The Sacramento Kings bolstered their playoff hopes before the trade deadline this past week, acquiring forward Harrison Barnes in a deal with the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
After the deal, Kings general manager Vlade Divac said he feels the franchise is headed in the right direction:
“I think we’re going in a good direction,” Divac said, according to Jason Jones of The Athletic. “We’re excited about it, I think our fans are excited. I think everything is going just like I envisioned it less than two years ago — even though two days ago I had a better deal but it didn’t go through.”
It's hard to argue with Divac, as the young Kings have been one of the NBA's most pleasant surprises this season, contending for a playoff spot in the competitive Western Conference.
Bringing Barnes aboard should help Sacramento in its quest to make the postseason for the first time since 2006, the longest active drought in the league:
“Our focus during this process was to improve our team and not jeopardize our future,” Divac said. “I think we achieved exactly what we tried, we brought in the talent that’s going to help us to be a better team, not just for now but moving forward.”
Of course, the Kings do not have a first-round draft pick this June, as the Boston Celtics own that selection.
Based on that, it makes plenty of sense for Sacramento try and make the playoffs this season, as it's not like the Kings will be missing out on a lottery pick.
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