Oh and btw., if you want a player, that can play as a lone big and is able to hit outside shots you try to sign Meyers Leonard. Legit 7ft, very athletic, can run the floor, can step out and hit 3's and with Joerger as a hardnosed coach, who has experience with big guys there is a good chance he finally learns, how to use his physical advantage on D and on the glass.
I like Myers Leonard. In fact, I watched him closely during Blazers games this year because I thought he might be a good pickup for the Kings as a bench big that could stretch the floor. But while he has some definite positives, Leonard has some big negatives too. On the positive side he's a good shooter from outside and a better rebounder than Anderson. He had a better 3pt% than Ryno on an equivalent number of 3's per minute but Anderson also generally commands more defensive attention so I'd hesitate to call him as good or better in terms of outside shooting. Leonard is also a pretty good passer. And he defends traditional centers well - he's been surprisingly effective against Cousins. And of course he's four years younger than Anderson.
But he's also a stretch 5 and not a stretch 4. Which means he'd be battling Koufos for minutes behind Boogie as I don't know that you could play Leonard and Cousins together. Offensively maybe, but Leonard really struggles to defend on the perimeter. But more concerning is that (1) he's still very, very inconsistent and (2) he really has no offensive game beyond shooting threes. Leonard sometimes looks great and other times looks lost. I think his confidence comes and goes. It's why two years ago Stotts played Joel Freeland over Leonard two seasons ago (mostly an indictment of Meyer's defense) and why he lost his spot to Vonleh after an injury and never really got it back. And the issue with a stretch big that can't score inside is that teams are tempted to just go small and put a wing on them defensively. Leonard is most effective when facing an opposing big that isn't comfortable coming out of the paint to guard him. But if a team goes small then Leonard loses value and is a liability on the other end against a quicker opponent. Anderson isn't any better defensively against smaller/quicker opponents but at least he can make them pay on the other end by scoring inside or getting fouled, something he did FAR more often than Leonard.
To me the value of a guy like Anderson is that he gives you a stretch 4 off the bench that can give you 20 any given night. I'd still want WCS starting, but he's a great sixth man and could also give you a lineup that surrounds Boogie with shooters when desired. Say Curry/SG???/Casspi/Anderson/Cousins and you give the ball to Cousins at the elbow, the post, etc and let him work. If he's doubled he has the passing ability to find the open man.
I've thrown out lots of scenarios for this offseason so I have no idea what direction the Kings will go but if Anderson is interested in the Kings that's a positive to me. Right now players and agents seem to be treating Sacramento like a leper colony so I'm not sure how feasible a lot of proposed FA signing are, even for 3rd tier guys like Crabbe, Marvin Williams, Lin etc. So while Anderson has warts, he's a piece that could feasibly be added so I'm not sure it's as easy as saying, "let's sign player X instead".
Which is also why I'm softening a bit on re-signing Rondo. Sure, if Dunn falls or Conley is somehow interested in the Kings then those are better routes. Signing a guy like Lin or just letting Collison start and using the caproom elsewhere are also alternatives that must be weighed. But if Rondo wants to come back and if there aren't a lot of other suitors (or any other suitors - Chicago? New Orleans? I'm not sure who would pursue Rondo) and he comes at a decent price then maybe that's the right move.
In that scenario I think Gay has to be dealt. Rondo/Gay/Cousins wasn't a great fit and I've never felt Rudy's game particularly complimented DMC's anyway. So how about this:
On draft night the Kings trade Rudy for picks. Say to Boston for #16 & #23 or to Phoenix for #13 & #28. Do the Celtics or Suns want Gay? I don't know. But he's a good third scorer who can get his own shot and who is suddenly on a very reasonable contract. It's a lot of salary to absorb but I can see Rudy being viewed as a better use of caproom than the inflated prices other comparable players will likely get in the open market. And neither Phoenix or especially Boston needs a ton of rookies on already young, developing rosters.
Now the Kings have:
Cousins/Koufos
Cauley-Stein
Casspi/Butler
McLemore/Belinelli
Collison
a little over $40 million in caproom and picks #8, 13 & 28 (or 16 & 23)
Using DX as a model of players that would be available the Kings could draft Jaylen Brown, Wade Baldwin, and a SG like Bembry, McCaw, or LeVert (assuming he doesn't have major medical red flags). I think all three are slightly underrated, especially McCaw and (if he stays healthy) LeVert. Alternatively you could grab a bench big like Zizic, Brice Johnson, Jones, Stone, Yabusele or gamble with Diallo or Maker.
Let's say they grab Brown, Baldwin and Brice Johnson
I'm scared of drafting Brown but at #8 if there's not a great trade/trade down option I think he's a good gamble. He could end up being a Al Farouq Aminu type player or he could possibly develop into a Jimmy Butler type player at the SF spot. Really hard to tell but his physical tools alone should make him at the very least a rotation player.
Anyway, now you sign Anderson for $16 million, Rondo for $14 million and then you still have $10 million to fill out the roster. Sign a SG like Afflalo, Lee or Henderson with that money and sign Acy to the Room exception. Given how things ended in New York Afflalo is likely the easiest get, but I'm not sure how much he has in the tank. At the very least on a two year deal he provides an alternative to McLemore or a solid backup if Ben rises to the competition and finally starts playing like a starter.
Cousins/Koufos/Johnson
Cauley-Stein/Anderson/Acy
Casspi/Butler/Brown
Afflalo/McLemore/Belinelli
Rondo/Collison/Baldwin
Brice Johnson isn't a C but if Cousins goes out WCS & Koufos would play the 5 but I think Johnson could be a semi-steal as an energy guy, defender and transition/dump off guy on offense.
Is it perfect? No. But you've got a balanced roster with low usage shooters and defenders around Rondo and Cousins, some real 2-way potential in Baldwin and Brown
