The Sacramento Kings look like they can be a true contender for a playoff spot in the Western Conference if things fall right this season. Their latest move was signing veteran forward Caron Butler to a deal to provide leadership, and now they are reportedly in advanced discussions with Andrea Bargnani, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
The former first overall pick will be asked to provide depth off the bench if the two sides are able to strike a deal. DeMarcus Cousins is locked in as the starter at center, while 2015 first round pick Willie Cauley-Stein is also expected to get minutes at center. Cauley-Stein will be the defensive guy off the bench, while Bargnani will be able to stretch the floor and provide some offense for the second unit.
Bargnani will play this upcoming season at age 30, and it will be his tenth year in the league. He spent his first seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors and his last two with the New York Knicks. While he has put up some nice numbers in his career, Bargnani has always been considered a disappointment, especially when you consider he was drafted with the first overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.
For his career, Bargnani averages 15 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while making 36 percent of his threes. The three point percentage is very good for a seven footer, but the rebounding is not.
Bargnani is coming off of a disappointing stint with the Knicks. After they traded a first round pick to get him, Bargnani only played 71 games with the Knicks in two seasons and made only 30 percent of his threes. At this point in his career, you know what you're going to get from Bargnani when he's on the floor, which is a guy that can put the ball in the basket and stretch the floor. He isn't going to provide much of anything on the defensive side of the ball or in the way of rebounding, but a big guy who could stretch the floor is valuable, and you can never have too many shooters in the NBA.
