Determined to find an upgrade to complement inside force DeMarcus Cousins, the Sacramento Kings are seeking frontcourt help in a trade and are willing to discuss first-round pick Nik Stauskas in the deal, league sources told CBSSports.com.
The Kings want to pair Cousins with a frontline player who would fit with his post-up skills -- either a stretch four or above-the-rim defender, sources said. They've fielded numerous calls about Stauskas, whose opportunities have been limited with the steadily improving play of Ben McLemore.
Sacramento thus far has rebuffed teams inquiring about Stauskas, the sharpshooter from Michigan whom they selected with the eighth overall pick in the draft. But the Kings' motivation to put a "high-level" player next to Cousins on the front line has heightened, making them finally willing to include Stauskas in trade talks.
The Kings have the expiring contracts of Derrick Williams and Reggie Evans to include in such a deal, pushing the potential salary of an incoming player into the $10-$11 million range. A wing defender also is a target of Sacramento's front office, but league sources say the team is willing to address that need later and is prioritizing bolstering its frontcourt first.
Forward Jason Thompson has long been available in trade talks, but a deal involving Thompson likely would happen separately. The Kings are trying to move him, but Thompson's contract will be more valuable this summer or at next season's trade deadline heading into 2016-17, when only $2.7 million of his $6.8 million will be guaranteed.
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/writer/ken ... as-in-deal
