February 2022 saw Monte McNair execute one of the most impactful trades in Sacramento Kings history, sending Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers for Domantas Sabonis. McNair followed that up a few days later with a trade sending out Marvin Bagley III, and acquiring Trey Lyles and Donte DiVincenzo. Since then, the Sacramento Kings have stood pat at the trade deadline, making no significant midseason moves in 2023 or 2024.
This summer saw the Kings make a significant move, adding DeMar DeRozan, but the acquisition leaves the roster in a state of imbalance. Even if we don’t consider DeRozan a guard, the Kings still have an abundance of guards on the roster. De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Keon Ellis, Kevin Huerter, Devin Carter, Colby Jones, Jordan McLaughlin, and two more guards on Two-Way deals. While the Kings could surprise everyone and swing a move before the season begins, it seems likely that the Kings will enter training camp with the current roster. The question then becomes whether or not Monte McNair will end his streak of standing pat during the regular season.
To be clear, this isn’t to suggest that McNair sets his roster at the start of the year and then sits back to relax. We know he’s been active in trade discussions during the season each of the last two years. But Monte, for better of worse, is very disciplined in trades. He doesn’t overpay just to get a deal across the line, even when we fans wish he would. We’ll see if this season presents an opportunity to improve the Kings for a playoff run.
There are a number of players on this roster that can be traded. The deals that are possibilities are not likely to be big deals and we do not need a big deal. A forward or a back up center would be nice. The options exist. I think Monte makes a move this year.
If Ellis is actually half as good as everyone here thinks he is we can trade him for a first team NBA power forward. That is a potential big deal.
Well he would have to be packaged with someone like Huerter for that to happen but yes, I agree including Ellis would create a possibility for a big move. With Devin Carter coming back from injury and seemingly a good defender there is a window where that would be a risk worth taking.
I truly believe that if Ellis is the real deal and becomes the clear starter as the off guard, the Huerter is the most likely to be moved by the deadline. It’s not a knock on Huerter, it’s just roster management. I also feel Huerter, if healthy, will have demand on the trade market. He’s on a very fair contract for his age and style of play. The league loves shooters. Ideally the Kings would move him for a 3/4 combo player. Who that guy is, is anyone’s guess.
Huerter only becomes expendable if two of the other young guards (Ellis, Carter, Mason and Colby) prove capable of handling regular rotation minutes. Ellis is probably legit, Carter is looking like a redshirt. Will Colby or Mason prove reliable enough to replace his production in a trade? Hard to say. Not getting any tape on Carter for potentially the entire season makes this decision particularly difficult.
There’s also a chance that Huerter is an absolutely perfect fit on this roster and makes himself essential. Besides Monk, he’s got the best chemistry with Domas of anyone on the team. And if he gets back to his usual 39% on good volume from deep, he provides the spacing that a Fox/DDR/Domas lineup will desperately need. He will be an excellent offensive weapon in the second unit. The version of Huerter that other teams are interested in trading for may not return a player better than him. If he looks like the Huerter of 2023, is someone like DFS a better asset for this roster? It’s debatable.
On paper, the Kings have offense in excess and lack defense. But then again, the team was Top 6 in defense once Ellis joined the rotation. Is that sustainable for a full season? In which case, are the Kings elite on both sides of the ball already? And if they are, does that mean they should stand pat or swing for one final piece to become true contenders? Who would that final piece be? And would they be worth what you’d have to give up?
Monte will have a lot to weigh. But I’m almost certain no moves will be forthcoming until he gets a look at this team as constructed.
I agree with you on nearly everything. My only counter point is that Huerter has already been replaced as a SG on this team and will be sliding into (or should slide into) the back up SF position. As a backup SF I think his defensive abilities will hold up just fine. Not great but not some “massive hole” defensively.
Until Keon proves he isn’t a fluke (I don’t suspect he is), KH can still be argued as the best SG option on the team (assuming Monk is the sixth man).
If Keon isn’t fool’s gold, then KH is still the primary wing depth. I’d feel more comfortable trading KH if either Carter, Colby, or Mason prove capable of assuming that role in his absence. But until the season starts, we can’t know that KH is expendable. Even if Keon cements himself in the starting role (which isn’t a given!) KH might still be essential in relief.
