Salmons Ready For Trade?

When the curtain went up on the 2008-09 season it was supposed to be a big year for Sacramento Kings forward John Salmons. After spending five seasons as a complementary player, he was finally going to get his shot at being a star.

The Kings were headed a youth movement before the end of last season, as evidenced by the Mike Bibby trade. The subsequent Ron Artest trade removed the last road block to Salmons, who fully expected to be a major factor for the Kings this season. Unfortuntely, despite his own banner year, the Kings have struggled to put wins on the board, and have already fired head coach Reggie Theus as a result.

Salmons has been as good as anyone could have expected, averaging a career-high 18.9 points per game and shooting 47% from the field. Great stats, though, are no substitute for winning, and the constant losses are starting to grate on Salmons. The fact that Salmons has struggled with his shot since Kevin Martin returned from injury has him frustrated with the entire situation.

"They call the plays, so it's up to them," Salmons told the Sacramento Bee, referring to the coaching staff's responsibility to run plays for him. "There shouldn't be any reason why (Martin and I) shouldn't be able to play together. That's on them, because it's proven (that he can produce)."

These comments will only fuel the rumor mill fires that have already had Salmons on the move a number of times as we count down the days to the trade deadline. A number of teams could use a good swing player, including the Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors, and Portland Trail Blazers.

Brad Miller is most likely to be the next King traded, but if Salmons continues to voice his displeasure he might find himself moving to the front of the line.

(hoopsworld.com)