Report: Kings open to dealing Willie Cauley-Stein

ESPN’s Marc Stein reports:

Keep an eye on Kings big man Willie Cauley-Stein. Word is Sacramento is open to moving the second-year big man, who wants more of a role than he has under new Kings coach Dave Joerger.

Hmm… what team could use some help defending the rim and rebounding?

Cauley-Stein’s defensive versatility had scouts drooling when he entered the pros but he’s mostly been a disappointment in Sacramento. His numbers this year: 4.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.6 bpg in 14 minutes.

Check out this analysis of WCS, courtesy ESPN:

Cauley-Stein was drafted sixth overall in large part because of his mobile defense, which allowed him to play with Cousins and defend on the perimeter. But he proved nothing special in that role, which took him away from the paint. Even when Cauley-Stein played center, Sacramento struggled defensively with him on the floor; his on-court defensive rating was worst of any player on the roster per NBA.com/Stats. That’s tough to square with the subjective impression of Cauley-Stein’s ability to defend shots and against the pick-and-roll, though his poor defensive rebounding was an issue. So was his effort during summer league, when Cauley-Stein blocked only three shots in 95 minutes while going through the motions. He can’t assume he’s guaranteed playing time this season.

I’m willing to cut any Kings player slack because Sacramento is a shit-storm of a franchise. But Dave Joerger is a pretty good coach. I gotta think if WCS was busting his ass, he’d be playing.

So… should the Celtics make a play for Cauley-Stein? He’s clearly under-performing, but at just 23-years-old there’s plenty of raw talent there to fill the Celtics biggest need.

The Kings back court (Darren Collison, Ty Lawson, Ben McLemore and Arron Afflalo) is weak. Is Terry Rozier too much to give up? Would the Kings take Demetrious Jackson and a future draft pick?

Cauley-Stein is guaranteed $3.5 million this season and $3.7 million next season. One thing to consider is the uncertainty surrounding the pending CBA. With a lot of details to be worked out, teams aren’t sure how it will impact the salary cap. And we know Danny Ainge is all about maintaining flexibility.