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Center Kosta Koufos just wants to be a regular starter in the NBA.
While there's no way of knowing what kind of rotation head coach George Karl is going to conjure up, Koufos may just have his best chance yet at becoming a starting center once again after agreeing to terms with the Sacramento Kings on a four-year, $33-million deal, ESPN's Marc Stein reports.
The 26-year-old spent the last two seasons as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, playing in the shadow of Memphis' blue collar frontcourt of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Barring an injury to one of the two stars, it was next to impossible for Koufos to snag meaningful playing-time, averaging his fewest minutes (16.6) in five years, even though he competed in all but one outing for the team.
With Memphis set to bring aboard free agent Brandan Wright, it was clear Koufos' future was no longer in the Home of the Blues.
In 2012-13 with the Denver Nuggets, Koufos started all 81 games he played in, averaging a career-high eight points and 6.9 rebounds, with Karl manning the sidelines at the time. Those aren't the most inspiring numbers, but they certainly help paint a picture of what Koufos can be in that spot for Sacramento.
With no clear-cut option at the five spot, Karl could always move DeMarcus Cousins, who may still wind up getting traded, to power forward and insert Koufos at center, or even roll with Willie Cauley-Stein and have Koufos come off the bench, which may not sit well with the Kings' new signee.
It's hard to imagine Sacramento grabbing Koufos with the intention of him coming off the pine, though, especially at that price tag.
The Kings shouldn't be thrust into the conversation of being a playoff team just yet, although some of their recent moves, which includes signing point guard Rajon Rondo to a reported one-year deal, show that the franchise is serious about trying to turn things around. It's some gutsy decision-making, but with great risk comes great reward.
