What did you do Sacramento?

I personally hate the idea of doing a salary dump without any kind of commitment from the player/players they are targeting. This is the type of move you should be making once you have a verbal commitment from a player or if the assets moved do not ruin the franchise. I understand that the Woj will probably break the verbal commitment before he actually commits and the team taking on the salary will have a ton of leverage over them. IMO losing a pick or an extra player is worth it in the end if I get my guy. But my team better have a solid foundation and is a piece or two away from being a contender or at least a perennial playoff team. The risk is high but so should the return. Recently the Cavs dumped Zeller, Jack, Karasev with picks to free up room for Lebron. This was after all the reports of Lebron being done in Miami and rumors that he was interested in going home to Cleveland. Lebron did not commit yet but the odds were very much in their favor, so really calling this a risk is a bit of a stretch. We also know how that turned out for the Cavs. And just this season the Milwaukee Bucks pulled off a salary dump of their own. They got rid of $7+mill of Ilyasova for the non-guaranteed contracts of Caron Butler and Shawne Williams. It worked out for the Bucks and they landed their big man Greg Monroe. The Bucks have a great young core already in place. The Bucks finished last season as a .500 team but with the continued growth of that core and the addition of Monroe they are set to make noise in the very competitive central division. In these scenarios there was relatively low risk involved with a very high return. The Cavs gave up a middle of the road prospect in Zeller, a solid backup in Jack, a project in Karasev, and a late first round pick. Milwaukee gave up Ilyasova an injury plauged SF/PF that was going to lose out to Middleton, Antetokounmpo, and Parker anyways. Also, what the Suns did in their bid for the services of Aldridge was low risk, high reward. They sadly broke up the Morris twins but they were close enough to being the same player that they could afford to take the chance. Granger never saw the floor and Bullock is still an unknown entity but young enough to have a chance.

Now on to what the Kings did:

To Philly: - Nik Stauskas - Jason Thompson - Carl Landry - 2018 1st rd pick (top-10 protected) - Right to swap 1st rd pick w/Kings in '16 - Right to swap 1st rd pick w/Kings in '17

To Sacramento: - Rights to Arturas Gudaitis (47th pick in 2015) - Rights to Luka Mitrovic (60th pick in 2015)

Note Via NbaDraft.net:
"Bulls receive King's 2015 first round pick. Top 10 protected. 2015-2017, or second round pick in 2018 or extinguished"

Remember the ideal scenario is low risk, high return. But at the very least you want high risk, high return. Even if Cousins stays in Sacramento this team is still going to be a top 10 lottery team. The Kings are in a hyper competitive western conference and a roster as thin as a piece of paper. If Philly has a worse record, which I doubt at the time of writing this, they have an extra shot at landing a top 3 pick. Let's say the Kings have the 7th worst record and Philly is 2nd last. The pick swap would not make any sense prior to the lottery. But what the pick swap does is essentially give Philly extra ping pong balls in the lottery. Philly ends up with an extra 4.3% chance at the #1 pick and a an extra 15% at landing a top 3 pick. Who knows what Stauskas becomes, but at the very least he could become a specialist like Kapono. Jason Thompson can be a good player off the bench for them especially with Embiid questionable for the season, they could also move him to a team desperate for a big. Landry feels like an add on that Philly had to take, he could play mentor or be moved later on. Also, a top 10 protected 1st rounder in 2018 and beyond with other restrictions that have not been reported yet. In the current NBA it feels like teams are over valuing a 1st round pick, especially the late ones. But a top 10 with high probability of a top 3 pick does not compare. All that for the rights to a couple of Euro stashes that may never see an NBA court and the chance to sign Rondo, Ellis, and Matthews. They did the deal so late into day 1 that all the big name players had already commited or they have zero chance with the ones remaing. Their current roster is basically Cousins, Gay, McLemore, Cauley-Stein, Collison, McCallum, Moreland, and Stockton. That's it. Not an appetizing roster to look at, especially from a free agents point of view. Even if they landed 2 out of the 3 targets, how would that propel this team from bottom feeders into playoff contention in the west? That team does not even look like a .500 team. Even if they got 2 of those players they would have to fill their bench with minimum deals for players that would probably not play on other teams. It just doesn't make any sense. This team is screwed for the next 3 years at the very least. This was a high risk, with potential moderate return but it ended up as a big fat no return for the Kings. Get ready Seattle, start breaking ground on that stadium.

