0 of 5

Rocky Widner/Getty Images

Last summer, Nik Stauskas was the eighth overall pick of the NBA draft.

One year later, the 6'6" shooting guard is still struggling to ignite his career.

His rookie season was largely a forgettable one, save for a closed-captioning error that christened him with the nickname "Sauce Castillo." The Sacramento Kings, who spent a top-10 pick on fellow shooting guard Ben McLemore the year before, couldn't find major minutes for Stauskas. He averaged only 15.4 per game, putting up just 4.4 points a night on 36.5 percent shooting (32.2 percent from deep).

With other roster holes to fill, the Kings put Stauskas on the trade block in January, league sources told CBS Sports' Ken Berger. Fast forward to today, and Stauskas "continues to be available in trade talks," per Berger.

The Big Ten Player of the Year in 2013-14, Stauskas has good size (6'6", 205 lbs), a great shooting touch and the ability to create plays off the dribble. Bleacher Report's Daniel O'Brien offered a Klay Thompson comparison in his June 2014 scouting report of Stauskas, writing the then-prospect would "take advantage of every crease of daylight to get his shot off" and "could eventually be the second or third scorer on his club."

Stauskas needs work to realize that potential, but at 21 years old, he has time to figure things out.

Before that can happen, though, he needs to get away from the crowded backcourt in Sacramento. If he can link up with one of the five following teams, he could start climbing toward his ceiling—and being known for something other than that unintentionally killer moniker.