You know it’s bad when you get cut by the Sacramento Kings. With that in mind Melvin Ely will likely have a hard time finding another team as he could be nearing the end of the line in his NBA career. It’s not as if the Kings are loaded at forward and center which is likely very bad news for Ely.

The Kings have brought 31-year old power forward Melvin Ely to training camp. He played in 31 games (4 starts) for the Hornets last season and he averaged 12.0 minutes, 3.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. Ely has now played in 343 games (53 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 16.4 minutes, 5.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. Ely could provide depth for the Kings in the frontcourt and this was a good signing for them as he comes cheap.

The Kings have signed 31-year old SG/SF Desmond Mason to a 1-year deal. Mason played in 39 games (19 starts) for the Thunder last season and he averaged 27.3 minutes, 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He has now played in 638 games (381 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 30.7 minutes, 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. This was a good move for the Kings as the versatile Mason should help them off the bench.

The Kings have not made any earth shattering additions or subtractions this season. The only player that has left so far was Ike Diogu who signed with the Hornets as a free agent. The Kings brought in point guard Sergio Rodriguez in a trade with the Blazers and he’s a talented player with a nice upside. The Kings also took a flier on former first round pick Sean May signing him as a free agent. If he knees hold up the Kings will likely have a steal in him. 1st round pick Tyreke Evans should move right into the starting lineup at either shooting guard or small forward. He could be a All-Star as early as this season. PF John Brockman was a nice 2nd round pick for the Kings as he could give them some good minutes off the bench this season. The other pick for the Kings is a project as Omri Casspi has a way to go before he’s ready for the NBA.

FRONT OFFICE GRADE SO FAR FOR THE OFF-SEASON: B-

The Kings have signed 25-year old power forward Sean May to a 1-year deal. May played in 24 games (12 starts) for the Bobcats last season and he averaged 12.5 minutes, 3.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. May has now played in 82 games (21 starts) in his 3-year NBA career and he has averaged 18.7 minutes, 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. May was a former first round pick of the Bobcats who has had a lot of problems with his knees. No one doubts his talent though so this was a good low risk/high reward signing for the Kings.

The Kings got this pick from the Trailblazers in the Sergio Rodriguez trade. The 22-year old Brockman is a pure power forward at 6’7″, 255 pounds. Brockman played in 131 games in four seasons at Washington and he averaged 13.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. The Kings needed some toughness and Brockman can bring it.

The Sacramento Kings selected 21-year old forward Omri Casspi with the 23rd pick of the NBA Draft last night. Casspi played in 89 games in 4 years in the Israeli League and he averaged 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Casspi looks like he will be a project and the Kings don’t have time to wait for a player like him to develop.

The Kings have acquired 23-year old point guard Sergio Rodriguez, the 38th pick in the NBA Draft and cash considerations in return for the 31st pick in the NBA Draft. Rodriguez played in 80 games (13 starts) for the Blazers last season and he averaged 15.3 minutes, 4.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He has now played in 219 games (14 starts) in his three year NBA career and he has averaged 12.4 minutes, 3.6 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. This was a good move for the Kings as Rodriguez is a untapped talent and the Kings only had to move down 7 picks to get him.

The Kings added 2nd round picks Sean Singletary and Patrick Ewing Jr. in the trade with the Rockets with Ron Artest. The Kings liked Singletary but neither he nor Ewing were going to get much playing time this season. This tells you how bad the Kings wanted to rid themselves of Artest by throwing a couple of young players into the trade with him.

The Kings have traded G/F Ron Artest to the Rockets for guard Bobby Jackson, forward Donte’ Greene and a future 1st round draft pick. The trade won’t become official until August 14th as Greene can’t be traded until then. This is a good trade for the Kings as getting Artest out of the clubhouse should improve team morale. Artest played in 57 games (54 starts) last season for the Kings and he averaged 38.1 minutes, 20.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Those are big numbers to replace and the Kings have high hopes for Greeene who is the centerpiece of this deal. Greene can handle either forward position and he had a great year as a freshman at Syracuse. Greene is 6′11″, 226 pounds and he’s a player. The Kings were fortunate to get their hands on him as he could be a starter in the NBA as soon as this year. Greene played in 35 games (all starts) at Syracuse and he averaged 17.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.6 blocked shots per game. He plays hard on both ends of the basketball court and a lot of teams will be upset that they passed on him down the road. 35-year old guard Bobby Jackson returns to Sacramento where he was a fan favorite and he should give them 15-20 solid minutes per night off the bench. Jackson played in 72 games (5 starts) last season for the Hornets and Rockets and he averaged 19.6 minutes, 7.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Jackson has had a long, productive NBA career and he hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down yet. Jackson has now played in 684 games (133 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 22.4 minutes, 10.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. The Kings also got a first round pick in this deal and that is the icing on the cake. Good riddance Ron Artest.