NBA Mock Draft 2015

Pick 1. Minnesota Timberwolves 2. Los Angeles Lakers 3. Philadelphia 76ers 4. New York Knicks 5. Orlando Magic 6.Sacramento Kings 7. Denver Nuggets 8. Detroit Pistons 9. Charlotte Hornets 10. Miami Heat 11. Indiana Pacers 12. Utah Jazz 13. Phoenix Suns 14. Oklahoma Thunder 15. Atlanta Hawks via Brooklyn Nets 16.Boston Celtics 17. Milwaukee Bucks 18. Houston Rockets Via New Orleans Pelicans 19. Washington Wizards 20. Toronto Raptors 21. Dallas Mavericks 22. Chicago Bulls 23. Portland Trailblazers 24. Cleveland Cavaliers 25. Memphis Grizzlies 26. San Antonio Spurs 27. Los Angeles Lakers(from Houston) 28. Boston Celtics(from LA Clippers) 29. Brooklyn Nets(from Atlanta) 30. Golden State Warriors

Julius.22 Karl-Anthony Towns(PF/C)  I believe him or Okafor each have a legitimate chance at being the top overall pick however Towns is a better defender. He has the potential to be a good offensive player. He is good around the rim and is a great free throw shooter already which would suggest his offensive game isn't too far away. Minnesota's rebuild is looking real good either way. Jahlil Okafor(PF/C)  I truly believe he is the best big in the draft but Towns, I feel, is a better fit for Minnesota. LA should be happy getting Okafor and pairing him with Randle for life after Vino. D'Angelo Russell(PG/SG) He's my favourite prospect and has the most boom/bust potential. At worst, he'll be a serviceable starter. The best floor general in the draft, would be an instant 76ers bandwagon fan if they select him. Willie Cauley-Stein(PF/C) I see the Knicks taking him. Cauley-Stein is the best interior defender in the draft and could be Tyson Chandler's long awaited replacement. Kristaps Porzingis(PF/C) His draft stock has been rising rapidly over the past few weeks leading up to the draft. I wouldn't be surprised if he was taken higher but I do believe that he will not fall after the fifth pick. Pairing him with Vucevic would be great to have because their offensive skill sets compliment each other. The Magic are on the rise and could be fighting for a playoff spot next year with their young nucleus. Emmanuel Mudiay(PG/SG) The Kings have been longing for a franchise type of point guard for a very long time. Although a bit of a mystery, he is a gamble the Kings might have to take. His pre-draft workouts are looking really good and it does look like his jump shot has improved. There's no doubting his athleticism and play making ability especially in today's NBA. Cameron Payne(PG/SG) I haven't seen a mock draft have Payne this high at all but he's been rising in recent weeks despite his injury. Ty Lawson looks to be on the way out of town and what better position to start a rebuild for the Nuggets than by drafting his replacement. This is my "YOLO" pick of the draft. Justise Winslow(SF/SG) Adding Winslow to this young core gives them another good building block for the future. He has as much potential as anyone in the draft and is ready to contribute from the fly. He also isn't projected to fall this low but I like being different. Mario Hezonja(SG/SF) I will admit that I don't know much about Hezonja but it seems to me like he's a freakishly athletic wing with loads of potential. Charlotte definitely needs to address many areas but Hezonja can fill a need here. Every other mock draft has him going nowhere lower than 8 so Charlotte should be happy if he falls here. Stanley Johnson(SG/SF) Johnson is an athletic two-way player that would fit well with the Heat especially if Wade leaves. He has a lot of long-term potential and could be an elite defender right away. Myles Turner(PF/C) Turner fits into the style that the NBA is going towards nowadays as a stretch big. The Pacers have vowed to play faster and even threw Roy Hibbert under the bus. Looks like a match made in heaven. Frank Kaminsky(PF/C) The Jazz aren't too far away from playoff contention, even in the wild west. They have a really good, young core. Gobert and Favors, although a very nice frontcourt, are not legitimate threats