The Sacramento Kings are fielding calls from multiple teams interested in moving up in the NBA Draft, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. On last night’s Finals broadcast, Woj reported that teams such as the Pistons, Pacers, Wizards, and Knicks, along with other unnamed teams currently picking later in the draft, have all been inquiring about moving up in the draft to select Purdue’s Jaden Ivey.
Here WOJ about the kings pick
And they are teams trying to get deals done with sacramento to select Ivey pic.twitter.com/piJC4VWIbQ
— 𝙅𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙣 (@SwipaZorro) June 17, 2022
Woj reports that the Kings asking price will be high to move off the pick, and that Sacramento sees this as four-player draft.
There are a few ways to view this report. After all, if it’s a four-player draft, why would the Kings trade down even a couple of spots? But really, this report tells me the Kings are doing exactly what they should be doing.
In the wake of a report that the Kings like Keegan Murray, the Kings are sending a signal that they will take Ivey fourth, so if anyone wants Ivey they need to trade up to the fourth pick. They’re also letting teams know that Sacramento won’t take a lowball offer, because there are plenty of bidders involved. In short, Sacramento is just playing the predraft smokescreen game. What the Kings will actually do on draft day is anybody’s guess.
Unless the Kings receive a truly great offer, they should stand firm and take Ivey (or if Ivey goes top 3, take whichever of Jabari Smith Jr, Chet Holmgren, or Paolo Banchero fall). Whether the Kings choose to keep the pick or trade it, we’re unlikely to know the outcome until draft day itself, as the Kings will probably take this down to the last minute to extract the best possible trade offers.
Cool, cool. Drive up the price of the #4 until it exceeds your perceived value of the player available at #4. If it doesn’t happen, then just take the player at #4. It ain’t rocket surgery.
..or brain science 😀
Or bird law.
Maybe, just maybe, Ivey might be the best pick for a team dying for a superstar. Seems like the rest of the league thinks that.
The Kings, however, think they are a veteran player away from a shot at a play-in game, which might be the stupidest, short-term, total Kangzy thinking ever. And exactly how they will play it.
Yep, “if we can just find the perfect player to partner with Fox…”
Vivek is an ego moron. Hoping beyond hope that McNair guides team to a potential star pick.
Idea of building a first round losing team rather than building a contender is so Fucking shortsighted it’s ludicrous.
Vivek too stupid to realize he should extend McNair and take advantage of this opportunity. Plus he’s too blinded to see almost all his decisions are the wrong ones.
And why the fuck aren’t they working out Sharoe? They should be seeing who may be better than Murray if they drop back.
I so despise this shit owners meddling and mandates.
Just do things like a professional organization.
The player also has to want to workout for the Kings, or any other team. They can’t force the player to workout.
It’s completely true, but they’ll make you pay for it, regardless.
They kind of can though. Money talks and bull shit walks. An extra 2 million a year for your rookie contract isn’t nothing.
Davion didn’t work out in Sac. He’s now in Sac talking the joint up. Agents drive much of this process. I don’t think the players have one thought on it one way or the other. They are too busy thinking about showcasing their basketball skills more than anything else.
Sharpe didn’t want to come to Sac for a workout, it’s really that simple. They have talked to him at the combine and saw his individual workout.
Players aren’t eager to come to Sac due to the reputation that has been built up here. A lot of agents hate dealing with the Kings for a variety of reasons. Improve yourself, these things change. There isn’t some conspiracy against the Kings or Sacramento, it’s just the reality of the way it is right this moment.
If “the rest of the league thinks that” Ivey is “a superstar” then he isn’t available at 4.
Unless the rest of the NBA thinks that all of the top 4 prospects will be superstars. However, it seems highly unlikely that all 4 of them will be superstars. For instance, I’d be shocked if Ivey became a superstar.
Sure, but if “the rest of the league” thinks Ivey is a “superstar” then one of them is moving heaven and earth to trade into the top 3 to get him.
Point being, I think it’s silly to speculate as to what actual FOs are thinking based on the BS rumor season that is pre-draft time.
None of this means anything. The only thing that drives up the value of the No. 4 pick is what actual NBA executives are actually prepared to pay for it. The rest is just noise.
I agree w/this.
I agree with this agreeing with that.
I agree with this, that, and the other thing.
Hard pass on rocket surgery. Just sounds unpleasant all around!
cockpit
Agreed. It’s a great position to be in….let’s just hope the Kings don’t screw anything up.
Actually, this news is only good for the Detroit Pistons who want to select Murray at #5.
They seem to be wetting their pants up there with the idea of a Cade/Jaden back court. I’d only be slightly surprised if Ivey is gone by four.
Agree that Kings are doing the correct things regarding Ivey and 4th pick but disagree that if Ivey is taken in top three just take who falls. Truly feel that Banchero is not as good as Murray .
Wow.
But there probably would be no way that Murray got picked before Banchero.
The offense skill of Banchero seems better than Murray.
(Murray seems better at all fundamental thing)
Murray may be less likely to bust, but Banchero looks like more of a franchise talent.
Banchero will likely be a good player, but he seems like the #1 option on a team that doesn’t win anything. Keegan Murray seems like the #3 option on a Finals contender.
I wouldn’t want to invest my entire franchise in building around a guy like Banchero who, even if he reaches his full potential, may still not be good enough to lead us anywhere. And if he doesn’t reach his full potential, it’s hard seeing what type of secondary role he could play effectively. It’s all or nothing, and I don’t think he’s good enough to bet on.
Idk if Paolo could be the #1 option on a title contender, but I could easily see him being a #2 or #3 option on a title contender.
“It’s all or nothing, and I don’t think he’s good enough to bet on.”
But you think Murray is? Interesting.
Why does the rest of the scouting world see him below the top 4/5, and some even lower?
I think Murray could elevate to another level based off his BBIQ and decent athleticism. But I don’t think he’s better than Banchero currently. Banchero is 19. What he does for his age, and if his BBIQ develops, good lord. D and 3s are his only real weakness, I think Paolo will be high-level starter / All-Star possible super star. I think Murray will be a solid starter possible All-Star. I’d take either of them, really, but if both were available and it was my choice it’s pretty easy to see Banchero has a slightly higher floor and a way higher upside.
Paolo already has a high BBIQ, so it doesn’t need to develop. While I don’t think Murray’s nearly as good of a prospect as Paolo, I think he’s a good prospect & a little better than Ivey.
So all the players taken before Kawhi, Giannis, Jokic, and Butler had special skills . The idea that the top 5 are actually the top 5 is never correct . Right now no person knows which players will be much better than their draft number and which will prove to be much worse !
