The Kings Herald Show returns with the NBA Draft, free agency, and summer league in the rearview mirror to break down and grade everything Monte McNair and the Sacramento Kings have accomplished over the last couple of months.
One quick programming note before we get to the show: the podcast is taking the month of August off while Tony tries to figure out how to take care of a newborn (due August 5!), so we’ll catch up with y’all in September for training camp. In the meantime, we’ve recorded a couple extra Q+A episodes with Jerry that will post on our Patreon over the next several weeks. Thanks for listening, see you in a bit.
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In addition to our bi-weekly podcast with Jerry Reynolds, we also record a Patreon exclusive Q+A once a month where Patrons at any level can Ask Jerry Anything.
You can submit questions for Jerry on Patreon, or write your questions in the comments below this post! Or you can just yell questions to Tony or Will on Twitter.
Is Jerry in a car with the windows down going 200 mph?
I agree with Jerry which is Monty’s best move this summer and that is signing Sasha Vezenkow to a good contract. IMO he will be a very good addition to the Kings and will probably become a starter for Barnes sooner than some people think. One move I thought Monty should have made was to find a better backup for Sabonis. If heaven forbid he is injured more than a short term then none of the backups which would also include Lyles would be good enough to take his place.
Anyone good enough to provide what Sabonis does is already starting for another team.
Update: Jerry has arrived at his destination.
Neither rain , sleet, snow or wind will keep Jerry from his Herald rounds !
I think so as well but who and at what cost?
Most quality backups are starters and not available.
Not now. Will have to wait until trade time.
Yup, Monte should have have tried to solve the defense/rebounding between December and February of last season. Not making some adjustments this summer was not a good idea. Let Noel and another addition will prove us wrong, but I am skeptical.
This is an offseason where you have to BELIEVE. It takes some faith.
What occurred was different than that. #3 was accomplished. and, instead of replacing wings, Monte retained all of them (except Metu) and added Sasha who did not fit any of my needs. Faith requires me to see a bigger picture: the money saved in the #3 move was used to lock down DS and avoid future issues. The rest of the money was used to maintain the key players. The #4 issue was either ignored or addressed with Jones. The Sasha and Duarte signings did not address any of the needs but did indeed add to the team value. I think this is all a long-term play.
I suspect that there were simply not good options for #1 and #2. Reed, Grant, Kuzma and OG were all way too expensive. Each of those contracts was close to the sum of HB + Lyles + Sasha. Depth wins.
This did not go as I wanted but I am not the GM of the Year. Kings have flexibility both in who plays and in who can be moved.
Jones better than Delly, Sasha better than Metu and Duarte probably better than TD. “Lost” the #24 pick but reduced stress for 2024.
This was not the year to go all in with 1-2 big new guys.
There are still quite a few teams with over 14-15 contracts. Sneak in and get the #11 guy, not the #16,
All the teams have to play the games, then we see what happens.
I agree with most of your assessments. IMO we didn’t address your #1. I believe Vezenkov will take care of numbers 2 and 4. He will play PF and we can now move Murray to SF where I think he belongs. Your #4 hasn’t fully be addressed. I think Ellis could be that third guard. Looked really good in summer league and can play defense and shoot the 3 ball.
I suspect that the desire (as expressed by Jerry Reynolds) to get a bigger third PG was not directly addressed. Is this Jones? (he is sloppy with the ball but then again, when Delly played, Kings kept the ball away from him too)
Is this Ellis-? not sure of his handle but love his defense.
The rim protection, rebounding and back up for DS was not addressed. First there were no clear options out there, except those who wanted to start and /or those who cost a lot. In addition, DS is unique- he has value, but he does not protect the rim or shoot the three. These could be addressed by a 4 but none available.
Sasha is not much bigger than HB but is supposedly a better rebounder. He will stretch the floor, get some boards but block about 4 shots this year.
agree- did not address #1.
I agree that most of the team needs were not addressed. But I trust MM that the potential with the players on the roster will hopefully address those needs I also look at it like the first half of the season MM can assess what the needs are and with tradeable contracts and future picks can make a trade to address holes.
The only player who can replace DS in his role is Jokic. When DS sits, the Kings will have to play a diferent way, whether a small ball 5 like Lyles or big-body Len or whatever Nerlens Noel has in his game still. Noel was a pretty good shot blocker defender as far as that need is concerned.
Tony, congrats on becoming a father!
I don’t know if it’s your first, but it is always a joyous occasion.
It’s his first unless you count Brenden.
Thank you! It is our first… will be our first.
I’m not sure what took me so long to give this pod a listen but man.. I missed hearing Jerry’s voice. I’m hooked lol
Also, congrats Tony! Your kid will be born into a world where the Kings are a good basketball team with a stable organization. Wishing your family health and happiness
Thanks macdoogs!
Always enjoy the program – Will, Tony and The Great Jerry Reynolds – Thank You!
However, I have an issue with your Monte McNair grading- B-
It’s alright, but the logic of penalizing DoubleM for extending Domas now and not waiting until next Summer makes some large leaps in likelihood that are fantasy level, IMO.
Keeping the 24th pick means keeping Richaun Holmes. Sorry, that means more than his $25M, it means keeping his roster spot, it means having a guy on the team who you’ve decided to keep in place of extending Domas and paying HB40 and Trey Lyles. I don’t think you off load that contract without giving something up OR getting back something (player, players) you don’t want. That’s messy. Trading out Holmes and the #24 for $25M is so damn clean. That is a huge win right there.
But there’s more. Not extending a guy who played most of the season injured – who sacrificed for the playoff drought and the team because he can wait until next Summer, is an ugly ungrateful message, IMO.
Plus which, this guy got battered last season, and you know what, he’s likely to get mugged in broad daylight again this next season too. And you are paying this guy – who’s a 3 time All-Star, All-NBA player – 72nd in League Salary – $19.8M instead of rewarding him now and paying him more, $40M more, next Summer. Hmm, seems smart to me, and more than a B- bit of handiwork but what do I know. Guess we see that differently and Olivier-Maxence Prosper might be that Star you missed out on…but, I doubt it.
I think the Kings hit a solid B or better this off season. Free Agents not signing in Sac don’t count because if they did, it would be the first time in over 20 years.
Grats on Fatherhood Tony. Will the Newlywed, Grats as well. And Grats to us all to have Jerry share his time with us on TKH.
Looking forward to a September show
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