Sacramento Kings General Manager Monte McNair spoke to media Monday and was peppered with questions about Malik Monk’s free agency this summer. While he refrained from getting into negotiation specifics between the team and Monk, he noted the mutual affection that exists between both sides.
“Number 1 thing you want is that you want that player to be here, and Malik wants to be here. Number 2 is we want him, and we love Malik. And we know he fits. He fits what we’re doing,” he said. “I won’t get into any of those specifics but credit to Malik, he gets to make a free agent decision, I think we’ll put our best foot forward. He loves it here; we love him and so hopefully we’ll be able to do that when the time comes.”
McNair expanded on what Monk has meant to the team over the last two seasons.
“We love Malik, he’s obviously been a huge part of what we have done the last couple of years,” he said. “And not just what he does on the floor, but off the floor, his attitude and mentality, and his swag and everything that Malik brings. We’ll have those conversations when the time comes, but what he has done for us has been a huge part of our resurgence the last two years.”
Turning his attention to the other aspects of how this season played out and the offseason, McNair made it clear he is not content with the single win over the Golden State Warriors in the Play-In tournament, and appreciates the pressure and the new standard for the franchise.
“I love that 46 wins and beating Golden State in the Play-In is not good enough anymore,” he said.
From a high level, he spoke on some of the tools the Kings will have this offseason to better the team. This includes the 13th pick in the NBA Draft.
“We have the 13th pick in the Draft and probably 45 in the second. I think we have a lot of flexibility with our tools. You can trade into the MLE [mid-level exception] and BAE [bi-annual exception] now so that’s another thing you can do. And then we’ll have to look at potential trade opportunities,” he said.
He spoke on several other topics, including wanting more internal development, how the West got tougher this season and the team’s defense this season.
The Kings finished the season ranked 13th in offensive rating, 14th in defensive rating and 16th in net rating. Last season the team finished 1st in offensive rating, 24th in defensive rating and 8th in Net Rating.
Watch the full interview below.
Can someone explain this one? Is there a new rule that allows you to absorb a trade into the MLE and BLE? Does that mean you could theoretically take on salary without giving any in return? If so, it could be a game changer for small markets who have trouble luring free agents.
My understanding is that you can now use these tools to either sign free agents or via trade acquisition. You may not exceed the MLE or BAE, and I don’t think that you can merge assets (so you can’t trade the MLE and a player for a player whose contract exceeds the MLE), but I’m not 100% sure about that.
This could be a tool for a team looking to shed salary. For example, would Portland consider moving Thybulle for the MLE? You would probably have to make a subsequent trade sending Portland some future 2nds for a nickel, but that might be an avenue for the Kings to explore.
So it’s a trade INTO the MLE not for it. Basically it can now be used as a trade exception.
I agree, a team over the cap or in the tax can now to dump unwanted contracts into other team’s MLE or BAE, instead of other team’s unused cap space.
This is a new wrinkle. I’d imagine it would also make unused cap space less valuable in trades now that there is a new tool to eat contracts.
Now the real question just ins’t who the Kings can target in free agency with the MLE, but who could they trade for that fits into the MLE.
It does open up more options for the Kings. Projected to be around $13M, which can be a nice haul via trade, and not hope that a player chooses to come to Sacramento. That’s been an issue for some of these players, coming to a smaller market or location in free agency.
Adding..to Rob’s point, Thybulle could be an excellent use of the full MLE, especially not know who would be willing to come to Sac in free agency The only issue would be every other team in the league with an MLE may have similar ideas.
It is not an expansive list of players that might be available via this route, though I’m sure that I have missed a few:
Grant Williams (3/$41m) – Charlotte does not have to move him for cap space unless they have something big brewing.
Aaron Nesmith (3/$33m) – The Pacers have no reason to move him unless they re-sign Siakam and match on Toppin, in which case they could begin to creep closer to the tax line. A longshot to be available.
Jarred Vanderbilt (4/$48m) – It’s the L*kers, so who knows? He sure gives you defensive length at the four, but not much offensive spacing.
Brandon Clarke (3/$38m) – The Griz are near the tax line. Clarke missed almost the entire season. Another guy that helps you defensively, but offensive fit is a bit of a question.
Bobby Portis (2/$26m). Yes please!!! I’m sure that he would not be available for nothing more than cap relief, but the Bucks may be in flux.
Matisse Thybulle (2/$23m). Checks a lot of boxes. Would probably need a sidebar deal to appease the Blazers.
That’s a good list. Of those:
I’m hesitant on Vando. Yes, he can defend, but that is about all he does. If Kessler Edwards got the minutes Vando got, I’m honestly not sure what kind of talent gap there is between the two.
Clarke is worth a look at, but like you said, he doesn’t bring the 3 to 3 and D. He is a solid weak side defender that could pair nicely with Sabonis. He’s kind of a throw back PF.
I’m definitely a yes on either of Thybulle (you know this) and Portis. They both fill be holes on the current roster.
I’m a hard no on Grant Williams. I’ve read to may bad things on his personality clashing with teammates. I love the current Kings squad for their personalities and don’t want to ruin that.
Nesmith is a very intriguing idea. They guy plays both ways and can shoot the 3. I think he is what Monte thought Duarte could be. He’s also young and could get buried on a deep wing squad in Indy.
