The Sacramento Kings have been eliminated from the playoffs for a while and have already passed the 30-win threshold that has been so difficult to reach in recent years.
As a result of all of those preceding factors, the team has opted to sit out star center DeMarcus Cousins in their remaining road games. That means he will be sitting out three games and will only have three more games in his 2015-16 season.
This seems like a slight tanking move. The Kings currently have the seventh worst record in the league but are only two games ahead of the eleventh worst Milwaukee Bucks. Furthermore, they are only half a game behind the New Orleans Pelicans who have already shut down many of their top players.
All of those teams should be jockeying for position in order to get the highest draft pick possible. The Kings made improvements this season, but it is clear they still need to add young talent. While drafting has been a hit and miss proposition for the Kings, it is much better to have a high pick than to not.
In sitting Cousins out for the remaining road games, Sacramento is able to both attempt to tank for better draft position and still please home fans by allowing their star to play.
