The Sacramento Kings are reportedly bringing in BJ Armstrong to the front office as an assistant general manager under Scott Perry.
The Sacramento Kings are finalizing a deal to hire three-time Chicago Bulls NBA champion BJ Armstrong as an assistant general manager under new GM Scott Perry, sources tell ESPN. Armstrong played 11 NBA seasons (1989-2000) and has been a player agent over the last two decades.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 6, 2025
Armstrong (57) played 11 seasons in the NBA and was part of the Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls teams in the 90s. After retiring in 2000, he served as the special assistant to Vice President of Basketball Operations with the Bulls and then later as a scout. He left the Bulls in 2005 and went on to become an agent, representing players such as Derrick Rose, JaVale McGee, Bismack Biyombo and Josh Jackson.
Armstrong has recently been a co-host of the Hoop Genius podcast of which Kings general manager Scott Perry was a guest of. Because of this, there are several clips out there to analyze.
Armstrong did an episode while the Kings meltdown against the Dallas Mavericks was taking place during the NBA Play-In Tournament and had this to say about the Kings:
“I don’t know where they’re at. It’s kind of like they have a combination of players, but they don’t seem to fit. … They have this mixture of players, but it doesn’t look like a team. … What’s their identity? … It doesn’t feel right to me.”
It doesn’t feel right to us either, BJ. I suppose it is a good sign he clearly doesn’t understand what this roster construction is intended to be.
From a more basketball philosophy perspective, he shared his thoughts in November on the current NBA game. On the episode, he expressed dissatisfaction about how the NBA rejects efficient two-point shots in favor the analytical trend that hurts player creativity:
“What I don’t like about the game, and what I don’t like about this play, is because now we hear NBA personnel, executives, head coaches, analytic people, presidents of teams, general managers of teams, tell me to my face, and look at me with a straight face, and they say the following: A two-point shot is a bad shot. … We only want three shots: We want the corner threes, we want layups, or we want to get to the free throw line. … All I know is the best players all shoot mid-range shots. Why? Because you’ve got to have an imagination to say, ‘What is the defense giving me?’ Or am I coming out to the game with a predetermined mindset to say, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ When I go watch the game, there’s no more creativity, there’s no more imagination. It’s just that we have basically robots running up and down the court. You run to the three-point line, I run to the three-point line. At first, I try to get a layup. If I can’t get a layup, I try to get fouled,” he said.
Further, Armstrong says the league has become overly systemized to target fouls instead of creativity:
“They’re not even going to the basket to score. They’re just going the basket to get fouled. So, this is what’s being taught. I’m not going to be mad at the players. This is what’s being taught here. We’ve stripped the players of any type of imagination. We’ve stripped the players of any type of read the defense or take what the defense is giving you. It’s just now it’s a program. All 30 teams play the same exact way. How? They all got in one big room, and all came to the conclusion, this is the way to play? Everyone runs a five-out offense. Everyone shoots 50 threes a night. And whoever makes the most threes, more times than not, wins the game now,” he said.
A month later, he was on the Jim Jackson Podcast show and continued this thought process, sharing how he thinks there is too much of an emphasis on three-point volume and not enough emphasis on shot quality.
“We’ve gone a little bit too far now with the three-point shooting. … I would like to see the emphasis on, let’s get the highest quality shot, regardless. If the team is giving you 60 threes, so be it. But you can’t tell me as I’m watching the games that everyone; that’s the defensive scheme of all 30 teams because all 30 teams are playing the same exact way. So, with that, I just think we should get back to saying:
What is the strength of your team?
What’s the strength of that player?
What’s the strength of giving this group the best chance to win in today’s NBA? Because everyone is not Steph Curry.”
He is joining the right team if he likes the midrange (we’ve got DeMar DeRozan!) and isn’t a fan of threes – the Kings ranked 24th in three point attempts this season at 35.2 attempts per game. The Boston Celtics took the most threes of any team at 48.2 per game.
This is the second reported hire in a week with a somewhat old school view on how many threes teams should be taking in basketball these days. Mike Woodson, the leading candidate for the top assistant coaching spot also has been tagged by some analysts as having an aversion to threes. It could be something, it is probably nothing. But it is something to keep an eye on.