Huerter is a proven NBA player that had a sub par year that ended with a horrible injury. Ellis is an unproven player that has done ok for a small period of time. Huerter will likely garner more trade interest once he shows he has healed.
Why is the focus on Ellis instead of Monk?
Add another guard:
Boogie Ellis on an Exhibit 10 – but he’s been working in SoCal with DeMar and when he was there, Domas. I think he was the most interesting Summer League Kings prospect. Not sayin’, just sayin’.
As for deadline deals – if Sac is underperforming, I think there will be a large amount of pressure for McNair/Welker to do “something”.
What is something? I have no blessed idea.
Boogie Ellis is better than Keon Ellis. That is an interesting conundrum.
Focused on Ellis instead of Monk how?
is it which one is starting? I personally don’t think that matters much. That’s a Mike Brown decision that has little impact in terms of the big picture. One can make the argument for fit for either monk or Ellis starting. To me, Huerter starting at SG seems un likely with the impact Ellis made and I think proved over a pretty big stretch to end the season. I think Huerter is our new back up SF. If Huerter isn’t our back up SF I would like to ask you and anyone else reading this, then who is?
If there is a move I agree, it’s the one you mentioned. I also think it’s a 3/4 that replaces Huerter who will be your back up small forward all season. I think he will do well in that position. Well enough that he shows other teams how good he is while playing “out of position” and or a 2/3 for the team he would potentially be going to.
McNair will continue to operate as he has:
The Kings have needs, and they also have assets. It isn’t possible to force other GMs to take deals, regardless of how beneficial they might be in any number of ways. In short, at the end of the season, Sacramento may not have been able to acquire new talent, but it also isn’t going to take on trash in service of the “just do something” brigade.
What are your sources that confirm the steps you listed are somewhat real?
According to this article, Monte’s extension in 2023 was for three years which I take to mean it goes through the end of the 25-26 season. Ergo, assuming he wants to stay, Monte will want another extension in the 2025 offseason to avoid being a lame duck.
It will depend on how well the team is doing. If the Kings are rolling, the only deal that would be done is one that is too good to actually happen. And maybe that would be a good thing if the Kings are crushing.
If the team is struggling, I expect a big move. I believe this year’s trade deadline would be the same relative Monte contract position as when he traded Tyrese for Domas. So I expect a big move if the playoffs are in serious jeopardy.
This.
Fifth year of the McNair era, and what has he accomplished?
I know that breaking the drought is a big deal for Kings fans, but it means very little relative to the league. This team still hasn’t won a play-off series in two decades…
If this team isn’t on course for a clear play-off position (not play-in) by the deadline, I’m sure that Monte will feel the heat.
Can a leopard change its spots, and a GM change his attire?
I don’t believe anyone should be beyond criticism, but I’d argue that winning a playoff series is a fairly arbitrary measure of success.
Monte’s job as GM is to acquire talent – on the roster, the coaching staff, and in the front office.
When Monte took over, Luke Walton was head coach (lmao). Now, we have a universally respected head coach who won COTY and has one of the highest career winning percentages of all time. His staff has been employed for national teams and have been hired away to be head coaches or climb the ranks for other organizations.
Take a look at the attached image. Look at this absolute dumpster fire of a roster that Monte inherited. How many of these guys are even still in the league? Now imagine turning this into a team with two All-NBA players, a 6MOTY candidate, #27 on the All-Time scoring list, an All-Defense candidate, the best isolation defender in the league by advanced metrics, and a solid group of role players around them.
The team is indisputably on an upward trajectory ever since Monte took over. That they haven’t won a playoff series yet is a testament to 1.) how competitive the league is and 2.) how far away the Kings were from contention under Vlade. If he can take us from Justin James and Dewayne Dedmon to Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis, imagine where he can go from here.
Now if the Kings spend the next 2-3 seasons treading water and continuing to miss the playoffs or lose in the first round, then we can start talking about making some changes. But right now, imo, Monte’s seat should feel as chilled as an Igloo cooler on the top of Mt. Everest.
Holy crap! That roster. My god. How did I somehow get excited/hopeful about that team?!? F U K
Only 6 guys still in the league. 7 if you count Marvin Bagley.
Tbf it was a superteam, just young.
31Q: How did you get a picture of MM not in a vest?
Indoors for that matter!
Was McDaniels ever acknowledged by the Kings organization as being on the roster? Still don’t know of he was officially presented as being a King.
