A few hours before the 2011 NBA Draft and we've had our first significant trade as the Sacramento Kings dealt away their number seven pick and Beno Udrih and acquired the tenth pick of the draft and former Kings guard John Salmons. Reaction was swift and furious from Kings fans who find themselves wondering if this is part of another dealor what kind of strategy this means for the tenth pick.
The developing consensus at this point seems to believe the Kings are set on grabbing former BYU star Jimmer Fredette with the tenth pick. Kemba Walker could be in play but Chad Ford tweeted that Fredette is the favorite over Walker. The team does need a point guard and Fredette could fill that role, albeit as a bit of a shoot-first type of PG.
The other issue with the return of Salmons to the roster is what this means for Tyreke Evans. You've now got a pair of 6'6 shooting guards and Evans is not a guy who likes to share. Salmons started 70 of 73 games last season, while Evans started 53 of 57. I haven't followed the Kings as closely as the folks at Sactown Royalty but I do know math and that does not seem to add up.
Fooch's Update: Shows what I know about Salmons. I always thought he played some at the shooting guard, but obviously he would be over at the small forward position. Excuse my ignorance. Of course, with rumors still floating of the Kings turning this into Tony Parker, who knows what this all will mean by the end of the evening.
Stay tuned as we wait to see if there is another shoe waiting to drop on this Kings trade. We'll be here covering the Kings work in the 2011 NBA Draft. For more detailed discussion, head over to Sactown Royalty.