I still believe that Indy is a team to keep an eye on this summer. They are going to have to back up the truck for Pascal and already have for Hali. A lot of their guys are going to get the short end of the stick. Dudes like Nesmith, Toppin, Smith are going to be left out. I’d also keep close tabs on Jarace Walker. Maybe he can be poached as well.
I think Domas said in his recent interview that for the way he plays, there should be shooters at every position around him.
Absolutely. That was the risk in trading for Domas. Gave up shooting.
Sirround w Shooters and run an O like GS or Denver. Sets etc. not this stupid haphazard spray 3 shit.
come on Coach Brown. Figure it out.
“Beginning in the 2024 offseason, teams will be able to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the room exception – but not the taxpayer MLE – to acquire a player via trade.”
https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/11/mid-level-bi-annual-projections-for-2024-25.html
Make it happen Monte
In terms of actually improving this next year, we keep Fox, Sabonis and Murray who start, and keep Monk of course he’s invaluable in my opinion. Huerter is a good bench shooter, but that’s what he is. This team could bounce literally everyone else and it wouldn’t matter. They have a severe lack of rebounding outside of Sabonis, a lack of interior toughness and physicality and a massive lack of assists and playmaking. Some of this may have to do with Brown but I’ve been watching NBA basketball for 40 years, they need a small reset. First and foremost, a star Power Forward. There are no power forwards on the roster. Second, a Small Forward who can rebound and take it to the paint. Murray will dance around the permitter until he retires. Monk does more rebounding, passing and scoring than all the forwards.
Actually, Keegan ave 5.5 rebounds, Monk 2.9 and OG Annouby 4.4 . Facts don’t often match eye test or bias .
Murray “dancing aroung the perimeter” is not inevitable if you watched the career arc of Fox, who went from a scrawny teen to a guy who would check the likes of Paul George and other wings without ceding an inch.
I mention Fox because he is a pseudo-mentor, last offseason, and I would guess this summer too, I hope Keon joins in on their training.
It is a mindset too, not just spending time in the weight room. Keegan has to start dishing more punishment than he receives, particularly with respect to the elimination game for us, in which he could not handle the physicality of the opponent.
Keegan got stronger from year one to two. He needs to make a comparable leap in year three, like Fox. No reason to expect otherwise, coinciding with 18-20 PPG. If this does not happen I would be surprised. Keegan is a gym rat and basketball junkie, not a party animal, that is all that matters in this context.
this is the critical off season for Keegan. He progressed from talented, soft limited rookie to a far better defender and more versatile offensive player but he has to take the next step to DAWG. Too many times he could not/would not finish at the rim. This is it- no more leeway.
Resign Monk for the 2 year deal. Kepp Fox, DS and Keegan- all the rest go or could go. Except Keon
Last year, Monte went all conservative, this year he has to be aggressive. Kings do need a real PF, could use defenders and there are a few who might be available- O’Neil, DFS, etc. Edwards was supposed to be that but not there yet if ever. Get some nasty- Hartenstein.
C. Jones might emerge. MIGHT.
Ironically I think the Kings need offense- both a guy who can get a shot/create and guys who can just shoot. I know it is fashionable to say the D was the problem but too often it was offense that was the problem. When KH and Monk went down, there was no spacing and no shooting.
Draft- bad draft but there may be serviceable players at 13- Not stars.
I like Furphy- a Duncan Robinson clone. Filopowski (sp) might be a better pro than Duke guy. Zach Collins -lite?
The Euro- Saluun has size. But is young, like 12 years old (joke)
I would love Markenon but that takes a miracle.
Thybulle? yikes
J. Grant???just nt sure
The price for OG and for Siakem was way too high. Let’s see if Pascal signs with Pacers.
I was not onboard with the idea in the past, but Jeremi Grant + Thybulle seems more appealing now. Salary matching means prob Huerter and Barnes, 13th pick after selection. May have to include Davion. But then we finally have a real starting 4. Not first choice and before this offseason was opposed, but I feel we need to start taking some risks that may or may not pay off. Only 2 more years of Fox contract at this stage. Can’t wait forever or run it back again.
Barnes, Lyles, the 13 & 2nds as needed for Grant & Kris Murray.
Hard pass. Give us Thybulle, and replace Lyles with Sasha and I will consider it.
And Kris Murray is a bricklayer who only made it to the NBA on his twins rep.
Counterpoint: He provides an extra six fouls for Keegan.
Kris never sets foot on the court, and averages a 12/5.
It is so great we have the 13th pick to dangle before POR and other rebuilding teams.
You know they want it!
It is only a 9M salary obligation for two years before the team options kick in.
It is a cheap resource in a weak draft, versus a Top 5 pick, to find a diamond in the rough.
Agree. It’s probably an asset best used in trade than selection with those rebuilding teams for veteran who fills a Kings need.
Or an older draftee that is more ready and can contribute next season. The salary of the roster is rising, and Keegan is due for an extension soon too. Vivek hasn’t been the biggest spender, so I could see money factoring in to that situation.
Noted, but I doubt we find a starting 4 with 13th pick. Not that we couldn’t make some line up changes to start Lyles, bring Barnes off bench and have a contributor, but switching deck chairs probably means we win 44-48 games next year assuming we get Monk back which I don’t know if happens if Orlando throws the bank at him since their guard play is lack luster (last night’s game withstanding).