Perry obviously has the connection to Armstrong through the Hoop Genius Podcast and he regularly refers to it as his “Hoop Genius Podcast family.”
I wonder if Perry and Armstrong realistically feel they’re going to be able to trade Sabonis, DeRozan, Lavine, and Murray in a single offseason, in order to make the necessary improvements at those positions.
LaVine is probably the hardest to move, then Sabonis (because the acquiring team would probably have a big stylistic change), then DeRozan, and finally Murray (the easiest of the four).
I think Keegan should be the easiest as well. Especially if they do it before he gets his extension.
How about Monk?
Definitely move on from Monk before Murray.
Left him off because I think Monk is very easily tradeable, if they decide to not keep him on as a 6th man.
I don’t disagree with what he is saying. There was some hyperbole in his statements, but I think he is accurate in that the game has boiled down too much with emphasizing the 3 ball and foul hunting/drawing. I like when 3s come within the flow of the offense. High quality, open 3s are good. Forcing up 3s because the numbers say more 3s are better, isn’t what I like.
Just please don’t keep DeMar. He needs to be traded.
And keep Murray.
Yes. Murray, Ellis, and Carter are the cheaper guys that fit. Unless some crazy offer comes, they should be around for a while.
Kings going old school and gonna tear it all down and build around DDR. The chairman of the midi-committee also likes to foul hunt. What a conundrum.
I hope not. Mid-range shots are fine, but the way DDR operates is slow and predictable. If the defense gives the mid-range shot because they are working hard to defend the 3pt line and the paint, then fine, take it in the flow. But when the entire set is trying to get the ball to DDR in the post, it’s bad basketball.
DeMar doesn’t seem to give much effort on D either which is at least as big a problem as his ball stopping IMO.
He is probably the worst defender, with LaVine a close 2nd, and Monk 3rd. Can’t scheme around or hide 3 bad defenders on the court at once.
I have absolutely zero idea what’s going to happen with this team but BJ is right we have a bunch of players who don’t fit together. Time to do something about it.
Oh, I have a hunch.
If we try to build around DDR, Lavine and Domas as our big three then I will be most disappointed and simply because of that fact…it will probably happen.
Just saying this out loud should make you go “what?”.
Building around a 36 year old, unatlethic, ballstopping midrange monster with bad D is not a plan, it’s a travesty.
We don’t seem very travesty adverse lately…Fox trade *cough*
It still amazes me that our Wonder Twin GMs thought it would be a good idea to move Fox during the season, and not before, all while knowing he wasn’t going to re-sign.
Definitely a Vladvek move and a big reason both left, IMO.
Yup. You can’t build around DDR. He needs to get gone-yesterday.
so I doubt anything really good will happen. It is interesting to see that Perry is doing the same model he used the Knicks were you hired or a another person was hired as a GM who was an agent.
At least that is recognized and was said out loud by someone being brought in to the front office. The roster has talent, but no synergy.
Agreed. Now they just need to say it out loud, and often, to Vivek.
Perry is on record as not being a fan of LaVine and BJ thinks the Kings are a bunch of misfit toys. Guess what…the core will all be back next season and we will hear things like “they just need time to gel,” and “now that everyone is healthy.”
Once free agency starts and the Kings disappointingly round out their roster with a bunch of has-been vet minimum dudes we are going to hear “let’s give Doug and his bench a chance to see what they can do with a full training camp to integrate the new guys.”
We are then going to hear all they way through next January that “it takes time to implement a new system.”
Same as it ever was…
What if they happened to trade LaVine and DDR this offseason? It might be a miracle, but it would be great to see.
I do think LaVine’s shooting is needed, but the rest of his game, mainly defensively, isn’t ideal.
Perry and Doug did say that they want an identity of defense and ball-movement, and many of the “top” players don’t fit that identity. We’ll see if they put their money where their mouth is. I don’t have high hopes for that happening.
I think there’s a good chance we move DDR. I think Domas was pretty frustrated with him toward the end of the season. The team seems to be in placate Domas mode atm.