Coach K is one of the greatest coaches of all time. Plays to his players strengths and hides their weaknesses…….. ask me how I know.
Aka no more Duke players.
Bagley’s weaknesses were pretty easy for me to see. I don’t think Paolo will be a good perimeter defender, but it looks like he’ll be a great offensive player & that he’ll probably be a cromulent post defender.
Cromulent. Not to be confused with cormorants. Or Ja Morant.
I think Paolo plays zero defense just like bagley. I think yes he is a net positive on offense but I think he’s basically a possibly more healthy bagley.
players that are all about offense and can’t be bothered on defense….we have yearly reminders on how that works out in the nba.
if he’s scoring 30 but giving up 25 a night how valuable is that?
His post defense seems fine to me.
Overall his defense is and will be fine. Not great. But right around average. His size, agility, and BBIQ will enable him to be a useful part of a good team defense.
All in my opinion, of course.
Honestly heard the same with Bagley yet saw none of it change.
One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite players of all time.
”Defense is a choice not a talent.”—Dennis Rodman
In addition to defense being a choice, it also requires BBIQ. Bagley has a much lower BBIQ than Paolo.
Tell me how Ivey is different?
Oh he’s not as far as defense goes. I would say he’s quite possibly worse.
I’d say Paolo’s the 2nd best prospect in this draft & that he’s easily a better prospect than Murray. To me, it’s Ivey who isn’t as good as Murray.
Kuzma and Sochan for four? That’s definitely gonna make a bigger impact, immediately, than Ivey.
Probably Kuzma and #10 for Holmes and #4.
To be blunt, I think that’s a really bad trade.
Your bluntness is an understatement. That’s a really really really bad trade.
It’s a terrible, horrible & very bad trade.
that’s burn all season tickets bad.
To be blunt …
Still a better trade than #4 + Barnes for Jarret Allen which makes no sense whatsoever.
I mean, that’s also pretty terrible, but at least you end up with a very good player in Allen.
That’s John Salmons trade level bad
good reminder. for all the optimism of pulling off a trade down for Jason Tatum, the Kings should avoid this result. Most important thing is to evaluate the draft prospects. That year Klay Thompson went 11 and Kawhi 15. If you’re positive Klay or Kawhi will be available at the lower draft slot, then it’s not bad. If you’re not, just draft Klay or Kawhi at 6 even if the “consensus” is different.
in other words, if the Kings prefer Murray, just draft him at 4 unless the offer to trade down is clearly better.
Since the Kings drafted Jimmer ahead of Kawhi & Klay, they could’ve drafted them while trading down.
If they actually did that it would have been a good trade. If they had intentions to do that, but Klay and Kawhi were to get drafted before 10, it would have been a terrible trade. And the fact that neither team involved in the trade drafted Klay or Kawhi means that maybe they should have been more focused on evaluating prospects than working out a draft day deal involving John Salmons.
My impression was that Petrie evaluated the prospects & (wrongly) thought Jimmer was the BPA. He also got a hell of a steal by drafting IT w/the last pick.
The Kings have been salivating over Kuzma for five years. It’s a strange obsession.
According to who?
The Warriors won w/o Wiseman, Moody, or Kuminga even playing (hardly). That’s a lot of upcoming young talent! Who can they hold onto, and who becomes available?
They can easily hold onto all of them if they want to.
The Warriors have the most expensive salary in league history. $175M in salaries and $170M in tax. They spent $345M last year to the Kings $130M. They doubled up the Kings in spending and then some. They have a bigger spending gap over the rest of the NBA that’s so big, it is eclipses any MLB salary gaps. The closet spending to them is Brooklyn at $267M.
At some point I’d think they’d have to reel it it or the NBA needs to reevaluate their salary cap rules.
They are going to have some spending decisions here pretty quick with Wiggins and Poole.
That is amazing…would love to see how much the W’s made this year from all profit streams…
Without knowing a damned thing about the amount of dough that rolls in to any given team, and even assuming that the Warriors are at the top of the pyramid, it’s not impossible that they lost money this season.
And that’s something an owner must absolutely be prepared to do if the window to succeed begins to open. The owner of any pro franchise has got to be both willing and able (especially able) to absolutely eat tens of millions of dollars in losses in order to be fit to own said franchise.
Team ownership is a trust that makes you beholden (to some degree) to the the team’s fans. Success is extremely difficult to create, and an unwillingness to spend simply cannot be a reason for not making every effort to make it happen.
Going deep into the tax is certainly no guarantee of success, but a willingness to take financial losses has generally proven more productive than trying to move up with players on rookie deals and mid-level veterans.
I would be remiss not to note that in the Kings’ case, opportunities to acquire top talent are far more difficult to come by, for many reasons, including some beyond anyone’s control. You can’t overpay a player if he’s not willing to come to Sacramento to be overpaid.
Regardless, I stand by my main point, which is that if your franchise is your main source of income, you aren’t wealthy enough to own it. Hoisting trophies and making a profit may be largely incompatible under the current structure.
Winning titles & making $ may be incompatible in the NBA, but I doubt it’s incompatible in the NFL & NHL. For MLB teams, it probably depends on the team.
While I’m sure they can show some paper-loss, or at least come close to zeroing-out their profit (on paper), I would have a hard time believing they lost any actual money. Now Sacramento? Yeah.
I’d disagree on both counts. One-third of a billion dollars is an obscene amount of money, and (bearing in mind I know nothing) it seems like it would be impossible to recoup with network rights, local tv, ticket sales, merch, and other ancillary revenue streams. There’s a lot of money coming in, but, that is a big nut to carry.
Conversely, I’d be surprised if Sacramento lost money. The payroll isn’t crazy, and the revenue streams mentioned above probably are sufficient to at least break even. It’s really hard to lose money with a professional franchise. Not impossible, but you’d need to work as hard as the Warriors, or work as stupid as the Maloofs.
And I repeat: I know nothing.
From what I understand from the some family members in the Bay that know some higher-ups within the Warrior organization, they are rolling in profits. There is a crazy amount of foreign money in the Bay Area and the Warriors have tapped numerous foreign deals for their players and team.
That’s a really good point. I wouldn’t include foreign money to players as part of the organization’s revenue stream, but licensing out Warriors stuff around the world has got to be lucrative.
According to THIS, the Warriors had the highest revenue in the league in 2019-20 at $474M
And THIS article, although pre-covid, predicted the Warriors would be taking in nearly $700M per year at the new Chase Center.