Probably not a starter, agreed. If Barnes and other contracts/players were sent to Utah for John Collins (as an example), then the 13th pick could be used to find a rotational guy that can develop.
The nice thing is that this team needs a few pieces, so the options/directions for improvement are endless!!!
John Collins stock was low enough that he was on the trading block for two seasons before the Jazz acquired him and his $125M contract (goes through 2025-26 with player option) for Rudy Gay and a 2nd rounder. And in Utah – they really didn’t play him much.
In one interview, Danny Ainge felt his biggest regret of the 2023 off season was taking a flier on Collins.
$53M of John Collins doesn’t seem like the best idea to me, but I am no GM.
there are some older guys but they may have peaked- McCuellar, and a couple of small guards.
Thybulle is a non-shooter and would not fit with Sabonis. Grant is not bad. I’d consider trading for him. first see who is available at 13.
Non shooter? He has a better EFG% than Malik Mon, and has just .01% less TS%. True his 3PT percentage is 33.8% to Monk’s 35.5%, but it’s better than Fox’s 33.4%. Put Thybulle on a team with en effective passer like Sabonis and I’d bet his numbers improve.
To say he’s a non-shooter is really disingenuous when you look at Fox and Monk’s numbers.
wow. please don’t mention Thybulle in the same sentence as Monk.
I just gave you their career shooting numbers, but please do tell.
Put it this way, if put in the right situation Thybulle could be a Bruce Bowan type player. He doesn’t need to do much beyond spot up threes, especially from the corner, and provide an offense just enough to make his all-nba defense worth it’s weight in gold.
I anticipated this comment and answered it one hour before. scroll down a bit. don’t get me wrong, Thybulle is a great defender, but he’s an easy cover on offense. it doesn’t make sense comparing him to Monk. I’ll discuss Thybulle however.
take Domas’ recent comment about having shooters around him at every position. what does that mean? a “shooter”. threes and midrange, off the catch, off the dribble, off movement, deep range, closely guarded, quick release, etc., and the ability to make defenders pay for overplaying with cuts, fakes, crossovers, etc. and of course, percentages. if they are all unguarded set shots, that should be 40% or more. All the percentages of Kings’ shooters are reduced by the degree of difficulty of their shots. and what about having flexibility to run different plays? building around Domas, it does not make sense.
If you are proposing replacing Kessler with Thybulle, that’s worth considering. Wouldn’t give up much to do it. and there might be better ways to spend that 23 million which he is owed over the next two years, especially considering the emergence of Keon.
Again, I’ll go to the numbers, because they don’t lie and often tell a different story than the eye test.
Thybulle shot a whopping 73% of his shots from 3, of which he made 34% this past season, and 38% the year before, good for a 36% average the last two seasons
Monk shot 47% of his shot from 3 of which he made 35% this season and 36% last season, good for a 35.5% average
Thybulle took 27% of his shot from 2 at 53.5%, compared to Monk at who shot 53% of his shot from 2 at 49% accuracy.
An astounding 90% of Thubulle’s shots came at either the rim or from 3, while Monk was at 64% at the rim or from 3.
The difference comes to usage. Monk was at a career high 26%, good for 2nd on the team, while Thybulle was 10.6% usage which was…wait for it…20th on his team!
The numbers show Thybulle is more efficient than Monk and if given the opportunity, with an increase in usage, could be more impactful as well.
no thanks.
Thybulle may have numbers but where and when do his shots come from?
I take “shooter” to mean a threat to score.
38% came from the corner of which he shot 38%, the previous year he was 47% of his threes from the corner of which he made 42%. This is where I get the Bruce Bowen analogy.
Grant played in only fifty-four games this season. Does anyone know if that’s largely accountable to injury, or did Portland shut him down for the tank? Four years remaining (the last a player option) could end up being a steal as he’s generally pretty productive when he plays.
And maybe it’s just me, but a guy who bangs threes at a .402 clip ought to average more than five attempts per game. We know he can defend a range of positions, and might step up on a team that has shown marked improvement on that end.
Thybulle wouldn’t make me mad, either. He just turned twenty-seven, is a tornado of fists and teeth on defense, and I was surprised to find out that he averaged around 39% on corner threes over the past couple of seasons. He’s not going to shoot you out of the game, and will add additional possessions via his defense.
I believe Thybulle would thrive off of Sabonis.
it’s not difficult defending Thybulle. not a movement shooter. not much of dribble drive game. midrange? pull-ups? pick n roll? post up? creative passer? playmaking? I mean, if he’s open at the three point line, fine, close out on him, but what else?
OT: can we take a moment to enjoy the Lakers being down 3-0?
Tiktok lately is really pulling its weight with reaction shots of Lakers fans.
Yes we can.
I especially like that they still have hope by halftime and then get slowly but surely demolished in the second halves of games.
That makes them very similar to our own Sacramento Kings.
But without the 2 future Hall of Famers, the almost 3x free throw advantage and all the damn whining every shot missed and every loss, and the preening over shot made. Oh, and having the players and fan base crap on their Head Coach every damn chance they can.
It has immensely enjoyable to watch the Lakers have their souls slowly crushed every single game. Hilarious to watch. Also, Denver is so good I’m not even sure they’re trying all that hard.
Why just a moment?
The Kings need to hire the best players that the refs like… Can the Kings afford that? Ironic?
