Ben McLemore was on the trade block in February at the trade deadline, although the sense was that George Karl wanted to move him more than the front office. The coaching dynamic has changed in Sacramento: George Karl is gone, and Dave Joerger is in for the Kings.
Yet McLemore remains available, and he is a name you could hear mentioned as part of a trade on NBA Draft night Thursday. From Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Some interest around the league in Ben McLemore of the Kings. Teams know he is available and are calling. Not necessarily connected to picks
— Scott Howard-Cooper (@SHowardCooper) June 21, 2016
McLemore is athletic, can defend, is starting to grasp the game better, and is shot 36 percent from three this season. He’s far from a star, but there is some quality there, the concerning issue was how his progress stalled out. Is that because George Karl’s Kings were a mess, or is his ceiling lower than anticipated?
If other teams value McLemore’s shooting and potential more than the Kings — and it seems that is the case — a deal will get done. If not on the day of the draft, later this summer.