offensively. Kaminsky can provide the scoring punch and floor spacing that this team is lacking. Sam Dekker(SF/PF) Dekker seems like a good fit for the Suns. He can stretch the floor, take it to the basket, and play solid defence. He's a good two-way player that can play multiple positions. He'd be solid coming off of the bench for them. Devin Booker(SG) They say he's the next Klay Thompson and if that's true, OKC would be getting a steal at this point of the draft. He's a pure shooter with high basketball IQ however he's just average in other aspects of his game. Playing with KD and Russ would surely make him look like a future all-star. Trey Lyles(PF/C) The Hawks are losing either Carroll or Millsap and drafting to replace one of them would be the smart thing to do. Lyles is a versatile big that looks like a good fit with Al Horford. Kelly Oubre(SF/SG) Oubre is one of my favourite prospects in the draft because he reminds me of a lefty-Paul George. He has the potential to be one of the best players in the draft because of how good he can possibly be on both sides of the ball. He has a nice shooting stroke and has the ability to get to the rim. He is very inconsistent but let's hope he pans out. Boston needs a young wing to build around and Oubre is that guy. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson(SF/PF) High energy guy who is already a great defender. The hustle and heart is there and fits right in with a young Bucks group. He needs to develop a jump shot and when he does, he'll be a Kawhi-type of player. Tyus Jones(PG) I see them taking a point guard because I don't see Beverley, Prigioni, or Terry here much longer. Don't know whether it would be Jones or Grant here but Jones has more upside. Bobby Portis(PF) He can stretch the floor well and could be a complimentary piece for Gortat. This would also be a great replacement for the aging but effective, Drew Gooden. Montrezl Harrell(PF) A high-energy guy who is undersized however is a beast on the boards. With the Raptors possibly losing Amir Johnson and Tyler Hansbrough, they're going to need someone to grab rebounds at a high rate. The Raptors love surprising the world on draft day though so don't be fooled if it's someone else completely random either. Jerian Grant(PG/SG) Rondo did not fit in well with the team. He's a good playmaker and with an improving jump shot. Delon Wright(PG/SG) Wright is an explosive guard with good size. He would be able to contribute right away as Derrick Rose's backup. Kevon Looney(PF) Aldridge looks like he's on his way out so drafting Looney could be a good start for finding a replacement. Looney is a good prospect but has seen his stock drop in recent weeks. He still has a lot of upside and can ultimately become a poor man's Aldridge. RJ Hunter(PG/SG) Arguably one of the best shooters in this draft class. He could play both guard positions and be a lethal weapon for Lebron and company. Guillermo Hernangomez(C) Grabbing a backup big that could possibly be stashed is something I think the Griz might do. He's also the best international big man prospect after Porzingis. Justin Anderson(SG/SF) The rich get richer. I think Anderson drops here and provides Danny Green-like statistics. This would allow Green to walk and the Spurs end up with a cheaper replacement. Rashad Vaughn(SG) Potent scorer that could fit with Clarkson in the future. Probably won't play as much barring injuries to Kobe and Young but is a great prospect to red-shirt. Cliff Alexander(PF) Boston needs size. Alexander is a good interior presence with great defensive potential. Has limited offensive ability but has good potential to be a productive NBA player. Terry Rozier(PG/SG) Good lead guard with great toughness and hustle. Can be a very good backup for Deron Williams. Mouhammadou Jaiteh(C) The Warriors have covered their bases at every position and doesn't look to be in any major weakness. They may need extra size off the bench when they trade Lee. The Warriors can develop Jaiteh behind the scenes and hopefully he pans out.