DaRon Holmes, Tyler Smith and DaSilva are all guys that could help Kings at the 4 and match roster construction
maybe even trade down
Drafting for need is foolhardy, though DaSilva is not bad
I think when you are at 13-20 if a player matches team and personnel and there isn’t much separation between what you think is BPA then you go with fit for team because they will also likely develop better in an environment that fits their game…
Kings gotta draft line Miami (others). They always add a piece -Like Jaquez. Jovic etc.
There is talent to be had that fits. Just gotta be smart enough GM to get
Sorry but you need a wake up call. Miami has one of the biggest and best scouting depts in the NBA. They also have Riles.who’s a master talent evaluator. Monte is an amateur who has a long long long way to go to even be mentioned in the same breath . And never will. Riles has won over 9’ringe as a coach, player and GM.
Wake up call? All I said is Sac needs to find a player in draft like Miami or other good teams do.
And I didn’t mention Monte or imply he’s comparable to Riles/Miami
Not allowed here.
Who is Riles?
Exactly Jaquez would be the type of player we could use in this draft…
I’m impressed with Da Silva and think he’d fit well with how the Kings play. He looks more like a 2 or 3 than a 4, which is good. he might be the BPA. If the Kings trade down, he will not be available.
Holmes is another intriguing player. Trying to gauge his speed, he reminds me of Kyle Anderson. a bit longer. efficient on offense. nba player I think.
It’s funny I thought he felt slow too, but they say he’s athletic…
Holmes is athletic in many ways. contests outside shots well. etc.
here’s another name that has not been mentioned yet on this site. Kyshawn George. 6-8 shooter from deep range. bombs threes like Tyrese Haliburton. athlete with guard skills.
a notch below other prospects like Da Silva and Salaun but shows that there is underrated depth in this draft.
I like Holmes’ ability to protect the rim, and the fact that he’s improved or added skills to his game year over year. He can score, but in a situation where he doesn’t have to get twenty each night? Sooner than later he could be a double/double machine.
I know less about the other guys, but what I know of DaSilva is interesting.
Furphy and Filopowski –any takers on them? If they go top 11 or 12, then someone drops.
I honestly thought that you were having a stroke for a minute, but those are actual names.
DaSiva yes- and will be there at 13. Holmes- not sure. Smith maybe but I like Furphy and Filpowski and maybe the French Saluun.
Bad draft- top 11 pretty set so Kings get pick of the third tier.
I’m higher on Da Silva and Salaun than the others you mentioned. Filipowski is intriguing and I want to see a Naz Reid type of player there but his outside shot is mostly flashes at this point and if it does not significantly improve, he could be like Metu without the speed and shotblocking.
The kind words conveyed by the GM was a professional courtesy. It is NO lie. We do love him but when you love something, set it free.
RE: second place finish for 6MOY, karma is a bee. You don’t chase awards. Awards and accolades come to you when you engage in process not outcome.
Why was winning the award so important to Malik? Desperate for external validation?
It is a foolish mentality to say “it means everything” when you are soliciting the favorable opinion of someone who may or may not be discerning in their vote. You are investing emotional energy in someone who may be bias, dumb or apathetic.
Reid and Monk had identical PERs (16.0). Reid was 5% points better from deep, Reid is the better defender, so this complete injustice that it is being portrayed as is inaccurate.
Malik should want to bring his talents to the East, where the competition sucks compared to the West, signing with PHI or ORL. It will be easier for him to make the playoffs there. And because Monk is a fearless competitor, capable of playing his best during the most intense moments of competition, and the playoffs are inevitably where players make the name for themselves, this should be his priority.
Malik needs to get his self to the Eastern conference, for his sake and ours.
MALIK IS GONE. Remember where you heard it first. Next!
We need to replace Maliks playmaking. Tyus Jones is a UFA. I would rather have him than Malik, though two smallish backup guards with Davion is not great, though I think that pairing could work and be a nightmare for opponents to defend.
(Tyus / Malik )
PER (16.5 / 16.0)
Threes (41.4 % / 35%)
Assist % ( 34.6 / 28.9 )
AST / TO (7.3 / 2.5)
In terms of prioritzing our off-season, publicly we may state it is bringing back Malik.
Privately, it should be signing Tyus Jones!
Tyus is incredible running an offense. This is what we need with Fox off the ball prowess.
In what perverse an alternate reality would you choose Malik over Jones as a backup playmaker? The guy would be perfect for our second unit and give a boost to our team three point shooting.
Jones is coming off his best statistical season. Is it anomaly, maybe but he’s just about to turn 28 on May 10. He can likely play this way for 3-4 more years, the probable length of contract offer.
If we don’t move the pick, we should draft Dalton Knecht with the #13. BALLER.
I wish he was 6’8″ instead of 6’6″ but he plays big, like Tyler Herro with a better shot.
Dalton is everything Huerter wishes he was. And isn’t. Dalton has as much or more natural scoring ability as Keegan. Dalton fits Keegans timeline at age 23.
Dalton is rated #11 on the Sam Vecinie Big Board. Lottery Teams do not usually want players of this age. I do not think that is a deterrrent for us. in fact it is a positive.
Think on this. Dalton has games of 57, 53, 56, 46 and 46. Curry at Davidson did not produce this much! In a weak draft, and even at his age, I suspect Dalton will go Top 12. If not our GM knows what to do.
The Doomers had the wrong impression that we were hamstrung with our pick, unable to move it. I am pretty sure other commenters around here thought we were obligated to use our pick if it did not convey.
