we can do. We can't tie the Maloofs down and beat them until they submit to our whims, but we can still offer an asset that will aid us in being swept off our collective feet, viability. Yes, the very thing the Maloofs have been claiming we don't have is our biggest strength. We sold out 18 of the last 26 seasons, and through our demonstrations to keep the team we have done more than delay their movement, we have put the community of Sacramento on the national radar of a few billionaires like Pittsburgh Penguins owner Ron Burkle, and Larry Ellison of Oracle fame. When has that ever even been a possibility? The Maloofs were rich before, but the "b" word? Nonsense. No one becomes a billionaire by being stupid, and they both know by putting a winning product out, the money will sort itself out. We beat the Maloofs, and we could very well be contending in a year or two at the rate real NBA owners are spending. How long has it been since anyone could talk about that seriously? Nearly a decade, I'd say.


No matter what, I will be leaving. Whether its just my house, the county, the state or even the country I will be leaving. I may never see another Kings game in person, but I will only root for them if they stay at home. I will never forget the last game I went to, in Sacramento's ARCO Arena, where the Kings belong. Someday, I may return to sit in an unfamiliar seat; an older man, Someone who is good enough to stay, but only became such by leaving. It will be a home the Kings earned, through toil and sacrifice from Mayor Kevin Johnson, and the members of the Sacramento community as well as the world-wide members of the Kings family. Now, I strive to earn a home through much of the same.

In summation, I ask the city of Sacramento, and the users of Sactown Royalty to continue fighting for your Kings. Not for the Maloof-owned Kings, and not just the organization itself. Fight for your personal glory, your happiness, and yes even your crushing defeat. As a man who has just lost his home I beg you to not let your flawed but beloved team leave. Even if the fight is impossible, continue it. We are the best fans in the NBA and we will damn well prove it over the course of the next year if it takes that long. We can choose to make a flagrant and damning statement towards our ownership that would feel very satisfying (no denying that), or ride above their bullshit and continue to cheer as loud as we can for the Sacramento Kings.


I'll rest my voice when their gone. Because I won't be needing to cheer anyone on for the rest of my life.

The day was February 12th (Thank you Aykis), 2006, and the Sacramento Kings were heading into their last playoff appearance to date. At the age of fourteen, my sister was enjoying a blossoming career as a musician, and was invited to Sacramento State University to perform with several other pianist youths. As a prepubescent male, Beethoven held little appeal to me. I was more interested in taking my worn-leather basketball to the Hornet's practice court to shoot some hoop.

I arrived at gym, sneaking my way into the facility, dribbling my basketball through the halls. Yes, I know, not too sneaky, but I was twelve and not especially observant. Finally I reached the court, but it wasn't empty. I heard the familiar tone of many basketballs colliding on hardwood, and the chatter between the players. I cracked the door open, and inside I saw a group of humongous, muscular men going hard in their drills. On the sidelines sat several older men, all of whom seemed focus on speaking to the man closest to the court. He wore a black sweatshirt with red trim lining the sleeves and chest, with a logo above his heart. He must've been the coach. But the coach of what? This was a lower-tier conference squad? They were way too big to be college athletes. I looked back at the players, who were conducting a fastbreak drill, with three players streaking down the court towards two awaiting defenders, the point guard passed the ball over to the corner three and the player shot the ball. Dear God his form was ugly.

But... I knew it from somewhere, he seemed to be pushing the ball from his chest with both hands. It was much like my own form years before, when ten foot hoops were too high to reach without a heave. But this guy was over six feet tall and very athletic. He had an Afro that made him stick out, but it was that shooting form that caught my eye. I'm sure some of you have guessed who he was already, it was Atlanta Hawk at the time, Josh Childress.

This was no college team. It was the Atlanta Hawks, practicing in a college gym before facing my Kings.

At this point, the coach noticed my presence, as I had entered the room and closed the door behind me quietly. He waved me over, I was scared he'd be angry at me. To the contrary, he smiled and asked my name. His name, Mike was monogrammed on his jacket. I quietly told him it was Chris, and he asked me how I was doing. I said I was good. He gestured to my basketball, which I was holding with a death grip from nerves.

"Were you going to shoot some hoop here?" He ventured.

I looked at him, back at the court, then back at him. "Yeah, but I'll leave if you guys are busy."

