DeMarcus Cousins had 14 points and seven rebounds on 6-7 shooting that included nine fourth quarter points to help the Western All-Stars prevail.

In what was hopefully the first of many All-Star appearances for the Kings big-man, DeMarcus Cousins had 14 points and seven rebounds on 6-7 shooting as the West All-Stars edged out the East 163 to 158. Cousins played big minutes down the stretch and scored nine fourth quarter points to help the West maintain the lead before being pulled with four minutes to go.

Cousins was the first Sacramento representative in the NBA's showcased February event since Peja Stojaković and Brad Miller appeared in the 2003-04 contest at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Cousins wasn't originally voted as a reserve by the NBA's coaches, but made it in as an injury replacement for the sidelined Kobe Bryant.

Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook led all scorers with 41 points on 16-28 shooting, while LeBron James had 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds to lead the Eastern squad.

With the All-Stars mostly focusing on three-pointers and fast-break dunks, there were minimal looks for Cousins as Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr relied heavily on the freestyling speed of his own Stephan Curry (15 points), Houston's James Harden (29 points, eight assists) and Westbrook.

Cousins entered the contest at the beginning of the second quarter and hit his first look on an 18-foot corner jumper, but with the hot-shooting Westbrook taking a majority of the West's looks, the touches for Cousins weren't frequent. Cousins had a reverse layup attempt fail moments later, mainly in part to Westbrook attempting to dunk it when it hung on the rim. Cousins got a dunk off an easy feed from recent King-killer Klay Thompson with 4:31 to go and finished the half with four points and three rebounds.

His second-half stint began in the waning minutes of the third quarter but he remained on the court until four minutes left in the game. His nine-point fourth quarter included two straight buckets-a dunk followed by an and-one layup with 7:26 left to go.

With the Kings next contest coming next Friday against the Boston Celtics, Cousins and the rest of the Kings players will have decent practice time with new Coach George Karl.

For complete coverage of the All-Star Weekend, visit the SB Nation's NBA homepage.

The Phoenix Suns are waiting to pounce on the next All-Star available in a trade and DeMarcus Cousins might be that guy.

Context is important here because I didn't see this having any chance until this past weekend. Saturday night Bill Simmons of Grantland released another episode of his podcast the 'B.S. Report' and his first guest was Grantland's NBA writer Zach Lowe. The topic was the trade deadline and as is with most NBA conversations on the podcast, the conversation wandered its way into talking about the Celtics and DeMarcus Cousins.

This isn't anything new, but the situation surrounding Boogie certainly is. Lowe and Simmons are by no means guys who break news, but they have their certain guys they talk to and more importantly have an incredible gauge and sense for how things are going in the NBA.

Regarding Cousins, Simmons asked Lowe about Cousins possibly being available and Lowe responded with "I don't think that's a ridiculous question. I think teams around the league are asking themselves that right now." Simmons agreed and thought that the "what would we give up for Boogie" meetings were happening.

In case you didn't perk up yet, Lowe followed that meeting line with "good young player, minimum two first-round picks" as an example. We will stop there for now, because Simmons hilariously tries to sell Lowe on a Celtics package for Cousins.

If you don't see where I'm going yet, after that failed sell by Simmons, Lowe would say that "I think a smart, proactive team would call them and say here's a godfather offer for DeMarcus Cousins." Simmons and Lowe went on to discuss how Boogie has spent a good amount of time in Sacramento being miserable.

Since the trade deadline is coming up and there aren't any games until Thursday, let's get super speculative about what Lowe and Simmons said. Here's my case for why the Suns should do everything in their power to get DeMarcus Cousins and make that godfather offer.

Why the Move Fits the Suns

First, let's take a look at that last quote. Isn't this what Suns GM Ryan McDonough thrives on?

The two key words there are smart and proactive. I think it's safe to say McDonough is smart given the amount of great trades he's pulled off so far and the signings/extensions he's made. He has openly said that they are looking for that next big name that's available and they want a star. That sounds like someone ready to be proactive.

The second quote you want to take a look at is the one involving personnel. If there is a team in the NBA that has a boatload of assets of varying degrees and wants a star enough to take a risk on Boogie, it's the Suns. Let me know in the comments, but I don't think there are many other teams that are in that stage. Before we take a look at that possible package, let's discuss something that we have to go over.

The Len vs. Cousins Discussion

The Suns currently have that good young player right now in Alex Len. Len and Cousins are both the best around the basket and I personally think you'd be trying to be too cute if you played them together. Besides, Len needs to be in this deal for it to work.

Len is an extremely promising player and despite some Suns fans feelings on him, I feel safe saying that there isn't anyone in the NBA that sees him becoming anywhere near the player that Cousins is right now.

Len does something new every game to impress you and he improves in that way as well, but that's what promising young players are supposed to do. He's not doing these things right now, but Len has a unique potential for the high post and becoming a capable shooter and passer from the midrange. For now, he's an emerging rim protector who is really freaking long.

From an outsiders perspective, DeMarcus Cousins averages 24 points (first among centers) and 12 rebounds (third among centers) at the age of 24. For people who watch his game frequently, you know what Cousins can bring on the defensive end when he's bringing his full effort. Even after the Kings fired his coach, Cousins has still played through a portion of this year to the second best Defensive Real Plus-Minus in the league (Len is 34th).

Some will want to point out smaller problems like his usage rate (5th in the NBA) and turnovers (1st in the NBA), but I see those two problems significantly declining around a better team. If you want to look at those smaller problems for Cousins, you also have to look at the smaller things he does well such as FT shooting (80%, 8th among centers) and assists (3.3, 3rd among centers). He can really handle the ball and that midrange jumper is eventually going to be money. His age continues to be surprising without looking at the box score and looking at some of the things he does on the court.

What I'm trying to say here is there's no debate. Len will never be this good when he's 24 and it's highly unlikely he will be that good in his prime. I really like Alex Len, but he's not going to get to Boogie's level. Based on some comments we've had this season I had to have this talk.

The Other Factor

Moving on, the question now becomes what else the Suns need to throw in. Before that though, the Suns would need to address this whole DeMarcus Cousins/Isaiah Thomas thing.

In my opinion, you should never ever try to bring these two together again. As the article from Sactown Royalty says, there's definitely something there. When you have a guy like Cousins, you do everything you need to make him happy. That means trading IT once you make this Boogie thing official.

I'm not sure if Sacramento would take Thomas back and let's act like they wouldn't, but a player of Thomas' caliber on that contract is easy to move. If you got Boogie, moving Thomas for who would be your 5th-8th best player on the roster would not be a problem.

The Other Players

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's look at the rest of the deal. The tricky part here for the Suns is actually getting the trade to be successful salary wise because of the discrepancy in Cousins and Len's salaries.

The two Suns most likely to be traded before Thursday are Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee, both of whom the Kings could use. From there, the Suns need one more contract and let's safely say Zoran is attached to Goran.