We do not have to use the pick.
We can wheel and deal!
McGenius strikes again!
Use #13 add 2 more firsts and 2 seconds for Mikal Briges and Day Ron Sharpe. Pick up Jalen Smith in free agency. Trade Duarte and Edwards and 2 seconds for Anthony Black. Line ups. Starters: Fox, Bridges, Murray, Smith and Sabonis. Backups: Black, Ellis, Barnes, Lyles and Sharpe. Black is only 20 and IMO will be a tremendous value for the Kings as he develops year to year. At 6’7″ could also play SG. Sharpe is one of the better bachup centers in the league and is only 24.
PS. I forgot to add Huerter, Mitchell and Jones in the trade for Bridges.
You are an original independent thinker. I like it.
Trader Jack. Your trade are great but not for the trade partner- that’s the problem. The partner has to agree.
no thanks.
If you’re Orlando, why would you trade the #6 pick of the 2023 draft for Chris Duarte, Kessler Edwards and two second rounders (mid to late 2nd round)?
You don’t. Orlando would only move Black for a legit starter. They need shooting so I could squint and see Huerter and a future first for Black.
So Monk is gone?
Tyus Jones would be a very solid get, but I think he’s gonna be too expensive. He’s a borderline starter who is looking to get paid, much like Monk. The Kings only have their MLE to lure free agents, and Jones is going to want more than that. I’d imagine he may also want to continue to start. He’s a Beno Udrich type PG. He’s not flashy, but can run the offense without many mistakes and can keep the defense honest.
I also like Knecht, but I think he goes top 10 and I don’t feel this is a draft to trade up in. If he’s still there at #13, he’s definitely worthy of consideration.
Tyus is a solid PG. For the Kings, he’s not the starter as you move Fox to SG making one of the Achille’s heels of this team – height – even more of an issue. The Kings are better with a standard sized (6′ 3″ Keon Ellis who is long and bouncy making up for his 75″ stature) or big SG (6’7″ Kevin Huerter) to team with the 6’3″ De’Aaron.
For reference: Jamal Murray is 6’4″ and KCP is 6’5″.
To stretch this point further: If you don’t start Tyus Jones – you can team him with 6’0″ Davion Mitchell.
I think the Kings can find a better match for their roster than Tyus Jones (who is very talented).
What are you saying? Tyus replaces Malik in my scenario.
Now if Tyus Jones is looking or insists to be a starter, than “thanks but no thanks”
The same goes for Malik. You want to be a starter? “No thanks”.
I am fairly certain after finishing 2nd place in 6MOY Malik is going to want to sign with a team where he has the opportunity or even the guarantee to start. That is NOT with us.
Even before losing to 6MOY award to Naz Reid, I did not think Malik would be returning to SAC. Losing the award makes it even less likely.
No he wouldn’t.
No to Tyus Jones. Not a good fit with this team. Tyus is too small, can’t defend, can’t rebound and can’t attack down hill.
As far as re-signing Malik Monk, I’m ok either way. He is perfect as a 6th man. He has defined strengths and weaknesses. Though there are some salary cap balance between how much the Kings can offer Monk and how much of the MLE they can use.
I’d like to get some athletic finishers on this team so they don’t have to over-reliant on the 3pt.
I like this idea.
Keeping monk and trading Huerter are the two moves Monty should be focused on. If a starting PF like Kuzma comes over in a trade for Huerter then you NAILED IT!
Move Monk into the starting line up and move Barnes into the 6th man role. Stagger Keon in for Fox and Monk and find your 4th guard in case of emergency (maybe that’s Colby Jones).
Even if thats your only two moves all off season, it’s two moves that make this team better. Running plays for Barnes coming off the bench would be spectacular. He is better when he has his number called as opposed to constantly deffering to Fox, Monk, Ox and Spock. It’s the change of pace and that would prove to be very effective in my opinion. Opposing Bench players cant stop Barnes down low.
Starters:
Fox
Monk
Spock
Kuzma
Ox
Benchmob:
Keon
?
Barnes
Sasha
Lyles
Sometimes guys:
Javale
Colby Jones
Huerter, Mitchell, Jones, 3 firsts, 2 seconds for Mikal Bridges and Day Ron Sharpe. Use MLE for Jalen Smith. Starters: Fox, Bridgers, Murray, Smith and Sabonis. Backups: Ellis, Monk, Barnes, Lyles and Sharpe. If not Monk Jones after this summer might be ready or Duarte. Another thought maybe we could use other assets to get Jalen Suggs from the Magic to be backup shooting guard.
I disagree.
Have you really watched Tyus Jones play?
I watch Washington a lot, and he is as empty stats as they come.
First of all, his defense is atrocious. It’s so bad, that Wizards fans stopped ridiculing Jordan Poole for his turnstyle defense because they focused all their ire on Tyus. (And, as an aside, because there was enough to ridicule about Poole’s offense).
Secondly, as a PG, Tyus is just a guy who plays in such a neutral, risk averse way that he indeed avoids many turnovers, but he also creates very little. His assists are mostly of the simple pass to the free guy next to him variety. There is some value to that of course, but lees than you would expect.
And that brings me to third point, he just is sort of there, on offense. There is no gravity to his game. He doesn’t really draw defenders, he doesn’t keep defenses on their toes. He doesn’t do anything silly, keeps his dribble alive, mnakes the safe pass and sort of floats on the ebb and tide of the game. On offense.
