Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox has missed the last 8 games with what’s being called an ankle injury. Fox has been a game-time decision for most of these missed games, and there has been no official medical update from the team beyond listing Fox on injury reports with a “sore ankle”. Alvin Gentry has said that a sprain or anything more serious has been ruled out.
De’Aaron Fox addressed the issue with local media the other day, dismissing concerns about the injury being serious, and blowing off any other speculation about the cause of his absence.
Fox on speculation on why he’s missing games: “I’m not going to dispel something that’s made ip on the outside.” pic.twitter.com/SEg85vdx8T
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) February 2, 2022
But, as is mentioned in the video, Fox’s absence has drawn speculation. There’s been theories that the Kings are holding Fox out as they prepare to trade him, or theories that Fox is upset about being in trade rumors and is holding himself out, or that he may have even quietly asked for a trade. And to be clear, Fox says he’s sitting because his ankle hurts, and there’s no reason to doubt that his ankle could be bothering him.
Fox’s last game was the game against the Pistons, and we could see Fox land awkwardly and limping a little after. It seems clear that Fox is dealing with some level of ankle pain, and we shouldn’t assume otherwise.
The question is then a matter of degrees and other factors. If the Kings were having a better year, is the pain something that Fox would simply be playing through? And if that’s the case, even if Fox is capable of playing through the pain, in a season like this why should he bother?
I fully believe that the Kings are still open to deals for Fox as the trade deadline approaches, so there’s no reason to try to rush Fox back and potentially aggravate a sore ankle. I believe Fox is probably unhappy with how this season has gone, and because of that he might be taking longer than usual to get fully healthy. All of these things can be true, and none of them make me upset.
We’ve seen Fox return from injuries, including a Grade 3 ankle sprain, much faster than expected. We’ve seen him play through shoulder injuries too. We know Fox can play through pain. But this season is already lost. So if it’s an organizational decision, or a player decision, or some combination of it all, I choose to believe that Fox has a sore ankle and that he’s not rushing back, and that’s just fine.
100% spot on.
Fox takes a lot of punishment and comes back relatively quickly. He ain’t no Marvin in that regard. His added muscle in the off season may have been muscle, may have been just 10 pounds but it seemed to slow him down.
Honestly, the season is lost, so him sitting is precaution but there is a little bird in the back of my mind saying- saving for trade.
Hali has been good lately. And it points out the challenges of the two of them together. Hali needs to play not to be the third guard and play when Fox sits. And Mitchell adds another level of redundancy. Fox makes a lot of $ and would, as such, command a high priced player.
Simmonds- price is too high if it means losing future assets for a guy who simply cannot shoot. Ingraham- doubt NOP wants to trade him. Randle- not worth it unless add young guys + picks. Sabonis? a possibility since Pacers are in full tankathon mode. Hali is unique to say the least and a better floor general. and is cheaper.
and I agree with Guru- this is most likely a precaution.
Just a friendly note: At some point, considering how often you write it, you’re going to have to learn Ben Simmons’ name.
Don’t be judge-y, Mr. BeastHyperbowlEver.
Whatever, AuteurNerd.
Oh hush, TheLaker.
(low blow? sorry, friend.)
If we’re doing this, can we also have the handful of you that keep slipping an apostrophe into our team’s name stop slipping an apostrophe into our team’s name?
The Kings’ name?
Agree with all this. I would love a B. Ingram trade for Fox. Throw Buddy, Bags or Barnes in (or even a lightly protected first). Him, Hali and Davion would be nice. Fox and Zion could be very interesting too.
What bothers me and most of fans is not the ankle injury and the mysteriousness surrounding it, it is the implying chaotic situation this organization has been in since 2004 and currently I don’t see a path out. I sure hope McNair proves me wrong by the weekend but I am not hopeful and that’s the saddest part about this.
There’s no overnight fixes but it’s crazy how McNair has done basically nothing since being GM in reshaping this roster.
Yeah but you can argue that not doing nothing is better than making desperate or bad trades. Which may be all that’s available realistically.
Yeah no kidding when McNair declared bottoming it out (aka acquire assets) is not an option which makes “desperate” or dumb moves are the only moves he can make.
I know he said that but is it a feint?
All McNair is saying is that an OKC rebuild isn’t happening.