Alphabits Karl-Anthony Towns(PF/C) Pretty easy pick here. Towns is very talented. His low post game is not quite as polished Okafor but his other skills put him just ahead of Okafor in my books. He is a better defender and better shooter. Jahlil Okafor(PF/C) They will take whoever The Twolves don't take between the two. He will be a beast on the block. I can see him getting into foul trouble early in his career but he'll figure it out. Randle + Okafor will be very scary. D'Angelo Russell(PG/SG)  Nasty handles and a great mid-range game make him a lot of fun to watch. He is exactly what Philly needs. Smith and Canaan are not the answer after trading away MCW, which still doesn't make sense to me. A big PG that can dominate at will. Emmanuel Mudiay(PG/SG) Another big PG, in the mold of John Wall. Strong finisher around the rim and can rebound. He will be a threat to pull off triple doubles. Only knock on his game is his shooting. He will need to work on his long range jumper because defenders will just keep daring him to shoot. If he figures that out he could be unstoppable. Willie Cauley-Stein(PF/C) The Orlando roster is packed with talent, especially that starting 5. All they are missing is another big to go beside Vucevic. In comes Willie. With all those offensive threats he's the perfect garbage man and rim protector to balance out that lineup. But if the reports are true Prozingis goes here and Stein goes to the Kings, which IMO is not the right move based on what the Magic need. Kristap Porzingis(PF/C) The Kings need a home run here. Their roster is riddled with holes and they need a game changer. In comes Porzingis. I really don't see him going in the top 5 based on what those teams need. 1/2 are locks, at 3 regardless of Embiid's injury they have Embiid and Noel. The Knicks have Melo and they don't need another volume shooter. Whether he is going to be Nowitzki or Bargnani is up to him. I think he falls somewhere in between. Justise Winslow(SF/SG)  I had a tough time with Winslow/Henzoja here but with Denver invested in Gallinari I see them trying to compliment him with a player like Winslow. Not the best shooter but he will defend the best player on the other team. Mario Hezonja(SG/SF) He is a scorer and after his performance in the Spanish finals he flew up the draft boards. Think of him as the Croatian Gallinari, which is why I don't see him as a Nugget. The Pistons know exactly what they need and they double down to see if they get it from Hezonja or in the trade for Ilyasova. Devin Booker(SG) After the Stephenson trade this pick became easier to call. They have prospects and stars at all positions except SG. Henderson is just to inconsistent and there is nobody after that. Add the fact that the Hornets can't shoot, adding the sharpshooter from Kentucky makes too much sense.  Stanley Johnson(SG/SF) Another pick that just makes sense. They need a good young wing to play behind Deng/Wade. He could be eventual successor to Deng. With a good blend of shooting and athleticism he could be a really good two way player in the NBA. Myles Turner(PF/C) The Pacers would love to see one of the 4 previous picks to fall to them but all those teams have bigs except for the Kings so they have a chance. Myles Turner would be a great fit as a stretch big next to Roy Hibbert. He projects as a C but he's way to skinny, he would be a nice stretch 4. Frank Kaminsky(PF/C) Utah could really use a SG but there are too many talented bigs left on the board. I don't see them taking a risk on Oubre and Dekker. Kaminsky's ability to stretch the floor would be a good fit next to the low post presence of Favors and Gobert. And they have the bigs next to him so they can hide him on defense. Trey Lyles(PF/C) A solid player, he won't be a star but he should be a solid PF. And he perfectly fills a need with the Suns. He is a good offensive player who leaves a lot to be desired on defense, but they have Len there so they should be fine. Kelly Oubre(SF/SG) I can see OKC looking for a 3 and D kind of player at this spot. And Oubre fits the bill. He shot a decent 37% from three. With a bunch of offensive wings Ourbre's defense will be a nice addition. Bobby Portis(PF) The Hawks can't afford to keep Carroll and Millsap. So one of them has to go. I think it's Millsap. Insert