Anyway, I see a smaller move(s) for depth reason, should they arise.
Every time I check out the NBA website for the Kings he is listed on the roster. His trade was announced as well.
I just don’t think Monte discussed him after the trade. It just seemed odd.
What has he said about Robinson?
No idea. Monte usually speaks about incoming players. Seemed odd that there has been almost no mention McDaniels.
I do not remember any discussion involving Mr. McNair and Robinson.
Is it real then?
Why are you being like this? I’m not implying that something is wrong or doesn’t exist. Just odd that a trade was made early in the offseason and the player acquired isn’t mentioned by the GM. It’s not usually how Monte operates.
Robinson was a minimum deal later in the offseason, amd those deals are rarely discussed by any GM.
McDaniels is a major deal.
As of right now, I don’t think he will. Next summer makes more sense to me to make a major move (Huerter plus future firsts). At that point we should release the 1st round pick to the Hawks which will open up the rest of the 1st rounders. Carter will seemingly be healthy with a third of a season and full pro offseason under his belt which makes moving Huerter, in terms of guard depth, less risky. Huerter will be on a very attractive expiring contract. 4 legit guards with Demar, Keegan, Domas, and Lyles is a damn good top 8. By no means perfect, but I’m excited.
Monte plays it pretty close to the vest but that’s how I see it.
This popped up on Kings coaching news:
https://amp.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article292195110.html
Rather than have Jay Triano in the Tex Winter honorary role, Mike Brown has made him the Lead Assistant, which makes perfect sense, but also denies Luke Loucks, Doug Christie, Riccardo Fois or Jim Moran the notoriety of that designation.
Christie did not win the Summer League championship. He is lucky he still has a job.
The article doesn’t mention that they also hired a new coach for the G-League Stockton Kings—Quinton Crawford:
https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1832166809862295867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1832166809862295867%7Ctwgr%5Ee105bc8380aa2fb17688800626aa98df45b0b2a0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsactownsports.com%2Fnba-sacramento-kings-stockton-kings-hire-quinton-crawford-head-coach%2F
A couple of things here:
#1.) I think Huerter will be the backup SF to DeRozan. It makes too much sense from so many different angles. You want to get your best players on the court as much as possible. Sliding Huerter to the 3 accomplishes that. Which also accomplishes having Ellis or Monk start and back up one another at SG. Again, getting your best players on the court. Huerters foot speed on defense is better suited for SF. It’s placing him in a more advantageous position for him to succeed. It’s best for the team and it’s best for him. One reason for that is more corner threes. One would assume that more corner three point attempts for Kevin Huerter will have positive results. Having Red Velvet on the court more at the small forward position creates a very strong 10 man rotation.
#2.) Will Monte make another trade this season? I think the answer to that is decided by Kevin Huerter. If he has a bounce back season as the backup SF which I expect him to have then it’s less likely he gets traded. He is however, the guy Monte is shopping. He’s the guy that is good enough to trade for a substantial return. He is the player that is replaceable post all star break if he is shipped out for a player at position the kings would like to improve. They won’t need to improve at PG, SG or Center. If Huerter is traded for an impact player I believe that player will be either a longer SF with a stronger defensive presence who can shoot from deep at a decent clip or a longer PF with a stronger defensive presence who can shoot from deep at a decent clip.
A bigger stretch for another possible trade before the all star break would be including Ellis with Huerter in a trade that brings back a highly impactful forward (like Brandon Ingram as an example). Those two combined is a nice return for a proven veteran player that might be on the trading block. With the depth the Kings have at guard and Devin Carter waiting in the wings I could see this being a big swing move by Monte. That said, I think the answer to the question of this article is: No. No, Monte will not make a trade this season. That is my guess. The kings have a very, very good 10 man rotation as the roster is currently configured. It lacks some length and athleticism in the back court but it is still a highly skilled 10 man rotation of smart players that fit well together (seemingly). I think the Kings offense will be so damn good this year that Monte won’t want to mess that up as they make their cohesive approach to an extended playoff run and potential at championship contention.
This is the main sentiment I’ve gotten at in earlier comments. I expect this team will be HUMMING around the trade deadline. Do you really want to fuss with something that’s working? Something that might hurt team chemistry or morale? If the Kings are gonna make a deal, they better be DAMN SURE it’s the right deal. Knowing Monte, that’s gonna be a high bar to clear.