When you’re a proven 30-ish win team without a ton of internal development upside, at some point, change even just for the sake of change is needed. As we’ve discussed a lot, my question is when that point is. In general, I’m a fan of proactivity. I think if a team isn’t actively improving, then it’s being passed by. Personally, I would like to see some boldness and decisiveness in the coming offseason at the absolute latest. I would prefer to see it this trade deadline, but I’ll settle for some lesser moves if they can reasonably be seen as positioning moves for that offseason aggression.
Of course not being insiders, we don’t really know what deals may be out there. I do however become concerned when I see the recent LaVert trade with with the Cavs. I would of taken that same deal for Barnes. So the question the media needs to ask management. “Can you provide us some idea of the types of trade offers you’ve made and received.” Is the goal to improve the team now for a playoff push or to collect draft capital and create cap space in order to build for the future.” Given the team has the 5th worse record in the league, is it really reasonable to assume the assets are in place where a trade or two can make a significant difference now.”
You can ask, but most GM’s won’t answer that, nor say that they had a better trade two days ago.
This F.O. has been abusing the fans’ good-faith thinking that “we don’t really know what deals may be out there” for years now. Nothing happens? Well, the right deal must not have been out there! Time to change perspective a bit: If the F.O. isn’t making any significant deals, then the problem isn’t that no good deals are out there, it’s that the F.O. has over-valued its assets and is being delusional. Which would make perfect sense, considering McNair publicly said this was a playoff-caliber team before the season began.
This is why we should judge the FO on deals made rather than deals attempted, rumored, or speculated about.
IMO, the potential Bogdan and Hield deals, or speculating about whether they could have gotten the LeVert package for Hield/Barnes don’t mean anything.
It’s a results oriented business. You either made the move or you didn’t. As Guru often says, the proof will be in the pudding. Though the original proverb there is actually “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.” Which is to say, you actually have to try it to know if it’s good. Just like Monte is going to actually have to make moves for us to know if they’re good ones or not. As of yet, I’d argue he hasn’t actually produced any pudding. Hopefully he will at some point relatively soon.
We can also judge the FO on whether or not any deals are actually made. Inaction, in this case, would be as much a choice as action– and it would come from a delusion that the current “core” of this roster has the potential to seriously compete. If February 10 comes and goes and the headline move is an edge-nibbling swap of marginal assets, e.g. Marvin Bagley for an expiring veteran and a protected 2nd-round pick, we will know that McNair et al. sincerely do have this delusion. And if they don’t, then keeping the core together for one second longer, on the grounds that “no good deals were available,” is ludicrous. Of course no “good” deals are going to be available. Your core is junk! Why would you expect to get good assets in return for junk? You bite the bullet, get whatever you can get, don’t throw a fit, and rebuild from there.
Monte’s answer would be “you can do both and we are”
Sure. This team is in a tough spot, and there’s no doubt that change is needed. So rather than rehashing everything again, I’ll just drop the moves I can see happening.
De’Aaron Fox for Julius Randle
Buddy Hield gets bought out this offseason (nobody wants him at the price)
Harrison Barnes for a 1st or young player like Patrick Williams
Richaun Holmes and Damion Jones for PJ Washington and Ish Smith
Mind you, I’m not a big fan of the Randle for Fox move. I’m hoping I’m wrong about Buddy. I think those are deals for both Barnes and Holmes that are available and reasonably fair.
I look at potential Buddy deals, but they just don’t seem to work. Lakers probably do want him, but unless they are moving Westy there isn’t a workable deal. I don’t see a deal with the Celtics unless they are willing to eat some tax to do it. OKC is an option but I don’t see them eating Buddy’s salary without alot of picks going their way. Tim Hardaway Jr for Buddy?
Anyway, that’s where I’m at. Other than hoping there isn’t some absurd overpay for Jerami Grant ala what Cleveland did to get LeVert.
Cavs wanted a slasher since they lacked that. Gave up a first and a second from Detroit? That’s on the margin for high price.
At this point, if LAL want Buddy, do it- get THT and move him in same deal to a third team and get at least a future first from LAL- that is a long time away future first.
I am not a big fan of Fox for Randle either- and I would not do that.
Interesting but Kings guard situation is similar to Cavs: Sexton + Garland. Very similar and undersized. Now have LaVert. Sexton be gone I suspect. Barnes for Williams would be great and Bulls might be motivated due to Cavs move. Barnes for DiVencesnso?
