Extension Candidate: Tyreke Evans

Nobody knows what to expect from Tyreke Evans. His rookie season, in which he was named Rookie of the Year, was historically productive, posting averages of 20.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 5.8 APG. (Those numbers hadn't been seen since LeBron James in 2003/04, and before that, Michael Jordan in his rookie year.) With his 6'6" body running the Kings, Evans was a matchup nightmare seemingly capable of doing whatever it was he wanted on the court.

The last two years have been a different story. After a bad case of plantar fasciitis forced him into an unfortunate sophomore slump, Evans came back last season to see a Kings roster full of young players in an overcrowded backcourt. The team responded by giving their franchise point guard minutes at the shooting guard and small forward positions, but his numbers remained down from that fantastic rookie season, calling into question whether Evans can ever reclaim his position as Sacramento's best player.

Things got so bad that once the season ended, Evans, a player who two years ago was touted as one of the league's brightest young stars, was placed on the trading block. Hoopsworld's Steve Kyler reported that the Kings were interested in dealing him by the 2012 draft, but by the end of July they'd decided to keep him on board for the time being. In late June, Cowbell Kingdom's James Ham wrote that Kings' general manager Geoff Petrie hadn't offered Evans an extension, but was working him out privately, suggesting a rooted interest in helping him grow as a basketball player within the organization.

Where things stand right now, it's highly unlikely the team offers Evans a max contract before he hits restricted free agency, and it's unclear how other teams around the league feel about his monetary value. What likely happens is the Kings take a patient approach and let Evans' market reveal itself next summer. It's unclear at this point whether or not they would match a max offer sheet should one get placed on the table. 

When discussing Tyreke Evans it should be mentioned that he's only 22-years-old, serves as a solid if not above average perimeter defender, and knows how to get to the basket. His ceiling as a player remains that of a perennial All-Star, but accurately predicting right now if he can ever reach it is impossible to do. 

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