He shook his head, "No, stay we were wrapping it up anyways." He gestured to an assistant who then blew on his whistle. He called the players back to a huddle, but instead of the normal speech given at the end of practice, Mr. Woodson (Mike) told them to have a short scrimmage, and told them to play with me. I was flabbergasted, and totally scared.

I got the ball from Childress on the top of the key and the guys cheered me on to score. The guy ahead of me though? Josh Smith. A full six foot eight he towered above me with arms outstretched. I charged forward to the left, trying to surprise him with a strangely well-developed lefty game, blew past him, and hit a layup. I couldn't believe it. His teammates all jokingly jeered him, but he just smiled back at them, and then grinned at me. People always talk about his character issues, but Josh Smith definitely isn't a bad guy. We ended the scrimmage after a few more possessions, but it was an amazing time for me. I met everybody on the team, and shook hands with them; Mike Woodson told me to keep working my game and maybe he'd have a look at me when I was older. I knew he was humoring me, but it meant a lot to me at the time. I can't count how many times I went out in my driveway to try and better my left-hand game that earned such praise from him.

I don't play anymore, but it was one of those things that helped me gain a love for the game. I've never been able to meet a Kings player, but playing with the Hawks definitely made me root for them when the Kings weren't playing. I know it isn't Kings related, but this type of story is why we have to remember at the end of the day no matter how much we loathe the other team while we're playing them, they're all people like you and me.

I'll start by saying: The Sacramento Kings are just about the only stable thing I've had in my life, and I'll scream my lungs out to keep them here.

I am eighteen years old and live in the little old town of Loomis, California. I have lived here my entire life, but it never came easy. Since 1996, I have lived in fifteen different houses, never staying anywhere for too long. My father stopped involving himself in my life upon finding out that I had Asperger's Syndrome, and the relatively small line of my mother's suitors became the only male influence in my life. At the age of six, I had been rejected by my peers and my own father for being mentally handicapped, I had no self esteem as a male or as a human-being for that matter.

Fast-forward to April 7, 2001: My mother's long-time boyfriend Danny decided to take me to a Kings game. I had never seen a live basketball game before this, and I had no idea what to expect. We arrived at ARCO Arena, and I was shaking from excitement, it seemed like you could really feel the energy there. We reached our seats, center court Row B Seats 5 & 6, clearly Danny was serious about my mom because these tickets must have cost a fortune. The visiting Knicks strolled onto the court, and damn! They were huge! This behemoth lineup featured Latrell Sprewell, Allen Houston, and Mark Jackson. I admired them, but I knew they were the enemy by their lack of black jerseys. Then the lights dimmed and our beloved Glory-Days Kings came charging out in all their splendor. Peja, Webber, Divac, Christie, Bibby, Funderburke, Jackson, Turkoglu, Pollard, and the rest were introduced to earsplitting cheers. It was so loud in there! The game hadn't even begun, and the arena was almost shaking. This was a rabid, loving fan-base that intimidated every other team in the league with the vicious clangs of our cowbells. I was hooked.

The game was a blowout, we won 116-82 with not a single player on our squad scoring more than 16 points. It was beautiful basketball that I only appreciate more looking back on it now, the ball went everywhere, our shots fell with amazing efficiency, and everybody was involved. Our depth completely overwhelmed these unfortunate Knicks, and the game was over relatively quickly. Danny led me out of the crowded arena with my new Webber jersey on, and we were lost in the parking lot for an hour. He drove a yellow pickup truck, neon-bright yellow! Finally, we drove home and I couldn't even sleep that night. I was so ecstatic about my newfound love, the Sacramento Kings.

As someone who has moved around all my life, I know the value of a home versus a house. The Kings found their home here, and we found the Kings. Throughout the clout of my family's finances and my delayed education, I never stopped loving the Kings. If I had a bad day at school, I'd flip on the game and everything was all right. These Kings would never leave, they'd always be my team. No lawyer, no teacher could take them from me.

But now, just as I turn 18 these Kings might leave me behind. I have not been able to afford tickets since that fateful day, and my fandom has been based off of countless hours in front of my television shouting, cheering, crying, jumping up and down, and finally falling back on my couch in fatigue once the final buzzer sounded. This is our team, and there are many stories out their like mine, and there will be many after me who look to this team as an escape, as faithful friends.

I apologize for going over the 500 word limit.

