Ever since becoming the Kings General Manager just over a couple weeks ago, Pete D'Alessandro has not been afraid to speak his mind.
He recently spoke with the Bee's Ailene Voisin where they touched on the Tyreke Evans trade as well as the hole at Small Forward.
On Tyreke Evans:
"You're walking a fine line," D'Alessandro said Thursday. "You want to maintain salary cap flexibility because you want to maintain the ability to strike, to go after a player you think is special. (That was Iguodala). Tyreke was definitely going to be too much money. But we're ecstatic. We've been looking for a pass-first point guard, and we got a good one in Greivis. If he were a free agent, this is someone we would have gone after."
On Small Forward:
"We have to do something there," D'Alessandro said. "I might look at more of a veteran, someone to come in for a year or two, and who can really shoot it from deep. Passing and shooting have been our priorities. But while this is only one deal, I think what we did today is going to help us."
I know Kings fans are going to be very underwhelmed by this second quote. Another stopgap solution at Small Forward? Will it ever end?
The Kings did try to swing for the fences on a Small Forward earlier this week by making a big offer to Iguodala, which they then rescinded when he hesitated to accept the offer and seemingly used it as leverage. According to Sam Amick, Iguodala's preference would be to go to Golden State:
Regarding Andre Iguodala situation, he wants to play for Warriors & has already had deep talks to go there. Need space or S&T though.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 5, 2013
The remaining SF options in Free Agency aren't really guys that you'd consider a "big splash". Andrei Kirilenko and Josh Smith are the only two that might qualify and neither are likely to come to Sacramento.
Of the rest, there are a few options that could fit D'Alessandro's description, in no particular order:
1. Dorell Wright, 27 years old, .367 career 3P%
2. Carlos Delfino 31 years old, .365 career 3P%
3. Austin Daye, 25 years old, .356 career 3P%
4. Omri Casspi, 25 years old, .353 career 3P%
5. Chris Copeland, 29 years old, .429 career 3P%
That's not a very inspiring list. Other options would be to get someone temporarily in a trade.
I'm fine with a stopgap as long as there is a long term plan and I think there is. There's nobody out there (aside from Iguodala, who is now heading to the Warriors for less money than both the Kings and Nuggets were offering) that I'd really want to commit to long term.
A stopgap option allows Sacramento to keep its flexibility for the future, so that the Kings can one day finally acquire a quality Small Forward for the future, whether it be by trade, signing or in the draft.