On defense, however…. Oh boy.
Jones publicly stated that he wants to stay in Washington. He doesn’t seem very eager to compete for minutes at a team that wants to contend for a ring.
I want hungry dawgs. Jones is an overfed labradoodle.
Dalton would be great but I think he is top 10. and it is very tough to trade “up” in the NBA, This is not the NFL.
Thybulle has once again entered the fantasy….
Before we get completely into hyper-talk-radio-hypothetical-trade mode, let me bring up a couple of post-mortems that are on my mind, especially after watching some first round action this week:
This team, including Fox and Sabonis, still has room for improvement. So does the coach. There’s a lot of room between stand pat and blow it up. They have to get more physical and more versatile. Just one poor man’s Aaron Gordon might do it, if other changes are made for internal improvement. This year it seemed like they thought improvement would be automatic. Now they know it isn’t. Now we will really find out how good they can become.
Monte talks a good game. But reality is:
The Kings are not getting a quality starter. Unless they plan on moving Keegan. I think both Monte and Vivek are severely overrating the actual quality and value of some of these players.
The grab bag of Huerter, Barnes, Len, Kessler, Jones and Mitchell will not entice most teams. ESP, Barnes and Huerter’s contracts. Mitchell is a midget guard who also won’t get much back in return.
The picks are a non factor since they can’t trade any of the picks for the next 4 years.
Team construction is the problem.:
Sabonis is a great regular season player. Whose weaknesses will always be exposed in the playoffs.
Fox is a great player. But is he a 1A on a championship team?. No.
Some of you are delusional. Believing the team is one player away from being a contender?!
For Beginners. Team needs 2 solid starters
Take away Monk and this is the worst bench in the league.
Sure this is a playoff team. Teams like the Clips, Lakers and Dubs may be on the decline.
But they will be replaced by the ascension of the Spurs and Rockets next year.
You talk with a lot of confidence but I don’t think you are correct about a lot of things. Am I confident in that? No. And thats ok. Being condescending when sharing your opinion is not flattering.
Huerter, Barnes, Len, Kessler, Jones and Mitchell are all very tradable players and contracts. I anticipate at least two from that list will be used in one or two deals before the season starts next year. We’ll see.
It does suck that the pick will not convey now. It does seem to be quite the barrier at the moment. However, The Kings could select a player at 13 for another team and then package that rookie with someone from the list above to allocate a very strong player. I think they might. Hopefully it is a starting PF that pushes Barnes into a Bench role. I believe that would be huge, huge improvement for this team. Barnes off the bench would make the bench SIGNIFICANTLY stronger.
No need to remember where you heard any of this first from.
Love your thought process here. This is the way.
Now who are the targets? Who could we lure into trading a starting caliber PF for a late lotto pick and salary match?
Get Jalen Smith with out mle.
PS If not Jalen Smith what about Miles Bridges? Plays both SF and PF.
How would the Kings do that? The only other way to sign him is with the BAE and he is worth more than the $4.6M it’s projected to be.
Right now Bridges is around 7 mil. We have almost 13 mill in our mle.
Mikal Bridges makes $23M next season.
I ment go after Miles Bridges not Mikal Bridges in FA. If I infered it wrong I apologize,
Miles is going to want Mikal money and also beat his wife in front of their kids.
Very hard pass.
OK pass.
This will take some serious research on my part to answer you confidently but I think there are many possibilities out there.
in no particular order:
Cam johnson
tobias harris
john Collins
jerami grant
draymond green(I know I know but.. 🤷♂️)
Kyle Kuzma
Evan Mobley
Zion Williamson
Jonathan kuminga
Jabari smith Jr.
Dario Saric
Jonathan Isaac who’s bible thumping political leanings annoys the shit out of me.
Thats just PF’s who I think are actually gettable. All realistic and some more than others. Huerter, Mitchell, 2024 1st after selected for the trading partner plus multiple seconds… I think that package is fair for many on that list considering contract size, their age and or their current standing with the team staff and management in connection with moves the front office of these teams may feel they need to make for a multitude of reasons.
now… that’s just Power forwards. Another angle would be Huerter, Mitchell, 2024 1st after selected for the trading partner plus multiple seconds for a starting SF. Slide Spock over to PF and the same goal is met. Improve the starting lineup while improving the bench in one single move.
Still need to keep Monk though. I think he should be starting next to Fox. You have Keon as a perfect defensive back up.
I would go after Mikal Bridges or Dejopunte Murray. Use our mle to get Jalen Smith. Of the 2 above Murray might be the easiest since it would probably take 2 firsts instead of 3. But you don’t get Day Ron Sharpe as backup center in that deal.
I just read in bleacher report a Barnes for Hornets Ball. I would really like that but have to take in consideration the injury to Ball and his recovery..Would be a good backup point guard.
The BR trade proposal I saw was HB for the Bulls Lonzo Ball, who has not played for almost two years because of problems with his knee. He is currently recovering from having a cartilage transplant so this would be a very high-risk acquisition. He has only one year remaining on his current contract versus two years remaining on HB’s contract. If Lonzo can return to near his prior level of play, this idea would be a good fit—but the risk is awfully high.
