http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/kings/2013/07/03/tyreke-evans-new-orleans-pelicans-offer-sheet-sacramento-kings/2488303/
Tyreke Evans could be in sign-and-trade with New Orleans
Restricted free agent and former Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans has given the New Orleans Pelicans a verbal agreement that he will sign their four-year, $44 million offer sheet, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the situation. The Sacramento Kings, Evans' former team, will now have until three days after the free agency moratorium is lifted on July 10 to decide whether to match the offer.
It's unclear if the Kings have completely ruled out the possibility of matching the offer, but they are currently working on a sign-and-trade with the Pelicans in which Evans would go to New Orleans while Pelicans point guard Greivis Vasquez would go to Sacramento and Pelicans center Robin Lopez would go to the Portland Trail Blazers. It's unclear what Portland would give up in the deal, but it is not done and Sacramento is still considering other trade scenarios.
Because the Pelicans recently traded for All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday from Philadelphia in a deal that can't be formalized until July 10, Vasquez – who was a Most Improved Player candidate last season – is far more expendable than before.
This possible trade could indicate that New Orleans shooting guard Eric Gordon is staying put as well, as it would free up the logjam of guards that the Pelicans have had on their roster. The Pelicans have been open to trading Gordon, but were unable to find deals that they deemed worthy of his value.
Gordon made it widely known last summer that he did not want to be in New Orleans at that time, signing an offer sheet from the Phoenix Suns for a maximum salary contract when he was a restricted free agent only to have the then-Hornets match it against his wishes. But with the Pelicans putting together a far more competitive core and Gordon expected to be fully healthy after playing just 42 games last season because of knee problems, both sides have reason for optimism about the partnership.
With the Kings under new ownership and with a new general manager in former Denver Nuggets executive Pete D'Alessandro, Evans had been hopeful that the new management team would show more of a desire to keep him in town.
But they instead pursued free agent small forward Andre Iguodala in what led to a bizarre and brief courting. Iguodala was given a four-year offer for $52 million by the Kings, but the offer was rescinded late Tuesday night when he didn't give an answer quickly enough for their liking. While there have been no known discussions between the Kings and Iguodala since, it remains possible that the talks could be revived and the offer re-submitted if Iguodala is unable to find a better deal elsewhere and the Kings have yet to make a move that would preclude it.
The Kings went 28-54 last season, with Evans averaging 15.2 points per game, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while the uncertainty about how he would be used continued. It was all part of a decline that has certainly worn on Evans, who was dynamic in his debut campaign as a point guard but later played shooting guard and small forward.
Yet the Pelicans see him as a versatile threat who would take their young core to the next level. New Orleans, which was 27-55 last season, has Gordon as a major threat at shooting guard and 2012 No. 1 pick Anthony Davis down low with stretch forward Ryan Anderson. ESPN.com first reported that Evans intended to agree to sign the offer sheet.
