Free agency has now hit the downward part of its season. The majority of guys who are available now are restricted free agents. Most teams do not want to deal with signing a player to an offer sheet, and waiting for their team to match. Many teams still should and the Kings have participated in this by offering Zach LaVine. Even though the Bulls matched, they showed they are willing to go after the players they want and force the hand of the residing team. Their are a few players I think the Kings should look at.
The Kings Free Agency And Who They Should Sign
Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart cannot shoot, but guess what? He does EVERYTHING else. Smart is not a box score guy, but his value to a team cannot be displayed by the box score. While with the Celtics, he proved that his offensive rebounding and ability to defend four positions is crucial. The six-foot four-inch guard is strong and quick enough to harass any wing or player who thinks he is a wing. He rebounds and has no problem with the bigs and putting his body on the line. He makes the right play and gets under top players skin
Rockets Vs Celtics
I can point to one specific game where Smart showed his value to his team that most will not see. They were playing the Houston Rockets on TNT. With 11.6 seconds left Smart found Jayson Tatum to cut the lead to 1. While the Rockets were inbounding the ball, Smart played James Harden very close. Harden created space by pushing off, but Smart sold it well enough to draw the offensive foul. After the Celtics took the lead, the Rockets game went from bad to worse. Smart was still defending Harden closely, but he was now in Harden’s head. Harden could not create space, so he pushed off again and the game was over.
Why Should They Sign Smart?
Smart is an intelligent player who will give the Kings a young guy who has done it. Also, he can teach De’Aaron Fox how to be a leader as he develops. Smart’s ability to never give up on any play is what many young guys need in their locker room. The Kings should offer him a two-year deal worth around $40 million. The Celtics cannot afford to lose him, but the Kings can afford to sign him.
Rodney Hood
Rodney Hood did not do himself any favors in the playoffs this year, but the talent is there. The Kings do not have their pick next year and have to be reasonably competitive to make that pick as bad as possible. Rodney Hood has shown that he can play, but the Cavaliers were a bad spot for him. A new surrounding with less pressure on him should prove to be great for him. He is a scorer who needs to get shots up to be effective. The Kings can give him a new lease on his career
Why They Should Sign Hood?
The Kings were tied for 29th last year in offensive rating(103.7) and need that added firepower to help their team. Hood has always been a scorer, and their inability to defend last year shows that his defensive downside will not be too harmful. With his scoring off the bench it will help bolster the Kings second unit. A second unit that could include: Marvin Bagley and Harry Giles. Those two guys can be great in the Pick and Roll for Hood, but also crashing the boards for him as well.
Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley has always been able to play basketball, but it was his work ethic off the court that hurt him in the beginning. He has shown lately that he has turned that part of his career around. Beasley’s ability to rebound and put the ball in the basket can help this team tremendously. With the Knicks last year, He averaged 13.7 points per game on 50% shooting. The added bonus is that he shot 40% from beyond the arc, so he can space the floor.
Why Should They Sign Beasley?
Beasley can simply score and as said earlier, the Kings need that. Also the way he plays is similar to Marvin Bagley. If you look at their college stats they are virtually the same. Both are phenomenal rebounders and can hurt opposing teams on the boards. Bagley is slimmer than Beasley but he is taller and longer. Beasley can help his image more if he helps Bagley understand how to be an effective guy without a consistent jump shot.
Conclusion
The majority of the individuals the Kings should sign are similar players to many of their young guys or provide an added need to the team. The Kings have not made a single signing this year and have $19 million in cap space. That is a large amount of money that one of these restricted free agents can leverage into a matching offer or a big payday. These guys are talented and should be on teams soon.