         After dropping back in the lottery (again.) to the 7th pick in the draft, there has been much debate on what to look for with this pick. The two leading thoughts are:

- A surefire role-player who will almost certainly start for the team, or become a valuable role player off the bench.  Steady improvement to our team's depth is the way to build a contender.  Player who best fits this profile (and will likely be available when we pick)  is:  Kemba Walker.  While few herald him as a potential star, he would be a good scoring punch off the bench to allow Thornton and Tyreke to rest on the bench.  This would be the safe option, but the counter-argument is that the 7th pick isn't where you're looking for bench depth, but a starter/star for the team going forward. Other options that would be listed here are Jimmer Fredette (BYU) and Kawhi Leonard. (SDSU)

- A boom or bust pick, because after all, in a draft as poor as this, the fear of a player not panning out isn't nearly as high as in the previous few years where the safer options had much higher ceilings than this year's prospects.  If you fail with this pick, and it is likely that many other GMs will, the consequences would not look nearly as bad as the Oden/Durant, Bowie/Jordan gaffes.  Player who best fits this profile (and will likely be available when we pick) is:  Bismack Biyombo.  Biyombo is an enigmatic prospect, his age was a mystery until quite recently, but his ability to defend at an NBA level quite well at his age is intriguing enough to make a case for him at the 7th pick.  However, he is extremely raw on the offensive side of the ball, and his inability to develop on offense makes it a risk to take him this early in the draft. The other players who would be considered in this category are basically all the foreign players in this draft.

           Both schools of thought have merit, but in order to find what to expect with this pick, we should look at what other teams have shot for, and gotten with the 7th pick of the NBA draft in years past. Here are the past 7th selections from each draft from 2000-present.

2000: Chris Mihm (Chicago)

2001: Eddie Griffin (New Jersey)

2002: Nene Hilario (New York)

2003: Kirk Hinrich (Chicago)

2004: Luol Deng (Phoenix: Traded to Chicago)

2005: Charlie Villanueva (Toronto)

2006: Randy Foye (Boston)

2007: Corey Brewer (Minnesota)

2008: Eric Gordon (Los Angeles- Clippers)

2009:  Stephen Curry (Golden State)

2010: Greg Monroe (Detroit)

          After looking at these picks, it is evident we are not the first team to go through this conundrum at pick #7 (or for that matter anywhere else in the draft.).   These players were perceived by the NBA front offices at the time as talented enough to warrant a lottery selection.  Quite a few of these players panned out to be solid starters/role-players.  However, Stephen Curry is the only player who seems to have star potential.  These results are up for debate, but this is how I view the type of players each of them have become.

Starters/Role-players: (8/11) - Nene Hilario, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Charlie Villenueva, Corey Brewer, Stephen Curry, Greg Monroe, and Eric Gordon.

         Examining this group, the majority of them came from big college programs, and were not one-and done prospects. Luol Deng and Eric Gordon were the only players to be one-and-dones in college.  Nene was the lone foreign prospect of the group, who played for the Brazil national team, garnering good experience before coming to the NBA.  The experienced college players that were picked at number 7 were often the most successful in the NBA (although some of the more recent ones are still to be determined).

Busts: (3/11) - Chris Mihm, Eddie Griffin, Randy Foye.

This is a much more erratic group of players, one playing long-term with his college program, one coming straight out of high school, and unfortunately Eddie Griffin is no longer with us. 

          It is difficult to isolate the variable that makes a player a bust in the NBA, but to coincide with the debate, I decided to look at the college experience (which is usually brought into play when debating the safety of a pick) of each of these players and sort them that way.

Experienced College/foreign players:  (7/11)

One-and Done/High School Entries: (4/11)

                Although these results have little bearing on the strength/weaknesses of this draft and the many factors that are still not revealed to the general public, there definitely is a trend to be seen.  The more experienced college players were taken at the 7th pick than the ones who were raw and unproven in better competition.  Teams seem to gravitate to the safer picks when the draft whittles away the top talent, and this method has been pretty successful (only 2 of the experienced players became busts/no longer play in the NBA).  Only two of these players drafted at that pick have found success, despite being relatively "green".  Following these basic figures, it would be more logical from a statistical standpoint to go with the safe pick that will contribute to the team's depth.  But, I'm not the expert (God is the only expert, right Chuck?)  on this business.  I'll let you guys put in your two cents on what direction the team should go come draft night.  It all comes down to, is the risk worth the reward this year?

