Why do the deal for the Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings have had a lot of issues with Andres Nocioni wanting out, and he had already started complaining about wanting to be traded already, and the NBA season wasn't even over. They knew that they needed to get rid of guys like him, and there were rumors flying around that they would be going after Hedo Turkoglu from the Raptors for Nocioni, but obviously that's not what they had in mind. Giving up Nocioni and Hawes wasn't that hard for them because neither of those guys fit into their system at all.
Hawes had a lot of potential when he was drafted into the NBA, and still does, but he's not the big man the Kings needed. They have a very energetic power forward is Jason Thompson, and to go along with that, they needed an athletic big man at center as well. Trading for Dalembert makes perfect sense because number one, it brings in a shot-blocker that the Kings really have never had in the history of their franchise (correct me if I'm wrong on that). Hawes was the kind of big man who steps away from the bucket and knocks down the mid-range jumper, but didn't get his back to the bucket enough to suit the Kings' needs.
As for Nocioni, like I had mentioned before, he's just never worked out in Sacramento. When they first got him after his days with the Chicago Bulls, people thought that he would be able to go in and become one of the Kings' best scorers, but what ended up happening was that he was sat down close to the end of the bench. Honestly, Nocioni needs to be on a team with the mentality to shoot the three, and in Philly with guys like Jason Kapono, he'll fit right into the system.
Why do the deal for the Philadelphia 76ers
This is a little more complex than meets the eye. The Philadelphia 76ers hold the second overall pick in the NBA Draft, which many people believe will be Evan Turner, and probably will be. However, with the loss of Dalembert there have been many people saying that they may select Turner, and then trade him off to a team like the New Jersey Nets for Derrick Favors (who will likely go at #3 behind Wall and Turner), and another player or pick. The other side of the argument is that just because they traded Dalembert doesn't mean they will want a big man in the draft. They did acquire Hawes back who is capable of stepping in and being the starting center for the Sixers, and Nocioni obviously isn't the answer at shooting guard for the future. If you ask me they will draft Turner and keep him, but we will never know until after the draft night is completely over.
Now for the players that the 76ers actually added, and moving away from the rumors of the draft. Spencer Hawes is a very talented young big, and will fit in well with Philly for the exact same reasons he wasn't a good fit in Sac-Town. The 76ers have had quite a few big men who like to scrap for rebounds, block shots, and play with their backs to the bucket, but they haven't really had a big man who is deadly from mid-range. The front court combination of Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes very well could be what the 76ers go with this upcoming season. Brand would have the ability to have the post to himself without Dalembert clogging up the lane, and Hawes could just stand in the 13-17 foot shot area.
Nocioni is a good addition for Philadelphia as well, mainly because of his outside shooting ability. He's not going to get starters minutes, or anything close to it, especially if Turner is draft, but he will get around 15 MPG in my opinion. During those minutes, I think he'll have the freedom to do what he did in Chicago that made him such an effective scorer.....and that something is called freelancing. Doug Collins is one of the best coaches that I know of, at putting players in the position to play their best. I'm very sure that if he allows Nocioni to run all over the court and just curl off of screens, and run corner to corner, he'll get a lot of open looks, and you can expect him to knock them down.
Overall the deal fills major needs both ways, without really giving up a ton of talent. Dalembert doesn't bring a lot more than defensive intensity and some rebounding, but then again the Kings don't really need him to do anything else. As for the 76ers, they get a good mid-range shooting big man, and a good outside shooter as well.
Thoughts?
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