Bobby Portis. He's not in the same league as the other bigs but he's the best one available. Good all around player, but won't be elite. If they decide on letting Carroll go insert Justin Anderson here. Sam Dekker(SF/PF) They need a player like Dekker. He can play the 3/4 where they could use some help. He reminds me of Keith Van Horn. He is a good fit for a team in need of some offensive punch. Montrezl Harrell(PF) The Bucks need bigs. He may not be very big, but he plays big. And he is a vicious player who has endless energy. He crashes the glass hard and will contest everything at the rim. He will probably be prone to fouls early on in his career but he's the kind of player that every team needs. Cameron Payne(PG/SG)  It's time to end his slide. They need a PG behind Beverley who's playstyle will leave him prone to getting hurt. Payne is in that 2nd tier of PG's available behind Mudiay and Russell. Unfortunately for PG's this year most of the teams between 6-17 all have set PG's or have a bigger need to fill. The Rockets could use a backup rim protector but at this point there aren't are of those left. Tyus Jones (PG) A good pick and roll PG and can shoot. He doesn't turn the ball over either. Which is perfect as a backup PG. He won't' out jump or out run anybody so it makes him a weaker defender. But he can be a very capable backup in Washington behind Wall for the next 5 years. Justin Anderson(SG/SF) He is built exactly how a team would want a SF to be built. Strong, athletic, with a massive wingspan. He brings it on the defensive end and finishes strong around the rim. If his sudden jump in 3% was not a fluke he could be a nice 3 and D player for the Raptors. Also like Looney here if they decide to go big. Jerian Grant(PG/SG)  The window for Dirk is getting smaller and smaller every year. They need a PG and he's NBA ready. He's already 23 years old so his ceiling is not very high but he should be able to contribute right away. RJ Hunter(PG/SG) Great shooter, pegged as one of the purest shooters in college. He would fit nicely next to Butler and Rose on the outside.  Kevon Looney(PF)  The Trailblazers need some front court help and Looney could provide it. He is a bit of a project player but he has enough raw talent there that you can see the potential. And he will have time to develop behind Aldridge, assuming he sticks around. Rashad Vaughn(SG) Very young, a good scorer. He will have plenty of time to learn from all the vets on this team. He probably won't have any impact but this is a pick for down the road. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson(SF/PF) A steal at this point in the draft. Not a very good shooter but he plays hard and is a very good defender. He will try to dunk on everyone. If he can develop a respectable jumper he could be a very good player. At the very least he will be a higher energy guy off the bench. Chris McCullough(PF) He will have an amazing oppurtunity to learn from the best. He's a good rebounder and his offensive game keeps getting better. He has a pretty good ceiling it's just a question of whether he can reach it or not. But with the Spurs being the Spurs I can see them taking a stash player like Hernangomez, Osman, or Gudiatis. Delon Wright(PG/SG) Seems like everyone feel like the Lakers are making this pick. A big long defensive PG is what they need. Think of him as a 2nd JOrdan Clarkson. They might not even have this pick with them needing to put together a contending team for Kobes final year. Jordan Mickey(PF) The Celtics need a rim protector and he is good at that. But the problem is he is only good at that. He's undersized and his offense isn't really there. What he lacks in size he makes up for in effort. He fills a need and could carve out a nice role for himself. Terry Rozier(PG/SG) The Nets are in a weird phase where they are a fringe playoff team in the East but they are not really rebuilding. Rozier is a good pick up for them. An energetic young PG they could hold on to. They could also go with Powell here. Christian Wood(SF/PF)  Long lanky big that can shoot a bit. He's going to need a little time to grow into his body and put on weight. He has some solid upside and will have time to grow with Bogut, Ezeli, Speights holding down the fort for at least the next 2 years.