The Sacramento Kings have had literally one All-Star (DeMarcus Cousins) in the last 18 years combined. But they could have a shot this offseason at a player with multiple career All-Star appearances already under his belt.
Kings insider James Ham wrote this week that there are rumors that Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo is looking for a short-term contract this summer. Ham adds that Sacramento has been mentioned a possible landing spot for the veteran.
Oladipo, 30, has a lengthy injury history and did not debut for Miami last season until the final month of regular season play. But he got good run for the No. 1-seeded Heat in the playoffs, managing postseason averages of 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 24.5 minutes a game during Miami’s Eastern Conference Finals run.
While Sacramento is about as much of a free agent destination as Bismarck, North Dakota (a city that, to clarify, does not have an NBA team), Oladipo has some (indirect) familiarity here. He played with Kings star Domantas Sabonis in both Indiana and Oklahoma City and was also teammates at various points with other Sacramento players such as Moe Harkless and Justin Holiday.
If the Kings were to sign Oladipo, it would be a not-insignificant blow to the Heat. The former No. 2 overall pick provides Miami with nice scoring punch off the bench, which could be extra valuable next season since the current Heat sixth man appears to want something more.
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