And if he doesn’t you get the contract money because he has only 1 year on his contract
Don’t know why the Bulls would do it, but I wonder if they would take HB and Huerter for Lonzo, Caruso, and maybe Torrey Craig. Caruso mitigates the Lonzo risk and Craig provides us a backup SF/PF to replace HB. All three coming to the Kings would be on the final year of their current contracts.
don’t throw away future 1sts. it’s a small market team. historically, it has been difficult to acquire impact free agents on reasonable contracts. the west is so competitive that two 46 win teams are picking in the lottery. for over a decade future Kings 1st rounders were as desirable as gold. how many years did the JJ Hickson trade hang over the organization? And the salary dump to Philly? You never know what the future will hold.
To trade a future 1st, the deal would have to be way too good to pass up on.
Len and Edwards are free agents so they won’t be enticing at all in trades.
can’t trade them.
Right
and Griz
Gotta keep Monk. He brings swag and is fun to watch. There are other players to be had without breaking the bank. We definitely need a stretch 4 that can shoot and play D on the market, like J. Issacs. I also like D Saric(poor man’s Markennen). If we could trade HB and/or Huerter and/or Davion for a quality SG. Mikal Bridges would be difficult unless you include at least 2 firsts. I like Luke Kennard, M Moody. Or pick up Dalton Necht in the draft. I wanted Greyson Allen but too late…
Help me out. I have come up with a few names we might get to play shooting guard for the Kings. Just for some fun I will name a few and you give me your top 3. Players: Dennedick Mathurin, Donte Divensenso, Moses Moody, Jalen Suggs, Anfernee Simons, R J Barrett. If you also have some please add. Remember just you top 3. Thanks might nbe fun.
I forgot to add Matisse Thybulle.
You have a good list, however, BM,DD, JS, AS would be difficult to obtain. I always loved Donte D, but, he thriving with his fellow Villanova teammates. I believe realistic players to obtain is Matisse Thybulle, Luke Kennard, maybe, Moody. I also love Gary Trent and Isiah Joe….My top 3(realistic) Luke Kennard, Gary Trent Jr, and Isaiah Joe.
Joe on team option.LK and GT both unrestricted. Trent plays zero D and does not pass.
That Villanove trio of NY is like a pack of pittbulls.
Whereas our trio from Kentucky are more like greyhounds.
I was looking at a hypothetical trade of Huerter, Lyles and Duarte for Moody and Wiggins. Moody would be starting SG and Wiggins would come off the bench. Other trade would be Mitchell and this years #13 for Tari Eason. Eason would start at PF. Starters: Fox, Moody, Murray , Eason and Sabonis. Pick up Hartenstein in FA to backup Sabonis. Backups: Ellis, Monk, Wiggins, Barnes and Hartenstein.
I don’t dabble in armchair GM-ing much, but I do wonder why the heck GS would do that deal.
Hartenstein is an good get if we can get him. I’m not sure if NY is ready to let him go. But they do have a decision to make between Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa. I think they will keep 2 and trade/let 1 go. For us, either Hartenstein or Achiuwa would be a good get.
The guys you want Jack, they are good players. But the trade proposals you come up with are lopsided.
For Mikal Bridges, not going to happen unless Keegan Murray is included. I don’t think Mikal is even made available for trade.
Eason is on rookie contract. And at the end of his rookie contract, he would be a restricted free agent which mean the Rockets could keep him for a another few more years. They will take all the necessary time to see him develop. Unless they make him part of a trade for a super star.
I guess I should wait until tomorrow – however –
The cumulative record for the 6th, 7th and 8th seeds (of which we were anxiously angling for the Kings to be included) is at 10-1 as of last night. Tonight the 0-3 Pelicans facing elimination by OKC and 1-3 Lakers and the NBA and ABC/ESPN/TNT hoping to extend that series despite the eventuality baked in.
Begs the question which has only speculative fan-based answers to post:
Would Sacramento have fared better? If not, would a sweep at the hands of OKC, DEN, MIN have been a step up, a step down or a break even had the Kings made it two playoffs in a row?
I feel the Kings would have been a 1st round exit regardless of who they faced. The only positive thing to come of that would have been the conveyance of this year’s pick (likely #15or #16) to ATL. Two first round exits in back to back to years is nothing to build upon, IMO.
Ok, well
Denver Nuggets, the reigning 2023 NBA Champs; 2022 Gentleman’s Swept by Warriors (4-1 GSW), 2021 get out of the 1st round to be swept 4-0 by Suns. They seemed to have fared well despite that history.
Minnesota just swept those same Suns and their $150M for three players Phoenix core; 2023 4-1 to Denver, 2022 4-2 Memphis. Two first round exits. They seem ok now, IMO.
So I will disagree that “nothing to build upon” is an overstatement.
Pretty fascinating playoffs though. The West seems clearly a top 3, with #4 LAC battling #5 Mavs at 2-2, now best of 3 series ahead. And check out the entanglements of the East. Even mighty Boston looks vulnerable against an ailing Heat team that seems to know how to play them tough. Bucks are cooked, Cavs and Magic are a shruggingly unconvincing, and we get to dream about how good Knicks would be with Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. Philly has only made most folks as Embiid “haters” (dislikers is more accurate).
40 Games in 40 Nights continues!
Yeah, I’d love that to be our model, but Jokic is a future hall of famer and as much as I love Domas, he’s not that close to Jokic. We have noone who is close to the ability of Jokic to impact a game so thoroughly.