If Holmes and D. Jones go, who plays the 5?
Totally agree team in tough spot- the way to #10 is blocked- NOP, Blazers and SAS and the way to the bottom is blocked by the Big Bottom Four + at this point, Blazers and Pacers. Blazers can go both ways.
Stuck in the low middle again.
Pigs will fly wearing North Face parkas in Hell before McNair buys out Hield. Mr. Asset Management will refuse to lose Hield for nothing… even if, by keeping Hield, Hield’s value eventually dwindles to nothing.
He might just ask Hield to stay home, too. I’m really hoping for a trade, though.
I may be naive, but I think there’s a market for Hield.
I think it takes the right circumstances to trade him. And that makes sense it tough to pull off a trade. If not at the deadline hopefully in the offseason. There might be opportunities then to pull off a deal.
Kuzma and Harrell was a pretty good market for Buddy. Who knows how much he’s fallen from that. I think Buddy in the right situation could be a nice piece for a contending team.
There is a market for Buddy, and probably all Kings, even Bags. Look at what Buddy was gonna be traded for in LA.
To me, the lack of trade movement is about Vivek mandate/want to chase playoffs and not tweak and rebuild.
So, I’m doubtful of trading Fox etc because I believe it would signify Vivek backing off.
I actually don’t think the Kings are in a uniquely tough spot. I just think they need to finally choose a path, move forward along that path aggressively, and accept the fact that there’s always a decent chance any given move isn’t going to be a winner.
With a normal ownership group, I’d agree. But we both know that’s not the dynamic with the Kings sadly.
I have to disagree. McNair has had more than enough opportunity to make changes and has failed so far, and failing at the deadline is just more failure. Almost every other team in the NBA reshaped its roster to a greater degree than the Kings just last offseason, let alone over the last two years. At some point real soon now, the guy is either unwilling or incapable of any improvement or even any change, let alone any boldness or decisiveness.
I’m not settling for more nothing at the deadline. I don’t think he should be fired February 11 if nothing gets done, but I wouldn’t be mad if he was. If it’s up to me, his job would be on the line in the offseason. Yes, Vivek is the real problem, but you also can’t let a guy collect a check for two plus years of no change on a bad team.
I mean, Jesus Harold Christmas, make Nate the damn GM. He’s at least got a plan to get *something* done, good or bad.
Listen Carl, and I greatly respect you and appreciate the sentiment. But that’s a horribly dumb idea. First, I’m far less qualified than McNair. Second, being set up to fail as McNair is will result in failure. I don’t grow unicorns man, there’s no easy way around the real problem. And firing McNair will absolutely solve nothing.
What I think Monte McNair is really guilty of is striving for long term sustainable success. He’s just being undercut every step of the way by either bad luck or bad process underpinned by arguably the worst culture in professional sports.
At this point, the Kings are fucked. That’s all there is to it. But if you start somewhere working on the weak areas of culture, you need someone capable of enacting that change. Why not McNair? If nothing else, he hasn’t said we can play basketball outdoors in wintertime!
I hear you. I’ve believed in McNair’s competence from day one, and I can’t argue about the insanely terrible culture Vivek has created with this team. I also agree that firing him and having Vivek hire another person doesn’t solve anything. But you can’t let the guy go on for literally years getting nothing done. It’s a tough one, because Monte (if he can’t act by the offseason) unquestionably deserves to be fired, in my mind. But Vivek is doing the hiring and firing, so it’s just going to be someone else who is passive, incompetent or unqualified or some combo.
Let’s hope McNair pulls off some deals here in the next three days, and at least this team has some chance to improve, short term, long term, whatever and he buys himself some time (not measured in years) to get more done.
Long term sustainable success should be the mission statement and that requires a major rebuild. Get what you can in terms of draft capital and cap space for Buddy, Barnes, Harkless, Thompson, Len, Bagley, and yes Holmes and move on with it. You can take your time with Fox before making any decisions there but the other moves need to be made immediately. There’s no reason to play anyone over 25 years old the rest of this season.
I agree. I think management is experiencing cognitive dissonance and until they get through that nothing will be done. They don’t want to take a step or two backwards in order to move forward so instead they go backwards one step at a time. This team needs a significant rebuild, they simply don’t have the pieces to make a trade or two and get into contention. Until they realize that they will keep floundering at the bottom of the league.