As for LaVine? No way he’s getting traded. More likely he’ll get extended. He’s a Vladvek guy.
Domas was visibly frustrated with LaVine too. He didn’t seem to like either guy. LaVine is harder to move. That contract is a beast.
I feel it’s going to be a wild NBA summer with quite few big names getting traded The Suns are going to make some drastic changes. The Lakers always do something. Trae Young may get moved, same for Ja. Hell, Giannis may leave Milwaukee, but this also may mean the Kings are left out in the cold. No one is giving up shit for DDR and LaVine if much bigger fish are on the market.
Zion too. Lots of intrigue this offseason. Free agent class isn’t that great, so trades will be the way teams improve. Perry and BJ need to convince someone to take DDR and LaVine. Hypnotize other GMs somehow.
I still feel Orlando is a great spot for LaVine, but the Magic can likely get offensive fire power from somewhere else for far less money (Dejounte Murray or Anfernee Simons). It would be a pennies on the dollar sell there. Kings would have to take on KCP’s deal and hope for the inclusion of guys like Cole Anthony and/or da Silva. I doubt Vivek would sign off on something like that, being that he gave up Fox for LaVine.
Isaac would probably need to be involved because of salary matching reasons. His contract isn’t great. Injured and played 15mpg last season. Taking back KCP and Isaac, Orlando might need to sweeten that deal with da Silva and/or a pick.
I think because his contract is crappy, we could probably get isaac/filler for ddr and that for sure helps us by adding defense and just subtracting ddr black hole offense
Isaac’s salary drops from $25M this season to $15M for the 25-26 season. If I recall correctly, his new contract is only partially guaranteed with avoiding injuries a major incentive.
You are correct. It looks like the games played minimum is 52 for the incentives to kick in. Maybe he has turned a corner on his health, or this year was just an anomaly.
I guess I should read more comments before I comment
I think DDR seems like a great guy, just doesn’t fit this team. I could see somebody like Orlando giving up Isaac and Da Silva and I would take that all day long. Find a point guard that knows how to distribute the ball and pass it and get it in the players hands at the right spot And we’ve just won three or four more games.
Yeah just have to surround him with some defensive guys…his shooting/offense is needed
The problem with Lavine is three-fold, in my eyes. First, he doesn’t have the ability to play even the slightest glimmer of defense….so you always have to be prepared to switch him off the ball. That puts pressure on everyone else.
Second, his handle makes Buddy Hield look like Chris Paul. That means you’re going to want a top-level PG and ultimately a wing that can also facilitate, because Zach is infinitely more likely to dribble off his foot or throw the ball to anywhere but the intended target.
Third, and the biggest for me. At any moment he can completely disengage from the game and become just part of the scenery on the court. Passing up open looks, sprouting roots into the court while standing in the corner, jogging back and forth in transition.
Yes, we definitely need shooting, but from the moment he was traded here Lavine, has basically been a disgruntled observer, rather than a participant in the game. Almost as if he’s actively tanking his effort in hopes of getting a ticket out of town. All those combine for a terrible use of both cap space and a roster spot.
LaVine and Murray should be running off Domas’s screens and putting up jump+shots immediately after receiving the DHO…it’s the most effective way to get shooters quality shots without them having to dribble at all.
Part of that would require Lavine to put in effort to be part of the team, though. I simply don’t see that happening.
I love that idea, but that would require that Delmas takes that corner of free-throw line jumper as soon as people sag off
That’s why I said this
There are just too many things that need to happen for him to be a successful, winning basketball. The roster needs to be perfectly tailored to support his deficiencies. Kings don’t have that, nor do they have the assets to get that.
Sigh, Vivek gonna Vivek.
I have seen this movie before.. I think it is Kangz XXVIII
I get that they’re not going to be able to rebuild the roster into a championship contender in one offseason, but how are they going to be able to get the team to an OKC/BOS type talent level? Where is the Shai or Tatum level talent coming from? The draft? Free agency? I don’t know.
Is a core of say Domas, LaVine, Murray (or whatever they decide the core is) good enough, even with adding solid/good pieces around them?
