Kyle Lowry is joining the Miami Heat via a sign-and-trade agreement that will send Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa to the Raptors. Or at least that’s what is implied by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Lowry's long been intrigued with joining Heat star Jimmy Butler and the Miami organization, and now Miami's maneuvered to have two key elements of a possible sign-and-trade package – Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa — to offer Raptors once talks can ensue at 6 PM, per sources. https://t.co/MrpMhhB7aJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 2, 2021
If this seems shady, it might be because as sign-and-trade sending Bogdan Bogdanovic to Milwaukee was scuttled last year when details leaked too soon. The Kings would have received Donte DiVincenzo from the Bucks. But that deal was reported in less vague terms before it was allowed, and the team involved had to back out or face more severe league consequences. Bogdanovic ended up signing with the Atlanta Hawks and the Kings received nothing.
Of course, Miami and Pat Riley aren’t Sacramento or Milwaukee, so the league is unlikely to stop this from happening.
The Kings have a history of shooting themselves in the foot without the league getting involved. It’s sad that the league feels the need to only influence tampering rules when it involves less glamorous markets.
Perhaps the King’s FO just isn’t adept at toeing the line of tampering. Have a hard time believing the league is playing favorites based on the cities of the teams involved.
It’s sad that the league feels the need to only influence tampering rules when it involves less glamorous markets.
Receipts please.
Unfortunately, history disagrees with that.
and star players don’t get phantom calls
Perfectly kosher. This is just a prediction of what WILL first happen tomorrow.
8/2, 3pm EST “Hello, Kyle. My name is Pat Riley, I work for the Heat, I know we’ve never talked but I was just wondering …”
8/2. 3:01pm EST “Hello Woj, Pat here with a scoop for you …”
I’m going to figure out a way to blame Vivek for this
You cost me my ring!
Sort of off topic here but does anyone think their could be ongoing talks between the Kings and Sixers centered around Fox for Simmons?
I’m probably reaching but I haven’t seen any welcome message via social media from Fox to Mitchell, whereas I’m pretty sure I have from Hali and Barnes, for example. I could be off base but I’m just sort of thinking aloud here. Maybe Fox just isn’t that active in social media and it’s really nothing.
Such a move would theoretically balance the roster more and I wouldn’t hate it but I would definitely prefer to extract an additional asset from the sixers in any such trade.
The thought has crossed my mind, I can’t see it happening though. Fox seems like the face of the franchise and that move would get a lot of criticism if it backfires, with Monte for sure losing his job. Although it doesn’t make it easier to dismiss knowing Monte and Morey worked together for so long.
How does it backfire? Fox is the face of 27-31 win teams. Does it really matter if they win 21-25? Also, Simmons has made the playoffs every year he’s been in the league, and Fox hasn’t ever, so I doubt it does. Fact is, true stars make the playoffs quickly and don’t look back. And I would praise Monte for actually taking a swing, not want his head. Just me.
Fox could end up better than Simmons? Simmons has been pretty close to the same player since he was drafted while Fox has dramatically improved his game every year. Simmons may not have any interest in playing here? He is represented by Klutch and they already put out a statement about working with Philly on trades. I know he is under contract for four years but if a player doesn’t want to play somewhere nowadays for the most part they get their way.
I am not opposed to the move per se, but it is a high profile move that would have consequences. All in all I dont see it likely.
Fair points, but I would hope Monte would find out whether Simmons intended to play here before pulling the trigger. And I can’t ever see Fox being a better passer or defensive player than Simmons. To me, Fox is an ACL away from average. He relies on exceptional athleticism, isn’t switchable, doesn’t stretch a D with his range, and stops ball movement with his drives. I think he is what he is at this point, too. He’ll likely improve his shot some more, but will also lose some speed. Personally, I’d like to see a Hali, Mitchell, and Simmons line up.
I would like to see those 3 players in the lineup too, but I may just be too scarred from Simmons in the playoffs. The main reason I would do the trade is because it is just easier to find good pg sized players than it is to find good wing sized players. I also think Simmons could significantly increase Bagleys value.
