Five Potential Free Agent Targets for the Kings
- Shaun Holkko
- Jul 1, 2017
- 4 min read
Tonight at 9:00 pm Pacific Time, the new league year begins. The 2016-17 NBA season is over, and guys like Darren Collison, Rudy Gay, and Ben McLemore are on the open market as free agents. The Kings go into this year's free agency period as one of the teams around the league with the most cap space. Vlade, Peja, and the rest of the front office are projected to have $67 Million to work with. So the team has all that money, who are they going to spend it on? This team is in complete rebuild mode with a roster full of young guys, with nine players on rookie contracts. What the team needs is veteran leadership. They still have Garrett Temple, but when the team waived Anthony Tolliver, they lost a big voice in the locker room. So as free agency is set to begin tonight, I decided to compile a list of five players who I feel would individually, be great additions this offseason.
I'll go in descending order to increase the suspense.
5. Danilo Gallinari - Small Forward
Danilo Gallinari would be a solid pickup for the Kings but at the right price. Gallinari has been a pretty good player in this league when he's not injured. He's only played in at least 60 games in four of his nine seasons. The Kings have Justin Jackson at small forward now, but he needs time to develop and adjust to the NBA. Giving Gallinari a two-year contract would take some pressure off Jackson, without forcing him right into the starting lineup.
4. Joe Ingles - Small Forward
Joe Ingles is a sharp shooter who has spent his first three years in Utah. He hasn't been in the NBA for very long, but for the first eight years of his career, he played overseas for four teams including FC Barcelona and Maccabi Tel Aviv. He's a good defender and would serve as a good locker room guy for the Kings. He has plenty of experience and could mentor the younger players. He could also serve as a placeholder at small forward just like Gallinari, while Justin Jackson continues to develop. Ingles would be a solid signing for the Kings but I doubt he will leave Utah as they are a rising team in the West.
3. Darren Collison - Point Guard
Darren Collison's first contract that he signed with the Kings three summers ago has come to an end. The question is, should they bring him back? The answer to that question is yes. Collison is a solid point guard, who is a seasoned veteran and has made his way around the league. He and Ty Lawson are both free agents, but of the two I would bring back Darren. He could serve as a mentor to De'Aaron Fox and also play starting point guard (At least for this season) so Fox can also develop and adjust to the league. Collison is also a key member in the Kings locker room, losing him would be a bigger loss than just what he provides on the court. The team should bring him back on a three-year, $45 Million contract, with a team option for the last year.
2. Anthony Tolliver - Power Forward
I was never in favor of the Kings cutting Anthony Tolliver, not to mention that they did it on his birthday. He's NBA journeyman and a great locker room guy, who is more than willing to help bring up the young guys. He was already on a pretty cheap contract at $8 Million, but we'll see what the Kings might offer him. He has shown interest in returning to the Kings, despite them waiving him. I'd like to bring him back for the veteran leadership, I hope the Kings front office does too.
1. Andre Iguodala - Small Forward
Signing Andre Iguodala should be the Kings number one priority this summer. According to members of ESPN, it appears that it might be as the Kings will be one of the first teams to meet with him tonight.
He is a seasoned veteran with championship experience. He would be a great mentor to Justin Jackson. Plus, he would make for a solid starting small forward, even at age 33. The only reason why he doesn't start in Golden State is that he's selfless and lets younger stars like Klay Thompson and Draymond Green develop. The Warriors have to worry about re-signing Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry first (Update: Curry has agreed to a 5 yr/$201 Million deal with the Warriors), so Andre can't get his big payday if he stays. If he wants to get his "Big Bag of Money" as Rachel Nichols would say, then he should sign with Sacramento. We can give him a three-year, $72 Million contract, and I promise we won't pull the offer this time, Andre.
Some honorable mentions who did not make the list include Otto Porter, Thabo Sefolosha, Ty Lawson, Jonathan Simmons, and Ryan Anderson. Ryan isn't a free agent but the Rockets are trying to shed his contract to acquire different players this summer. The Kings will be throwing money at several players around the league, I just hope it will be one of the five players featured on this list. This team needs veteran leadership for all these young guys.
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