That leaves T.J. Warren and Tyler Ennis (because if I include Archie Goodwin in this fake trade you will all burn my house down), and this going to be an extremely unpopular opinion, but you need to keep Ennis over Warren. The Morrii are attached so that leaves Marcus playing the minutes Warren possibly should be playing. Now playing Warren out of position at the four is appealing, but what's more unappealing is not having a backup point guard.

Like I said, IT's gone in this scenario so now you need a backup point guard. That would be Ennis. Warren's got a great future in front of him, but a good way of thinking about his involvement in the deal is that the Kings would see his value much more than Ennis (they have Sessions, Collison, and McCallum already).

The Picks

So now we've got Len, Green, Plumlee, and Warren for Cousins. I think the Suns need to add at least two first-round picks for this to make sense and I think three first-round picks makes this a deal the Kings have to do IF they want to deal Cousins (big if, we don't know the answer to that question and it's the reason this is so much speculation).

There are a couple of factors to discuss here and the first one is figuring out where the roster will be at with the players involved in the deal. With all that, here's your "rosterbation comment outline" of the team.

PG: Bledsoe/Ennis
SG: Dragic/Bullock/Goodwin (BOGDAN IN 2016)
SF: Tucker/ Mook
PF: Keef
C: Cousins/Wright
?: Whoever the Suns get for IT

Tons of random factors to consider there, such as who the Suns would get for IT and how far along Bullock, Goodwin and Ennis are in the rotation, but either way that's a pretty good looking unit to say the least.

The question the Suns now have to ask themselves with that group is whether or not they could afford to give up their picks. That's more than enough youth on that roster so in my opinion there's no reason to be stingy about the picks.

For me, the Lakers pick is too good of an asset to not give up in this deal since it involves Cousins. Len, Warren, and that pick is a pretty hefty haul on its own in my opinion.

In addition, I'd give up the first-round pick in 2016 with no protections because you are going all in on this trade regardless.

The Deal

Kings receive: Alex Len, T.J. Warren, Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee, LAL 2015 first-round pick (top five protected in 2015, top three protected in 2016), PHX 2016 first-round pick

Suns receive: DeMarcus Cousins

That's the Suns godfather offer for DeMarcus Cousins. As crazy as this may sound from what the Suns are giving up the Kings still may want more in the deal. They may want more picks, the Suns to take on a bad contract, or insist on either Dragic, Bledsoe, or Keef also being in the deal. Unless it's only a smidgen more (you could talk me into the 2018 first) that's when the Suns would have to walk away.

Now I understand the Kings just paid Rudy Gay a lot of money, but this gives them a mega kickstart on a rebuild if that's what they want and honestly that's usually how trading away a superstar works out. This trade helps them keep their first-round pick in 2015 (traded to Chicago with a top 10 protection for the next three years) and probably 2016 as well. That's four first rounders in the next two years they get because of this trade plus Len and Warren. Of course, I'll remind you that this is all contingent on if they are willing to trade Boogie and trade him to team in their own division.

The bottom line here is that the Suns have been looking for that All-Star to come in and take over this team and that's Cousins in this scenario. The best part about this is that Cousins is only 24 and you could debate he is about to run the table on that position for the next decade. He's had his issues, but he was cool under Mike Malone and seemed to really enjoy himself, which is something you could pretty much guarantee playing with a roster and coach like this. He could be the alpha for this team and would put the Suns on the map as a contender in the future.

Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post joins us to talk about what to expect out of George Karl.

The Sacramento Kings have hired a coach with the sixth most wins (1,131) in NBA history. So what will this new era look like when George Karl shows up at Sleep Train Arena this week?

We caught up with Chris Dempsey, who has been with The Denver Post since 2003, to discuss what Kings fans can expect out of their new coach.

Below are excerpts from the interview.

You covered George Karl over his entire career as the Nuggets head coach. You must know him quite well. When was the last time you spoke to him and where was his state of mind?

It was December and I was asking him about the current state of the Nuggets and what he thought about all of that. Every time I've talked to him after he was fired he has always expressed interest in coming back and he always said he missed the game, that he missed being in the gym, misses the rhythm of the gym and all of this. He's a very philosophical guy. That is an environment that he loves pretty much more than anything else in his life that's not his family. So that was always present in every conversation with him. He wanted to get back into coaching, I don't think he was ever really satisfied doing the analyst thing, though it was fine for him. But what he really wanted to do was be back on that sideline.

Can you give us some insight into how Karl deals with the media and did you enjoy engaging with him on a regular basis? What can Sacramento expect from him as far as his personality goes?

I enjoyed it a lot because to be honest with you, if you just sit and listen to him, you learn a lot about the game. He speaks in a way that is a lot of times very detailed, a lot of times he's philosophical about the game of basketball, how it should be played, how players should operate, how teams should operate offensively and defensively. He's very descriptive in those kinds of things. I've covered a lot of coaches in my life and I always thought he was one of the better coaches that I covered just in terms of his personality. He's not going to like every single question that he hears and one of the things he really hated so much to be asked was who the starters were on a nightly basis. He bristled at that all the time. So he was actually, I'm teasing, but kind of abusing to a couple of us, but generally he is going to be personable with the media, he didn't always like talking to us, but he was not in a perpetual bad mood all the time.

You mentioned the lineup questions with him, I know that was a sensitive subject there toward the end of his tenure with the Nuggets. Was that always an issue or does he over-analyze his lineups too much you think? Talk about his philosophy with rotations.

It got to be kind of a sore subject with him once that whole Melo period was over. Because once that was over, then there started to be a lot of attention on who is starting, how were things getting rotated and why? If this player had a bad week should he be out of the starting lineup? It was just in a way that he hadn't had to answer before because you sort of knew Melo, Chauncey [Billups], Kenyon Martin, Nene [Hilario], these guys were always in the starting lineup. It was just never a question. When it became a team full of just kind of good players to where the lay fan or the media guys would start to pick apart the lineups and really start to get detailed on what guys are doing and should they be in, then it kind of started to become a sore subject because he was answering those questions all the time and he hated those ... he wasn't necessarily going to play 11 guys, not until he had a team at which that was kind of warranted. Especially in playoff time, he wanted to shorten that bench down to eight guys who he knew were going to play and were going to be the core of what the Nuggets were going to do.

Taking all of that into account, the Kings have a core of DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Darren Collison. What do you see him pulling out of that roster?

What I am most interested in seeing is George Karl coaching with a big-time center. He's really never had that, the center as the focal point. You go to back to his years of Seattle and Milwaukee, you are talking [Sam] Perkins in Seattle and he's kind of a stretch 5. And then in Milwaukee, just nobody; that was kind of the three-guard lineup, that perimeter lineup that he had there. And then in Denver, he had some capable guys, but none that the team was ever built around. So I am very fascinated and I'll be interested to see how he coaches this team because he's always been kind of a more perimeter coach, outside-in, and now he's going to have to coach it a little bit inside-out.

