The Sacramento Kings have released 28-year old shooting guard Luther Head.  Head played in 36 games (14 starts) for the Kings this season and he averaged 16.3 minutes, 5.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.   Head shot 41.5% from the floor, 39.1% from the three point line and 78% from the free throw line.  The Kings wanted to go with younger players at guard the rest of the year which led to Head’s release.

The Sacramento Kings have acquired 30-year old SG/SF Marquis Daniels from the Celtics for cash considerations.  Daniels has played in 49 games (0 starts) for the Celtics this season and he averaged 19.1 minutes, 5.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.  He has now played in 451 games (113 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 22.5 minutes, 8.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Daniels is likely done for the season due to a spinal chord injury but the Kings had to add salary or face a penalty by the NBA.

The Sacramento Kings have dealt 27-year old forward Carl Landry to the New Orleans Hornets for 23-year old shooting guard Marcus Thornton and cash.  Landry played in 53 games (16 starts) for the Kings this season and he averaged 26.5 minutes, 11.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.  Landry was in and out of the starting lineup for the Kings this season.  Marcus Thornton has huge potential.  Thornton was in Hornets’ head coach Monty Williams’ Dog House all season long for his defense.  A change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered for him as he is a outstanding offensive player.  Thornton played in 46 games (0 starts) for the Hornets this season and he averaged 16.2 minutes, 7.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.  He has played in 119 games (17 starts) in his first two years in the NBA and he is averaging 22.0 minutes, 11.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.  Down the road I think this trade is going to look like a steal for the Kings.

The Sacramento Kings will be without 21-year old shooting guard Tyreke Evans at least the next three weeks as he is getting therapy on a injured foot.  Evans has played in 46 games (all starts) for the Kings so far this year and he is averaging 37.8 minutes, 18.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game.  He has been banged up all season long so it’s no surprise that he’s going to miss more time due to his foot.  24-year old Jermaine Taylor and 23-year old Donte Greene will likely see bumps in P.T. as long as Evans is out of action.  Taylor has played in 10 games (2 starts) for the Kings so far this year and he is averaging 13.2 minutes, 5.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.  Donte Greene has played in 45 (20 starts) for the Kings this season and he is averaging 17.0 minutes, 6.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.  The Kings need Taylor & Greene to step up as Evans is the best player the Kings have.

The Kings will be without power forward Jason Thompson for the next three games due to a finger injury that required several stitches.  Thompson has played in 23 games (11 starts) for the Kings so far this year and he is averaging 20.3 minutes, 7.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.  Carl Landry will get his starting job back until Thompson is ready to return to action.  Landry has played in 24 games (14 starts) so far this year and he is averaging 26.9 minutes, 11.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  Landry will likely do a good job while Thompson is out of action but I don’t think he will get his starting job back from him.

The Kings have acquired 24-year old guard Jermaine Taylor from the Rockets for a future second round pick.  Taylor played in 8 games (0 starts) for the Rockets so far this year and he was averaging 9.6 minutes, 4.9 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.  He has now played in 39 games (4 starts) in his first two years in the NBA and he is averaging 9.7 minutes, 4.3 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  I like this deal for the Kings as Taylor can put the ball in the basket.

The Kings will likely be without starting shooting guard Tyreke Evans for the next three games due to plantar fasciitis.  Evans has played in 20 games (all starts) for the Kings so far this year and he is averaging 35.8 minutes, 16.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  The Kings will need Francisco Garcia and Luther Head to step up while Evans is out of action.  Garcia has played in 19 games (1 starts) for the Kings so far this year and he is averaging 20.1 minutes, 7.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.  Head has played in 18 games (8 starts) for the Kings so far this year and he is averaging 18.9 minutes, 6.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.  Evans’ play was starting to suffer because of his injury so giving him some time off is both in his best interest as well as the Kings’ best interest.

The Kings have decided to replace Carl Landry as the starting power forward with Jason Thompson.  Landry has played in 15 games (14 starts) for the Kings so far this season and he is averaging 29.3 minutes, 13.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.  I pretty sure this move was made with defense and rebounding in mind as neither of those are Landry’s strengths.  Jason Thompson has played in 14 games (2 starts) for the Kings so far this year and he is averaging 15.7 minutes, 5.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.  I like this move for the Kings as Thompson is just a tougher player around the basket, plus, Landry has played his best basketball off the bench to this point in his NBA career.

The Kings have waived 26-year old SG/SF Antoine Wright.  Wright only played in 7 games (0 starts) for the Kings this season and he averaged 4.4 minutes, 0.3 points and 0.4 rebounds per game.  He did not shoot too well for the Kings hitting only 1 of 8 shots from the floor (12.5%) and he was 0 for 4 from three point range.  I would think that some team will pick up Wright but the Kings aren’t going to miss him.

The Kings have decided to send 21-year old rookie center Hassan Whiteside to the D-League.  The 7’0″ Whiteside has played in only 1 game for the Kings so far this year.  He played 2 scoreless minutes in that game but he did pick up 2 fouls.  The Kings have a lot of players in front of Whiteside in the frontcourt so I like this move because Whiteside will learn more from playing than sitting.