Welcome back to Chainmail! Greg finally let me back into the office after suspending me for a week for being perfectly okay with LeBron getting his fourth ring. Let's talk some Kings basketball!
Alvin Gentry was recently hired as the Assistant to the Regional Head Coach, and while much was made ado about the possibility of him replacing Luke Walton later this year, Carmichael Dave reassured everyone that Gentry was brought on to help Walton, not succeed him. With the coaching staff being fully filled out, attention has turned to Monte McNair, who has yet to hire a single executive onto his team. Sacramento's new GM has also continued to push the message of selecting the best player available in the upcoming draft, while he also has some tough conversations ahead of him with Buddy Hield. The Kings sharpshooter has continued to stir the pot, recently liking several Philadelphia 76ers posts, while reportedly refusing to answer Luke Walton's phone calls as well. In other words, the Kings have continued their tradition of being the Kings.
We also want to thank our sponsor for the mailbag, Carter Imports! Carter Imports is a Sacramento-based company that imports some of the very best Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Cretan Thyme Honey available in the world today. There has never been a better time to support one of our own than right now!
Now get to asking so we can get to answering!
Which current Kings are still on the roster in three years (at the start of the 2022-2023 season)?
Fox.
Period.
You forgot Giles FYI
So did Vlade. 🙁
Why do you think it is that Kings fans are only capable of interpreting any front office or player move through the lens of “will this be the thing that makes the difference between being in the lottery and winning multiple titles?”
Does packaging 35, 43, and 52 get the kings back into the mid to low 20’s for this draft?
If RJ Hampton keeps dropping, like I’ve been seeing in mocks, do you take him hoping mike Miller has fixed his shooting?
Outside of avdija, which foreign born player is the most likely to go in the first round?
Usually, no. In this draft and a COVID depressed market, maybe.
I think Hampton becomes a pretty decent pick somewhere around 25. So if he’s there at 35, then yeah, that’s an upside bet I’d be willing to take. He still may not be my favorite option on the board at that point, but I wouldn’t complain about it.
I’d say Killian Hayes is a lock to go in the 1st and could very well end up going before Avdija. Guys like Poku and Meleodon are likely to go in the first, but could fall. That is assuming by foreign-born you mean guys classified as international prospects that aren’t named Ball or Hampton. Because you have technically foreign-born but US developed guys like Achiuwa and US-born but foreign developed like Hayes.
Am I insane to think the 35th pick could be traded straight up for one of the cash strapped teams picking in the mid/high 20s in this draft? I’m thinking one of the Boston picks, Milwaukee, or LAL.
Yes, I was thinking the latter and not guys like ball or hampton. I’m higher on bolmaro over maledon as a first round pick. Poku needs to pack on like thirty pounds of muscle, but I like him like I liked bol bol last year. Mocks have hayes all over the place. This year’s draft will be interesting. I’m expecting a lot of trades.
I’m just talking about where I expect them to go. Not where I would take them. I would happily have both Poku and Bolmaro in the back of the 1st round.
The Raptors should draft Meleodon purely on his name alone.
Is the purported Gentry-Hield “connection” overblown? Hield was only with Gentry in New Orleans for half a season or so, didn’t play very well, and got traded for a giant toddler. Does the Gentry hire change anything re: Hield’s future with the Kangz, or is Buddyfingers still Most Likely to be Traded?
So it only took a half season for Gentry to increase Hield’s trade value?
I think at the very least going from Igor to Gentry is an upgrade in terms of their ability to connect with players in general. Part of the reason Igor was fired in Phoenix was his inability to connect with the young players on the roster. Will it matter? Who knows maybe Buddy just has his mind made up that he doesn’t want to play here. I guess the hope would be McNair can help the coaching staff put Buddy in a position to succeed, and Gentry can help use his relationship skills to get Buddy to put last season behind him, and treat next season as a fresh start.
When can we expect to start seeing Gentry’s imprints when looking at the on court product? Same question for McNair and his injection of analytics.
Not until at least January 2021.
