Trading Tyreke Evans would not be a good decision by the Sacramento Kings – NBA Feature
The Sacramento Kings have fallen off the NBA radar after having some successful seasons from 2000-2006 when Chris Webber and Mike Bibby formed the core of the team.
Since 2006, they have not reached the NBA Playoffs and after the departure of Webber and Bibby, went through a roster restructure that saw some new recruitments.
Their fortune seemed to change when they picked Tyreke Evans from the University of Memphis as the 4th overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft. And Evans did thank the Kings for the opportunity by having one of the best debuts
in NBA history. In his rookie season, Evans averaged 20.1 points, 5.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds, making him one of only four players in NBA history to put up 20-5-5 numbers in their rookie seasons. The other three players are LeBron James, Oscar Robertson and
Michael Jordan.
The Kings seemed destined for a comeback onto the NBA stage, believing that they had recruited a future superstar around whom the team could be built. However, Evans suffered from injuries in his sophomore season of 2010-2011 and
played only 57 games which saw a drop in his numbers. Evans was back healthy in the Kings line up this past season but failed to put in the same type of performances as his rookie year.
Now in the offseason, Kings General Manager Geoff Petrie has to decide about the future of Evans. He is on his final year of contract and will be a free agent next season.
Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee recently reported that the Kings will be looking to trade Evans in the offseason. There have also been reports that the Kings are not offering him a contract extension adding fuel to the speculation
that he is indeed headed for a trade.
Evans’ drop in numbers can also be attributed to the fact that he now plays alongside Marcus Thornton and DeMarcus Cousins. With two additional scorers on the team roster, Evans has to share the ball more than he used to.
Apart from that, Evans looks like a promising young talent who is only 22 years old and still in his third year in the NBA. His injury was an unfortunate incident early in his career and he is gradually returning to his old self.
But it is too early to call it a day for this young and promising talent. The Kings might be rushing into a decision too soon. He along with Thornton and Cousins seem to be forming a good core for the Kings team, one they haven’t had since 2006. To trade Evans
this early on while the Kings are still going through restructuring will not be a good idea as the new addition will have to gel with the other team players which will naturally take some time.
Evans has formed a good rapport with the rest of the team and next season could be the one in which the Kings make their mark in the Western Conference provided they have a good offseason, practising and improving their game.
The Kings are on the verge of a possible comeback into the spotlight as they have gathered good talent in their roster over the past few years. And Evans is one of the best players on that roster. Trading him now would not be a
good decision by the Kings. Another shot at him, followed by a good offseason training camp which Evans missed last year due to the lockout, could catapult the Kings team back into the playoffs in the next one or two seasons.
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