I think the first thing Sacramento fans will find is that nothing is going to change in terms of their standing of the free throws attempted per game. They lead the league in that, about 29 a game. I would expect that to, if we're not too many games into the season for an average to get affected significantly, for that to get to 30 or 31 by the time the season is over. He is big on attacking the rim, he's big on getting fouled and shooting free throws. He's big on layups, free throws and three-pointers, and somehow he is going to get Sacramento into that stage. I would expect to see more attacking out of Rudy Gay, more attaching out of Darren Collison. McLemore is a guy who can get to the rim and George Karl will want him to do that. He's not going to want them settling for any jump shot that isn't three-pointers in the corner or somewhere that's pretty wide open as a result of the decision of the offense that's being run.

Ben McLemore is a guy who made huge strides from season 1 to season 2 and has a pretty high ceiling. What do you think Karl can get out of a guy like him? Talk about his mentoring of young guys.

First of all, I think he's going to want Ben McLemore to use the athletic gifts that he has first and not worry about being a jump-shooting, three-point shooting guy. He's going to want Ben McLemore to put the ball on the ground, get himself to the rim and then work his game inside-out. George has the reputation of not playing young players and not being very receptive in that way, but I don't think he's going to have a choice here because McLemore is already a big part of the enterprise … I think Ben Mclemore, if he just listens and does what George Karl says, I think he's going to completely realize every piece of potential that he has in him. He's going to be a more efficient player, I think George is going to seek to remove the bad shot decisions from his game ... and just say, ‘hey, look dude, run the court, get to the rim, dunk that ball, shoot the free throws well and then build your game out.' George is going to build McLemore's game out and some of the other guys that you probably didn't think were three-point shooters or jump-shot shooters. One thing he always did in Denver was kind of develop guys and their shooting over time.

DeMarcus Cousins is an All-Star now and he is getting to that star level that Carmelo is at. Talk about Karl's relationship with Melo and how he managed him.

That was a roller coaster ride. That was definitely up and down. I remember when he wanted Carmelo to get into shape and he was kind of riding him about that and Carmelo was kind of resistant to that. Listen, we're all fooling ourselves if we think there is not going to be bumps between him and DeMarcus Cousins. There's going to be because George Karl is going to inevitably ask DeMarcus Cousins to do something that probably DeMarcus hasn't done. If DeMarcus doesn't want to do it he's going to push back and then George is going to push back. So he's always had a rocky relationship with a star on the team. Especially those stars that were very outspoken and kind of fiery in their own right, you know, Gary Payton they went at it. Carmelo wasn't going to take anything from him until they came to a meeting of the minds and came to a common ground ... DeMarcus is going to have to understand that ultimately George Karl is going to get him and everything that that team is doing, including the things that DeMarcus is doing already well, and if he can kind of come to grips with that and separate the message from the tone, I think those two will be just fine.

Karl has said he wants to get Cousins to be an energizer rather than a player who wears his emotions on his sleeve. Do you think as a coach he is capable of doing that?

I do, and I think what he'll do behind closed doors is probably use himself as the example. Because the George Karl that we see today and the one that say was in Seattle and then Milwaukee, he wore his emotions on his sleeve and his ego and everything else. What he figured out over time was to just chill. You can be an energizer in a positive way, you don't necessarily have to be yelling and degrading and an egomaniac and all these things that were kind of negative and toxic. But you can have a great effect on people by being uplifting and all of these other things. And I think this is the state that George Karl lives in now. I think his best example to DeMarcus Cousins is going to be himself and say, ‘hey, look, I was you. I was you when I was a young man.' You couldn't tell George anything, but over the years he came to find out through trial and error, and through good relationships and bad, and successes and failures that keeping your emotions in check and evening that portion out has been the best part and it has worked the best for him, and he has been able to be super successful as a result.

There was a lot made of whether or not Michael Malone was clashing with the Kings front office. I know that was an issue between George Karl and the Nuggets front office before he was fired. How legitimate of an issue was all of that and can you give us some insight into what actually happened there?

That was part of it. There was a contract situation there as well and I don't know the owner, well Josh Kroenke, the president of the team, wanted to continue to go forward. He didn't walk down the same road. And George was kind of pushing for a contract extension and when you have a guy that is a little hesitant in the president to keep going in the same direction at the same time as the coach needs a new contract and is pushing for one, then you kind of have that perfect storm of a situation where you let go of guy who just won you 57 games. George, as we were discussing earlier, is a very strong willed guy and he grates on people behind the scenes, I don't know that is the overarching reason why he was let go from Denver though. Everybody can work with him, he's proven over the years that even in his worst most 'Furious George' days he was able to, if he was successful on the court, the teams kept him on.

And he's got the relationship with Pete D'Alessandro already. And I think that is going to be huge in that situation. Right away, they already understand each other. Pete is very familiar with how George works, with his personality quirks and those kinds of things. If it ever got to a point where say ownership and George were getting caught crossways, Pete can definitely be the buffer between that. So I just think that is a big time thing that they already have that relationship established.

The All-Star break came at a time when the fans and players needed a break. Everything that has gone on this season has resulted in the hiring of George Karl, but fans are still a little uneasy about what happened with Michael Malone. What would you say to Kings fans about what to expect when Karl shows up here?

I think the fans are still going to have to be patient … he's still got to learn the team, they have to learn him. But I think what you will see immediately is just a raise in the overall basketball IQ of the team. You will be able to see that within the first three weeks. They'll just look like a lot more competent basketball team on the court. Then from there, listen, the team is 18 and 34, so it's not like there is going to be a playoff run coming or anything like that, but I think from a fan's standpoint I would just expect to see a better looking, higher IQ, probably a faster pace basketball team … I can't fault any fan there that is looking at management and shaking their head. I mean, how can you fault the fans for that? You can't. The decision-making has been head shaking. So the skepticism should be expected and quite frankly, Sacramento's management ought to understand why their fans are frustrated and not bristle at that. Just say, ‘we're going to get our stuff tightened up, fans just be patient.'

I think the fans are going to have a lot of fun watching this basketball team for the rest of the season.

***

If you haven't already, make sure you check out the most recent Sactown Royalty Show. Greg had a good conversation with Nate Timmons of Denver Stiffs about Karl.

The Bulls have some assets, but is the right deal out there to cash some of them in?

The trade deadline is Thursday, but don't expect many fireworks from the Bulls. While the Bulls have some assets and could use a bit more help on the bench, they don't have a track record of making in-season moves, and there's little reason to expect that to change this season.

Taj Gibson was mentioned as a possible trade candidate, but that was more speculation than a legitimate trade rumor. The Bulls have also been linked to Arron Afflalo, but Grantland's Zach Lowe says the Nuggets' asking price for Afflalo is high (multiple first-rounders), and Chicago seems hesitant to part ways with those types of assets:

Bulls like roster but would add shooter. Won't trade a big for a small. Won't trade future 1st. Will check buyout list for open roster spot.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 16, 2015

I understand the hesitation about trading future firsts, because those rookie contracts are valuable (and will become even more valuable with the exploding cap) and the Bulls have generally done a nice job picking late. But the Bulls are in position to win now, and if there's a good deal out there that could be made by cashing in on a future draft pick, I'd be for it.