They are rolling in it, so I see no reason why they don’t continue to spend.
I’ll add…maybe it’s time the NBA looks at a more hard cap for its teams. Something more reflective of the NFL?
My impression is that the NBA’s fine w/the current system. Even w/a hard cap, there can be loopholes (such as the NHL’s LTIR loophole).
throw in tax money from said Warriors to the Sac revenue. I don’t know the exact amount, but I’ve read that luxury tax penalties this year will total around $500M. The Warriors tax bill, being repeat offenders is around $170M plus their roster salaries (total $370M)
Teams that are paying tax don’t get included in the distribution. Teams below tax amount then split the amount, though I believe there are some other folks get a cut, I don’t think it all gets divvied up by teams alone.
Nonetheless, it will be a nice windfall to some bottom lines and a sore slap to others.
Any NBA owner can overspend, If they crave the notoriety, and fame that can come from that.
BUT
It is an investment.
I see a franchise like, say, a Rembrandt. Some owners like Lacob, or even the Maloofs for a while, build it up with a museum and fancy frame, art restoration specialists. Others like Vivek toss it in the attic at there weird uncles house, and tell them to keep an eye on it. Either way it is worth significantly more as time goes by. One enjoys and celebrates it, the other is calculating profit.
GSW purchase 450M
GSW value 5B
Vast majority of money is from local TV contract. Expect it is high but limited and not as high as some – LAL, NYK etc. Attendance contributes but is shared with visitors. Merchandise small potatoes. Concessions- depends on the number of $50.00 beers in team cups, I guess.
They do have to share the overage in tax with the under-cap teams but there are only a few of those.
Just read 2 articles on OKC and Houston and how the finances ultimately drove their decisions. Not the case in dud ville.
I suspect they are losing money and don’t care.
Sure, but not necessarily about Kuminga, Moody and Wiseman. I suspect they’ll just run it back next year, then let Wiggins walk. Maybe extend Poole this offseason (the increased contract wouldn’t kick in until the following season.).
That said, I do think the NBA needs to revisit their salary cap rules. And their max contract rules, IMO.
it has been their tendency to try to get some value out of over paid players who are leaving- like Wiggins. They did not just let Durant go but converted him into D-Lo and converted him into Wiggins.
I suspect they play Kuminga more and then try to get younger in the Wiggins exit.
The super max players are going to get $50 M per year soon.
There may be a move towards hard cap- teams want to be competitive and see the gross unfairness here. Some teams want external pressure and excuse to reduce spending. Who can afford this? and who can afford to sink that money just to try to keep up.? The agents want no cap, no rules
D Lo also wanted to come. Plus the Dubs also got the 7th pick in the 2021 draft and used it to take Kuminga.
I don’t see a problem with the salary structure that’s currently in place.
I think the rules mainly work. It’s just to play with the big boys, you’re going to make less money in, say, Milwaukee, than you will when you’re based in SF. Unfortunately, that’s just the way of the world.
They can spend what they want forever they drafted all that talent, with the exception of Wiggins.
they can’t change the salary cap on drafted player compensation or the Kangz never draft and keep any player of value again.
look at the impending free agency of Sabonis the only hope the Kangz have is they can give more money that’s it.
If it’s equal again between us and the warriors in free agency who wins that battle.
record breaking spending. And they crow about “we didn’t buy this team”. Ok, you did not go to the free agent store and buy new players but as the value of your players rose, you spent more on them. Semantics.
Wiggins has one more year and then has to be paid for.
Poole is up for rookie extension
They want to keep Payton- that will cost.
and Looney is an URFA
The 3 “young guys” are all coming due.
If they do this right, they could spend over $450 M
The cap is a joke when you can breach it and just pay repeater taxes.
They make quite a bit of money with the Bay Area market, but still it’s pretty wild when you take the tax into consideration. They are at $345M for basically a 15 man roster when teams like the MLB Dodgers at $260M with 26 players and NFL Jaguars at $260M with 90 players. That’s remarkable!
From what I understand, they are still one of the most profitable teams in the League, behind only the Lakers. The repeater tax really isn’t phasing them and other owners really aren’t complaining because it’s lining their pockets as well.
One thing is fore sure, and I think will become a problem, the spending between large and small markets is widening and I’m not sure is sustainable for competitive balance. IMO, there is no way a team like Memphis (who is often near last in profit) can spend like the Warriors to keep their core together for a decade.
boo hoo on the overpay. Yankees overpay every year and no Chip for years. Spending doesn’t equal championships, just better odds. It’s all about culture. Yes the Kings are fucked. Say what you want about the Maloofs but the culture here has never been the same. I would posit Wiggins is being paid market and beyond.
Licking the boots of the Maloofs? Please consult a psychiatrist.
Being a Kings fan I was told only alcohol and hard drugs could help!
But why the hate for the Maloofs? This team has never had the success it had for a short time under their watch. I have no expectation of a Vivek team ever being as good as the Webber Bobby teams were, yet I still purchase goods and follow the team. Is this why the Shrink sent me away?
Have you forgotten what the last few years w/the Maloofs were like? I’ll always hate them for that.
Easily? I mostly agree with your comment below. Their probably hoping Kuminga can replace Wiggins, or Otto Porter Jr? likely gone (UFA). Who replaces him in the starting unit this season? I know Looney has become quite serviceable, but I think they would still like to upgrade the 5 spot.
They will also, likely, try to consolidate their payroll. That’s just too much talent going to waste on the end of the bench. They’ll extend Poole. Klay is now, and will likely continue to be, their least productive contract. Maybe they surprise us and move him off. Moreover, they’ll probably end up trading some excess talent now, for some draft picks down the road.
O r trade some talent for an upgrade at Center.
Klay is 6 months away from seeing what he is post injury. Likely he and Dray take a haircut on the pay to help resign Poole, and never say never Wigs.
No. 4 for Curry. Who says no?
Warriors
Warriors don’t say no. They just laugh a lot while hanging up.
The Nets would jump on this.
Yep, this is gamesmanship and they’re playing it the right way so far. They may or may not actually have Ivey at 4 on their board, but either way they should absolutely be saying they do. Personally, I’d be looking for: This years pick, a future lightly or unprotected pick, and an at least interesting player. Something like:
Pistons
I don’t see them trading Bey, and there isn’t a ton else on the roster that interests me (I’m extremely skeptical about him being willing to scale back his game back to the role he’s effective in). So it’s probably something like #5, 2025 1st (better be basically unprotected since it’s so far out), and Livers. I may even be willing to consider taking Hayes as a lottery ticket, but his positive flashes have been few and far between.)
