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Kings vs. Timberwolves Preview: Oh yeah, there’s still a game

Can't even give us a day to mourn?
By | 97 Comments | Feb 3, 2025

Nov 27, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) shoots against the Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

For obvious reasons, this Preview is going to be a lot shorter than normal.  The Kings take on the Minnesota Timberwolves for the last part of their six-game trip.  The trade sending De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio and Zach LaVine to the Kings has yet to be made official but even it it was it’s unlikely LaVine would make his debut tonight.  As such the Kings will be shorthanded tonight as they look to stay above .500.

When: Monday, February 3rd, 5:00 PM
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
TV: NBC Sports California
RadioSactown Sports 1140 AM

For Your Consideration

Minnesota has won five of their last six but is coming off an embarrassing 105-103 home loss to the Washington Wizards.  The Wolves were without Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle in that game.  Randle should be available against the Kings but both Edwards and Naz Reid are listed as questionable.  Donte DiVincenzo will also be out.

The Kings will likely start Malik Monk, Keon Ellis, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis, and will have a short bench tonight after the loss of Kevin Huerter. Expect to see big minutes from the starters, barring a blowout either way.  The Kings are just 1-4 on this road trip so far, with three of their losses seeing them allow 132 or more points (including 143 to the Knicks and 144 to the Thunder).  Right now the Kings sit at 24-24, the same record as the Warriors who sit in 11th place.  A win would be a nice salve to what has been a rough week for Kings fans.

As always, Go Kings.

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1951
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February 3, 2025 11:34 am

Ten game win streak starts tonight!

RPO
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RPO
February 3, 2025 12:45 pm
Reply to  1951

For what team?

1951
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February 3, 2025 1:00 pm
Reply to  RPO

We shall see! 😉

RobHessing
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February 3, 2025 1:27 pm
Reply to  1951

Ten game wince streak!

Marty
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February 3, 2025 11:34 am

Look ma, competency!

Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon:

Harrison decided early on, team sources said, that the best way to trade a player of Doncic’s caliber was to pick the trade that he wanted, rather than open up the process, to avoid Doncic and his agent exerting their own leverage. It would also avoid the crippling fan backlash that might influence the deal.

Pelinka and the Lakers understood. Nothing could leak. Not a breath of it.

They’d learned the same lesson many times throughout their recent history.

1951
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February 3, 2025 11:37 am
Reply to  Marty

Competency? The Mavs traded Luka! But great job not leaking it ahead of time or testing the market! lol

Hippity_Hop_Barbershop
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February 3, 2025 11:41 am
Reply to  1951

He was incredibly competent at being incredibly incompetent.

SPTSJUNKIE
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February 3, 2025 11:54 am

I’m reminded of one of my favorite Simpsons quotes:

Homer (after renaming himself Max Power): There’s the right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power’s way.

Lisa: Isn’t that the same as the wrong way?

Homer: Yes, but faster!

Hippity_Hop_Barbershop
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February 3, 2025 12:00 pm
Reply to  SPTSJUNKIE

Lol absolutely love that one.

“Max Power?! What a cool name!”

“Thanks! I got it from a hair dryer.”

Marty
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February 3, 2025 11:44 am
Reply to  1951

It’s a league of PROFESSIONAL athletes and they decided giving an entitled cheeseburger a supermax wasn’t for them. It seems more of a sound strategy than letting the media know you’re shopping around for the next sloppy seconds veteran.

For YEARS we’ve all been reading how lame it is watching Luka. Imagine what he’s like behind the scenes, when you’re in the training room hoping he has a positive influence on your youngest players.

They flipped him. Competent organizations do that, instead of letting Rudy friggin Gay expire.

1951
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February 3, 2025 11:49 am
Reply to  Marty

Yes. Competent organizations are known to dump 25 yo perennial MVP candidates for an old oft-injured big man on the wrong side of 30 and a meh pick.

Totally. Just like Rudy Gay!

Last edited 14 days ago by 1951
Otis
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February 3, 2025 11:51 am
Reply to  Marty

They flipped him. Competent organizations do that, instead of letting Rudy friggin Gay expire.