For what it's worth, Lowe barely mentions the Bulls in his trade deadline primer, giving even more reason to believe nothing much will happen. However, the trade of Luol Deng was a surprise after many said it wouldn't happen, so never rule anything out. If nothing does happen, definitely keep an eye on the buyouts. Could a guy like Gary Neal feel rejuvenated in Chicago? Maybe.

Even if a trade is unlikely, let's take a look at the assets the Bulls have at their disposal. I'm not going to include Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Nikola Mirotic and Mike Dunleavy because I'm assuming there's no chance any of them are dealt.

Taj Gibson: While Gibson has regressed this season, he's on an affordable contract for the next two years and still plays a significant role on the team. The Bulls will need his normal defensive prowess (which he must regain) against the other Eastern Conference contenders in the postseason, so I'd be wary of dealing him. I'm not trading Gibson in any deal for Afflalo for Wilson Chandler, although I would be intrigued by Goran Dragic, who supposedly is on the block thanks to the glut of guards in Phoenix. The issue with Dragic, though, is he would almost certainly be gone at the end of this year after he opts out of his current. Could you imagine the Bulls paying big money to both Dragic and Butler? Hell no. There's also the whole don't trade big-for-small thing, although I'd probably try and snag Miles Plumlee as well to help replace Gibson.

Tony Snell: Snell is an interesting case. A few weeks ago, I'm actively shopping him in an effort to upgrade the roster for this year. Now, the Bulls have to decide whether his recent excellent play is a flash in the pan or a positive sign of things to come. Would the Bulls sell high and take the risk of looking bad if he continues to play well? I'm guessing no, because he still has two cheap years left on his rookie contract and could be pretty valuable moving forward if Mike Dunleavy is gone after this season. Still, Snell isn't untouchable by any means.

Doug McDermott: McDermott was bad before he got hurt and can't get on the floor even when healthy now. It's become painfully obvious that Tom Thibodeau doesn't trust McDermott, and it's looking like this will be a redshirt season, even if the Bulls could use his shooting. Even so, it's unlikely that the Bulls will trade the rookie. We know the front office loves him, and they invested a lot by trading up to get him in this past draft. And while he looked awful at the beginning of the year, I still feel like he can at least carve out a niche in the NBA thanks to his shooting, which is sure to improve.

Kings pick: The Kings first-rounder acquired from the Cavaliers in the Deng trade is top 10 protected until 2017, and it turns into a second-rounder if the Kings don't draft outside the top 10 by 2017. Sacramento currently has the sixth-worst record in the league this season, but a strong close to the year under new head coach George Karl could get the Kings outside the top 10. (The Kings are 2½ games worse than the Celtics, who have the 11th-worst record.) And even if it doesn't happen this year, there's reason to believe Sacramento will be better next year.

Bulls picks: When it's all said and done, the Bulls' own first-rounder is sure to fall in the 20s. However, if the Bulls finish with a better record than the Cavaliers, the two teams will swap picks, so Chicago has that going for them. The Bulls don't own any second-round picks in the 2015 draft.

Trade filler: If the Bulls need to match salaries on a trade, they could look to include guys like Kirk Hinrich, Aaron Brooks, E'Twaun Moore, Nazr Mohammed and Cameron Bairstow. Hinrich and Mohammed both have the right to veto any trades they're included in because of the one-year contracts with full Bird rights they signed this past offseason (Hinrich's second year is an option), while Kirk also has a 15 percent trade kicker.

As the deadline looms, rumors are surfacing of preliminary talks between the Kings and Pistons over the newly-redundant Jonas Jerebko

Sean Deveney from The Sporting News (red flag alert!!) has reported that the Sacramento Kings are interested in adding a stretch-4 to their rotation, and have their eyes set on the Milwaukee Bucks' Ersan Ilyasova and Detroit's own Jonas Jerebko. The proposed return from such a trade would most likely be one of Derrick Williams or Jason Thompson, who had already been offered to the Pistons for Josh Smith earlier in the season.

While nothing has gone past preliminary talks, it was a foregone conclusion that Jerebko's name would be floating around the rumor mill as Pistons.com's Keith Langlois earlier reported that the Swedish national is considered the Pistons' only tradeable asset for the upcoming deadline.

Jonas' minutes have decreased significantly since the acquisition of Anthony Tolliver from the Suns on Dec. 24, as the cheaper, veteran sharp-shooter made Jerebko redundant in Stan Van Gundy's offensive scheme. Despite playing some of the best basketball since his Achilles rupture in 2011, the longest tenured Piston on the team seems to be on his way out of Motown as he finds himself buried on the bench for yet another season. With the trade deadline fast approaching, it still remains to be seen whether DBB's favorite Swede will still be in Piston blue, white and red after Feb. 19.

What would you want in return for Jonas?

Now your thoughts.

We sent Brian Fleurantin to the D-League All-Star Game Sunday to take a look at prospects, players who might interest the Nets (and others) as the season heads into the final turn.

The Barclays Center portion of All Star weekend wrapped up on Sunday afternoon with the Developmental League All Star game. For the fans at the game and watching on television --or YouTube,  it was a great opportunity to see players they weren't familiar with. Here, we're going to take a look at some players we should keep an eye on as the second half of the NBA season begins.

Adonis Thomas

The 6'7" Thomas was with the Nets for a short while, but was waived before the start of the 2013-2014 season. He ended up joining the Springfield Armor before the Magic called him up. He eventually rejoined the Armor before finishing the year up with the Sixers. Thomas signed with the Grand Rapids Drive and has been playing well. The 41 percent from the field overall isn't the greatest, but 36 percent from three point range will be a draw as he tries to join an NBA roster. The weekend is a showcase opportunity for everyone invited and Thomas is no exception. He's also thinking big picture, saying:

I want to come out and compete and continue to showcase my talents. There will be scouts there

Although Thomas hasn't signed a contract with a team as of yet and didn't have a memorable display in the game, there's still plenty of time for him to join a team. He was a highly touted prospect at the University of Memphis before an ankle injury slowed his ascent. Teams such as the Miami Heat need perimeter help and a player like Thomas can address those needs.

Quincy Miller

Miller has two years of experience with the Denver Nuggets, but was cut right before the season started. His pro numbers aren't impressive, but it should be noted that he tore his ACL in late 2010 and has been working his way back to full strength. Through 15 games with Reno (the Sacramento Kings' affiliate), Miller has found his groove. Miller is averaging 25 points and seven rebounds on 50 percent shooting. More importantly, he's shooting a respectable 35.2 percent on six three point attempts a game. Miller is 6'11 and can play either the small or power forward positions. In between making comparisons to Indiana's Paul George, Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw had this to say about Miller's game:

Having that length and having his ability, his versatility, when he does rebound to be able to push the ball out and make plays down at the other end is great for our team.

