With all the talk of the New York Knicks and their recent ability to clear significant salary-cap room for the summer of 2010, the Kings may want to rethink their own plan for the future.
While there was no official blueprint in place, they had clearly been looking to clear cap space for the same summer. Yet the likelihood that free-agent superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh or even Amare Stoudemire would be coming to Sacramento lessens even more every time a team from a much larger market frees up more space. The Kings, more likely, will look to utilize their cap room to add a significant piece via trade in the next two years by packaging a combination of their many young pieces in a deal.
The cap room is never a bad thing, and a free agent of sub-superstar status could certainly be available to them as a complementary player if the financial numbers worked. The Kings will continue to rely heavily on general manager Geoff Petrie's eye for talent.
Petrie remains among the game's best at finding talent where others don't see it, most recently evidenced by the strong play of rookie forward Jason Thompson (surprise pick at No. 12), rookie point guard Bobby Brown (signed as an undrafted free agent) and the occasional contributions and significant upside of rookie small forward Donte' Greene (acquired via trade from Houston over the summer).
BLAZERS 91, KINGS 90: When the Kings lost 90-88 to San Antonio at Arco Arena on Nov. 16, John Salmons didn't quite understand why he didn't have a chance to finish his big night with a game-winning opportunity.
He finally had his chance against Portland on Monday night, but the Kings' swingman missed a spinning left-handed look in the paint at the buzzer and the Kings lost for the sixth time in their last seven games.
