The Sacramento Kings traded wing player Marco Bellineli to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for the 22nd overall pick in Thursday night’s draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports:
Sacramento is trading guard Marco Belinelli to Charlotte for the No. 22 pick, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 23, 2016
Marco Belinelli Traded for First Round Pick
After the trade, the Hornets selected Syracuse Orange shooting guard Malachi Richardson for the Kings. The trade will officially take place after the league approves it on the first day of July.
Belinelli averaged just 10.1 points per game on a career-low 30.6 percent from beyond the arc in his lone season in Sacramento this past year. He played for five different teams before signing a three year, $19 million deal with the Kings last summer. Belinelli had his most success playing for the San Antonio Spurs, where he won a championship and shot an outstanding 43 percent on three-pointers in the 2013-14 season.
The Hornets may be acquiring Belinelli with a look ahead to the summer, when two of their guards, Jeremy Lin and Courtney Lee, can leave in free agency. They’ll hope to rejuvenate Belinelli’s career, as he is a solid scorer off the bench when he’s at his best.
For Sacramento, this trade is a salary dump, clearing the contract of Belinelli off of their books. Additionally, the Kings snag the 20-year-old Richardson, a dynamic scorer who brings them some extra athleticism and shooting. He may turn out to be a steal for them, this late in the first round, especially considering the low price of Belinelli.