All Star Game jankiness aside (although I should note everyone was playing hard), it felt as if Miller was the most ready NBA player. He made some impressive pull up three pointers in transition and led the game in rebounding even though he wasn't the biggest or bulkiest player on the court. That should help him out if/when he reenters the NBA. He is rumored to enter negotiations with the Kings for a contract that will last the rest of the season (NBA rules state that after a player signs a second ten day contract with a team, they can either sign him for the rest of the season or release him). With George Karl coming in and the Kings playing for next year, now would be the perfect time for Miller to reunite with his former coach. The forward position is pretty thin outside of Rudy Gay, so if Miller does join them, he should get an extended try out period.

Andre Emmett

The All Star Game MVP, Emmett has been around the block a bit. He played some with the Memphis Grizzlies ten years ago, and most recently was in New Jersey with the Nets in the post lockout 2011-2012 season. Now 32, the 6'5" Emmett was the second oldest player on the court yesterday. The oldest player, Damien Wilkins, we can safely assume, was speaking for Emmett and everyone there when he told Scott Caicola of the New York Times:

I want for those people to see the improvements I've made as a player, and to show that I can still help a team win. That’s all I want."

Emmett is widely regarded as one of the D-League's best players. He's fifth in the league in scoring at 21.3 points a night and shoots 51.8 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three point range. He can also post smaller guards up and that will serve him well. Winning the MVP has helped D-League players out in the past. Gerald Green won the award back in 2012 and was on the Nets a few days later. Green was able to parlay that success into a great run in Jersey before signing a three year, $10 million contract with Indiana that offseason. He's currently with the Suns and will be a free agent this summer.

When I initially started writing this, Emmett hadn't signed anywhere. However, since then, news came out that he has signed with the Meralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association. He will be on their roster for the Governor's Cup, which is scheduled to begin in May.  That would seem to preclude Emmett from signing with an NBA club at least for this year.

Willie Reed

If you remember back to the preseason, Reed was signed as a training camp invitee but was waived one week before the season started. Since then, Reed signed overseas with an Israeli team, then changed his mind and joined the Grand Rapids Drive (the Detroit Pistons affiliate). In 28 games, the big fella --he'll tell you he's 6'11"-- is averaging about 15 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes a night. Where Reed can stand to improve is from the outside. He's only made and is shooting 53.9 percent from the free throw line.

Teams are always in need of good big men, and D-League players like Reed are always in need of good work. Naturally, the #CallWillieUp hashtag was born. As someone who's been around the block some, Reed understands what teams are looking for when they examine a player in developmental. When asked if D-League players are focused on getting numbers, Reed said:

I don't think [such a mentality] really exists. With them having to play in the team aspect, I think if you play hard and you do what you do best, the NBA is all about what [teams] need, filling a position," the big man said. "They love guys that play hard and defend. I think that should be everybody's role. Whether you can score the basketball or not you still have to be able to play defense to make it to the next level.

Reed's size ought to draw some attention from teams in need of a big man. He's somewhat limited offensively and needs to become a better free shooter, but his inside scoring and offensive rebounding will make up for that in the mean time.

Although the D-League showcase in January brought out the big names, Sunday's game was a great opportunity for the All Stars to display their skills for a national audience that may not be familiar with them. For players as old as Wilkins (35 years old) and as young as Jabari Brown (22 years old), they're all chasing the same goal.

One final note

With the D-League All Star Game being played at Barclays, it must be mentioned that the Nets no longer have a D-League team of their own. Brooklyn is one of 13 teams that share a single affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Having a D League team is a great option for teams to properly train and develop players who aren't with the main club. For a team that is lacking in assets and draft picks (Atlanta will can swap picks this year while Boston can do the same in 2017. Next year's and 2018's picks are unprotected with both of them going to the Celtics. ), the D-League is a great opportunity for the Nets to replenish their roster and take flyers on players who may not be on everyone's radars. They've got nothing to lose at this point.

...And an update

Xavier Thames, the 6'4" point guard the Nets drafted at No. 59 last June, joined the Mad Ants over the weekend after leaving Sevilla in the Spanish League. He will debut Tuesday night in Maine vs the Red Claws and play in the area Friday night when the Mad Ants play the Westchester Knicks in Westchester.  The Nets retain his NBA rights.  He's not an All-Star, but he is part of the Nets.

It's almost the trade deadline, which means other fan bases once again want to trade for Boogie.

In what seems to now be an annual tradition, there's been a recent trend of articles examining how other teams could trade for DeMarcus Cousins. While most of the articles acknowledge that it would be difficult to pry Cousins from the Kings, they nonetheless make proposals. (Note: I'm not linking these posts simply because there's no need for Kings fans to attack other sites in comment sections.) These proposals are often guilty of overvaluing the trade assets of the team that would receive Boogie. This is normal, we've been known to do the same around here, but it's nothing to get worked up over. The Sacramento Kings aren't trading DeMarcus Cousins.

To understand why Kings fans don't need to worry, you just have to look at what's prompted such rumors.

NBA trade deadline approaching | Chicago Bulls

Another Celtics' big man rumor floating around during All-Star weekend has been their pursuit of All-Star DeMarcus Cousins. There is no indication he's available from the team, but the speculation has been he and George Karlwon't work together and Karl wants to play faster without a low post center. So Boston is rumored to give it a try. Hey, who thought they would get Kevin Garnett?

Let's look at why this makes no sense. Where is this speculation coming from that Karl and Cousins can't work well together? Certainly not from Sacramento. And I know this, not because of sources, but because you don't intentionally and sloppily pursue a coach that you think will instantly clash with your franchise cornerstone. And do you know why you don't do that? Because doing so immediately thrusts you into a position of weakness when trading your star player. Cousins himself has said he has no problem with Karl, doesn't even know Karl, but he's looking forward to having a clear direction.

Another reason we can put this rumor to rest? The trade deadline is Thursday, February 19th. The Kings first game under Karl is Friday, February 20th. Why in the world would the Kings trade their best player before even giving the Karl and Cousins pairing a single game? It simply makes no sense.

These rumors are simply the new reality Kings fans must face. Before it was because the Kings were broke and would do any trade if it brought back cash considerations. Now it's because the NBA media has been baffled by the decision making process of the Kings. And because Cousins has emerged as an absolute star. He's a player other teams and other fanbases will covet, convinced he can't possibly be happy as a Sacramento King.

Barring a public or private trade demand, the Kings are not trading DeMarcus Cousins. The only player they might trade him for will be similarly unavailable. If Cousins asks for a trade, then sure, we can pay attention to these rumors. But until that day comes, we can confidently laugh at these ideas.

The Celtics are rumored to be pursuing Cousins, but there's no chance the Kings trade their star big man.

While there's no indication the Sacramento Kings are shopping star DeMarcus Cousins in the wake of hiring George Karl, Grantland's Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe discussed the possibility of teams making a "godfather offer" for Cousins on the latest episode of the B.S. Report podcast.

Lowe believes a "smart, proactive team" will call about the availability of Cousins and make one of those offers, and Sam Smith of Bulls.com says the Boston Celtics are rumored to be a team in pursuit. Smith notes that Cousins could be available because he may not be a fit in Karl's uptempo system.

