Things got hot in Sacramento when Ron Artest said he had wished he opted out of his deal and became a free-agent this summer. Artest was all over the place, changing his tune and letting everyone know that the Kings basically had told him that he wasn't in their long-term plans.

Weeks later, Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie remained true to his word as Sacramento pulled out a stunning move by suddenly trading Artest to the Houston Rockets for an interesting collection of talent in return.

With rebuilding clearly underway in Sactown, how has the team done so far in its offseason transactions?

Players Added in Free Agency

Beno Udrih: re-signed to a five-year, $32.3-million contract
Grade: B
The Kings were able to lock up their starting point guard for last season, but it took the entire Mid-Level Exception to pull it off. Although there was interest from the Los Angeles Clippers, no one else really put a bid in, but it was important for the Kings to secure the point guard position considering they had no one else on the roster that could play the spot consistently. Udrih doesn't wow you statistically, but he does the little things that don't show up on the stat sheet that help run a team. After signing his big deal, Udrih has said all the right things about going back to the gym and working hard to continue to improve, admitting that with his contract comes a greater responsibility – that kind of leadership and character is very nice to have for a young Kings squad.

Bobby Brown: signed to a two-year deal believed to be worth the league minimum each year
Grade: A+
Easily one of the biggest surprises in Las Vegas, Brown earned a contract with the Kings after several teams inquired about the Cal State Fullerton product. Brown, who played on the New Orleans Hornets Summer League team, is very quick and was able to score in various ways in Las Vegas but was also a key in setting up his teammates. Clearly, NBA teams overlooked Brown's talent last year during the draft process, which happens when a guy is coming from such a small school. After playing in Germany for a year and leading his team to a championship there, Brown is finally getting his shot in the NBA. And the Kings got him for ridiculously cheap.

Players Acquired Via Trade

Bobby Jackson: acquired from the Houston Rockets for Ron Artest
Grade: B
Jackson may not have much left in the tank, but Kings fans absolutely love him. In his first stint in Sacramento earlier this decade, Jackson was an integral part of a squad that went toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Lakers and really had Sactown in a frenzy. Bringing him back has already excited many fans who don't have to buy a new jersey. His role on the Kings will be as a veteran leader and he'll likely be the first guard off the bench to spell Udrih or Kevin Martin. Jackson also plans to coach eventually, so he'll certainly have a chance to mentor young players and help second-year head coach Reggie Theus develop the youngsters.

Donte Greene: acquired from the Houston Rockets for Ron Artest
Grade: A-
Greene showed that scoring was not going to be a problem for him in Las Vegas. After unexpectedly falling deep into the first round during the Draft, Greene went to Vegas with a chip on his shoulder and nearly beat Marcus Banks' single-game Summer League scoring record in his debut (40 points). Greene got his points mostly by shooting outside jumpers, but he has the ability to get to the rim as well, which led to many free-throw opportunities. He has a long way to develop before he can really get consistent playing time, but the offensive ability is already there, albeit raw.

Players Added in the Draft

Jason Thompson: 12th pick in 2008 NBA Draft
Grade: B 
The general consensus is that the Kings stretched a bit to get Thompson, but you can't ever fault a team for getting the guy they fell in love with and trading down may not have been an option. Thompson played quite well in Las Vegas and showed he is ready and willing to bang around inside to score his points and grab rebounds. He even displayed some nice clutch, hitting late-game shots to push the Kings to victory. His ceiling isn't yet known, but he's shown that he's solid and could be a nice role player. While he develops, Kings fans are going to have to trust Petrie and his stellar track record (Kevin Martin, Peja Stojakovic, Hedo Turkoglu, and Gerald Wallace).

Sean Singletary: 42nd pick in 2008 NBA Draft
Grade: C
A scoring guard in college, Singletary showed he can also help his teammates out and set them up in Las Vegas. That transition in his skills has many believing that the Virginia product can be a viable threat off the bench in the NBA. Singletary is rumored to be part of the Artest trade and may be sent to Houston, where he will likely be waived (he has an unguaranteed contract), but you'll certainly see his name pop up in the NBA again very soon. Most teams would be willing to pick up a point guard prospect in a league that is heavily moving towards more skilled guard play.

Patrick Ewing, Jr.: 43rd pick in the 2008 NBA Draft
Grade: C-
The Kings needed to upgrade their team defense and Ewing is a defensive specialist. He's got great basketball instinct and IQ, knowing angles well for passes and rebounds. Mostly, though, he uses his length and athleticism as a tremendous defender. Lacking offensively, it's unlikely Ewing makes the Kings roster and has also been rumored to be a part of the big Artest trade - because of his non-guaranteed salary, Houston could waive him.

Business to Be Done:  Although the Kings could be set with their roster as it is, there is still some uncertainty that could be cleared up in the next few weeks.

• Trading Brad Miller?: There's been plenty of talk that the Kings could trade Brad Miller sometime this offseason, fully committing to the youth movement and rebuilding. Miller's departure would give Spencer Hawes significantly more playing time and may expedite his development. The Sacramento Bee's Sam Amick reported that the Chicago Bulls are interested in Miller, but will Petrie be interested  in the pieces the Bulls have on the market? Chicago is rumored to want to part with Kirk Hinrich (owed $44 million over the next five seasons) and Andres Nocioni (owed $29 million over the next four seasons, team option for a fifth), but neither player is really needed after committing to Udrih and picking up Greene and Thompson via the draft (who play the 3 and 4, as Nocioni does). If Petrie can somehow get Joakim Noah (doubtful that the Bulls give him up) a deal could go down, but it seems more likely that the Kings will just wait for next summer to move Miller, whose value is lowered because of his suspension for the first five games of next season (violation of NBA's drug policy) and since he missed the last seven games of last season with injuries (stress fracture in left fibular head and bone chip in right shoulder).

• Shareef's Knee: Shareef Abdur-Rahim spent time in Las Vegas with the Kings' Summer League team and admitted that he's struggling with his right knee, which has undergone two arthroscopic surgeries in six months. He isn't sure how well his knee can hold up over the rigors of an NBA season and may be forced into retirement.

• More "WOW" Talent: The Kings' roster is filled with a lot of youth and a lot of talent that makes you yawn. Many of these players are nice rotational guys, but the Kings need to put a bona fide star next to Kevin Martin, who is an absolutely great player. The Kings have one great player and a bunch of average ones – can they increase the overall talent level of the team with a splashy move?

Total Offseason Grade: B-
The Kings did a nice job of removing their Ron Artest headache, but one has to wonder if they could have gotten a better package in return. There were more significant names floated out there that the team may or may not have explored before pulling the trigger for Houston's package, but in the end, the deal was pretty good considering the circumstances.

Greene and next year's first rounder will be very important pieces for the Kings as they move forward, so Petrie was able to secure long-term assets for Artest, who clearly wasn't a part of their long-term plans.  There is some business left to be done, but the Kings now have the flexibility on their roster to sort of glance at the NBA landscape and perhaps make more deals down the line to pick up more talent.