Rock bottom in the NBA doesn’t happen when you have no talent…it happens when you believe you have talent that you don’t really have…that is the point at which you are furthest from the goal
Yeah, there’s probably not much available on the market to get a fair return for Fox. I would think the Kings would at the very least would demand another proven scorer in exchange for Fox.
And then with a lot of teams trying to lowball the Kings, I imagine nothing will happen with Fox right now.
Unless some miracle happens and we get a 16-18 ppg scoring wing. Doubtful.
How about a 20plus 15 power forward?
And you also get a first round pick and another player or two.
I’m curious who you’re thinking of. Because your description only really fits Sabonis but you obviously aren’t getting more assets along with him.
I’d like a fair return, but, at some point, you have to decide if you can build a winning team with Fox in today’s NBA.
If not, you have to move him as best you can, so that you can start a rebuild around players who can, like Hali and Davion, in my view.
I don’t see the Kings being a winner with a PG who shoots poorly, distributes inadequately, and can’t defend, so I would move on. Fox has had plenty of time to improve, and hasn’t.
yes, doing nothing and tinkering- D. Wright, TD etc. is better than getting fleeced in a trade (Vlade and Philly) just to be doing “something vs. nothing)
Of course, that’s a completely false dichotomy. The options aren’t only do nothing of consequence OR get fleeced.
That is the way some folks talk about the situation though.
Why has several bottom feeders passed the Kings in recent seasons ? Doing nothing begets nothing ! Competent leadership generally works and the reverse is also true !
I won’t accept that the only options for the Kings are nothing or bad trades. That seems like an excuse to be bad forever. If I’m going full Stockholm syndrome, I should start watching some other sport.
I think Holmes and Barnes are very tradeable. And part of that is Holmes new deal.
I think it could be edited down to mean there are no superstars coming.
The best chance to fix that is to bottom out this year. They’re right on the edge as it is. They don’t even necessarily have to do it past this year. You’re a couple games out of a top five or better pick. Don’t screw it up.
I no longer have thoughts that this franchise will be able to fix anything to be honest. Too much damage. With this ownership, I think they’re doomed to be clowns.
I can hope, but I can’t argue.
What’s the Philly fan perspective on Simmons? Do they simply want him gone? Do they want him to stay? I’m sure there’s a contingent for both of those options, but I have no idea what the typical fan thinks of the Simmons situation.
Hundred percent want him gone because he’s already gone, and a large percentage want him to go somewhere terrible so he can suffer.
The only debate left is what to do about this season, and I personally think they’re playing so well they should just wait until the off-season.
So they want him traded here?
Didn’t know it was nearly universal that the fans want him out, but not particularly surprising.
Do you think they would give up a pick to trade Harris?
Simmons’ value can only drop after the deadline. Who’s going to give up good assets for a guy who hasn’t stepped on a court in over a year and a half without seeing him play first? Morey is gonna get boo’d out of town when his team loses in the second round, too.
McNair has has been crap so far. Call it like it is. No decent trades to speak of. Lose Bogi for nothing. Failure to build a roster capable of the flippin 10th seed. A “gap” year in year one?!
Well I disagree about McNair being crap. He’s just not doing things fans want him to do.
Yep…like improve the outlook of our team. Definitely has not done that!
No overnight fixes, over-year fixes, or over-decade fixes, either!
McGenius is holding Fox out because he has offers on the table under consideration. This will drag out until Thursday as McG hopes he gets better offers as the deadline hits. Just my opinion.
It breaks my heart a little to see De’Aaron’s career treated like this. I know us Sacramentonians will worship anybody who says they actually like our city but dammit I boarded the Fox train hard like most people. It has come the time where I just hope the best for the dude and unfortunately that definitely means playing somewhere else. Basketball hell changes people.
It actually hurt my heart to thumbs up this, but I have to agree. Fox’s best days are probably ahead of him on a better team.
Everyone on this team’s roster has or will probably see better days on another team. Until something massive is done to change the toxic nature of this club, whether it be trades, front office turnover, coaching change, ownership change, we’re all stuck in basketball hell taking a giant bite of a shit sandwich.
I do wonder about the ankle, long term. Hamm said something about Fox coming back too quickly from the grade 3 and it has/may still be an issue. That it has effected his game overall. IE-Kings ineptitude dealing with injury fucked Fox?