The Celtics have a boatload of future first-round picks at their disposal, which would be necessary in any trade offer for Cousins. Lowe thinks the minimum offer would be in the neighborhood of a good young player plus at least two first-round picks.

But that might not be close to enough, even with some of Cousins' issues in Sacramento. The big man has improved every season and is still just 24 years old. Would the Kings really bail on their franchise centerpiece?

Why Cousins will get traded

When it first looked like Karl was going to get the Kings job, it was reported that Cousins' camp wasn't too thrilled. While the situation was ultimately smoothed over, perhaps some ill feelings remain and Cousins won't like playing in Karl's fast-paced system. But if this sounds like an idiotic reason to trade your star player, that's because it is.

SB Nation presents: Awesome NBA trades that SHOULD happen, but never will.

Why Cousins won't get traded

Of course Cousins won't get traded. He's a stud 24-year-old big man who is one of the most devastating offensive forces in the NBA. He has gotten better every season on both ends of the floor, and the Kings just inked him to a long-term extension.

Is Cousins the best fit for Karl's system? Maybe not, but a player as talented as he is should be able to fit in any system. Furthermore, Cousins is an athletic freak who should be able to adapt to that up-and-down system. Greg Wissinger at Sactown Royalty has more on why this supposed issue makes little sense:

Let's look at why this makes no sense. Where is this speculation coming from that Karl and Cousins can't work well together? Certainly not from Sacramento. And I know this, not because of sources, but because you don't intentionally and sloppily pursue a coach that you think will instantly clash with your franchise cornerstone. And do you know why you don't do that? Because doing so immediately thrusts you into a position of weakness when trading your star player. Cousins himself has said he has no problem with Karl, doesn't even know Karl, but he's looking forward to having a clear direction.

Another reason we can put this rumor to rest? The trade deadline is Thursday, February 19th. The Kings first game under Karl is Friday, February 20th. Why in the world would the Kings trade their best player before even giving the Karl and Cousins pairing a single game? It simply makes no sense.

Sacramento showed promise at the beginning of the year with Cousins leading the charge, and the starting lineup has been strong this season. With a good coach like Karl now in place, there needs to be a renewed focus on defense and improvements made to the bench. If that happens, the Kings could make some noise in the very near future, so trading Cousins isn't the answer.

Likelihood of Kings trading Cousins

It's hard to rule out crazy stuff happening in the NBA, but there's a 0/10 chance this happens. It's too nutty, even for the Kings.

Despite sitting out during the 2015 NBA D-League Slam Dunk Contest, Ra'shad James has been thriving for the Reno Bighorns most recently.

Counting down to NBA (D-League) All-Star Weekend in New York City, there wasn't much minor league action going on. In the days leading up to the festivities, most D-League teams were only able to log one or two games, at best.

With some teams resuming play as soon as Tuesday, it's clear D-League teams are not benefitting from the extended rest NBA teams uniquely received following the All-Star break as well this season. But after all, the minor league's respective fifty game season is thirty-two contests shorter.

But in any event, one team did happen to play more than any other last week. It was none other than the high-octane Reno Bighorns, who played three contests. And while Reno only boasted a 1-2 record at week's end, there's no doubt that one player was heads and shoulders above the rest when push came to shove.

Though Ra'shad James was forced to sit out during the D-League's 2015 Slam Dunk Contest due to an injury, he still managed to impress prior to retreating to the sidelines. In three games last week, the guard averaged 23.3 points on 47% from the field and 52% from deep, to go along with 6 rebounds and 1 assist.

While such efforts may not translate into much of a stat-sheet stuffer, there's no doubt that James continues to assert himself on the offensive as of late, not quite like ever before. Last season, he served as a human-highlight. In his second D-League season, he's been able to embrace more recognition as a primary scorer in the Bighorns' ever unique offensive system.

For his most recent display of offensive prowess, James is honored with RidiculousUpside.com's "Top Prospect of the Week" award for dates ranging from February 8th - February 14th.

There's no doubt James' continued development suggests a special effort along the way, one that might warrant an NBA gig of some sort leading up to next season, at the very least.

Sacramento is considering reuniting the 29-year-old shooting guard with George Karl.

The Sacramento Kings announced the hiring of new head coach George Karl on Tuesday, and he may soon be joined by one of his former players. The Kings are targeting Denver Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo, according to CBS Sports' Ken Berger.

Berger reports the "Kings are deeply committed to making a roster upgrade at the deadline" and that Afflalo is among the teams top targets. In order to acquire Afflalo, though, the Kings would have to surrender "a significant asset," per Berger, who writes that "Nik Stauskas is the carrot the Kings are dangling in deals they're seeking to upgrade the roster for new coach George Karl."

Afflalo is averaging 14.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game this season. He's shooting 43 percent from the field and 34 percent from behind the three-point line. The 29-year-old shooting guard has a $7.5 million player option for next season, which makes this rumor even stranger. Why the 18-34 Kings would be interested in trading last year's No. 8 pick for a player who might be gone in the offseason is beyond anyone's guess. But this is the Kings we're talking about, so anything is possible.

Why the Kings will trade for Afflalo

Because they're the Kings, and in Sacramento using logic is not always a priority. After all, this is the home of the the owner who suggested the team try playing defense with just four players. The Kings already angered Cousins earlier this season when they fired head coach Mike Malone. It's possible they think bringing in a quality shooting guard is a way to endear themselves to him.

Don't discount the Karl connection here. The 63-year-old Karl didn't take this job with the intention of overseeing a slow rebuild. You can be sure he wants to compete next season. If the plan is to try jump-start the rebuild, it would make sense to bring in quality players who are familiar with Karl's system.

Why the Kings won't trade for Afflalo

Because it's ridiculous. Any general manager of an 18-34 team who trades a first-round pick for a 29-year-old who is just months away from becoming a free agent should immediately lose their job. Sure, Stauskas has struggled this year, playing just 13 minutes per game and shooting a abysmal 26 percent on three-pointers despite being drafted mostly because of his shooting ability. But he's still a 21-year-old rookie learning the nuances of the NBA game. If he was good enough to take at No. 8 a few months ago, then he's too good to trade for Afflalo now.

The other part of this is Ben McLemore, the Kings' 2013 first-round pick. McLemore is currently starting at shooting guard for Sacramento. He's averaging 11.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game and shooting 36 percent from deep. Afflalo would cut into both his minutes and growth. Right now the Kings would be better off letting Karl take the rest of the season to evaluate and work with the team's young players. Making this deal would go against that.

Likelihood (5/10)

That a rumor like this is out there means it shouldn't be discounted. This is the kind of thing no one could make up, meaning that someone on the Kings' side of things is clearly actually considering this. One would think eventually Sacramento will get a hold of itself. But with Vivek Ranadivé and the rest of that group, you just never know.

Fresh off an appearance in the NBA D-League's 2015 Three-Point Contest, David Wear spoke to RidiculousUpside.com about finding success in the Reno Bighorns' unique offense.

It goes without saying that the Reno Bighorns play an ever unique and exciting brand of basketball. The high-octane, run and gun offense has come to garner all sorts of praise, criticism, intrigue, and questions, dating back to day one.