For me, I’m just not seeing the path forward. Doesn’t mean there isn’t one, but I’m struggling to see it.
The only path to OKC/BOS territory is get very bad for how ever many seasons it takes to draft a Batman. Unfortunately that’s not going to happen anytime soon.
The team’s goal is to get to the 4-8 seed range and ride that for a while. I’m not sure how we do that either at this point. Feel like we were in a much better place 2 seasons ago. Youngish and developing. Now we’re old and mismatched with difficult to move contracts.
I think the only thing worse than being on the treadmill of mediocrity is having an FO that doesn’t realize it, or thinks that the way off is by running faster.
Then I think about our lousy draft track record during the Vivek era, a nice mixture of tough luck and poor decision making and I wonder if suffering through a bottoming out process would do anything other than set us down our mid 80s to early 90s path of 8 straight sub 30 wins season.
For sure. Can’t be wasting top 5 picks or you never get out of the “process”
I firmly believe they need picks. The Kings need to draft, develop, and retain young talent to even sniff the levels of OKC or Boston. Unfortunately, LaVine, DDR, and Monk aren’t brining back picks. The Kings would need to move Sabonis or Keegan to get future draft capital, but that is a very bitter pill to swallow if you are moving those guys and keeping LaVine and DDR around.
Adamsite what say you about this?
Sabonis to the Grizzlies for Edey, Bane and Pippen Jr. and maybe a first or two.
Monk and a first and second for the Rockets Smith Jr. and Whitmore.
Derozan and 2 seconds to the Lakers for Reaves and Vanderbilt.
I can show reasons why this makes sense.
Starters: Pippen Jr., LaVine, Bane, Murray and Edey. This won’t be the only starting line up as a lot of the players can be interchangeable.
Backups: Carter, Fultz, Ellis( my choice as next years sixth man),Reaves, LaRavia, Whitmore, Smith jr., Vanderbilt, Valancuinas, I. Jones and M. Jones.
One more example of a starting lineup: Pippen Jr., Ellis, Murray, Smith jr. and Edey.
Small ball could be: Carter, Reaves, Whitmore, Vanderbilt and Smith jr.
.
IMO, all three of Grizz, Rockets, and Lakers say no to those deals.
Bane and JJJ are their best players IMO, if they move on from someone…it’ll prob be Ja.
I agree about needing draft picks. To me it just sucks that getting better via the draft is such a crapshoot, like sitting down at craps table with a $1000 bankroll and trying to turn that into 20 grand, after selling everything of value just to get the bankroll!
Since the turn of the century have the Kings acquired more talent via the draft, free agency, or trade?
Trade: Sabonis, Huerter, Buddy, Barnes, Gay, Artest, Brad Miller. others?
Draft: Haliburton, DMC, Fox, IT, Keegan, Tyreke, KMart, Omri, Garcia, Hedo, Gerald Wallace, others?
Free agency: LOL, yeah right.
I’d argue that even as bleak as the majority of this century has been for the Kings, they’ve done better in the draft than anywhere else. Also, until Giannis and Jokic came along every NBA MVP was drafted in the lottery. I’ll keep screaming it from the highest of mountains…the best way to get winning talent is to draft it (unless you are the Lakers).
You need to have talent to trade for talent. So Sabonis, Buddy, Artest all came directly from people we drafted – Rese, Cuz and Peja.
So yes I agree it’s all about picks.
Good point. I hadn’t thought of that way, but you are right. In fact, that makes me double down on draft picks.
Vlade was a free agent signing .
Yeah, last century.
Who’s been the best, new to the team, free agent signing this century? Monk? Rondo?
If only for your own personal well-being…please put this idea the Kings should do a full-on rebuild out of your mind as an option, it will only lead to disappoint. Its like wishing your significant other looked like whatever celebrity crush you may have…no matter how much you want it, they’ll get continue to be who they are and not who we wish they were.
While I agree, that tanking for a while until you have a true star-player is the best and most consistent method to building a contender, it won’t be an option for SAC…with Vivek as the owner, the Kings only real path to an NBA Championship is to build as decent a team as they can and hope somehow that a 1A magically drops into their laps (ala the Spurs and Tim Duncan or some weird situation like that).