It’s absolutely what competent organizations do with guys of Rudy Gay’s caliber. It’s absolutely not what competent organizations do with 25 year-old players who are among the top-5 talents in the NBA.

This comment feels like it was written by Dallas’ p/r team.

Marty
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February 3, 2025 11:57 am
Reply to  Otis

WILD, I KNOW

Everyone: “Watching Luka sucks. He’s such a drain.”

(Luka is traded)

Some: “OMFG WORST TRADE SINCE 1895!”

Last edited 14 days ago by Marty Marty
1951
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February 3, 2025 11:59 am
Reply to  Marty

Everyone: “Watching Luka sucks. He’s such a drain.”

You may want to check in with Mavs fans right now. You know, the people who watch him this most.

Marty
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February 3, 2025 12:04 pm
Reply to  1951

Wait a minute wait a minute, you’re saying FANS are upset someone was traded? That is hard to believe.

Otis
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February 3, 2025 12:08 pm
Reply to  Marty

Between this and your last post, I’m struggling to understand the point you’re making?

Otis
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February 3, 2025 12:05 pm
Reply to  Marty

Oh, watching him does suck at times. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s one of the best players in the league, only 25 years old, and Dallas’ GM purposefully limited his own market.

That trade was Divac-level idiocy.

Last edited 14 days ago by Otis
SMF-PDXConnection
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February 3, 2025 12:27 pm
Reply to  Otis

I can’t remember which writer said it, but it was one of the big commentators, that Luka could be bringing the ball up with a cigarette in his mouth and you still give him the max.

Is he out of shape, maybe drinking and smoking too much? Yeah.

Did he still drag a team to the Finals that missed the playoffs the previous year? Yeah.

Adamsite
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Nostradumbass 14
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February 3, 2025 1:35 pm

I think we all can agree Luka is an amazing player, like top 5 in the NBA. Folks give him a ton of credit for leading the Mavs to the Finals last year, but how come no one talks about the previous season where near the same team won just 38 games and only had Kyrie for 20 games?

Jman1949
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February 3, 2025 12:42 pm
Reply to  Otis

Mavs had a better deal…

Kirk Goldsberry: The Luka Dončić deal originally included multiple first-round picks, Dalton Knecht, and more, but was chiseled down after Rob Pelinka was able to convince Nico Harrison that taking on Luka Doncic was a big risk due to his weight and injury history. Goldsberry also says that Rob Pelinka was able to convince Nico Harrison not to shop Luka Dončić and convince him that the Lakers were the only real suitor that could give the Mavericks the best player to “win-now” so he shouldn’t bother to negotiate with other teams.

Last edited 14 days ago by Jman1949
Hippity_Hop_Barbershop
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February 3, 2025 2:00 pm
Reply to  Jman1949

Pelinka really putting those amateur hypnosis classes to good use.

comment image

Carl
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February 3, 2025 12:06 pm
Reply to  Marty

Everyone: “Watching Luka sucks. He’s such a drain.”

Two things can be true:

  1. Watching Luka sucks
  2. Luka led the Mavs to the NBA Finals less than a year ago.
Marty
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February 3, 2025 12:14 pm
Reply to  Carl

Just two? How about three?

  1. Watching Luka sucks
  2. Luka led the Mavs to the NBA Finals less than a year ago.
  3. Ownership is tired of dealing with him and don’t want to give him the Supermax.
1951
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February 3, 2025 12:20 pm
Reply to  Marty

It’s far more likely that the new ownership is motivated by playing the Fisher card than anything to do with legit basketball reasons.

The new ownership is in a dispute with Texas to build casinos. They want to use threatening to move the Mavs to Vegas as leverage.

That’s hard to do when you are going to finals, have massive support from the fanbase, and have one of the top players in the league at 25 yo. Just watch how many season ticket holders drop and how quickly the fanbase turns on this franchise.

BeTheBall
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February 3, 2025 1:52 pm
Reply to  1951

Would be interesting to see Adelson tank LeBron’s dream of owning a Vegas expansion team by moving the Mavs there.

Las Vegas Mavericks has a ring to it.

Hippity_Hop_Barbershop
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February 3, 2025 2:20 pm
Reply to  BeTheBall

Damn, that name does go hard when you say it out loud.