Not sure if if that’s accurate but would explain his seeming loss of lateral quickness and speed.
Also so makes me think there’s no way they trade him cause Kings brain says—Fox is still gonna be awesome, once he fully heals.
Even in this shitty season for him he is still pretty awesome. That’s the thing. I have no doubt that he can and will continue to get better as an NBA basketball player. Will he ever be our MJ or Duncan or Lebron or Iverson? Probably not. And that’s ok
I’ve come to merely care about players I like simply playing basketball that is fast and fun to watch. For that reason, I don’t want Fox traded. I certainly wouldn’t be happy for a Fox/Randle swap where the team would be playing slower bully ball with Randle as the focal point of the interior offense. I’d be good with a Holmes/Hield for Randle swap (I haven’t checked salaries, I’m just guessing) but I don’t want To lose my favorite King which remains Fox.
I want to see good, winning basketball. Does not matter to me if it is fast or slow. Just execute, play defense, and compete your ass off each night.
Well of course, I’d like winning basketball but it doesn’t seem like that’s an option. I don’t believe Fox for Randle translates into a playoff team. If you’re going to move Fox, then do so for a star. I don’t want to trade Fox but I would personally have supported the Fox/Hali for Simmons trade assuming it doesn’t include more picks. Simmons changes this teams talent for the better, he’s that good.
I had high hopes for Fox when he was drafted, but he’s never going to be player that the Kings need. It’s time to move on.
Fox missed games over a span of 15 days due to reported “ankle soreness” that is not a sprain or something more serious per Gentry. He had 17 days to recover from the day of the probable injury in the DET game to the most recent OKC game.
I think the situation is not what is being reported. At some point, common sense must enter the picture and tell me that ankle soreness, less than a sprain, does not typically keep a player out for 17 days. This could be the exception so rare it proves that rule or, more likely, one of a variety of more believable reasons are relevant here.
I don’t have a strong opinion on which other reason contributes most heavily to his absence, but I think the main one is not ankle soreness.
I agree; but what sucks is that some people have already decided that he’s soft, or that he’s thrown in the towel/demanded a trade.
The organization seems to be letting him hang out to dry without protecting him.
If you can’t deal him, shut him down for the rest of season and then hope he rehabs his ankle and his value next year. Give him a summer to lose the Fox fat and get him a new coach.
Let Davion and Tyrese drive the car the rest of the way.
Give him a summer to lose the Fox fat.
Lol.
For those who haven’t seen it, this is a tremendous article.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33236290/brooklyn-nets-flatly-dismissed-philadelphia-76ers-interest-james-harden-sources-say
Until I see otherwise, I just get the sense Lillard is traded to Philly on draft day.
I can appreciate giving Fox his dignity in the situation, Greg. But much of your position relies on an idea that the season is lost. As of now, the team is 2 games out of the play-in, and Portland has seemingly quit, which might be as close as Vivek has ever been. Shortsighted as it may be, what makes you think Vivek agrees the season is lost, and therefore isn’t pressing for Fox’s return? A potential trade seems logical to me.
UGH please no no no. But it’s probably true. It’s push-for-play-in time, because what’s more satisfying than stumbling over a lowered bar, in a way that prevents you from actually jumping over a respectably high bar in the future?
I’m trying to picture this team in a play-in game and imagine how it would end in anything but an absolutely ugly loss. They’ve repeatedly fallen apart in crunch time, have nothing much in the way of a go-to scorer, and don’t play a lick of defense.
I really hope that reaching a sub-standard “goal,” and being embarrassed by the T-Wolves, is not the best that I have to look forward to in the near future.
I loved Boogie, and never wanted him gone. I disagreed with everyone here (well there) Boogie should have been traded. I wanted to keep him.
I have never been one to tank, I want to win every game.
Well Basketball Hell has finally broken me, or I have seen the light.
If we do make the play in, we will be absolutely obliterated, embarrassed, and mocked. Trade Fox, there is nothing more he can do here. Hell, trade everyone who isn’t Halli or Mitchell but if you can get value for them then trade them too.
Thanks for saving the team Vivek but fuck you for saving the team too.
BORING TAKE
I’m no doctor, but 17 days hurt is a long time to have “soreness” without a medical diagnosis. That being said, this is the same medical staff that had Bagley out with “foot soreness” for two months without giving any other details.
