The NBA is considering a fine for Sacramento Kings center Dewayne Dedmon after he told The Sacramento Bee he wanted to be traded, according to a report from Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes.
"I would like to be traded," Dedmon said. "I haven't been playing, so I would like to go somewhere where my talents are appreciated."
The big man's comments come less than six months after he signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Kings. Dedmon, 30, was considered Sacramento's biggest free-agent acquisition. Kings general manager Vlade Divac and coach Luke Walton expected Dedmon to stretch defenses with his perimeter shooting while Bagley and Fox exploited increased floor spacing to punish opponents inside. Instead, Dedmon is shooting just 22.9% from 3-point range after hitting 38.2% last season with the Atlanta Hawks. Opponents don't even bother guarding him anymore. Instead, they sag off of him, packing the paint to stop penetration and rebound Dedmon's misses.
Superstar Anthony Davis was fined $50,000 last year for making a similar trade demand as the NBA prohibits both players and their agents from such statements.
Dedmon started the first four games of the season, but he was relegated to a backup role after being outplayed by Richaun Holmes, another free-agent signing who came at a fraction of the cost. Dedmon remained in the rotation for 21 games, but he has appeared in only two contests since Dec. 6, logging a total of seven minutes in the past 12 games.
Dedmon rejected the idea that he has played his way out of Walton's rotation, saying he isn't the only slumping shooter on the team. Hield and Barnes have also experienced prolonged shooting slumps.
"I'm not the only person struggling with my shot, so if that's a factor then it's kind of crazy," Dedmon said. "If you're not allowed to shoot through your slumps, I don't know how you're supposed to make shots."
