That's both where the Kings come in, and where many fans of the Parker-for-7 rumor leave. But not me.

You'd like a better defender there, and someone who can help rebound to bolster that team strength. But at the same time, you're looking a gift horse in the mouth. The Spurs are selling on TONY PARKER. The team isn't "sold" on any of the picks reasonably expected to be available. If Jefferson is the tonic you have to take to get that gin, drink it. It's not that bad. It's not perfect, no no no. But it's not that bad.

As for the finances:

* The Kings have $29 million tied up for 2011-12.

* A Parker-Casspi+7 swap would leave the Kings' payroll around $40 million.

* Add in Jefferson and you're at about $49 million.

* Add in Thornton at $5-6 million starting salary and you're at $54-55 million.

* This assumes you can't include Francisco Garcia ($5.8 million) or Beno Udrih ($6.9 million) in this deal or unload one of them on another team. If you can, the cap situation looks even better.

* The cap last season was $58 million. The proposed (by the NBA, not the union) new "flex cap" is $62 million.

Parker / Udrih / Jeter
Evans / Thornton
Jefferson / Garcia / Greene
Cousins / Jackson / Whiteside
Dalembert / Thompson

Add in the No. 35 pick and maybe even the Spurs' No. 29 pick, if that's in the deal. You can replace Jeter with one of those, or Jackson. That's a playoff contender, at the very least, assuming reasonable health for the key players (Parker, Evans, Cousins). If Evans gets back to his ROY standard or Cousins improves his shot selection and turnovers, that's a legit playoff team.

That's the goal, right … a better team without mortgaging the future? Unless you think the future of the franchise is sitting there at No. 7 and in this year's free agent class …