Apr 10, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Sacramento Kings forward
Jason Thompson(34) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder center
Steven Adams(12) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Sixers Trade Hometown Favorite To Golden State
The Philadelphia 76ers are not about planning for “A move”. While the majority of NBA teams plan player transactions one trade at a time, team president and general manager Sam Hinkie sees player moves in three dimensions, not unlike a Bobby Fisher or Boris Spassky would see ten moves into the future on the chess board. He makes a move for a draft pick and a salary dump, but picks up other players who will be used to foster additional draft picks and players in a week, or two. And so it began when the Boris Spassky of the NBA moved his first pieces.
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It began when Yahoo Sports writer Adrian Wojnarowskie caught the story that the Sacremento Kings, desperate to shed approximately $16M salary cap space, unloaded the contracts of two players: Carl Landry and Jason Thompson, and 2014 number eight draft pick Nik Stauskas to the Sixers. What did the Sixers give up? A future second round pick and the rights to some overseas players. Even to the untrained eye, it seems that the Sixers came out ahead in this deal. But Hinkie wanted more. Hinkie likes draft picks, and options to move up in the draft, so he obtained even more:
Sixers will receive a protected 1st-round pick from the Kings, and swap rights w/ Sacto in the 1st round of two other drafts, sources say.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 2, 2015
The Kings wanted to pursue free agents, and were desperate to move salary. And like a good neighbor, Sam Hinkie is there, with a warehouse of open space for salary cap dumps. But there was an interesting storyline with this move, which perhaps even Hinkie didn’t realize. But media did. In fact, the fact that Jason Thompson, who originally hailed from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, was not missed by many who follow the Sixers. He is a seven year veteran, and was the longest tenured player on the Kings roster. When you are a multi year player on a team’s roster, you know one of three things will happen. You either get paid a LOT OF MONEY, you get traded to another team, or you get outright cut. So Thompson understood that he was being moved, but didn’t know where he would end up.
Next: Thompson Opens Up