The Sacramento Kings have finally become active in the NBA offseason. Fans were hoping for something this year and finally have a new player in the fold in Sacramento. The team completed a trade with the Toronto Raptors for young small forward James Johnson. In exchange for Johnson, the team gave up a 2014 second round draft pick.
I think this is a smart move and one that shouldn't disappoint any fans out there. Is Johnson a huge upgrade for the team at small forward? No, he wont be making an All-Star team anytime soon. Johnson is a young player though who has a chance to play significant minutes and make a contribution to the team moving forward.
One thing that may disappoint fans is that this may signal a move away from re-signing Terrance Williams. Williams played well at the end of the year last season but plays a very similar role as Johnson. The main difference between them, and a reason fans should be excited, is that Johnson is a much better defensive player. He was one of few players in the NBA who averaged over one steal and block per game last season in Toronto.
This trade is yet another example of Geoff Petrie taking advantage of a low risk opportunity that has the potential to make the team better. This is not a move that will propel the team into the playoffs or make them a contender in the West, but it's a smart and low cost move that will help a small market team like Sacramento. Kings' fans need to become more realistic and realize that these are the kind of transactions, if they work out, that will gradually make the team better. Unfortunately, the next Chris Webber or Vlade Divac aren't coming through the door and signing with Sacramento any time soon. As long as the future of the team remains uncertain, no big name free agent is going to be making the move to Sacramento. In the meantime, fans will have to settle for smaller moves like this one and hope that the young players on the team will gel and produce a better product on the court.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and a lifelong fan of the Sacramento Kings. He started going to Kings games at age six and has attended hundreds of games since. Follow him on twitter @kyler11.
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