Adamsite
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Nostradumbass 14
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February 3, 2025 2:00 pm
Reply to  1951

Let them move to Vegas and muck it up with the Maloofs. Then grant Dallas and Seattle expansion teams.

rockbottom
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February 3, 2025 12:24 pm
Reply to  Marty

Lakers will give him as much as possible and watch him become an even bigger international superstar . Cuban would have nixed this trade .

MichaelMack
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February 3, 2025 4:12 pm
Reply to  Marty

I am with you Marty. The Mav’s know him better than anyone. I am betting he turns into very late career Magic Johnson sooner than later, and might be prime Boris Diaw by 30.

RPO
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February 3, 2025 4:15 pm
Reply to  MichaelMack

I hope you’re right!

RikSmits
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February 3, 2025 12:33 pm
Reply to  Marty

I stopped reading at entitled cheeseburger.

It somehow made me suspect that this is not a rational, emotionfree and reasoned take.

Hobby916
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February 3, 2025 11:42 am
Reply to  Marty

Well, it seems the Kings have multiple GMs. Between Monte and Wes (and Vivek, sigh), who makes what decisions? Damien Barling is adamant that Wes be fired immediately, which tells me he is somewhat undermining the process.

SPTSJUNKIE
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February 3, 2025 11:57 am
Reply to  Hobby916

Man I hope not, we already went through this with Brandon Williams and Vlade.

I mean, if Vivek has lost faith in Monte, that stinks and I disagree, but it’s his team, so fine pull the bandaid off and turn the team over to Wes or pick a new GM.

But keeping Monte as the GM while having another person on staff as the shadow GM undermining him and leading to some stupid NBA version of Game of Thrones scheming always seems to hurt organizations.

We need clear leadership and decision-making rights. Clear accountability.

Hobby916
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February 3, 2025 12:19 pm
Reply to  SPTSJUNKIE

Monte and Wes were both finalists for the Kings GM job. Monte got the job……..Wes was hired as his assistant. Ya think there might be some issues there?

discocricket
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February 3, 2025 12:51 pm
Reply to  Hobby916

The Kings have 1 GM. It’s Vivek. The fact that we acquired LaVine is just another illustration of this. According to James Ham, ownership has been pushing to acquire LaVine for years, and the Front Office has declined to previously.

BeTheBall
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February 3, 2025 1:48 pm
Reply to  Hobby916

Barling also seems to have zero control over his emotions, and is prone to lashing out at everything.

SMF-PDXConnection
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February 3, 2025 11:42 am
Reply to  Marty

I am not someone prone to hyperbole or absolutes, but from everything I’ve read since Saturday night, I cannot find a single aspect of the Doncic trade resembling competency at any step on Dallas’ part, unless one wants to assume the deeply cynical and conspiratorial take that Nico was following owners’ orders to save as much money as possible.

This trade might singlehandedly make the name Nico Harrison an eternal reference in sports.

bignerd
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February 3, 2025 12:25 pm

So bad leagues ought to take the secrecy power away from GMs. Every agreed trade needs to be publicly posted for 48 hours and paused, allowing for more bids/proposals.

rockbottom
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February 3, 2025 12:29 pm
Reply to  bignerd

I think the point is if making a deal of this magnitude it might be smart to find out if there is a better deal . Probably was and Mavs didn’t . Do not have to make it public .

Marty
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February 3, 2025 12:38 pm
Reply to  rockbottom

making a deal of this magnitude it might be smart to find out if there is a better deal .

It also might be smart to keep it quiet if you actually want a deal to be made.

I have no doubt DAL could have received better offers. Turns out they valued secrecy much more than any could have anticipated.

SMF-PDXConnection
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February 3, 2025 12:38 pm
Reply to  bignerd

I think taking secrecy away would do more harm than good, especially for the players and their families.

I don’t know that I have an answer for how things should be. I do feel that, regardless of what one thinks of what the Mavs did, there’s some conflict of interest just given that Nico and Rob Pelinka probably have the closest relationships of any two GMs in the league just by virtue of their previous working relationship where Rob was Kobe’s agent and Nico worked with them closely at Nike.

