Kings add Wright and Jeter

It was late Thursday night when Kings President Geoff Petrie's words continued bouncing around my head.

'Pretty close to adding a couple of guards,' was how Petrie described the Kings situation.

That's Petrie-ese for having a deal done, but he's not discussing it until it is done.

The Kings signed swingman Antoine Wright and point guard Pooh Jeter Friday morning to hopefully bolster their backcourt.

Will it work? That will be an unanswered question until the fall. Jeter is an extremely quick, 5-foot-11 lead-guard capable of pushing the ball and increasing game tempo.

Moreover, since Jeter played with the Kings in the 2007 Summer League, he appears to have acquired a consistent perimeter shot. Combined with his speed and quickness, that could make him a major contributor coming off the bench.

Remember, there is little defense for athleticism and skill. Jeter is hungry to prove his worth and establish a place in the NBA. While playing with Cleveland during the recently completed summer league, Jeter consistently got into the lane and made plays for teammates.

Yes, if he can play at that level consistently - another unanswered supposition - Jeter is what the doctor ordered.

Wright is a player whom I've not seen enough to truly assess. He's played sparingly at New Jersey, Dallas and Toronto and yes, there is a reason for that.

His situation sounds eerily similar to that of Doug Christie.

Wright is a good defender at both shooting guard and small forward and the Kings hope he can add depth at both positions.

Said Petrie of the signings, "Pooh is a third point guard, while Wright is a 2-3 with a decent handle. He gives us depth and versatility at both positions.

Sacramento clearly is not down with spending its cap room on anything other than bringing in a major star. That's the way it should be.

The last time the team made a major score in free-agency was in 1999 following a lockout.

That's when Vlade Divac came walking through the door.

There is going to be a lockout following the 2010-11 season, so we'll see if history repeats itself.

Overtime

Petrie was asked about unrestricted free-agent guard Shannon Brown.

He said, "We've talked to everybody who is available. That's not something that's doable right now."

Translation: Brown wants more money right now than the Kings are willing to spend.

Things have a way of changing over the course of a summer as reality sets.