Go Kings!

 Me and my friend have a longstanding argument, he believes we should make as many moves as possible to contend now (which in his mind include adding Hedo Turkoglu and Michael Pietrus. *Sigh*.), whilst I think that mortgaging our future for a playoff appearance is foolish in the face of building over time like most small market teams must do a la. San Antonio Spurs/Oklahoma City Thunder/etc.

But this conversation got me thinking, where would you, the fan, want the Kings to be next May? After a short period of perusing this subject, I noticed that there were two schools of thought, primarily. One side, believes that we will squeak into the playoffs as an 8th seed to inevitably play the [redacted]. The other thinks that we will place within the bottom 10 teams of the league.

Here's an article that places each Western Conference team in a rank:

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=16913

This has us ranked as the 10th seed in the Western Conference. That figures us to be in the 10-15 segment of the draft once again, which is improvement, definitely. We'd need to win about 40 games to get to the 10th seed this upcoming year and that is a good deal of improvement from this year.

In my opinion, this is an accurate depiction for us as a team and we will continue to grow through the draft by picking in the 10-14 spot.

Lastly, how do you think the roster will look after this season? Will we look significantly different in our core or will we stay with this current squad the entire year?

I'd like to open this analysis by stating that I am a life-long Kings fan. I feel for those of you who fear LeBron will exit Cleveland for the bright lights of New York, Chicago, or Miami. Sacramento has suffered similar hardships to Cleveland, but these instances have been nowhere near as heartbreaking (With perhaps the exception of the debacle that was Game 6 WCF Finals.).

I have been thinking about this 'Decision Day' for a long time and here is what I think can be drawn by LeBron's decision, whatever that may be. I will go from team to team and explain my thoughts about LeBron if he signs with them.

Chicago Bulls: If LeBron signs with the Chicago Bulls, despite them failing to grab Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade, it tells me that he wants to chase history. In Chicago, he will be constantly compared to His Airness, Michael Jordan, and by choosing the best fit team to contend now; he is showing himself as a man who believes he can outdo Michael Jordan. I see this possibility as very unlikely at this point in his career. He has to win 7 rings over the course of the next ten years to go down in history as greater than Jordan if he were to go to the Bulls, who are already fit to contend (more-so with the addition of Carlos Boozer.). That is a feat that will not happen in today's league.

Likelihood LeBron Signs Here: 5%

Number of Projected Rings: Three.

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New York Knicks: An interesting wild card in the top three teams that are jockeying for LeBron. Having invested the past two years in this attempt to sign the King, they greatly weakened their roster. Isiah Thomas wreaked havoc all over this team's future, and they will have to go through a series of crafty maneuvers in order to be in playoff contention, even with the addition of Amar'e Stoudemire. LeBron signing here will be the sign that his entrepreneurship is his greatest concern. New York is, quite easily, the biggest market available in the free agency and will be the easiest avenue for LeBron to accomplish his goals of becoming a billionaire. Paired up with Amar'e, as well as the burgeoning Danilo Gallinari and Bill Walker, LeBron will have to wait several years in order to be in title contention against the Miami Heat tandem of Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. The hypothetical situation LeBron heads to New York, it will be an almost entirely financially fueled decision.

Likelihood LeBron Signs Here: 20%

Number of Projected Rings: Two.

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Miami Heat: By far the most disappointing option in my eyes. For a talent as amazing and unique as LeBron James, going to Miami to make the next 'Big Three' is an admittance of defeat. In Cleveland, he has always been 'the guy'. But in Miami, there is no way he would be the leader of this team. Dwayne Wade has established himself, already winning a ring with a far weaker cast than LeBron would have if he were to go to Miami. Playing with such high-caliber players would be tempting for anyone, but for LeBron to go down in history as one of the game's best, he must not go to Miami. This will forever taint his legacy as a Scottie Pippen to Dwyane's Jordan. He will win, by far, the most rings in Miami. With a legacy to worry about LeBron James must pave his own path to glory, not just by riding Dwyane Wade's coat-tails.

Likelihood LeBron Signs Here: 40%

Number of Projected Rings: Five.