So they need Cooper Flagg next season? Perfect!
Basically…I was thinking more along the lines of a low-ceiling player gets drafted mid-late 1st and later in the season ends up going to my made-up version of the Kings at the deadline in some trade where he’s flipped for a vet like DDR or JV. He’s mostly an afterthought from both team’s perspectives, used as an asset replacement for a FRP, and he ends up being a world-beating 1A plucked out of semi-obscurity like Jokic.
That feels like a KANGZ way of acquiring your best player, you know…without intention.
I don’t know about the organization, but the fan base deserves a good BJ.
This coming from the man that doesn’t wear pants!
I was waiting for some kind of joke like that, but I wasn’t going to be the one to say it!
Pizookies and in house made root beer, yeah we all could use some BJs!
Being a fan of this team is the equivalent of an over the jeans HJ unfortunately.
Luckily for you though…
How come no article about Bobby Jax and Darius Songaila as coaches yet? I know it’s not official yet, but I want to know about them AS COACHES! What do they do well?
Off topic; someone mentioned somewhere that David Adelman looks like the guy from Mad Magazine and now I can’t unsee it.
Alfred E Neuman! Damn, he does! Now I’ve dated myself, knowing his name. Best part of this thread. Beats thinking about the Kings’ roster.
Hopefully this front office will be competent enough to not give away all-star potential players on rookie contacts for a staff stuffing big who is a liability in the playoffs.
Love what Sabonis brings for the most part but it was really painful to watch Halliburton hit that game winner last night. He’s about to make his second deep postseason run while the Kings are sitting outside the playoffs again.
This organization’s shortsighted goals of making the playoffs every year is creating this endless loop of mediocrity.
The last 3 years of mediocrity may feel endless, but is still better that the 16 years of suck that preceded it.
Honestly, I’m not sure what there is to love about anything Sabonis brings. Even his rebounding stats are accentuated by the fact that the team has no other capable rebounders aside from the guy who relieves him.
I’d say Keegan is a solid rebounder for a mostly perimeter player.
Staff-stuffing is frowned upon, but there’s a decent chance that it will become a widespread corporate policy as everything just gets better and better.
We got BJs. We got Staff Stuffing. What more could we want?
Should I be concerned that Armstrong hasn’t worked in an NBA front office in 20 years?
Vivek’s thought process: “So, you’re saying the last time he had a job in the league, the Kings were still the greatest show on court? Send him over the contract, immediately.”
Aren’t there other agents that made the move to an NBA front office with no prior experience, at all? Thinking of Pelinka and Rose.
Just stay away from the Shoe guys am I right?
That depends Carl, if you hung up the mower for 20 years and just handled irrigation, could you get back out there on the field and make a difference? I think an old hat knows the fundamentals enough to be successful.
Armstrong to LaVine:“Stop thinking…let things happen…and be…the ball.”
Probably. But you should be a hell of a lot more concerned that that piece of shit owner still owns the team 🙂
New hires always say great things right before the dismissive little chap sucks the life out of them.
Exactly. It’s very obvious what this team needs to do in order to win. But I doubt the owner will let it happen. His ego is too big and his brain is too small.
All I know is 3 guys will be traded lol domantas sabonis ,derozan and monk. Monk and sabonis is 100 percent guaranteed to be traded.
He sounds like an old man yelling at clouds. The game has changed, just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean mid-range shots are suddenly going to be worth more than 3s. If it’s adapt or die, it sounds like the Kings will be doing a lot of dying with this guy at the helm. I doubt Perry/Armstrong is going to produce better results than McNair/Wilcox. They just seem like yes men for Vivek.
It seems like after Vlade, Vivek realized how stupid surrounding himself with yes men and personal friends was for running the team and brought in Monte and MB to create legitimacy. Then after a few years of turbulence he decided “I liked the other way better.” I see nothing positive in the Kings future so long as this man remains as owner. As such, I will probably be tuning in less. The product doesn’t interest me at all anymore.
No 3’s BJ?…
Without the 3, we’re only playing NBA .0
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