Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: The Sacramento Kings are trying to trade a lottery draft pick just months after selecting the player in the 2015 NBA Draft.
After the Kings went through this same mess and embarrassed themselves with Thomas Robinson, drafting him fifth overall in the 2012 NBA Draft and then trading him before the end of the season, they are now in the midst of the same process with Nik Stauskas. The coaching staff pushed for a shooter and the front office drafted Stauskas eighth overall in the 2015 Draft but the problem is that that staff – including former head coach Mike Malone – has been canned already and Stauskas hasn’t proven to be a fit under the new coaches.
Now the Kings are looking to get 10 cents on the dollar and find a better home for him. Here are the three best landing spots for him.
Indiana Pacers
This is the team that makes the most sense for Stauskas, a tall shooting guard who has a pure natural shooting stroke and who can dribble well enough to create space for his own shot. Indiana – even when it had Paul George – needed shooters off the bench to bolster an offense which didn’t perform very well. Indiana was carried by its defense and head coach Frank Vogel didn’t find options he trusted to play enough defense while providing the necessary added amount of offense Indiana needed on a regular basis. Stauskas is a young but very talented player who could be developed in the Pacers’ system. He could be, in the coming seasons, a bench guy who is able to shoot well when placed into a game.
In a few years, he could then become a starter at small forward as he continues to grow into his body and add muscle with accumulated training. Stauskas doesn’t have the stats to point to a promising career. His promise is built on the potential he has.
Indiana could be the right place for him to grow as a player as they need the offensive help and they have minutes for him to soak up right now. And when George is back, Stauskas could move to the bench and bolster the secondary units. Indiana averages just 94.9 points per game. Stauskas could help with that.
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Charlotte Hornets
It is true that the Hornets have won eight out of their last nine games and have won three games in a row. However, and it’s ironic to say this, Indiana might be a facilitator for a deal involving Stauskas, instead of being the actual landing spot for Stauskas in the end. Think about this: Indiana could swing a three-team deal involving Sacramento and Charlotte in which it sends a piece to Sacramento, which ships Stauskas to Charlotte, which in turn gives Lance Stephenson back to the Pacers, reuniting him with his former team and perhaps giving the Pacers a familiar presence who would be glad to rejoin the team – especially in time for Paul George’s return next season.
While it might sound a bit out there, some trade rumors have reported this three-teamer because it would give both Stephenson and the Pacers a mulligan after both realized they were better together.
For Charlotte, they are still looking for wing scoring and some help for their core, which is Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker. Stauskas could be a good fit as the sharpshooter who plays off of that duo, finds the space on the floor and hits open looks. That’s something Charlotte is lacking right now. They are 29th in three-point field goal percentage.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
The T-Wolves average 97.9 points per game and Stauskas is an offense-oriented player at this point in his young career. He offers the promise of instant offense for this team and can provide some much-needed sharpshooting from the outside. They are 21st in three-point shooting.
Having Ricky Rubio feed him the ball from the point guard spot would create a compatible situation in which Stauskas would be able to become a practiced, polished, catch-and-shoot guy.