SPTSJUNKIE
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February 3, 2025 11:52 am
Reply to  Marty

Pelinka and the Lakers understood. Nothing could leak. Not a breath of it.

Hands down my favorite quote. Yeah, if another GM came to me and told me he wanted to trade me their 25 year old Top 3 MVP candidate who had just taken them to the NBA Finals while playing hurt for well below market value, I don’t think he’d have to convince me to keep my mouth shut.

rockbottom
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February 3, 2025 12:17 pm
Reply to  Marty

Total incompetence is now competent . Kings bizzaro world .

Hippity_Hop_Barbershop
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February 3, 2025 11:40 am

No Fox left to give! New era starts now.

UpgradedToQuestionable
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February 3, 2025 12:55 pm

I am starting to settle back down after the typhoon of the De’Aaron trade. I have such an overriding distrust of this front office and owner, from my decades of fandom, that my critical eye is easily drawn to expect suckitude.

The next part of the trade has to happen. Has to. Either the Kings get frontcourt help, with or without DDR, and if without DDR, a younger scorer that can also create or the pitchforks come out.

As for Zach Lavine – his game has evolved since we’ve seen him last. The young, hyperbouncy slasher/scorer has become a more efficient high volume 3 point threat. His game has slowed down, much like it did for De’Aaron Fox, but as jump shooter with reliable distance. The defense hasn’t much improved, but it has improved.

Zach Lavine isn’t going to look as good as he did against Sacramento – because the number of folks who have elevated their 3 point game against the Kings is too numerous to give credit – but he’s a had a very good season, his 46.4% 3FG% is 5th in the League and the four ahead of him (3PA: Kennard 166, Sabonis 108, Jokic 188, TPrince 181) aren’t close to his 305 3PA. (side note: John Collins is at 97 3PA and ahead of TPrince at 46.4% 3FG or just 13 less than Domas. With 3 more attempts, he moves Zach Lavine to 6th). Another aside: Cam Johnson has 267 3PA with 41.9 3FG%. Jerami Grant is 38.1% on 225 3PA. Bobby Portis is 36.4% on 143. Michael Porter, Jr. is 40.1% on 304 3PA.

It’s a 3 Point League, after all.

72 hours of waiting for the other shoe to drop (or give Monte the boot).

Adamsite
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Nostradumbass 14
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February 3, 2025 1:00 pm

I think more is coming. Kings are currently the only team in the league with two open roster spots and space and ability to bring on more contracts.

SPTSJUNKIE
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February 3, 2025 1:36 pm
Reply to  Adamsite

Curious who. If we do not send out someone like DeRozan or empty the cupboard of future assets, who can we get for a TPE?

Portis? WCJ? Olynyk? Naji Marshall? Okogie? Bey?

Some interesting depth names. Some lower potential and some who are still young and maybe, possibly we unearth a diamonds in the rough.

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February 3, 2025 1:58 pm
Reply to  SPTSJUNKIE

Portis would be such a solid get. Bucks would need to be desperate to get below the apron and he does fit into the Kings unused full MLE. Portis alone doesn’t get them below the apron, however, but including Pat Connaughton does. Another team with space to eat his deal is Utah…who happens to have John Collins. This is the one I’ve been kicking around

Portis to the Kings using the full MLE, with McDermott and Len headed to the Bucks

DDR, Connaughton, one of the newly acquired Kings first rounders (Spurs 2027?), the Hornets 2025 (it’s really going to be two second rounders) to Utah for John Collins and Brice Sensabaugh.

Bucks get below the apron, Utah gets DDR, a first and 2 seconds, Kings get Portis, Collins and Sensabaugh.

It’s a pipe dream, but it’s a way for the Kings to get Portis and Collins.

SPTSJUNKIE
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February 3, 2025 2:18 pm
Reply to  Adamsite

Yeah, that would be interesting. Portis and Collins would give us depth and help up front.

And wouldn’t really cry over losing that Spurs pick. But also, just question how much that really help us. How many wins do we get with:

Monk
LaVine
Murray
Collins
Sabonis

Ellis
Portis
Carter
Lyles
Sensabaugh

Obviously Carter is a bit of a wild card still. Hopefully he plays better as he gets his legs back under him. But that doesn’t strike me as being any better than the top 5-6 teams in the West.

