The Sacramento Kings acquired power forward J.J. Hickson in the offseason to bolster their front court along with DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson and eventually Chuck Hayes. While talented and athletic, Hickson never quite worked out in Cleveland once LeBron James left and has struggled to play well with his new teammates in Sacramento.
If his mediocre and inconsistent play was not enough for Geoff Petrie to look for a potential trade, Hickson went as far as to say he never wanted to come to SacTown a few weeks back. Now, with the NBA Trade Deadline on the horizon, it appears the Kings are actively looking to rid themselves of Hickson. Marc Stein of ESPN has the latest report:
You can't like their chances here given J.J. Hickson's season-long struggles, but sources say that the Kings are shopping Hickson hard before the March 15 trade deadline, hoping to salvage something from the last trade consummated before last summer's lockout.
In that swap with Cleveland last June 30, Sacramento surrendered both Omri Casspi and a protected first-round pick for Hickson. But Hickson's game has regressed with the Kings, prompting them to see whether they can find a new home for him.
It's tough to imagine too many suitors lining up to take Hickson from the Kings, but all it takes is one team. Fortunately for Hickson and Petrie, the athletic forward is still just 23 years old and could still develop into a quality role player for some team in the league. With the asking price likely to be very low, you would have to think Hickson will get moved sometime in the coming weeks.
For more on the Kings and to monitor the trade deadline madness, head on over to Sactown Royalty.