NBA Rumors: Sacramento Kings Still Looking To Trade Ben McLemore
Are the Sacramento Kings still looking to trade guard Ben McLemore?
That is one of the questions fans are asking about when it comes to the Kings. The Kings are about head into NBA training camp in a flux. Several unsettled roster decisions await the Kings. And to be honest, not everything can be done between now and when the NBA trade deadline comes in the middle of February.
The Kings had opportunities this summer to generate some clarity when it comes to their roster. Instead of making some necessary trades, the Kings have sat on their hands.
NBA rumors have been filled with the names of Kings’ players possibly being on the move. Those names included Sacramento Kings’ Stars DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay, along with rotational players in Kosta Koufos and Ben McLemore.
At some point, expect for at least two players from that quartet to get traded by the Kings.
It is most likely that the Kings will deal Gay and McLemore. One of the NBA rumors that built up some steam was the Los Angeles Lakers acquiring Rudy Gay.
Sportsrageous did report that the Lakers was offering guards Nick Young and Lou Williams for the Kings’ Rudy Gay. If that trade were to happen as constituted, Ben McLemore is as good as gone.
Ben McLemore leaving the Sacramento Kings is not such a bad idea.
Does McLemore have star potential, yes!
Will he grow playing in Sacramento, no!
Ben McLemore’s career has failed to get off the ground the way he and the Sacramento Kings had hoped. McLemore came into the NBA with the reputation of a slasher and pure athlete. He has done a few things to work on his jumper and solidify his defensive ability, but he is not truly panning out. A change of scenery can do McLemore and the Kings some good.
To his credit, McLemore has done what he can to block out the NBA trade rumors that keep churning out his name. According to the Sacramento Bee, the fourth-year guard is too focused on having a strong year, more than he is the NBA rumors with his name involved.
McLemore sounded like a matured player, despite being a youthful 23-year-old.
“I’ve been really focused on myself this summer … I let my agent, I let my manager handle all the front-office business while I focused on Ben. … I just told my team to keep me updated on anything dealing with me so I can continue to be a pro and focused on my game.”
McLemore is aware that the Kings have continued to find an upgrade at his position. The Kings have drafted players at his position and signed players.
This year, the Kings have added Arron Afflalo to start at shooting guard. And if Rudy Gay is headed to the Lakers, two more shooting guards will have been added by the Kings.
Sacramento needs to cut their ties with Ben McLemore and ignore what he can be.
At one point, it was believed that the Kings were trading McLemore to the Chicago Bulls. That was last seasons’s big NBA rumor at the trade deadline.
McLemore to the Bulls at the time would have included Kosta Koufos going with him to Chicago for Pau Gasol and Tony Snell. An even swap of Ben McLemore and Tony Snell is what the Kings and Bulls should do.
Like every other rumor the Kings have been involved in thus far, this may not materialize into anything substantial. Much of that will be because the Kings have had chances to deal McLemore, but they were insistent that any interested teams had to take on Koufos’ contract too.
The Sacramento Kings will likely wait until the season starts before they decide to trade Ben McLemore. The Kings should not have waited this process out.
[Featured Image by Stacy Revere/Getty Images]
