Via ESPN.COM

Can I get a round of applause for Vlade Divac and the Kings front office?

In all seriousness, that short answer by Chad Ford is pretty revealing on a few different levels.

For one, it tells us that the Kings and Nuggets are still talking. We know they've had discussions in the past, but now it appears as though trade talks are ongoing. I'm happy to see that the Kings aren't biting on a simple 'Ty Lawson for the #6 pick and contract filler' trade. My opinion on a trade of that kind could change considerably depending on who is on the board when the Kings are on the clock, but generally speaking, that offer never sounded good enough to me.

Ford also makes it sound like Lawson’s trade value is tanking. This is obviously good news for the Kings. I don’t think you’ll see many arguing against trading for Lawson. We can universally agree that he is a good player; it’s just a matter of what it takes to get him.

Replacing Collison with Lawson is an upgrade, but not a ‘worth the #6 pick’ upgrade. If the Kings wanted to add Ty Lawson to the Darren Collison backcourt, well, now I’m listening. A Lawson acquisition that allows the Kings to keep Collison would push Collison to the Kings bench unit, and we all know how much help that unit needs. That’s a tangible upgrade.

Regardless of what the actual offer would look like, I'm glad Divac and his staff are playing hardball. Lawson is a nice piece, but he isn't (necessarily, depending on the offer) what the Kings need. If the #6 pick is on the table, you'd hope the Kings could find a better offer out there.

There is plenty of posturing going on right now, but there is something substantial behind the Lawson / Kings talk. Something is brewing, but we'll have to wait and see if it actually goes anywhere.