And I realize there is no single move that will put us there. But this seems like a really fun team that would lose a lot of games 126-132.

Adamsite
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February 3, 2025 2:23 pm
Reply to  SPTSJUNKIE

Your guess is as good as mine, but on paper it would be more balanced, longer, better defensive, and better shooting team. The likelihood of it happening is extremely remote, but it does work contract wise.

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February 3, 2025 2:09 pm
Reply to  SPTSJUNKIE

Could see DDR going to the Lakers for Hachimura, Reaves, and some picks. Would make the Lakers even more of a Dream Team but I wouldn’t be as shocked as the Luka trade.

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February 3, 2025 2:12 pm
Reply to  Convoy

Lakers are desperate for a center. I bet they move those guys you mentioned for someone like Nurkic, Vucevic, or Jonas V.

SPTSJUNKIE
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February 3, 2025 2:19 pm
Reply to  Adamsite

Agree. DDR would be more of a luxury and they don’t have that many picks to ship different places.

But with LeBron and Doncic, they need more 3-D type floorspreaders and a bit to replace some of AD’s defense.

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February 3, 2025 2:24 pm
Reply to  SPTSJUNKIE

The Warriors are supposedly aggressively working the phones to add a “star” player for one last go of it with Curry. DDR has been mentioned.

SPTSJUNKIE
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February 3, 2025 2:36 pm
Reply to  Adamsite

Wonder about something like: GP2 (expiring), Looney (expiring), Moody, and a protected 1st for DDR & Len?

Unlike shipping DDR to Brooklyn, he probably approves of this trade and doesn’t potentially hurt our standing with future FAs.

My fear is we swap DDR for Wiggins. The unholy trinity of Vlade targets I always thought were overrated and overpaid were Barnes, LaVine and Wiggins. So two down and one to go. Fulfill our KANGZ destiny!

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February 3, 2025 2:39 pm
Reply to  SPTSJUNKIE

Don’t freak out, but DDR for Draymond works. As horrible as it sounds, a guy like Draymond slotted in between Sabonis and Keegan could work.

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February 3, 2025 2:41 pm
Reply to  Adamsite

Jinx!

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February 3, 2025 3:00 pm
Reply to  Adamsite

I could squint and see it. At a minimum with Dray’s and Sabonis’ passing, can you imagine some of the sets and actions you could draw up?

BigDrewbot
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February 3, 2025 4:59 pm
Reply to  Adamsite

if the kings trade for draymond, i’m out…that’s a bridge too far. not excited about the Fox trade but you’ve got me hopeful that at least something interesting can get salvaged. But if Draymond is a part of it, i’m done with the team (i still have my tisdale jersey somewhere so it’s taken a lot to finally drive me away!)

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February 3, 2025 2:40 pm
Reply to  SPTSJUNKIE

I would much prefer Wiggins – he is a very good defender – and a capable scorer. He’s a bit undersized – the best fit for Sacramento is ironically, Draymond Green – but that does not include Dray’s personality which no team, including the Warriors, wants any part of.

If the Kings offload DDR, they still need another shot creator other than Zach LaVine. Wiggins can, to some degree, create his shot, or at least can create his shot better than anyone else on this roster (other than LaVine).

And can you add Jerami Grant to your Wiggins, LaVine, Barnes grouping of overhyped contracts?

That said, I wouldn’t mind Jerami Grant on the Kings. But you have to likely trade DDR.

Last edited 14 days ago by UpgradedToQuestionable
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February 3, 2025 3:02 pm

If the Kings land LaVine and Wiggins in the same week, I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to get out of bed for a week. I’d just lay there with The Sound of Silence on repeat.

He’s just not good and will make $28M and $30M the next two years as he enters his 30s.

