by James Ham & Jonathan Santiago
The Sacramento Kings have made the first move ahead of tomorrow’s NBA trade deadline. The Kings have reached an agreement to send Marcus Thornton to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for veterans Jason Terry and Reggie Evans.
“Adding Jason and Reggie provides our roster with toughness and veteran leadership that will help this team continue to grow,” Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro said in a official statement issued by the team. “They bring a wealth of NBA experience to Sacramento that will undoubtedly make a positive impact on our younger players. We also thank Marcus for his contributions and wish him great success going forward.”
Thornton had been the subject of trade rumors for much of this season. Last month, the Kings reportedly offered Thornton to the Denver Nuggets in a deal for veteran guard Andre Miller. Thornton was also rumored to be part of a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers for veteran guard Jarrett Jack.
The 26-year-old had struggled to find his place with the Kings this year and as a result, posted near career-low numbers. Through 46 games with the Kings, Thornton averaged just 8.3 points while shooting a career-worst 38.1 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from 3-point distance. Two years ago, Thornton led the Kings in scoring, averaging a team-high 18.7 points per contest.
By acquiring Terry, the Kings add a veteran presence at point guard that they’ve been seeking since the departure of Greivis Vasquez. The 36-year-old guard, however, arrives in Sacramento having posted the worst numbers of his career. In 35 games this season, Terry has averaged just 4.5 points and 1.6 assists in 16.3 minutes per game.
Like Terry, Evans comes to Sacramento having played sparingly this season for the Nets. Evans has played just 30 games and averaged 2.7 points and five rebounds in 13.3 minutes per contest this year.
Overall, the Kings shed approximately $1.6 million in salary in the deal. They’ll save about $700,000 this year and close to a $1 million next season by taking on Terry and Evans’ contracts. Thornton originally re-signed a four-year deal worth approximately $31.2 million with the Kings following the 2011 NBA lockout.
Marcus Thornton tweets about his departure from Sacramento
Thxs to the Sacramento organization and most of all the fans for showing me love since my 1st day in sac really appreciate it
— Marcus Thornton (@OfficialMT23) February 19, 2014
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Hello Brooklyn — Marcus Thornton (@OfficialMT23) February 19, 2014
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Nets fans holla at me looking forward to rocking out wit y’all
— Marcus Thornton (@OfficialMT23) February 19, 2014
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Updated at 2:48 pm
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