SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ Kings center Dewayne Dedmon's days in Sacramento could be numbered as the Feb. 6 trade deadline draws near, but there might be a chance for the two sides to salvage their relationship.
A league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings are open to reconciliation with Dedmon, who requested a trade in late December. The NBA fined Dedmon $50,000 after he went public with his trade demand in an interview with The Bee.
"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."
League sources have told The Bee the Kings would listen to offers for Dedmon, but they won't agree to a deal unless it makes sense for the team.
Kings general manager Vlade Divac signed Dedmon to a three-year, $40 million contract in July after he emerged as one of the best 3-point shooting big men in the league over the past two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. The Kings believed Dedmon would be a nice complement to their young core, thinking he would space the floor for point guard De'Aaron Fox and forward Marvin Bagley III.
Instead, Dedmon has struggled to fit in. He is shooting 21.3% from 3-point range after shooting 38.2% last season for the Hawks. He is averaging 6.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.
Dedmon lost his starting job to Richaun Holmes after four games and later fell out of the rotation completely. During one stretch from Dec. 8 to Jan. 6, Dedmon appeared in only two of the team's 16 games, logging a total of seven minutes.
Dedmon recently returned to coach Luke Walton's rotation due to injuries to Holmes and Bagley. He started the past two games against the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.
Dedmon has appeared in seven of the team's past eight games, averaging 6.0 points and 6.4 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per contest. His shooting woes have continued, though, as he has made just 2 of 13 (.154) from 3-point range over that stretch.
Still, Dedmon has appeared more active and engaged recently. He recorded double-doubles in games against the Phoenix Suns and Pistons. He posted 12 points and 10 rebounds against the Suns. He had 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Pistons.
