Minneapolis, MN (My Sportsbook) - The
Sacramento Kings continued to be active at the NBA's trading deadline, sending forward Shelden Williams and point guard Bobby Brown to Minnesota in exchange for fourth-year guard Rashad McCants and veteran big man Calvin Booth.
The trade looks financially motivated for the Kings, who are now off the hook for the $736,420 owed to Brown next season, and receive two players who have expiring contracts in McCants ($2.6 million) and Booth ($1.1 million).
On the floor, McCants will certainly get a chance to play after falling out of the Timberwolves' rotation. The 6-foot-4 North Carolina product, a former first round pick, is averaging 9.1 points in 34 games this season. Over his four-year NBA career, all with Minnesota, McCants has netted 9.9 points and 1.3 assists in 225 games with 38 starts.
Booth, a 10-year veteran known for his shot blocking ability, has played in just one game this season.
Brown, meanwhile, was signed last summer as an undrafted point guard out of Cal-State Fullerton after playing one season in Germany. He drew league-wide attention during July's summer league in Las Vegas but has averaged just 5.2 points and 1.9 assists in 47 games while shooting just 38.1 percent from the floor.
Williams, who came to the Kings from Atlanta on February 16, 2008 in the trade that sent Mike Bibby to the Hawks, was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2006 draft out of Duke. Williams has struggled to find playing time in Sacramento and is averaging 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 30 games this season.
"Shelden Williams and Bobby Brown are both talented young players and we're excited to get a better look at them," Timberwolves general manager Jim Stack said. "We'd like to thank Rashad and Calvin for their professionalism during their time with us and wish them all the best as they move forward with their careers."
The Kings, who have the NBA's worst record at 11-44, had already traded center Brad Miller and swingman John Salmons to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday in exchange for forwards Andres Nocioni, Cedric Simmons and Michael Ruffin, and center Drew Gooden.
Sacramento then turned around and sent Ruffin to Portland in exchange for forward Ike Diogu. The Trail Blazers also gain a $3 million trade exception, which they can use for one calendar year in that deal.