Pacers
They have a number interesting pieces at different levels, so I can certainly see a deal there. If not for his injuries Brogdon would be a really interesting target. My preference would probably be #6, 2023 1st, and a lower tier guy or two like Goga, Duarte, Jackson, Brissett, and even Taylor. They also have #31 this year, which I think is a nice slot.
Wizards
Between their roster and their pick limitations, it’s tough for me to see a package that would make me excited to move down that far. I like Avdija and Todd to varying degrees, but they aren’t nearly valuable enough to drop to 10.
Knicks
Similar to the Wizards, it’s hard for me to find a trade that would excite me here. So their future assets included better be REALLY sweet. Like the better of their two 1st next year unprotected, or multiple future 1sts.
Agreed. The closest comp is when Dallas traded the #5 (Trae Young) and a 2019 pick for #3 (Luka).
Kings should demand at least a pick or a young stud…maybe both, if they are to give up a top 5 pick.
This seems right on the nose to me, good synopsis.
Forgive me, but I’m a little confused by the top of your Pistons blurb. Are you saying that you’d like Bey, though you don’t see the Pistons trading him, but are skeptical that he’d scale back to a more effective role? Or does the “he” in your parentheses refer to Grant?
Yes. Sorry. My mistake. I’d like Bey but I don’t see them trading him. The parenthetical was meant to be about Grant.
Cool, thanks for the clarification. So out of interest, would you see something like 5 and Grant for 4 and spare parts as appropriate value, but likely to blow up in our faces? Or do you think it would be a poor trade value-wise too?
I’d say value-wise, putting my personal preferences aside, it’s fine. Because you only make that trade if you know DET isn’t taking your top choice anyway. But I don’t think it’s likely to help the Kings much more than simply taking their guy at 4.
The swing issue is whether Grant would be willing to embrace going back to something much closer to his DEN role. If so, then it could be a really good move. But I’m skeptical.
So, I guess my answer would be, I don’t necessarily think it would likely “blow up in their faces” so much as I think it just wouldn’t help much.
You don’t think if Grant was the sweetener from Detroit, that Monte wouldn’t just flip him? He will bring back something of decent value certainly, if not in the offseason then before the trade deadline.
I wouldn’t love that move, but I don’t think it is without merit. I love Saddiq Bey, but that might be a bit expensive for the Pistons. They seem to really like him. That GM is not afraid to do some crazy stuff tho. If he really feels like Ivey can be the perfect running mate to Cunningham, then maybe.
I think there is something to a Sabonis, Fox, Mitchell, Bey, Murray, & DDV group, and using the MLE, Holmes, and Barnes assets to fill in the blanks.
Given the mandate to make the playoffs, I think Monte would prefer to keep Grant in this scenario. Hopefully Detroit’s GM would view trading Bey as the cost of making a trade, but Idk if he’ll have that view.
Monte seems more calculated than that, to me at least Richie, especially if he was wanting to keep Barnes for the season.
I feel like the “win-now playoff mandate” is being bandied about in the media, and what is turning out to be a pretty robust economy of Kings coverage with all of the blogs/podcasts/etc, so much that it is over simplifying the matter. If the Kings made some moves with the roster, and Brown was able to really make an imprint and the team started to have an identity, and just missed the playoffs/play-in after a competitive or fun-to-watch season, I don’t think McNair would lose his job just because they narrowly missed a playoff berth, unless several teams just cratered and the 8/9/10 seeds were mediocre.
I hope this would be true, but Idk if Vivek would view it that way.
I think Monte has incentives to be a good GM regardless of whether he gets fired in Sac. Whatever he does it will be on his resume when looking for the next gig. Kangz may be shortsighted but Monte doesn’t have to be.
What difference does it really make what Vivek thinks?
Whether or not Monte keeps his job as Kings GM depends on what Vivek thinks.
This may be one one of the best things you’ve ever said Mike.
this has possibilities. Detroit wants out of Grant and can get a late first round pick but they would not get Ivey. They could get Ivey if they trade Grant + 5 for 4. and then Kings – who should not want Grant- can flip him for a second first rounder. This is close to Hawks-Mavs except the pick Hawks got was protected and was the following year. This pick would be this year. Wood went for #26? Grant should get comparable. In that #20 area, there might be a few players- and there might be takers – teams who made playoffs this year and think they are “one player away from breaking through”. ( yea, right)
Nice write up, my fear of trading with pacers us that we will end up with Duarte an end up drafting Sharpe..I don’t think Murray makes it to 6 unless Detroit is sold on Bey/And Bagley
I think that would be fine. Sharpe is likely a couple year project at least and both he and Duarte are big enough to play at the same time if they both work out. I mean, it isn’t my first choice, but, say, #6, #31, and Duarte would probably be fine. For what it’s worth, Isaiah Jackson has the potential to be a pretty interesting fit with Sabonis. I’ve also always like Brissett as a low cost back-up versatile forward with upside.
I think that if we made a trade with Indiana like this, we would take Daniels, if Murray doesn’t fall. He seems to be a favorite of the FO
I think Daniels is a good choice around that slot.
At six, and assuming Murray is gone, Daniels makes a lot of sense.
agree. Murray is better. SS way too much of a risk. He did not even practice at Kentucky.
But Daniels, Duarte and 31 is interesting.
They are not giving up 6, 31, and Duarte to move up two spots. If they would they should run to the bank with that one.
Then they don’t move up. No skin off my nose.
You have to be realistic with these proposals. That’s a ridiculous over ask.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The ball is in their court.
The last top 5 traded pick was Luka for Trae and the following year’s pick in 2018. That’s the baseline right now. The Kings should get a good young player and a pick at minimum for trading down.
I’d say the #6, Duarte and the #31 is on par with the Luka deal.
It might even be a little below the Luka deal.
Agreed. You aren’t getting Trae young at #6 and Duarte is no better than Cam Reddish (who ATL got with the Dallas pick). The #31 is small potatoes.
None of those four teams have players on offer that I’d be interested in unless Indy was willing to trade Hali back to us. The only trade that may make sense is with Detroit if Monte doesn’t want to draft Ivey and is fine moving back a spot to get his target and pickup an asset in the process.
The Pacers are not allowed to trade Hali to us. Have to wait a year I think
This draft has the potential of being Luka 2 if the Kings pass on Ivey.
If Ivey was that kind of prospect, he would be going first overall. I like Ivey and his potential, but he isn’t this “cant-miss” prospect everyone is describing him as.
