Dealing in All-Stars: How Kings landed and lost best of Sacramento era
All-Stars are precious cargo in Sacramento.
Since moving to California’s capital in 1985, the Kings have had six All-Stars. Two were drafted by the Kings (DeMarcus Cousins and Peja Stojakovic), three arrived by trade (Mitch Richmond, Chris Webber and Brad Miller) and one was signed (Vlade Divac).
Of the six, Divac was the only one who was not traded.
So, what can a look back at the Kings’ trading of All-Stars tell us? Risk plays a role. So do injuries. Their numbers dropped after leaving Sacramento. But only one has been traded away at his prime: Cousins.
1991: Acquiring Mitch Richmond
Kings get: SG Mitch Richmond, C Les Jepsen and 1995 second-round pick from Golden State
Kings ship: SF Billy Owens to Golden State
The run-up ...
The Kings drafted Billy Owens third overall in 1991 out of Syracuse. As a junior in his last season with the Orange, he averaged 23.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. Syracuse was upset by Richmond that season in the first round, marking the first time a No. 15 seed beat a No. 2 seed. In this trade, a Richmond would be involved in another upset of Owens.
According to The Sacramento Bee archives, Kings coach Dick Motta was ecstatic when the Kings made the deal on the first day of the season. When asked if he would use Mitch Richmond the day after the trade when the Kings traveled to Oakland to meet the Warriors, he told The Bee, “Heck, if he was here ... I’d let him start. I’d let him coach.” The Warriors had coveted Owens in the draft and reportedly tried to move up to get him. Owens held out, and the Warriors signed him to a seven-year deal.
How it went ...
Richmond became a cornerstone of the Sacramento era, in which he’s by far the top scorer with 12,070 points. Cousins had the record in his sights (9,894 points), but with him gone, Richmond’s record appears to be safe for a long time. And like Cousins, he enjoyed great individual success, but the team didn’t. Owens had a decent 10-year career (11.7 points and 6.7 rebounds) but never lived up to his high-draft billing and was hindered by knee injuries.
Making his exit ...
Richmond was dealt in May 1998 to Washington with Otis Thorpe for Chris Webber. Richmond’s scoring dipped in Washington, where he averaged 17.8 points in three seasons, and he ended his career as a Lakers backup for one season. He was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.
1998: Acquiring Chris Webber
Kings get: PF Chris Webber from Washington
Kings ship: SG Mitch Richmond and PF Otis Thorpe to Washington
The run-up ...
Richmond wanted out, and the Kings wanted a reset. In the first 13 seasons since the Sacramento era began in 1985-86, the Kings failed to finish with a winning record and made the playoffs twice. Before Season 14, the Kings made perhaps the most important move of this era. At the surface, the circumstances were not unlike those today. They would part with a franchise player who is a regular All-Star. However, the similarities end with what they got in return.
At the time, the trade was viewed as a no-brainer on paper for the Kings, considering Webber’s age and promise. But he came with character concerns, so it was viewed as somewhat of a risk, but one the franchise was willing to take in its desperate attempt to become a winner.
How it went ...
“The Truth” led the Kings to the first six of eight consecutive playoff appearances in Sacramento’s winningest stretch of basketball. Webber was a four-time All-Star (Richmond six-time) with the Kings and finished with the best scoring average of the Sacramento era at 23.5 points per game (Richmond is second at 23.3).
Making his exit ...
In February 2005, Webber was traded with Matt Barnes and Michael Bradley to Philadelphia for Kenny Thomas, Brian Skinner and Corliss Williamson. Webber had a productive first full season in Philadelphia, averaging 20.2 points and 9.9 rebounds in 75 games but never averaged more than 11 points per game in the final two injury-shortened seasons of his career with stops in Detroit and Golden State.
2003: Acquiring Brad Miller
Kings get: C-PF Brad Miller from Indiana
Kings ship: PF-SF Hedo Turkoglu to San Antonio, C Scot Pollard to Indiana
The run-up ...
With Vlade Divac 35 years old and entering the final year of his contract, and with Chris Webber’s injury issues, the Kings were looking to bolster their frontcourt depth while bringing in a promising young big who potentially could ease the transition in moving on from Divac.
How it went ...
Miller, coming off his first All-Star appearance, would help Sacramento make it back to the Western Conference semifinals for a fourth consecutive season and proved a key piece while Webber was sidelined until March while recovering from knee surgery. Miller averaged 14.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 blocks and earned his second All-Star appearance. He averaged similar numbers the following two seasons, both ending with a Sacramento exit in the first round, but wouldn’t make another All-Star Game. His performance drop in 2006-07 coincided with the first of the Kings’ 10 consecutive losing seasons.
Making his exit ...
In February 2009, Miller was dealt to Chicago with John Salmons for Drew Gooden, Andres Nocioni, Michael Ruffin and Cedric Simmons. Miller spent the final three seasons of his career mostly as a reserve.
2006: Dealing Peja Stojakovic
Kings get: SF Metta World Peace (then Ron Artest) from Indiana
Kings ship: SF Peja Stojakovic
The run-up ...
Chosen 14th overall in the 1998 draft, the year Webber was acquired by the Kings, Stojakovic became a prolific scorer as Sacramento rose to prominence. His first of three consecutive All-Star appearances came in the 2001-02 season during which the Kings lost in seven games to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. He still holds franchise records for career 3-pointers (1,070) and free-throw percentage (89.3).
Stojakovic’s career reached a plateau with the Kings as he struggled to get on the same page with point guard Mike Bibby, with The Bee writing at the time of the January 2006 trade that Peja “had become a mere decoy in the Kings’ transition game.” Enter Ron Artest, whose character issues and mean streak were well known at the time. So were his abilities as a stopper (2003-04 Defensive Player of the Year) and scorer (24.6 points per game in 2004-05). Could he energize the locker room?
How it went ...
During Artest’s two-plus seasons in Sacramento, he averaged 18.9 points per game and 2.2 steals, a franchise record, as well as 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He helped the Kings finish 44-38, but they would lose to the Spurs in the first round in five games. It stands as their last playoff appearance. The next two seasons, they went 33-49 and 38-44.
After Stojakovic left Sacramento, his scoring average dropped every season over his final five, though he would remain a valuable contributor and shooter. He was a reserve on the Dallas Mavericks team that beat the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals, capping his career with a ring.
This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 7:08 PM with the headline "Dealing in All-Stars: How Kings landed and lost best of Sacramento era."