Who is left as a Vlade holdover in the current front office? Training, scouting, etc. Do you think they will remain? Who do we think is a candidate for Asst GM, or is the field just too big to know?
Ugh, gross. The idea of Vlade hires still embedded like ticks in the organization sends shivers down my spine. It’s probably just Lyme disease.
If coaching counts, Walton is the holdover I can’t wait for them to jettison.
They’ve removed Anthony McClish and added Alvin Gentry from the contact us page, so I assume the rest of the people in the basketball operations section are still employed. Greg Stratton (Scouting Director), Gene Cross (Director of Amateur Scouting), and Adam Filippi (Director of Pro Scouting, Shooting Coach) are all experienced and have been with the Kings for at least a year. Stratton and Cross have been here for at least 5 years I believe. Colin Montague is the Director of Analytics. He was an analyst from 2017 until last year when he was promoted to his current position. Luke Bornn is technically still on the payroll, but he went from VP of Analytics and Strategy (I think that was his title) to Basketball Analytics Advisor. I assume finding his permanent replacement is high on McNair’s list.
they have a few regional scouts still on staff as well. Pedja Drobnak and Acie Law are probably the headliners since they both have previous nba experience.
Point being, they’re definitely understaffed, but it’s not like it’s McNair and Catanella have the front office to themselves. I’ll be curious how they handle Catanella. Technically he is the assistant GM. When Vlade was here, Peja outranked him from a power perspective, but they shared the same title.
I could see them hiring a EVP of Basketball Ops. that’s between McNair and Catanella, then a VP of Analytics and a VP of Player Personnel that are both roughly equal to Catanella. You can tweak the titles, but essentially Catanella will be the cap/contract guy, then they’ll have an analytics guy/gal, a scouting/roster guy/gal, and then McNair’s second in command. After that you’d hope they fill out the staff with scouts and data analysts.
to be clear, this won’t happen overnight. That’s just what I see happening over the next year or so.
There were rumors that Mcnair is going to add a former player into his FO. Who would you think that player would be?
My money would probably me on Chauncey Billups.. No source but just a hunch. I’ve heard a couple of months ago that he’s trying to get into a FO gig. Given his relationship with Dumars and Ken during their Pistons days I believe he might be the guy. Or it could be a totally different player that Mcnair used to work with in Houston.
It’s hard to really speculate unless you knew what position they’re planning to fill. If it’s a scout then it could be any former player really. I’m still hoping for the Shareef Abdur-Rahim reunion, but he’s technically qualified to get his own GM job. Shane Battier is VP of Basketball Analytics & Player Development for the Heat. Is second in command to McNair enough of a promotion to get him to leave Miami? Who knows. Anthony Parker (Orlando) and Pops Mensah-Bonsu (Washington) are both currently G League GMs.
Technically, Doug Christie could probably do a good job in a scouting/player development type of role. I don’t know if McNair wants to carry on the proud tradition of hiring former Kings greats though.
Every time I see the name Acie Law, I remember how positive I was that he was going to be a multiple time all-star. I would have bet a considerable amount of money on that fact.
Is Aaron Nesmith a reasonable alternative to play the Buddy Hield role on a team that is rebuilt on the Fox/Bagley timeline? Do you think he’ll be available at 12, and should he be the Kings pick? Also, is Jarett Allen a viable Hield trade option?
He’s a reasonable alternative if your goal is to replace Hield’s shooting. But simply replacing Hield’s shooting doesn’t improve the team or address our shortcomings. He will almost certainly be available at 12 though.
As for Allen, I think Hield makes a lot of sense for the Nets. The issue is if they retain Harris and then if they really want to be committing what would likely be $35+MM to 3pt specialists. If they don’t retain Harris, then Hield become an even better option for them. And they have a number of players I’d be interested in and they may be willing to move, including Allen.
Would love LaVert in Sacramento, but not sure if they’ll be willing to deal him.
This! Injury notwithstanding he’s a very good upgrade as a 2nd ball handler besides Fox.