Ivey isn’t anywhere near that type of prospect.
Agreed. He is getting overrated by many.
I have him 4th on my board, but he is certainly not at a level where you take the phone off the hook.
I have him much lower. But I know and accept that I’m in the minority on that and my opinion doesn’t set market values. That said, I don’t see the argument that justifies him being especially close to the top 3. The only rationale that makes sense to me is that all the others are Bigs, so some team for some reason may prefer a guard. And I know how much everyone around here LOVES decisions based on fit.
I have Keegan above Ivey and probably as 5-7
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Murray drop past 8 if Kings don’t take him.
He’s got that kinda feel to me. Very questionable if he’s anything more than average
Agree. He was used very well at Iowa.
I’d be surprised. He’s clearly a top 6 prospect IMO. I think his skills give him a high floor.
Yep. We know nothing. Bottom line, I’m not sure that there is a player in this draft that would have me not taking calls. The offers may not be up to snuff, but the call is free, right?
Looking at this through the team lens of trying to fast track the turnaround, I could see something like 4 for 6 / Brogdon / future 1st with some protections if they knew that they could land Murray at 6 (or Sochan if that is their cup of tea). If the Kings prefer Murray and think they can get Bey and a future 1st, fine.
I’m not too hung up on the Kings trading the messiah at #4.
I REALLY like Brogdon and he’s theoretically a really good fit for this team, but over the years I’ve become more and more leery of depending on injury prone players to take on key roles. Now, if you get two 1sts, it’s probably worth a shot since the value of the trade doesn’t hinge on Brogdon being a star, but it still gives me pause.
Ivey looked very un messiah like against St. Peter’s . Concerns me.
Yeah, one game samples don’t do much for me, either way.
I have Ivey 5th on my board. I think he’s in the same tier as Murray & Sharpe.
Disagree. Ivey has all the talent in the world and a high hoops IQ. I say Murray is over-rated if he goes in top 6.
Can you define “all the talent in the world” for me? I’d also like to see evidenced of his high hoops IQ.
I follow the Big Ten and watched a lot of Purdue games. Ivey is the fastest, quickest and highest jumping player I’ve seen this year. I feel he will excel in the more wide-open NBA where he can use “all that talent.” The high-hoops IQ, admittedly, is conjecture on my part, because he comes from a family of athletes, including his mother, who is the head coach at Notre Dame.
I notice nowhere in there do you mention actual basketball skills beyond his athleticism. Am I to infer that “all the talent in the world” just means he’s extremely athletic. If so, I agree. But I prefer some more basketball specific skills.
I’d say Ivey’s overrated. I haven’t seen or read any evidence that he has a high hoops IQ.
I mean, it isn’t bad. I’d just going with closer to positional average for a secondary ball-handler type.
Have you seen any that suggests that Ivey doesn’t?
What I’ve seen & read indicates that his hoops IQ is average.
To me, it seems like he’s becoming a bit of product of the favorable articles about him get written, which spurs more people to write more articles about him. Which then builds his “legend” more and more with each passing series of articles/tweets.
After the tournament, he was a guy who pundits felt would seemingly land in the top 10. Then as more outlets started to write more articles on him, he became a “top 5 pick”. Which garnered more press about his rise up the draft ranks, to now having people basically saying he could be a generational talent and possible #1. Oddly, it’s basically the opposite of what happened to Sharpe.
Probably why both players make me nervous when it comes to using picks on them. As nothing has really changed about them from the season to now.
Even before the tourney, I read articles that said Ivey would likely be a top 5 pick. However, the articles I read at that time felt he was clearly below the top 3 bigs.
What’s changed is that I’m seeing more articles that group him into the same tier as the 3 bigs. However, I normally see Jabari or Chet ranked as the top prospect. I haven’t seen any prospect in this draft called a generational talent.
Precisely. The Golden 1 Center would need rubber walls.
Ivey isn’t nearly as good of a prospect as Luka.
Corn isn’t nearly as delicious as a ribeye.
Doesn’t mean that corn isn’t great, though.
It is! But it’s appropriate you went to a side dish. Corn IS great. But it isn’t meaningfully better than many of the other sides. Like, if you show up to the cook out and there isn’t any corn, you don’t get upset and say, “where’s the fucking corn!” You probably don’t even miss it. You just go, “hey, look! Seven layer dip!”
*In this scene the role of 7-layer dip will be played by Bennedict Mathurin.
I might say “where’s the fucking corn?” I’m from Ohio.
Then I’m pretty sure you won’t have trouble finding it.
Sims walks his own way. It’s an I 75 thing.
This is pretty much what I think.
agree.
Knicks and Washington- way, way too far down- you get #4 and then settle for 10 or 11? Neither has any player who could bridge that gap- not Beal, not Barrett.
Pacers- if go to #6, lose Murray, then who at 6? From 6-11 is all about the same.
Pistons- Bey would do it but need to move a player in exchange.
I doubt anyone wants to trade an unprotected 2023 pick- draft too strong at top.
But that implies a slow build.
i wouldn’t be surprised if Golden State ends up as the partner. This is the perfect time for them to make a future move. They have exactly the assets the Kings would want, and they are known quantities. Plus the Brown connection, and other connections… I think a package built around Kuminga would move the needle.
I’ve floated the idea of a combination the #28, Poole and Kuminga/Moody for the the #4. This only works if the Warriors are thinking of kicking the asset can down the road and cashing out on Poole before they have to pay him. A Poole and Fox backcourt could be nice, especially if it came with Kuminga.
Kuminga got super star potential.
I will do that deal even just
#4 for Kuminga and #28
I wouldn’t. Poole is a proven asset. I’d insist on him first, then Kuminga, then the #28. In that order.
I’m just not sure I see the Warriors doing that. I think they know Steph, Klay, and Dray on on their last Warrior contracts. Poole, Moody, Kuminga and maybe Wiseman are their built-in transition plan and the timing works just about right. Poole’s extension would kick in as Wiggins’ deal comes off. Moody, Kuminga, and Wiseman come up for deals generally as Klay and Draymond’s come off the books.
I think they realize that none of their current guys have the potential that Ivey has.
I don’t see any reason to think that. There’s a decent chance Ivey is never as good as Poole was this year. And I’d say Kuminga certainly has as much potential as Ivey and has already shown flashes of that upside and development at the NBA level, despite being 8 months younger than Ivey.
So for a team like the kings who struggle landing high end talent, why do we make this trade to a divisional rival?
