Pacers Sign Monta Ellis Despite the Kings Efforts

Apr 26, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis (11) reacts to a call during the game against the Houston Rockets in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Rockets 121-109. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Monta Ellis: Intrigue, Chicanery and Suspense

What looked like a sure thing for both sides before the meeting was quickly muddled by an aggressive last minute maneuver by the Sacramento Kings to lure Ellis away from the Pacers. The Pacers were originally offering a 3-year, $32 million dollar deal. Which is assumed to be the offer that Bird, Vogel and Pritchard were pitching. Then, a few hours after the dinner had ended, Adrian Wojnarowski dropped another #Wojbomb, Sacramento had just completed a trade. It was a cap maneuvering gamble that essentially doubled their near projected cap space:

"The Kings traded forwards Carl Landry and Jason Thompson and 2014 No. 8 overall draft pick Nik Stauskas to the 76ers for the rights to overseas players and a future second-round draft pick, sources said. The Kings will send the Sixers a protected future first-round draft pick as part of the deal, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Landry and Thompson each have two years and $13 million-plus left on their contracts. The Kings had about $9 million of cap space before the trade, now giving them a total of about $25 million."

This trade was clearly designed to create the cap space required to sign their three main targets – Ellis, Rajon Rondo and Wes Matthews – and avoid the necessities sign-and-trades to sign them. Philadelphia absorbed the contracts of Carl Landry and Jason Thompson but were not patsies in the trade. The 76ers coveted the 2014 8th overall pick Nik Stauskas and was able to pry him away from Sacramento. The sacrifice of such a highly touted prospect was clearly a gamble the Kings were willing to make.