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February 3, 2025 3:44 pm
Reply to  SPTSJUNKIE

IF you had to pick: (and of course, you cannot)
Jerami Grant* (owed $29.1M this season, and has $102M/3 yr additional)
OR
Andrew Wiggins ($26.3M this season, $58M/2 yrs additional)
OR
Khris Middleton ($31.3M this season, $34M next season)
OR
Draymond Green* ($24M this season, $53M 2 yrs additional)
OR
John Collins ($26.6M this season, $26.6M next season)
OR
Tobias Harris ($25.4M this season, 26.6 next season)

I got these names from “Worst Value Contracts in the NBA” (Zach LaVine was, of course, included on this list)

*Grant and Green are both repped by Klutch

Convoy
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February 3, 2025 2:07 pm
Reply to  Adamsite

Hope you are right. My gut says 50/50. Have spent a lot of time thinking the team is done making moves – like at the start of this season with the incomplete roster – only to be disappointed later.

Last edited 14 days ago by Convoy
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February 3, 2025 2:24 pm
Reply to  Convoy

Wouldn’t it be nice to have your expectations met or even exceeded – for a change?

It isn’t the Kings way, but though they can sour what I expect, they cannot ever remove what I hope for.

Hippity_Hop_Barbershop
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February 3, 2025 2:06 pm

Agreed. There is still work to be done. A guard for a guard and some picks isn’t win now…if that is really what Vivek is supposedly after.

SMF-PDXConnection
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February 3, 2025 11:42 am

Quibbling, but is it that short of a bench without Huerter with how negative his play has been?

Hobby916
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February 3, 2025 11:43 am

It looks like Randle will be out tonight. That’s good for the Kings. They won’t need to deploy Jae Crowder in this game.

Saboner
February 3, 2025 11:44 am

Big fat L incoming

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February 3, 2025 11:47 am

Will the players of the Sacramento Kings gather themselves and exert effort and energy to muzzle the TWolves?
comment image
Keon should be shifted to the starting line up and the bench will have to rely on Trey Lyles, Alex Len and rookies Isaac Jones and Devin Carter to step up. Jae Crowder and Doug McDermott – can they make an impact (by that, I mean, can they not be a negative)?

I am expecting – and I should know better, but still… that Sacramento will be adding to the frontcourt at the least, before Thursday’s deadline.

Light That Beam! Go Kings!

Last edited 14 days ago by UpgradedToQuestionable
Hobby916
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February 3, 2025 11:54 am

I really hope this team comes out with renewed vigor since the trade drama is done. Make a statement and go stomp the Wolves (no animals were harmed in this comment. Please donate to your local SPCA).

Jman1949
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February 3, 2025 12:54 pm

Keon should be shifted to the starting line up…

MB would have slotted McBuckets or Colby to start. Let’s see what DC does.

Jman1949
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February 3, 2025 12:15 pm

As we all bid De’Aaron farewell,
Zach LaVine is still a hard sell.
We play Minny tonight,
But foremost in our sight
Is we’re all stuck in basketball hell!

Jman1949
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February 3, 2025 12:17 pm
Reply to  Jman1949

+1 Is that all there is?
comment image&ct=g

RPO
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RPO
February 3, 2025 12:44 pm

Wow I’m not even sure I can handle a basketball game right now.

Adamsite
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Nostradumbass 14
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February 3, 2025 12:54 pm

So it’s now official?

Torrey Craig and Chris Duarte were waived to complete the trade. Deal is now officialSources told @spotrac.com that Chicago was not willing to surrender future assets (draft picks) just to get off two contracts. They preferred to eat the deals in the end.

KeithSmithNBA (@keithsmithnba.bsky.social) 2025-02-03T20:48:10.927Z

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February 3, 2025 1:00 pm
Reply to  Adamsite

There’s that PF and Wing that the Kings could add to go Full Bull!

ThisHotFireKevin
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February 3, 2025 12:56 pm

i fully expect no more significant moves from this front office.
and for that im forever pissed.

in fact ILL EAT MY SHOE if they do..

RikSmits
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February 3, 2025 1:13 pm

I heard that one before.
Still waiting for the other shoe to drop … in your toilet bowl.

SPTSJUNKIE
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February 3, 2025 3:22 pm
Reply to  RikSmits

THIS. I really hope there is another move. But how many times through the years have we rallied around the proverbial next shoe.