Steph and Klay are not that old. This core can remain a contender for another 3-4 years, they’re already betting favorites to win the title next season. Steph and Klays don’t come around often. Makes sense to continue maximizing talent around them, which means needing to let go of some of the young guys you have that have future potential for guys who contribute to a championship now.
That’s why I think they may have interest in Barnes if we are willing to take salary back and pickup someone like Moody in the process.
Klay has played 34 games over the past 3 seasons combined. Draymond has averaged 50 games a season over the past 3, and hasn’t played more than 70 games in the past 5. Steph recently missed nearly a full season. I think counting on them to be an effective core into their mid-to-late 30s is unwise. Now, obviously because of their success and place as Warriors icons, the team will likely gladly let them take a couple Kobe-style victory laps even if/when they stop being so effective, but that transition is likely coming much faster than you’re making it out or Warriors fans would like.
Of course they are getting long in the tooth, so you add talent around them that can contribute right now to maximize these last few years of contention they have left, instead of banking on one of their young guys (WIseman, Kuminga) becoming stars which is highly unlikely.
This reminds me of the Bulls after their second three-peat, you just don’t break up that core for the future or financial reasons. And the way things played out with that strike season, the Bulls would have had a great shot at winning another title that year.
It’s not easy to win a title, if the window is open, continue to work it. Just my opinion.
LOL, is this Perks account. 3/4 years for sure. Those guys miss those games to keep them close to 100% in the other. The youngsters will definitely start to increase minutes and cap going forward. But 3/4 depending on how they handle wigs contract.
I’d ask Mine Brown first
Solid point.
Kuminga didn’t do a ton this season to suggest superstar potential, perhaps solid starter to borderline all star.
See Kawhi’s career arc. That is what they are seeing. Wiseman can’t even guess!
Not sure that’s realistic, though I like the idea.
The Kings should absolutely target some of their pending FA’s.
Could Brown convince Payton and Porter Jr. to come here and help establish a defensive culture?
The challenge is that guys like Payton are a lot harder to put on the court when you don’t have Curry, Klay/Poole, Draymond next to them.
Very true, and truthfully he is not much of a PG, but from a defensive standpoint, having guys like him “could” help turn the defensive culture around, at least IMHO
This used to be called the Steve Kerr rule
There’s no way in hell the Warriors do that.
Kuminga and Wigs for Fox and the 4. Fox would ruin Kuminga.
Since I think Murray is going to be the better player, have a greater positive impact I would absolutely love a trade or we could get to the bey and Murray
Truly a Kangz’ Ransom!
Kangz Ramson is trading the 4 to get Bagley back!
I’m just here for the Kings anarchy drama while waiting for the Obi-Wan finale.
Intrigue me, don’t bore me, Kings.
1 of the nice things about moving up is that it makes the offseason more intriguing.
Kuzma is and always has been mediocre. Sure, maybe he pushes the Kings from 39 wins to 41 or 42 wins, but this is the exact kind of short term, short sighted, win now move McNair said he wouldn’t make. If you’re dealing the #4, either get an all star or near all star in their prime or move down a spot or two to get a player you like just as much plus an asset. Keegan Murray would be to extremely similar to and probably better than Kuzma by year two.
I’d be willing to bet Murray will be significantly more impactful then Kuzma will ever be by his second year!
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Murray was better than Kuzma the second he steps on the court. That’s not an especially high bar.
I don’t necessarily disagree, I was just avoid being too optimistic
I mean, it wouldn’t even take an especially great rookie season. He could potentially be better than Kuzma and not make the All-Rookie team.
I wouldn’t call Kuzma mediocre. He’s good at a lot of things, but he’s not great at any one thing. A winning team can use guys like that.
This being said, my disinclination in trading for him is more about DC’s available assets not being compelling enough for me to move the fourth pick. I’d have been happy to have taken what the Lakers were offering last season before they lost the battle to their inescapable urge to go for a name rather than a solid fit.
The Kings would have been better if the deal had gone through, but I’m content with the fact that the Lakers got worse.
He needs to take about 5-6 fewer bad shots a game. At the moment, his low efficiency chucking is tanking his overall impact. Since he’s an average-to-below defender, his only really positive contributions are in rebounding and being pretty willing to move the ball. He just needs to have much lower USG.
This. Almost perfectly mediocre.
Interesting side note, the head of the medical staff that Youngman was forced out in favor of, is leaving to go to the Penguins.
Ron Burkle’s team…
Huh. That’s interesting.
Probably not the worst thing to happen. I felt like the team had a lot of seemingly minor injuries that kept the players out longer than it should have the last few years (outside of the intentionally resting the players to tank thing).
Just stay at 4 and draft whomever of the big 4 falls to you. Only trade the pick if it’s an over the top massive offer of epic, unheard of proportions.
They can still take Ivey and negotiate with those teams in the 20-30 minutes thereafter. If the offers don’t sweeten up, you keep the guy. We should not be viewed as a dumping ground for offloading other teams trash deals and past sins. Can’t be viewed like this by the league or the Kings are shot for the future.
Y’all sleeping on Mathurin. Trade that #4 for the #7 and lightly protected 1st rounder for Josh Hart and then draft Mathurin.
One of my hottest takes is that in 3 seasons, Mathurin won’t be considered the best player taken out of Arizona in this draft.
Agreed. Koloko (not Terry) will be an All-Star but I think Mathurin has that upside + ancillary influence on the overall grit of this team.
I say Terry. Though not necessarily an All-Star. He was the glue to that Arizona team and always took the toughest perimeter defensive assignments.
In general, you’ll find that I tend to like the guys that contribute across the board and are willing and able to embrace team concepts.
I hear you, just miss having a freaking star on this team. It’s so fun to be able to just trust a player with the outcome of a game. I miss that feeling.
Dalen Terry is a baller. He’s a good cutter/passer/defender/and has nice size for the G position. Decent C&S but doesn’t really score much, if he can tighten his dribble drives and score a bit more, he could be steal.
I definitely get the Ivey love, I do not get why 160lb Chet is a sure-fire top 4 pick, and he’s an especially awkward match for this team. I really hope he’s off the board and not a consideration for this team.
If Monte does not like Chet, he can still trade him to other team.
I want a trade up for Chet. He’s the potential badass in my opinion.
Highest ceiling and floor. And I think other players are better than Murray at 5-7
195lb. and he has competed toe-to-toe and excelled at every level that he has played. A macro look at his career confirms why he is going to have his name called early on draft night. I have no idea whether or not he will blossom in the NBA, but I have no more concern about him than I do Banchero, Ivey or Murray.