Final note, here is what basketball reference projects for Keon Ellis this season:
12.4 / 4.9 / 3.3 on 46.9%/41.7%/74.8% with 1.8 stls, 1 blk, and 1.7 TOs per game.
Of course a projection means nothing, but it is based on extrapolating his career numbers. If Keon is even remotely close to this kind of player, he is the type of role player that wins NBA championships and therefore untouchable in trade talks. We’ll see how the season goes, but as of right now idk if there’s any deal that will make me want to part with him.
I certainly understand everyone’s concern about not having length and rim protection on the team. But I am also concerned if the Kings acquire what appears to be needed at PF, minutes are lost to someone. If it’s a PF, that comes at the expense of Keegan and to a lessor extent Lyles. I think Keegan is ready to make a big leap this year and Lyles is showing improvement and is the only hombre on the team. So, take your pick on flipping Huerter for any PF who would be available in his trade range and, will that person be worth it if it means taking meaningful minutes away from Keegan? It makes sense to start with who they have on the roster and determine a few things: Can Keegan make a leap and average 15-18 ppg and improve his rebounding numbers while taking on tough defensive assignments? Can Fox/DDR/Domas fit in the tight space that each wants to live in? Can Monk find a higher gear and be on the floor 26-30 minutes per night? Can Huerter improve his 3pt % and guard SFs on most teams? And, finally, can the Kings match up well enough on the bigger teams in the West through team defense and better offense? With the answer to those questions unknown and, even assuming on paper some or most of them turn out not to help in the win/loss column, perhaps it doesn’t make sense to make moves until we know how the roster as currently constructed works out. If you look at the opening day roster from a year ago, there is no objective way to look at the current roster and believe it’s not quite a bit better. We added a reliable guy who averaged 24 ppg, would have likely willed 3-4 more wins for the Kings last year against teams the Kings gave up huge leads, and shoots free throws and all we gave up was the fifth option on offense. If this doesn’t work out because of not enough spacing, lack of improvement from young players, bad matchups, poor defense without enough offense to compensate for it, or just bad general fit, then trades can be made. Markkanen would have been a better sign or trade fit for the team than DDR, but Ainge was being Ainge and Monte gave a deadline and so had to move on to the next guy who wasn’t exactly chopped liver.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see us make a move better than we expect at the deadline (or sooner if someone gets hurt or something changes). But I don’t get why we are tossing Ellis in to trades. Full stop, he’s such a good value player even if he just maintains what we saw last season. We are so upset about not getting Naz Reid, but you only get a Naz Reid by taking fliers like Monte has been doing on guys, and it seems like he’s keeping up a pretty good churn there.
My guess is that at the deadline, we snare a trade for someone who is going to be a FA this upcoming off season, but pushes us up this season. I see that as someone like Ingram (even with DeRozan) or maybe someone with a player option whose team finds they’re looking to move on (Julius Randle? Someone in Denver or Milwaukee if they don’t impress early on [Gordon/Porter Jr. or Portis/Middleton/Lopez]?) and we hope for a run like the Raptors did with Kwahi or the Pacers with Siakam. Something that doesn’t mortgage the future because it is a rental, but moves the needle for 3-4 months quite a bit.
It’s possible Monte has eyes for targets we can’t really imagine (like the Sabonis trade), but I think having too much depth at the wings/forwards/bigs would be incredible valuable, and could even go longer if it ends up being a good fit for everyone.
I just don’t think that a move for a 7th man (Kuzma, Grant) changes enough about this team for us to persue that.
Nice take. A for the record, I agree with you on Ellis. His contract to production is already top 10 throughout the league and could prove quickly to be the best in the nba.
i don’t “want” to trade Ellis. I’m merely stating what I see as a potential risk to reward of including him in a trade that Monte might rationalize at the deadline. Specifically in reference to Carter who is being advertised as an Ellis type player. With that said I guess you could just as easily put Carter as the added chip to a trade package with Huerter for some like like you mentioned, Ingram, Portia porter Jr, Middleton, Gordon.
I’m pretty confident in this roster as is and completely fine with zero trades until next summer. I do see Huerter as the backup SF being one of a few keys to an incredible season and at least one playoff series conquest.
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