Webber -> Tradeable parts
IT -> A TPE that Pete must have a plan for given how cheap IT went for
Vlade trading unprotected picks to Philly for salary cap space

Oh yeah, always some master Machiavellian plan that has always amounted to nothing. Monte doesn’t realized how many times this fanbase has been burned trying to convince ourselves that at any minute our overwhelmed GM is about to pull a Kaiser Soze and start walking confidently with a sly smile as he reveals his 12D chess moves.

bignerd
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February 3, 2025 3:27 pm
Reply to  SPTSJUNKIE

Been my opinion on the trade exceptions. When have the Kings ever used one of these trade exceptions?

They did net 5 Cash Considerations which will pay for two new head coaches over the next calendar year.

Adamsite
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February 3, 2025 3:29 pm
Reply to  SPTSJUNKIE

I will say this, if the Kings do nothing else and simply do some minor thing like convert Isaac Jones to a regular deal or sign some 10-day contracts, all while maintaining the 5th lowest payroll in the league, then I’m 100% positive that Vivek is just a cheap ass owner who will never spend to compete in this league. Fuck the nice arena and their $6.50 bottles of water.

SexyNapear
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February 3, 2025 1:02 pm

If I’m Kings, I fail the Lavine physical, citing his knees. Then I’m going back to San Antonio and saying the deal is dead unless we get a sweetener – that unprotected Atlanta pick should do. Spurs will be so all-in they’d have to comply.

ThisHotFireKevin
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February 3, 2025 1:05 pm
Reply to  SexyNapear

5-D Chess.

Viveks specialty

RikSmits
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February 3, 2025 1:31 pm

Someone on X coined the Zach LaBeam nickname.

Hobby916
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February 3, 2025 1:40 pm
Reply to  RikSmits

You know he will be the one to LTB on the next home win.

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February 3, 2025 1:58 pm
Reply to  Hobby916

I am a fan of RobHessing’s Zachramento as well

Last edited 14 days ago by UpgradedToQuestionable
Hippity_Hop_Barbershop
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February 3, 2025 2:04 pm

I heard the city officially adopted Zach LaFarmtofork

SPTSJUNKIE
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February 3, 2025 2:20 pm
Reply to  RikSmits

Aykis said Welcome to Zachramento and now I think that should be our official welcome and the next TKH t-shirt.

bignerd
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February 3, 2025 3:25 pm
Reply to  RikSmits

Long Live Zach LaKing

FarmerGuy
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February 3, 2025 1:36 pm

Not game related but does anyone think we’re not done with the trade deadline? I know Huerter wasn’t good this year but it feels like our bench is more empty than it was before.

Hobby916
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February 3, 2025 1:39 pm
Reply to  FarmerGuy

Huerter was bad and shouldn’t have been playing. This either means more McBuckets or Devin Carter.

They still need to add before the deadline if they want a chance at competing for the playoffs.

FarmerGuy
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February 3, 2025 1:50 pm
Reply to  Hobby916

And forgot no more Mclaughlin. Hopefully some of those new 2nd picks can come in handy. This likely isn’t a playoff team if they don’t make further bench improvements.

BeTheBall
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February 3, 2025 1:56 pm
Reply to  FarmerGuy

Yep. As it stands today, the only thing that changes about the team is the name on two jerseys. Their finishing position potential is still the same as it was last week.

RPO
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February 3, 2025 2:07 pm
Reply to  BeTheBall

I think their finishing potential is worse than last week. Not because of losing Fox, but because I think the players have been dazed into a stupor by all the weirdity of the past several days. I expect the players are mentally logging off.

Hobby916
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February 3, 2025 2:17 pm
Reply to  FarmerGuy

McLaughlin was a zero, break in case of emergency, garbage time player. They need another rotation guy, badly.

ForKingsandCountry
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February 3, 2025 2:48 pm

Not that I expected this organization to do anything competent but I have almost zero desire to watch this team play basketball at this point. The owner is horrible, the players are mediocre, the front office is either bad or hamstrung to the point their ineffectual. There’s not much hope for the future other than the Kings being in the bottom 12 and miraculously winning the lottery. So yeah, who cares. Win the games, lose the games, so what. As Rob likes to say, nice arena though.

RPO
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February 3, 2025 2:52 pm

The arena is nice because Vivek let Chris Grainger deal with building it without meddling. If I recall even Grainger ultimately left in disgust when Vivek started interacting with him.

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