Kings looking at sign-and-trade with Tyreke Evans for Pelicans' Greivis Vasquez and Robin Lopez
Tyreke Evans could be headed to the Pelicans in a sign-and-trade for Greivis Vasquez and Robin Lopez. (Rocky Widner/Getty Images)
The Sacramento Kings will reportedly look to complete a sign-and-trade with the Pelicans that will send restricted free agent guard Tyreke Evans to New Orleans in exchange for guard Greivis Vasquez and center Robin Lopez.
The news comes a day after Evans had verbally committed to an offer sheet from the Pelicans that would pay him $44 million over four years. The Kings will reportedly sign him to the same contract and then execute the trade for Vasquez and Lopez, according to a report Thursday from the Sacramento Bee.
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Officials from the Kings believe the deal he received from the Pelicans is above market value and will hurt their long-term cap flexibility. Earlier this week, Sacramento rescinded its four-year offer off $52 million to Denver Nuggets unrestricted free agent Andre Iguodala because they thought he was taking too long to decide and could perhaps be using the Kings' offer as leverage to sign a larger deal from the Nuggets or with another team.
The 23-year-old Evans, who won the 2009-10 Rookie of the Year, averaged 15.8 points and 4.4 rebounds in 31 minutes per contest last season but missed 17 games due to various injuries.
In June, the Pelicans traded the draft rights to former Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday. The move created speculation that Vasquez could be on his way out of New Orleans despite an impressive performance last season in which he averaged 13.9 points, nine assists and 4.3 rebounds in 34 minutes per game, all career highs for the 26-year-old. In the 7-foot Lopez, the Kings would add depth and length to a front court that already features young big men DeMarcus Cousins, Cole Aldrich and Patrick Patterson.