It’s hard to replicate the Nuggets’ model without a true superstar of that level.
It’s true. We can’t build a hyper-efficient offense like the Nuggets. What we have is a decent offense baseline (provided by Domas) with high offense variance (provided by Fox).
As Fox said repeatedly during his exit interview, we have to build with defense. 14th in defensive rating is an accomplishment considering how small and lanky this team is. Nevertheless, we do have a defensive rebound leader and a steal leader. With a few tweaks in personnel, this could be a top 10 defense team, could be even top 5.
We are not building the Nuggets’ model. We are building the Miami Heat’s model.
Actually, we can also build a hyper efficient offense but I don’t like it. That would mean a trade for Zach Lavine.
I like the not-Jokic Nuggets, not Spo Heat discussion. Let’s add not-Steph Warriors. Sacramento is, at the end of the day, as are all teams, a version of themselves (of course).
Upgrading the talent is the path to playoff success and the giant step up to Championship contenders from the playoff contenders they are today (and likely tomorrow).
Zach Lavine – there’s an interesting, haven’t heard that in a while name. Funny, as DeRozan, Caruso, Pat Williams, Nikola Vucevic have been all the talk.
The attitude thing has me worried on LaVine, but that is one talented baller. The Trade Machine only works a $40M Lavine for Huerter/Barnes/Lyles and if you spice it up a bit, throw Davion Mitchell for Javon Carter in the mix.
Rather than jumping into the trade machine circle of conjecture further, Monte and Wes have to find a whole new level of talent whilst keeping a core (Fox/Ox/Spock). Barnes in the Core or not is the question, IMO.
Need to trade for Kris and then we can have Fox/Ox/Spocks
Barnes and Huerter alone would work. The thing is Lavine’s salary would be too tough to manage. We would also need to shed some salary. And the Bulls also needs to shed salary to resign Derozan and Pat Williams
Something like this 3-team trade:
Going out:
Going in:
A healthy Lavine would further unlock Domas’ playmaking ability.
Hate to say it. But you’re drunk. Bulls would never ever do that deal.
Barnes and Huerter’s trade value are both at an all time low. Teams are not looking at historical data. They are looking at last season: Barnes is and will continue to decline. Being stuck with his 17 mil for the next 2 seasons.
Duarte: Is an 9-10 bench guy.
Issac will never be moved by the Magic. He’s 22. Why would they move him? Why? Not happening. When he was on the floor the kid was dominant.
I understand a lot of Kings fans overrate their own talent. This is understandable
Huerter going to the Magic makes sense since they need shooting.
But Huerter never fit in what they are trying to do. Their culture is defense first. He’s too slow defensively and his salary is not worth it. The Magic can also obtain better players being under the cap. I can see Monk going there.’
Bulls will get far better deals from teams like The Rockets, Pels, Spurs, Knicks, Jazz, and Philly.
Who all have far more desirable assets, Picks, and young players that have extremely bright futures.
I’m going to be nice and I’m going to try to educate you.
Barnes’ value might be at an all time low but not Huerter’s. Huerter is young and a proven shooter, and his contract is only 2 year left.
On the other hand, Lavine’s value is definitely all time low. He’s oft injured, his contract is horrible and he is very bad this year. No good young team would ever touch his contract.
Jonathan Isaac is 26, not 22. He has 1 year left on his contract so either they move him or they extend him. And they need to prioritize Suggs and Franz’s extensions.
You can’t build a model with faulty construction. I live in Miami. Riles has been about defense for 40 years.You think you’re building that in 2 years. lol! Riles is a master talent evaluator.
Monte…not really. Kings are also undersized in about every position on the floor.
You can’t compare a legendary franchise to one of the worst in NBa history.. Building a culture starts with having proper construction.
This team scares no one.
Kings missing the playoffs puts them even further back.
Dallas, Rockets, Wolves, Den, Pels, and Grizz will all make moves as well in the offseason. To further enhance their strengths.
That’s not even including all the cap space and options the Spurs have going into the offseason. They have enough to add 2 star players and make a huge jump
next year.
Ok man, do some research and have some original thoughts. You don’t have to repeat everything that you hear.
The Wolves and the Nuggets are up in the 2nd apron. They essentially need to shed salary.
The Mavs and the Grizz are in the luxury tax, there is not a lot that they can do. The Mavs can’t trade any of their 1st pick. The Grizz don’t have any interesting players with big enough contract to fetch anyone, aside from their big 3 and Marcus Smart.
Why don’t you tell me about the Pels’ construction?How do you feel about building your team around Zion?
Not a Pels fan. I do know a couple things. They have the cap space to steal Monk from the Kings. They also beat the Kings how many times?
Building around Zion is not a guarantee. IF the Pels want to rebuild on the fly.
They have the assets to do it.
loaded with young fantastic talent:Murphy, Jones, Alvarado, Marshall, Daniels, Hawkins
Pels also have tons of desirable pieces as trade bait. Pels also are loaded with picks In The next years.
8 First rounders between this year and the next 2 year 8 picks
I would worry more about the Kings continuing to get slaughtered by the Pels. Because they have no length and no size.
They have far more leverage than the Kings. More picks, fantastic young players on the rise and cap space moving forward.
That’s not accounting for the fact that players like Durant, Lebron, Tray, and possibly even Mitchell will be on the move in the offseason.
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