But on Sunday, the proof was in the pudding as one of the team's top talents, David Wear, was among those selected to participate in All-Star Weekend's D-League Three-Point Contest. Though he didn't win or advance to the final pairing, the forward still had a strong showing, tallying 17 points in the opening round.

This season, not only is Wear averaging 16.7 points (on 52% from the field) and 6.9 rebounds, but also ranks ninth best in all of the minor league at 43% from beyond the arc.

"Things are going well. Obviously, with the system, there are question marks defensively. These [NBA] teams have to take it with a grain of salt, when looking back and evaluating us. We don't really run defensive schemes," the 24 year old Wear conveyed to RidiculousUpside.com. "At the same time, I'd still be a three/four; more of a stretch four. I feel like that's my position. I have that ability, and I feel like showing that I can knock down the three-point shot consistently at this level is really going to help me out."

"[Reno's offense] definitely gives me the green light to be aggressive. It can go both ways, because while it gives you the green light to get a lot of shots up, if you're not shooting a good percentage, it'll show poorly on you," Wear continued to explain. "But if you're shooting well, I think it highlights your skill-set."

Explaining the system in such a way could give way to some of the more streaky shooters looking vulnerable while feeling the pressure to convert on the long ball. Nevertheless, this notion isn't scaring Wear off in the least.

"I've always known I could shoot. I knew that was going to be a strong-suit coming into it," he added.

At first glance, one might not expect a player of the 6'10", 225 pounder's stature to have such prowess from downtown. Nevertheless, he gushed about the opportunity playing for the Bighorns provides him with, to continue strutting his stuff in hopes of an eventual call-up.

"This has allowed me to really show how well I can knock down the NBA three-point shot," Wear said. "It just happened to work out that way."

While Goran Dragic has been the biggest name connected to the Kings in recent days as the trade deadline gets closer and closer, a report by David Aldridge suggests that Kings backup PG Ramon Sessions is drawing interest from other teams.

From David Aldridge:

Hearing Wizards have turned their attention from Jameer Nelson to trying to pry Ramon Sessions from Kings. Nothing imminent.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) February 18, 2015

The phrase "trying to" seems to imply that Sacramento wants anything at all in return for Sessions, who has been abjectly horrible in his short stint here.  Sessions is having a year full of career-lows and has not fit with the team at all.  Still, this is a relative outlier season compared to his previous stints and I can see why a veteran team like the Wizards would want to add him to their bench, especially because Sacramento's asking price should be "just give us enough money for the plane ticket".  Seriously though, the only value Sacramento really needs to get in a trade for Sessions is getting out of his contract for next year.  If the Kings can snatch anything of value for Sessions, they should do it and count themselves lucky.

The Wizards have shown interest in Kings guard Ramon Sessions to fill their backup point guard needs ahead of the trade deadline.

With less than 24 hours to go before the trade deadline, it appears that the Wizards are doing their due diligence by scouring the entire league to find their new backup point guard. Per David Aldridge, it appears they've contacted the Sacramento Kings:

Hearing Wizards have turned their attention from Jameer Nelson to trying to pry Ramon Sessions from Kings. Nothing imminent.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) February 18, 2015

Sessions was signed back in late September through Sacramento's bi-annual exception, so like the Wizards' speculated pursuit of Norris Cole, they'd have to send back some salary (DeJuan Blair, perhaps) to execute the trade.

Anything more given up on the Wizards end would be foolish. Sessions is in the midst of his worst season to date, averaging career-low numbers across the board, including a putrid 34 percent from the field. His game has long been predicated on getting into the lane and making plays, but that's largely been absent this season as he's dealt with lingering back issues all season. The Kings are 13 points worse with him on the floor according to NBA.com's stats page, which has led to a large contingent of Kings fans clamoring for playing time out of Ray McCallum.

Take this, from the excellent Sactown Royalty blog that covers the Kings for SBNation, that sums up the Sessions experience:

The Kings don't exactly need amazing things from their backup Point Guard.  They simply need that guy not to hurt them so much that it leaves the starters scrambling to make up the difference when they get back into the game. So far Sessions has not been working out and it's time to try something different.

Does that sound familiar at all?

This is not the answer to the bench problems. A change of scenery for Sessions could help, but it's unlikely that stops him from tossing up Eric Maynor-like floaters that bounce off the back of the rim, or better his efficiency from beyond the arc. Again, this is probably the front office gauging interest around the league, but there are better options out on the buyout market.

Update #5

Quick Update #5:

• Sacramento Kings trade Ramon Sessions to the Washington Wizards for Andre Miller

Kings trading Ramon Sessions to Washington for Andre Miller, source tells Yahoo.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 19, 2015

Sacramento has made its first trade of the season and it's a bit of a reunion.  Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Kings have traded Ramon Sessions to Washington for Andre Miller.  Miller was a key cog in George Karl's Denver Nuggets teams.

Miller is 38 years old, in his 16th NBA season and in the last year of his contract.  He's been averaging just 12.4 minutes a game with Washington, playing behind John Wall.  With this trade, the Kings get a veteran backup PG and get out of Ramon Sessions contract for 2015-16.  This move should theoretically strengthen our bench, even if it's just addition by subtraction given how poorly Sessions has played this year in Sacramento.

At this time it remains to be seen if anybody else is involved in the trade.  We will provide updates if there are.

UPDATE 9:06 AM:

Jason Jones has confirmed the deal

Can confirm Kings have traded Ramon Sessions to Washington for Andre Miller as reported by @WojYahooNBA

— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) February 19, 2015

The Wizards are reportedly shipping out veteran point guard Andre Miller in exchange for the Kings' Ramon Sessions.

In the days leading up to the trade deadline, the Wizards made it clear they were looking for a little more scoring pop off the bench, and it appears they've found a solution, according to Adrian Wojnarowski:

Kings trading Ramon Sessions to Washington for Andre Miller, source tells Yahoo.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 19, 2015

Andre Miller makes $4.65 million this season, significantly more than Sessions who is on the books for $2.07 million this season.

The trade should be a welcome move for both of the key cogs in the deal. Miller had been losing playing time in Washington to Garrett Temple. Now, he'll get to help tutor the Kings alongside his old coach, George Karl. Meanwhile, Sessions will get a fresh start after failing to fit in Sacramento.

While we'll be sad to see The Professor go, this was a necessary move for the Wizards. Without adequate spacing Miller, just doesn't have the athleticism to make the bench offense work. Though Sessions may not provide the same court vision or hoops IQ as Miller, he can force defenses to adjust to his driving ability. Given the bench's struggles, it would be hard for Sessions to make things much worse than they already were.

UPDATE: We previously said the Kings would need to send another player back to match salaries. It appears that is not the case. Apologies for the error.

The backup point guards are swapped, reuniting Miller and George Karl in Sacramento and giving Washington a younger No. 2 point guard.

The Kings have agreed to trade reserve point guard Ramon Sessions to the Wizards in exchange for Andre Miller, according to Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski.