Excelled at every level of competition, and did not back down from heavier opponents at all. He is so freaking skilled for his size, and has the attitude to back it up.
Yeah, it might take a few years for his talent to shine in the NBA, but he is definitely worthy of such a high pick.
I think in the right role, he’ll be a useful rotation member immediately. Whether all his skills come to bear in the NBA we’ll see. But I have zero doubt he’ll be able to hit open threes and provide some weakside rim-protection immediately.
Yup, 3s and weak side rim protection in year one, and then let the playmaking and creation come around after a bit. I think he will be a stud
I don’t get the need for him to sound hood.
“Sound hood?”
You’re a smart human, I think you can figure that one out.
I’m curious why it would matter. And I wouldn’t say he “sounds hood.” I would say he’s spent his entire formative years playing on and traveling with elite basketball teams. As such, I’d say he sounds like someone that came up within the cultural environment of basketball. Just like your mannerisms likely match the cultural environment you grew up around. Why do you “have to sound” the way you sound?
Just can’t take that young bull seriously, thazzzz all mayne.
Okay, you just have to realize that’s your issue. Not Chet’s.
And you feel the need to tell me I have to realize X because?
I don’t. I’m done with it.
My wife just says I sound annoying
While I have more concerns about Ivey than I do about Chet, I have more concerns about Chet than I do about Paolo.
How’s he an awkward match. At the very least he’s a floor-spacer and weakside rim-protector. Which literally lines up perfectly with Sabonis in the front court.
My 2 main concerns with drafting Holmgren are whether or not he can defend the perimeter at the PF spot and whether or not he can create shots at the rim consistently for himself. (I’m expecting yes but it will take awhile.)
Whether that’s how it ends up working out, we shall see.
It seems like he should be good at that.
Idk if he’ll be able to consistently do that.
I worry about Chet’s skinny frame, but he theoretically fits well w/Sabonis. I worry more about Ivey than I do about Chet.
Let’s say the Kings are really high on Ivey but don’t like the fit with Fox. What do you all think the team could get back trading Fox? Fox did much better after the Hali trade, would he be back to the 20-point player if playing next to Ivey? Is that a bad thing if Ivey also averages close to that? Would that be a great backcourt or a cluster? Most players at the higher levels are Alpha Dogs and I wonder if Hali leaving brought the Alpha Dog out in Fox. I suspect Ivey is an Alpha, too. Just seems like a very tough evaluation for the team and I have to believe they’ve had conversations with Fox and others about fitting in any new players.
The list of teams interested in Fox would be more surgical. Big contract, and really not a top 10 PG right now. A team like the Knicks could fit, but the best player that you are getting in return is probably RJ Barrett, the #11 pick, maybe Ob Toppin and Derrick Rose for filler. Something like that. Would this front office do that? Highly doubtful, I think.
If the Wiz trade Beal they probably don’t want Fox’s contract in return. The Suns would not S&T him for Ayton, the Hawks would not take him on for Collins, the Hornets would not want him as part of a Miles Bridges S&T, etc. So there would have to probably be a multi-team trade, and the more teams you involve, the more likely that it never comes together.
If Ivey is your guy and you favor him over Fox, then RJ Barrett, the #11, and filler is a great deal for the Kings. You get RJ at the end of his rookie deal and control his rights, the #11 could be a potential starter, and some expiring deals that gets you out of Fox’s deal is a no brainer in my head. Full disclosure I’m in the camp that doesn’t think Fox is going to be on the next Kings playoff team.
Mitchell, Ivey, Barrett, Barnes, and Sabonis is a better team than the current Kings, IMO. Add in the #11 (Sochan, Jalen Williams, Mark Williams?) and I think you are onto something.
I will add that I don’t see that much of a conflict with Fox/Ivey. Ivey is not really a true point guard – he is much more Donovan Mitchell in style of play than Mike Conley. More Anthony Edwards than D’Angelo Russell. Ivey has some catch and shoot chops, and looks like a guy that could be amazing off cuts with his speed. Yes, he also creates on his own. But he’s not really a guy that I project to run the offense at the NBA level. He’s a two guard, and far less of a facilitator than Fox (or Hali or Davi, for that matter). In fact, if the Kings traded Fox, Davi would likely run the offense more of the time.
I’m not against trading Fox for the right deal, but I don’t think that Ivey would be any more of a problem playing next to Fox than would be Mathurin, Sharpe, Davis, Daniels, or any of the other guards that have come up in conversation these past several weeks (in fact, Daniels would probably be the most challenged, given his facilitating skills and his current lack of floor spreading shooting ability).
This is all disturbingly sensible.
My wife’s exact utterance when I am wearing boxer brief Depends.
…Depends on what?
I have zero hard support for this aside from my feelings about their mechanics, but I expect will be a better floor spreader than Ivey in the NBA.
Who do you expect will be a better floor spreader?
Wow, I’m leaving a lot of key words out today. I think Daniels will be a more impactful shooter than Ivey within a couple seasons. Which will be a relatively low bar.
EVERYONE STOP SAYING “FLOOR SPREADER”
“FLOOR SPREADER!”
Now there’s a good post. Agree
I don’t see any way right now for either of those teams, short of dumping a ton of salary to create cap space or a trade exception large enough to cover Fox’s 30 million salary, could even pull off a S&T. As things stand, there’s no actual feasible S&T that the NBA would approve between the Kings and Suns/Hornets.
I suppose there are other avenues, but that’s always the case.
I think every knows I’m open to trading Fox. Though for me it wouldn’t be in order to replace him with Ivey. I think if we’re moving on from Fox, the answer isn’t to replace him with the stronger, but less skilled version of himself, but to go a different direction. Preferably one that doesn’t force your hand so much at other positions trying to make up for your primary guards shortcomings.
Every draft and every free agency and every trade deadline is another time to wonder if the GM, in this case GM McNair, is really in charge or not. I am sure GM McNair has to put up with “insights”, “wonderings” and “I think that”s from Clan Ranadive.
We know the results of that – 9 seasons of playoff failure. “Contending for a playoff spot” until December, or maybe March in that one Joerger year.
I am still hoping, wanting to believe, the GM McNair is different and will proceed to make a clear headed decision that is “best for the team” with the proviso that there are more short term than long term goals here.
Please convince me Monte, that’s all I ask.
And 1:
another voice that GM McNair gets to avoid is the Joe Dumars connection that was another way that Vivek plied his influence.
I don’t know if that means that Monte is more independent or that GM Ranadive (Vivek, Aneel, Matina) get to speak louder and more often.
Either way, GM McNair wears every decision.