This is simply not true, unless we have different interpretations of the word “dramatically”.
He went from averaging 11.6 points his rookie year to 25.2 in his fourth year while upping his efg and ts% each year… BPM, VORP, Ast%, WS from – to +4… That seems like dramtic improvement to me.
He dramatically improved from year one to year two. Declined in year three, slightly improved in year four.
By the way, we are only talking about offense.
He increased his per game scoring +4 PPG every year for 3 straight years.
That is the same player to you?
He’s taken more FGA to get there – which is fine, he’s maintained his efficiency (which is still not great).
And that’s just one end of the floor. He’s the best player on a team that has gotten worse the last two seasons.
I’m not saying he’s not a better offensive player now than he was, I’m just questioning the word “dramatically”.
Explain the career arc of Devin Booker in this context. I’ll wait.
Simmons was absolute trash vs Hawks. Listless and impotent while Embiid and Curry did all the work.
Fox has never played that poorly or with such irrelevancy and unsubstantiality over any stretch of game over the last two seasons.
Simmons actually looked scared. This is your solution, unbelievable!
A fair trade would Fox for Simmons Thybulle, 3 future 1st round picks and 4 future swaps to us, which is what their GM is asking for Simmons in reverse.
So a trade will never happen but I guess if Fox did not post to “the Gram” a welcome to the rookie you can hold out hope. /s
I have heard this line of thinking before, “just take a swing”. Just “roll the dice”
This is the worst type of commentary. You do NOT take a risk for the sake of risk, you take calculated and intelligent risks with probabilities in your favor through meticulous study of the most pertinent variables. To not make this distinction is unsophisticated thinking at its finest.
You’re high. Most of the talk around here is that Mitchell and TT can hopefully bring the “dawg” out of Fox, who seems content scoring points on a bad basketball team.
Simmons is the better player, you know – if both ends of the floor matter.
It truly baffles me that folks still think Fox is a better basketball player than Simmons.
“But he can’t get past the 2nd round!” say the fans that haven’t seen a winning season in a decade and a half.
Yep. Simmons is a multi-year All-Star DPOY candidate. Fox is a maybe-someday-All-Star who needs to take another proverbial “big step” to reach Simmons’ level. I love Fox, but Simmons > Fox. This isn’t hard.
And if you trade Fox for Simmons and pair him with Mitchell, you have 2 ready-made “dogs” without crossing your fingers hoping that one rubs off on the other. Add in Hali, who is not especially big and strong but definitely plays with that intangible “it” factor, and you may have 3 of them.
Hmm. Funny that the box scores show that Fox played a lot in the TWO nine game losing streaks this season!
most definitely. I’ve been pretty sure of this from the second they drafted Mitchell.
Kings were reported to be aggressively pursuing Simmons. then it was reported Morey demanded Fox be included in the deal. Then the Kings days later drafted Mitchell.
I think McNair will work with his old mentor and make this happen.
I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Tobias Harris thrown in this deal somehow with more kings leaving. maybe Barnes and some picks?
this trade would make both teams better, I believe.
I feel like if this were the move Delon Wright would not be involved in this three team trade thats supposed to happen with us getting TT.
Agreed. As much as I can see a good path forward that includes swapping Fox for Simmons, I don’t think the Kings would trade Fox and I don’t see much evidence to suggest otherwise.
Of course, I could be wrong. It’s happened before. For example, I didn’t think the Pelican’s would trade for Cousins.
also, we’re not going to get more assets out of that trade. if anything I think the Kings sacrifice something.
I think Tobias Harris is the quite dark horse candidate here.
Sixers may not be able to move Simmons the way the want too. They have to free up money and Harris makes a ton, so … Buddy and Bagley and some future pick(s) find a new home!
Yep thought the same. Davion also, numerous interviews, answered with how he could be paired with Hali but hardly mentioning Fox.