What the Kings are getting

The Kings land a veteran point guard in Miller, one who is well familiar with new Sacramento coach George Karl. Miller will be backing up Darren Collison, who has quietly had a strong season, and may be asked to mentor young Ray McCallum, a Miller-sized point guard. The 15-year vet was only averaging a dozen minutes per game in D.C., but that may not actually increase in Sacramento. Miller's contract expires at the end of the season.

What the Wizards are getting

Sessions will join the seventh team of his 7-year career. The quicksilver journeyman has had a rough time making an impact on mediocre teams the past few seasons, and his defense is always a concern. He's under contract for $2.1 million in 2015-16. Considering the Wizards' other rumored option for backup point guard is Bobby Brown, Sessions might actually help. Expect 42-plus minutes per game of John Wall in the postseason, though.

The Wizards made a move to bolster the bench's offense, sending out veteran point guard Andre Miller in exchange for Sacramento's Ramon Sessions.

With less than 24 hours to go before the trade deadline, it appears that the Wizards are doing their due diligence by scouring the entire league to find their new backup point guard. Per David Aldridge, it appears they've contacted the Sacramento Kings:

Hearing Wizards have turned their attention from Jameer Nelson to trying to pry Ramon Sessions from Kings. Nothing imminent.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) February 18, 2015

Sessions was signed back in late September through Sacramento's bi-annual exception, so like the Wizards' speculated pursuit of Norris Cole, they'd have to send back some salary (DeJuan Blair, perhaps) to execute the trade.

Anything more given up on the Wizards end would be foolish. Sessions is in the midst of his worst season to date, averaging career-low numbers across the board, including a putrid 34 percent from the field. His game has long been predicated on getting into the lane and making plays, but that's largely been absent this season as he's dealt with lingering back issues all season. The Kings are 13 points worse with him on the floor according to NBA.com's stats page, which has led to a large contingent of Kings fans clamoring for playing time out of Ray McCallum.

Take this, from the excellent Sactown Royalty blog that covers the Kings for SBNation, that sums up the Sessions experience:

The Kings don't exactly need amazing things from their backup Point Guard.  They simply need that guy not to hurt them so much that it leaves the starters scrambling to make up the difference when they get back into the game. So far Sessions has not been working out and it's time to try something different.

Does that sound familiar at all?

This is not the answer to the bench problems. A change of scenery for Sessions could help, but it's unlikely that stops him from tossing up Eric Maynor-like floaters that bounce off the back of the rim, or better his efficiency from beyond the arc. Again, this is probably the front office gauging interest around the league, but there are better options out on the buyout market.

The Ramon Sessions trade gives the Wizards a solid change of pace from what Andre Miller brought over the last year.

Ramon Sessions has not been very good this season. He did not fit well with the Sacramento Kings and never found his place in the rotation behind Darren Collison. He's seen his share of healthy scratches this season and was inactive for a long stretch of time in December and January. Sessions will get a new start in D.C. with the Wizards and it sure seems like he needs one.

Andre Miller was more of a post threat and practiced more patience than anything else as a point guard. He is 39 years old and has seen the twilight of his career come and go. Miller missed three games this season due to Randy Wittman thinking he needed to rest.

He had long been a liability on defense, but when Rasual Butler's hot shooting cooled off there was not enough room for him to operate on the offensive end of the floor either. He had become a burden on both ends, posting a net rating of -14.1 in the month of January with an offensive rating of 92.9. As great as The Professor had been for the Wizards, he was too much of a liability to keep on the floor for any stretch.

Sessions is a much younger body with a far different playing style. Though he hasn't been productive at all this season, he's still a 28 year old point guard who could play more than 15 minutes per night if needed. He's long been a liability on defense himself and has proven to be on this year as well, posting a defensive rating of 110.3 with the Kings.

But if he works out, it could be a huge positive for the Wizards. In his better years, he has been a productive point guard. Last season, Sessions was able to play 26.7 minutes per game and had an offensive rating of 101.7. That isn't world-changing by any means, but it is better than what we have seen on the floor over the last two weeks.

Plus, Sessions is more of a drive and kick point guard. Last season he averaged 7.3 drives per game, and his teams scored 9.7 points per 48 minutes on those drives. That is positive and solid production. If Sessions can collapse defenses in D.C. as he did last season for Milwaukee and Charlotte, he can be a positive piece to have.

The only issue with Sessions that we can clearly see is a large one: His shooting. Sessions has not been able to see the floor in Sacramento because he did not fit with their offensive style, which was initially playing at a slow pace and getting the ball down to DeMarcus Cousins in the post.

Sessions is not a very good shooter and never has been. When the ball is not in his hands spacing has always been an issue. He's shooting 35 percent from the floor this season and is a career 30 percent three point shooter. The Wizards like to dump the ball down to Seraphin when the second unit is in, and Sessions is not a slasher in the ilk of Miller. He won't become available to the ball in the same way.

Sessions shot 27 percent on catch and shoot three-point opportunities last season and is shooting 10 percent in those situations in a small sample this season. Sessions is going to need the ball the be effective, so the question is will he get it? We'll find out soon.

All statistical support is from NBA.com's stats tool

How much would you have paid at the beginning of the season to watch a George Karl-coached Kings team? One million dollars? Two million dollars? All of your Ziller bucks and Akis drachmas?

The Sacramento Kings have developed an exclusive Sactown Royalty package to Sunday's March 1^st game versus the Portland Trailblazers. "Here We Karl!" (or "Buy George!" if you're a bit cheekier) offers StR members discounted tickets in both the upper and lower bowls, as well as a post-game photo opportunity, hopefully with a to-be-determined Kings celebrity.

The game is a 3 PM start, which makes it perfect for families. This will be the fifth game under George Karl, and after having a week at home, it will be very interesting to see the team's progression.

If you want to come to the game as part of the Sactown Royalty group, just follow this link and use the code kings. Lower bowl tickets are available in the $54-$56 price range, and upper bowl tickets can be had for $26-$36. And that's with no additional fees or taxes!  This represents overall savings of up to 45%. As part of the group, you're eligible to take part in the group photo on the court after the game.  Everybody who buys a ticket through the link will get an e-mail explaining what to do for the photo, but here's a quick rundown:

• All group members must have a participation wristband to participate in this fan experience. Wristbands may be picked up at theRedemption Central table located at Section 104 between 2 PM and the end of the halftime.
• Please note, in order to participate in the fan experience, participants must have purchased their tickets through the special Sactown Royalty link.
• Please meet and sit in Section 102 immediately following the game. Kings representatives will meet the group and escort it down to the floor for the group photo. Only group participants will be allowed on the floor.
• Photo will take place 20-25 minutes after the end of the game.
• Depending on the group size, the group may be split into two groups to accommodate all members.
• Immediately following the photo, the group will be escorted back to concourse in order to exit the arena.
• All group participants must wear non-marking, non-spiked shoes. No heels or boots are permitted on the court at any time.

StR III(.0). Be there and take in the live excitement of your George Karl-coached Sacramento Kings.