Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Kings 16:17

"And king Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases, and removed the laver from off them, and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stone." — 2 Kings 16:17 (ASV)

The acts recorded here were probably not mere wanton acts of mutilation, but steps in the conversion of these sacred objects to other uses, such as for the ornamentation of a palace or an idol temple. The bases, the oxen, and the sea were not destroyed—they remained at Jerusalem until its final capture (Jeremiah 52:17, 20). They were probably restored to their original uses by Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29:19).

A pavement of stones - This was probably a pavement made specifically for this purpose, as the stones of the court seem to have been covered with cedar planking (1 Kings 6:36; 1 Kings 7:12).