Hoping this would be the start of something franchise changing, similar to the White Chocolate – Bibby trade. More moves would be needed to get to that level but this would be a great start.
Loyalty to good-not-great, or to great-not-superstar, players is the death knell of many teams’ championship dreams. Just look at Portland in 2016 (?), who re-signed players like Allen Crabbe for big money after making the playoffs, then found themselves knee-capped by those deals and prevented from ever taking the next step up. Fans can (and should) be loyal and fall in love with their favorite players. Front offices cannot afford to do the same.
The difference is timing. The S&T of Bogdanovich was announced days before FA, this is announced hours before it legally opens. That is a difference, even if both are technically tampering.
Tampering is so dumb anyway. They just need to stop pretending it matters. It really doesn’t. Players switch teams when they really want to, not because teams have contact with them indirectly through players or agents 3 months prior or 3 years prior or whatever.
Agreed, the tampering rules are silly.
Wonder how Bogie is feeling choosing not to go to the Bucks and missing out on a championship . Funny how that works sometimes.
You mean getting about 20 million more and playing on a terrific young contender ?
I think he’s probably feeling just fine about his decision.
I wasn’t clear as to whether the last paragraph was meant to imply that the Kings’ front office had shot itself in the foot on the Bogdanovic renege, but I think that it’s clear to most that the issue lay elsewhere.
It is clear Sims. It’s just that doesn’t fit with the narrative that the Kings FO is stupid and incompetent etc etc etc.
From how that played out I would assume Bogi’s team leaked it once they found out they could get more dough from ATL than they were getting from the Bucks.
I don’t see how it could be construed as the King’s FO fumbling it.
That’s always been my understanding of how it went down.
Mine too we would have DiVincenzo if Bogi did not get greedy and screw the team that gave him his NBA chance on this way out the door.
You mean Bogi should have taken 20 million less to make fans happy ?
Sounds like McNair wasn’t as informed as he should have been.
That’s exactly what happened Mike.
There’s nothing in the article that blames the Kings for the Bogi situation. The line seemed pretty straightforward to me. The Kings have a history of screwing up, and the *league* added insult to injury in that instance.
Interpret that however you want. I interpreted that as being the Kings being culpable in part because they are unaware of how to play the system. And that the NBA spends more time penalizing Sac and Milwaukee as markets than they do a Miami.
It’s an unfair game, same as it ever was. But as long as an asshead clown like Vivek Ranadive runs things, it won’t matter. The Kings will remain irrelevant. Who runs basketball ops won’t matter.
Don’t argue with a man in love, Carl.
His point was just completely refuted. Carl should probably chose not to continue the debate because he just lost. Game, set, match.
the fact that the Kings weren’t punished by the NBA after the investigation kinda tells me they were innocent in the whole thing. Also, they’re the only ones who got screwed in the whole thing too.
What if Kyle Lowry doesn’t go to the Heat? It’s not being reported as a done deal by any means. And it’s no certainty when a trade gets reported before it can be finalized. (I know, too soon)
This reads like sour grapes
You’re gonna be real sad when I tell you about the tooth fairy
The bitch hit me with a toaster.
I’m aware of the likelihood of it being a done deal. I don’t see the reason to piss and moan about last season’s missed opportunity of the back of this news.
The bright side of this is there is a young promising big headed towards Toronto. Achiuwa played center 50% of the year last year. They have one undersized center in Boucher who played a ton of center last year and they could still target their own free agent in Birch for cheaper than Holmes likely. They also have a 7 mill option on Baynes, if they wanted a big body. Toronto doesn’t seem like a likely Richaun destination anymore.
Mavs picked up Cauley Stein’s option today. They still have Porzingis who has exclusively played center. Dwight Powell and Kleba still on roster.
Charlotte got Plumblee and drafted Kai Jones.
There really doesn’t seem to be an obvious market to pay 11-12 mill for Richaun right now, besides the Kings. Cross fingers no one comes of the woodwork.