Just keep,making everyone believe they want IVey. I suggested that two weeks ago and stick by it. Isaiah Stewart and a second round pick to swap picks with Detroit
I’d want a hell of a lot more than Stewart (a non starter behind Sabonis) and a 2nd rounder to swap picks with Detroit. Make it Bey and I’m at least listening.
You basically steal Stewart and the second round pick because the Kings really don’t want IVey I would guess they are posturing which is a good strategy. No way in hell Detroit gives up Bey to move up one spot. You have to be realistic about what you’re asking for.
Idk if Detroit would be willing to trade Bey, but I think they’d trade a future 1st if they thought Ivey’s a lot better than anyone else.
The problem is, Detroit does have a future first until like 2028. Their picks are tied up Vlade style with OKC.
Oof. That makes a Detroit trade less palatable unless they include Bey.
Yeah maybe a protected first and I’d take that deal.
Dallas gave up Trae Young and their 2019 first rounder to move up 2 spots for Luka. Detroit would be committing robbery if all they gave up was Stewart and a 2nd rounder to move up. You have to be realistic about what you’re asking for.
4 to Detroit for 5 + Bey. If they balk on Bey, consider Grant (who they want to unload) then in a 3-team deal flip Grant for a pick in 18-24 range.
Then take Murray. Get Murray + a this year’s 20th ( or so).
Second option- 4 to Pacers for 6. Miss out on Murray but get Daniels or Mathurin at that spot + get Duarte and 31.
If Ivey is not THE GUY, then instead of waiting like with Hali, pull the trigger now.
This is a weird draft year for me. There are almost no prospects in this year’s draft that I am excited about. Because of that, I find myself liking a lot of the trade options better than the picks.
Of the top four, I am really only curious about a potential pairing Chet with Domas on defense.
hindsight is always 20/20 but times like these, I wish we had not made that hali trade. The team may have still been top 4 anyways. And a Pacers trade now involving 4 and 6 and a sabonis or turner would have been more palpable
The lotto could’ve been different w/o that trade.
This is indisputable. Four of the teams in the original top seven dropped at least one position after the lottery. Houston did everything possible to get that first pick, and dropped. We’ve seen the Kings drop from one to four, and the three teams directly ahead of Sacramento this year all dropped behind.
There’s no rhyme or reason to it, which is great! Except when it’s terrible.
The trade speculation is cool and all, but this team is so bad it seems like the real win now move is to just draft whoever all these teams supposedly are tripping over themselves for. If Ivey is as good as advertised and the fit isn’t the best, then he or Fox can be traded. If the there are no issues with fit in this scenario, enjoy the W’s.
Thank God! Maybe they learned something after a few years.
Bagley over Luka was insanely dumb. Not trading their #2 pick to move down to draft Bagley made it an all time dumb draft mistake. Maybe Ivey does not fit into the team plans (insert Kangz here). You still moved up in the lottery, EXTRACT SOME DAMN VALUE OUT OF IT even if you choose not to grab the coveted player.
I’m going to offer an alternate take and argue that this isn’t how the draft will play out at all.
Ivey will leap frog into the top three and Holmgren will slip over concerns about health and his frame. Nobody will offer a good trade to sneak up and grab Holmgren at 4 because they see the stock falling and think he can be had lower. They stand pat and take Murray at 4.
I was with you until Holmgren falls to four and isn’t selected by Sacramento. Unless Holmgren injures his leg and the trainers shoot him, I don’t see how he possibly gets past four.
Same. Take him and don’t think twice about it.
I would bet Monte McNair has always been of the mindset that he thinks Holmgren will drop.
I’m guessing there is a player they love that is not in the “top 4”, as well. Could be any number of guys, really. And, I would point out, drafting a rookie isn’t likely to move your win meter much if at all. Most of the time, it hurts if anything.
The Vivek Ranadive liking “Keegan Murray” rumor is wonderful….for McNair. It keeps the rumor mill guessing and wondering whether or not Ranadive will make McNair take Murray at 4 if there isn’t a player in the top 3.
Teams value shot creation at the top. IMO, (As they also should, IMO.) Jabari Smith Jr, Jaden Ivey and Paolo Banchero are all better at that than Chet Holmgren now.
Could I be wrong that other teams like OKC and Houston don’t value Holmgren as much as Sac? Absolutely. Nothing shocks me when it comes to this type of stuff anymore.
Next Thursday is going to be a good day for the Sacramento Kings, me thinks. Not sure why I think that, just a hunch more than anything.
It sounds like OKC’s hoping to draft Chet & Sharpe (& they may be willing to move up to get Sharpe). I wouldn’t expect Chet to be available at #4.
Short of emptying the treasure chest, Presti has little to entice McNair to trade down.
It sounds like OKC’s targeting the 6-10 range if they think they need to trade up to get Sharpe.
Sure, I believe that besides the fact OKC is notoriously tight lipped. I don’t believe any smokescreen SZN rumor anyway.
My spidey sense tingles, and sometimes it’s accurate and sometimes not. But…..I would not be shocked in the slightest if Presti just ends up taking Ivey at #2 and whatever project he really likes at 12.
The only thing that matters here is Sam Presti’s body of work, and that suggests he will not run with the bulls on this one. He’ll walk his own way, and for better or worse.
If I’m Presti and I know I have to dump my treasure trove to get #4, do I really want to throw all my marbles in on Holmgren and Ivey? Personally, I wouldn’t do that. But I don’t have an especially love/hate affair with Holmgren or Ivey. I’m also not over the moon on either.
Presti will do something that will change the course of the draft. That you can bank on. You can also bank on not knowing what that will likely be until he takes his pick at #2. All you can do, if you’re Monte McNair, is be prepared for all those scenarios and proceed accordingly with however it shakes out.
If Chet’s available at #4, I hope the Kings draft him.
If Ivey is the star so many people seem to have convinced themselves that he is, why isn’t he projected in the top 2?
seems like a lot of people have decided that he’s a can’t miss. But really, this is all a crapshoot. Nobody knows.
That’s not true.
I know. I mean, I really do know.
But I am not going to spoil it for the rest of you. You should thank me.
I bet you are saying things about me right now…
…And you’re welcome.
This is good no matter what…but I think is the most positive aspect is that it forces the Pistons to the table whereas they may have just sat back before. I really hope we move back no further than 5 and steal Bey (I don’t really want Grant, but I’d take him to potentially flip at the deadline…maybe take Hayes & Livers, a future pick swap, and send back salary), it all depends on how badly they want Ivey though.
Badge Legend