Everything is just a guess at this moment but I do have to say his demeanor has changed this season. Fox has always been a fun and smiling guy who celebrates with his teammates on big plays, but this year I haven’t seen that kind of emotion from Fox. Maybe it’s just maturity or a more serious approach to the game, but his demeanor is different.
As to conspiracies that the Kings are sitting him because they are shopping him…I just don’t buy it. Something would have leaked by now. There would either been a report of a trade demand or the Kings are purposely sitting him so he doesn’t get (more) injured. For the life of me I can’t think of a time that a team has sat a player near the deadline because they were secretly shopping them.
If a guy hypothetically goes to his org and says he doesn’t want to be there anymore, would you play him? Especially if it was near the trade deadline? Maybe I missed it, but has Fox said during any of this that he wants to be a King and a part of the solution – as Hali recently did? He could easily clear a lot of things up.
I think we would have heard about a trade request in the media if that were the case. News like that would have gotten out.
I’ve got my expectations low that the Kings will do anything of significance at the trade deadline. I’d be more surprised if something big actually did end up going through.
Maybe, but Fox has always been smart about keeping things close to the vest. It doesn’t help him or the org to put it out there.
How about this. Make no trades unless it’s for a player that’s very, very good, finish out the season with the current personnel. At the end of the season fire the entire coaching staff, including Christie and leave Jackson as the G-League coach. Monte can hire his coach, then both of them can determine who they want to keep, who they want to trade, etc. Basically, start back over.
If that is the plan, I am wholly uncomfortable having McNair lead this team forward after sitting on his hands for two full seasons.
Vivek, Joe Dumars, and McNair working behind the scenes:
Agree. So he gets two more years to see how “his” coach and roster pan out? Come on.
We’ll be paying off his contract for another two years anyway!
So we are two years away from being two years away?
Agreed but somehow I would still welcome A PLAN.
I’m getting ready for the trade deadline. Surely there will be moves made…
Just wait till summer and moves will be made ! Likely not the summer of ‘22 ! 😡
“The right deals just weren’t there.” Translation: I offered cubic zirconium and asked for diamonds, and those meanies kept saying no.
Sounds like a Daryl Morey thing to do…
You guys that comment on every article are the greatest basketball minds we will ever know. You know the inner workings of the organization, what offense and defense they should be running, who they should trade and trade for. Your knowledge is undeniable. Kudos to you, you are an asset to the fan base.
Thanks for coming by TKH and sharing your opinion Vivek.
And sadly, every single one of us bigmouthed amateurs would’ve taken Doncic over Bagley. And the Kings would be a 50-win team for the next 15 years. But, you know, bitter fans are the real problem.
You’re a good customer.
What I know is that the 18-34 Kings would have to go 17-13 over the next two months to be as good as they were last year or the year before, with the same core personnel.
We only need to go 21-6 the rest of the way to get to 500. It’s a Cinderella story!
I got the Masters in the bag
This seems uncalled for.
You are being complimented; run with it! And have a thumb!
The idea to DO SOMETHING isn’t that hard. Just saying.
Does McNair have a plan B since Covington got traded to the Clips?
Jeff Green…../ducks.
It’s called the mourning after pill
Trading Davion Mitchell and a 2nd for Hassan Whiteside. Glory days.
Let the guy recover. Ankle injuries take time to heal properly.
I want to keep Fox and see him develop his full potential–offensively and especially defensively. Kings now have 3 superb guards and should build around them. Also keep Harrison Barnes–I love his game.
What I really want to know is what Doug Christie thinks about all this. That would be newsworthy.
This is not the way.
Just a few more seasons should do it
Plus we get Boston 1st this year.
Gives us two young wings that can shoot to work with plus a first.
Who says no?
probably Boston.
Monte ‘Micro-move’ McNair better do something, he waited way too long to fire Walton and seems to have taken this job with the agreement to do what Vivek wants, which makes him weak. All his other moves are average to me.
OT: I’ve heard Monte is currently vacationing outside of cell phone range in Mexico. He booked his non-refundable flights 18 months ago before knowing he’d be in control of the Kings at this weeks deadline. Oh well.
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491067101402243072
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1491069131541688321
Pels are making a push for that final 10th spot. Blow it up Monte, it’s over.