I was originally hoping for 3/30, but the more I think about it, I think his best place is coming off the bench (if they’re hoping to be a winning team in the next couple years). In that case, 3/30 still seems like an overpay.
The Kings have 99 problems, but Richaun Holmes starting ain’t one.
Sure his BEST place is coming off the bench because he is an average starting center and that means you got someone really good ahead of him if he is coming off bench. But that’s just not reality for about 20 teams.
Who knows where his value ends up, but he has proven to be a starter in this league for one of 30 teams.
https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1422045383316938755?s=20
And read the exchange below between Smith and James Ham.
It would not bother me one bit if the Wright for TT trade somehow fell apart.
As much as I would have loved to have DiVincenzo on our team and got something for Bogi, I’m happy he got to win a chip this year instead of being banished to Basketball Hell
Off Topic:
Which of you guys was in the Conan audience wearing the Kings hat? (This is old, but still…)
The NBA will do whatever is necessary to push big market winners. (See: 2002 WCF).
Counterpoint: Bucks over Suns for 2021 NBA Championship.
What about that one time the league gift-wrapped Luka Doncic to the Knicks and Bulls? This team is shitty because its owner can’t get out of his own, impulsive way. Also, Sacramento, can we please get a grip on the inferiority complex? It truly is self-fulfilling, second-rate city stuff.
Or Cleveland and Minnesota getting the #1 pick 5 of the past 10 drafts. Or the Spurs winning forever. Or…
See: If the Kings would have made their free throws at a reasonable rate, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
The amount of people in this comment section that want to trade Fox . . . I just don’t understand. Especially for Simmons. Simmons is a better defender and is far worse on offense. There is no way he is making this team better as the best player on the team.
I feel like I’m taking crazy pills here.
I see it this way – At this point in time, Simmons has an elite skill (defense), Fox does not. Both are plus facilitators. Fox may be a better all-around offensive player than Simmons, but Simmons’ playoff performance has been blown out of proportion at least a bit – Simmons was a 14 – 7 – 7 man for the Sixers last season, on a better TS% (.584) than Fox (.565).
Ask any non-Kings fan, and Ben Simmons is better than Fox, by margin. And rest assured, if a deal were to happen, it would probably include a 1st rounder or two from the Kings to the Sixers.
Simmons got exposed in a series where teams have time to make adjustments and exploit weaknesses. That has to be a concern (THE concern) for the Sixers. Because Philly is still destined to win 50+ games next season if they retain Simmons, while the Kings will be hard-pressed to win 40 with Fox. To be clear, this is not Fox’s fault, but if a Fox / Simmons trade happens, absent of other pieces, the Kings more than likely get at least a little better next year.
Not saying that a deal should or will take place. But it’s not crazy.
I actually think you’d be surprised. I’ve seen a number of polls on Twitter (yes it’s twitter so grain of salt) by other fans and the margin is widely in Fox’s favor.
I also disagree that Fox doesn’t have an elite skill. He is elite at finishing at the rim and getting to the line. Statistically I believe he is the best guard in the league at finishing at the rim?
Simmons teams have been better but he has also never been their best player and the Sixers have always had a much better roster than the Kings. I have a hard time seeing the Kings being better if we traded a 25 PPG scorer for a 14PPG scorer who refuses to shoot outside the paint.
I do think the Simmons hate has been overstated. But I’m not trading Fox for him even if the Sixers actually sent picks back our way.
I think it’s trendy right now to shit on Ben Simmons over the playoff situation. No surprise on the “fan” polling.
It seems to me this team could use an All-NBA defensive player, considering they ran one of the worst defenses in NBA history last season.
Morey isn’t dumb though, I’m sure he knows that the Kings have been better with Fox on the bench the last two seasons. There wouldn’t be picks coming back in this trade.
Hmmm…wording is important here. Nothing in the tweet suggests it’s a “done deal”…. Even though we all know it is.
Maybe someone can remind me what the tweet was last year regarding the trade. From what I remember, it just seemed like we got unlucky and someone leaked that the trade was done. Not a perfect comparison imo.
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