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Cleveland Cavaliers: Don't worry, I haven't forgot about you Cleveland. Out of every option LeBron has presented to him, this is the one with the greatest emotional pull. Can you imagine him leaving his hometown team? LeBron lived here his entire life, played here his entire life. This is his home. By choosing to stay in Cleveland, LeBron is electing to create a legacy unlike any other in all of sports. Cleveland is a town that is connected to futility in all sports, always has been. By staying in Cleveland, LeBron will be writing a new chapter in the city's history and has the most likelihood of going down as the game's greatest. He has done admirable things, amazing things. But winning a title in Cleveland, even if it is just one, will put him in the conversation of the G.O.A.T. that is already populated by Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and most recently, Kobe Bryant.

Likelihood LeBron Stays: 35%

Number of Projected Rings: Two.

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In conclusion, the main worry about him leaving Cleveland is his passion for the game, or more specifically, what kind of passion. He is an amazing player with the tools to become Jordan's rival, but his heart is what we all must question. Jordan never dreamed of giving up on his team. LeBron James may not be cut from the same cloth. I see LeBron as more of a Julius Erving prototype. His passion for this game, is to amaze. No matter where he goes, he will be amazing. Michael Jordan was a man who only wished to become a legend, to dominate, to set a path that to follow would be to be entered in the annuls of legend. The business empire that Jordan established came from winning, winning, and more winning. LeBron James is marketable because he is amazing, but can anyone say that he has the heart of a champion just yet? He has no rings, unfortunately, and this last postseason against the Celtics was just pathetic on his part. LeBron will be judged by all in the upcoming hours, all Cleveland fans can hope for is that LeBron's love for the game transcends monetary gains or even individual awards. For the only way he will be remembered as the greatest, is to stay the course and force his will down the throats of the rest of the league in the Quicken Loans Arena.

I hate violating the etiquette of posting trade ideas as fan-posts but seeing as I have no credible source I have to use this as a facet for this idea.

It is no secret that David Lee has been disillusioned by the Knicks organization for the past few years whilst they attempted to gather cap-space for this FA, and no one can blame him for wanting to be with a contender during those times. His visits to the T-Wolves actually went well, apparently, and I think he is going to drift away from the Knicks over the next few days. You may be losing him without anything in return, but how would feel about a sign and trade for Spurs point guard, Tony Parker?

Tony's name has been linked up with the Knicks since the playoffs and I think that there is a plausible reason for both teams to make this trade. Lee is a young, talented front-court scorer who can help Tim Duncan as well as bring youth that the Spurs desperately want and need. With Hill and Roger Mason in the back-court, the Spurs stay solid and can improve the front-court by leaps and bounds through this trade.

The Knicks want a point guard to compliment their newly acquired PF, Amar'e Stoudemire and I think that with Tony Parker as an option on offense, STAT won't be double teamed as much. Your back-court is shored up and you really improve the balance of your team for any upcoming FA's (Which in my opinion was the biggest thing hindering you guys this year.), meaning that you have building blocks already in place. With a good draft and this trade, you could be in contention for titles very soon.

Now that Chris Paul has become available for teams to look at trading for, do you think Sacramento would benefit from getting him? 

The team has stated that it wants a star player, a starter, and a first round draft pick. But who is going to offer that? I realize that they can stand pat and not trade Paul but they might as well begin a rebuilding project now seeing as they have a perfectly serviceable point guard in Darren Collison. They'd want us to take on that god-awful contract that Okafor has but he is pretty decent and we could send Dalembert over to pretty much null the basketball perspective of that transaction.

What I'm thinking is:

Hornets

• Emeka Okafor
• Chris Paul

Kings

• Samuel Dalembert
• Carl Landry
• Francisco Garcia
• Top 10 Protected First Round Draft Pick 2011

This gives the Hornets two expiring contracts next year and they can resign Carl Landry (who is relatively young) as well as Dalembert if they like him (for a lot less than his current contract, mind you!). Francisco is the only pill they have to swallow for this to go through in the financial sense. We give them a protected top 10 pick for next year so they can rebuild themselves. They receive some financial flexibility and some building blocks to put around Collison and next year's center crowded draft.

The Kings would get a superstar point guard to play next to Tyreke Evans who is still pretty young and we get the same player as we would with Dalembert statistically but a few years younger. We improve from a talent perspective and it clears up PT for our newly acquired players (Hassan Upside and DMC).

Just a thought, this is my first post so be gentle.