Sigh. I’m already expecting nothing to happen by Thursday, and the FO’s message to not change…..”We’re good enough to make the play-in spot with this roster!”
Looking at the Pels deal, they may need a 3rd team to make numbers work. McCollum is making over $30M.
Here’s my pitch if I’m Monte:
McCollum to Pels. Hart, Sato, N.O. pick (s) and Bagley to Portland. Snell and Murphy III to Kings.
Well, shit. Nevermind.
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1491075416001556483
Lol, of course it happened right when you proposed something.
Isn’t that always the way Klam? LOL
I’m just curious how Portland pulls this off and who goes with CJ to New Orleans. Apparently it’s just Tony Snell because Spotrac already updated their pages on this. LOL
And Josh Hart is still on the New Orleans page! LOL
Minutiae can be fun to track sometimes.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>New Orleans’ 2022 first-round pick: <br><br>1-4: Goes to the Pelicans<br>5-14: Goes to the Blazers <br>15-30: Goes to the Hornets <br><br>- Blazers get a future first-round pick if it doesn’t convey<br>- Hornets get future second-round picks if it doesn’t convey</p>— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) <a href=”https://twitter.com/_Andrew_Lopez/status/1491088935673491459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>February 8, 2022</a></blockquote><script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
The chaser here is that Lillard is gone too. I have to think Lillard may be involved in the Ben Simmons/James Harden discussion.
It’s f-ng amaziing to me that a team with Lillard, McCollum, Nurkic and Powell is blowing it up, but the Kings are living in a delusional fantasy where they’re going to make the playoffs.
NO going all-in for the 10th is a huge win for Kings fans. Saving Vivek from himself.
Or David Griffin trying to save his own ass.
Why not both?
Because the New Orleans doesn’t give a shit about the Sacramento Kings or Vivek Ranadive. Why should they?
I mean, yeah, thats a bi product of New Orleans going for a play-in seed. But really, that’s not their motivation. They have their reasons starting with Zion and all that noise happening. I don’t even think Sacramento has occurred in their thoughts.
I think you misunderstood me. The “both” are 1. Griffin saving his job and 2. the Kings now less likely to make the play-in.
I don’t think YOU get what I’m saying. I understood your points just fine. This is not brain surgery we are discussing.
My point, and contention, remains that Sacramento, while being a beneficiary by pushing them further away from the 10th seed, had nothing whatsoever to do with this deal. It was entirely about the New Orleans Pelicans and their needs from their top exec to the players on the court. Period.
I think you need to explain that one more time, but more forcefully.
Can I scratch my balls while I do so?
Every time a new trade is announced, the realization that the Kings will either make no moves or a poor move, starts setting in. Then McNair will spin it like he always does and try to sell us that this team can compete.
No worries. VIvek pushing panic button today for 10th spot.
“Getting-fleeced” mode ON
Is it bad that I’m expecting the Kings to do something stupid and thus expecting to quit this franchise for a good long while until they start doing smart things again?
I’m kinda hoping for this to be honest, it seems healthier than hoping they’ll do the right and smart things if they aren’t getting the trades they should be for Barnes and Holmes.
Repeat after me…
“There are no superstars coming. There are no superstars coming. There are no superstars coming. There are no….”
Know your mantra Marty and i respect it. But I don’t entirely agree, and I don’t think successful seasons are entirely based on that formula.
Championships, yes, but the Kings need to make the playoffs first a couple years in a row before I even entertain the thought of a title run.
Hey now…
https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1491109560140316672
WTF!!!!!!!!!
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491116804848033793
. HOLY. MOTHERFUCKER. OF. GOD.
I fucking hate Monte right now.
I get it. I do. There’s pros and cons here on this deal. I will say, based on money, the deal does work.
The only issue here is the 3 for 2 deal unless someone else is coming back from Indy. But these are minor details at this point.
I’m okay with this on some levels, and frustrated with it on others. Which isn’t surprising at all.
On paper, this is a very fair deal for the Kings. If you take out the love we have for Tyrese, that is. Sabonis is a very good player. No guarantees Tyrese will ever ascend to Sabonis’s level. We also get rid of the awful Hield contract (and Hield himself) and professional reality sideshow actor Thompson. I get it. I really do. But man, I love Tyrese.
What the??!!
Ah, crap. No. This is fake. Please.
Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate!
Badge Legend