0% chance they trade Lavert. Aside from KD and Kyrie, he is the 3rd player that I think the Nets wouldn’t trade unless they get a star in return.
I just don’t see how they make the salaries work. Buddy at over $24M next year. And Nets are well into luxury tax. If they were going to really go all in for this year, I don’t see why they wouldn’t just lock up Harris for roughly half of what Buddy is making.
Do you think harris takes a deal in the 10-13 million per year range?
I think Harris where get somewhere near half of what Buddy got, which should tell us all what Buddy’s true value is in the league.
I agree they’ll just lock up Harris. But I would expect Harris to be somewhere in the 15-18MM range.
That said, if they did decide to pursue Buddy they have plenty of ways to make salaries work with guys like DAJ (10MM, but unlikely to go anywhere), Dinwiddie (13.5MM), Prince (14.5MM), and LeVert (16.2MM) on the books. Along with Temple at 5MM and Allen at 4MM.
I would love to get LeVert as well. But even if he’s and, say, Dinwiddie are untouchable they could still build a package I’d be happy with. Even B/R put out a deal that was Hield + a 2022 2nd for Allen, Prince and Kurucs. Personally, I’d target Claxton in any deal with the Nets, but I’d be fine with that deal. Then I would move to trade Bjelica and Holmes who both should have positive value on their deals, and see if there’s a Barnes deal out there that doesn’t include giving up assets.
I’d be surprised if Harris got that much.
If Prince were part of a package, I guess it could work. Not sure if that would help the Nets, but hey if they’re willing go for it!
Being able to trot out a line-up of Irving, Hield, Harris, Durant, and really anyone could be pretty devastating. Though, ironically, the ideal 5th there would probably be someone like Allen. But if they could include a floor-spacing, rim-protecting C that lineup could potentially give up 130 pts but score 160.
Yeah depending who the center is, but I think that lineup might give up closer to 170 😉
I feel like Holmes will be a hot commodity as a good value contract to some contending team.
Yeah, I think there are a lot of teams that would LOVE to have him as a back-up. When I was building a deal with the Nets, I was often including him to provide energy and minutes behind DAJ on a short, cheap deal. Allen is the better version of him, but Allen is going to get pricey after next season, and I could see them wanting to get some value for him rather than paying him. Holmes also makes a lot of sense to be included IF there is a Horford deal in the cards since he’d be a great back-up for Embiid.
I’ve got Holmes going to Boston personally. The Kings can get in as a 3rd team in a Hayward trade. Maybe we can take a flier on Romeo Langford or Semi Ojeleye
Are we getting Hayward. Because he’s actually a great fit in our lineup. I did see a couple trade ideas from Hardwood Houdini the other day that were something like:
Hield + Joseph for Hayward + 30
Hield + Barnes for Hayward + Kanter + Theis + 14
Obviously, Hayward would have to pick up his option. But in the worst case scenario in the second one you’re trading for the #14 and a shit ton of expirings/cap reset.
I just think his game would be a great fit with their defense. Theis really does work well with their switching defense, and Holmes to spell him would also provide some more rim running which Boston lacks.
Out of the two trades you list, the second is more likely since I don’t think they need/want Joseph at all. I’d love to add Holmes to that deal, but Boston doesn’t have the mid-range contracts to make that work so it would need a 3rd team.
As a result of all of the terrible luck Hayward has had since arriving in Boston, paying just him $30 mil feels like a millstone move. I don’t believe that he’s a difference-maker any more, so if we’re going to shell out that kind of dough, I’d rather it was on two or three guys that will fit in with long-term strategy (whatever that turns out to be).
Even if Hayward was to come here and play all-world, are we then going to throw $150 million at him to stay? And if he should perform exceptionally, how does having a late-lottery pick in the next loaded draft help the team make a quantum leap, talent-wise?
I do like Hayward, but I’m content to let him remain as someone else’s problem.
I don’t think any expiring contract is a millstone. And I would suggest that his expiring and/or cap space next deadline/off-season would probably be more likely to bring back players worth being part of your long term plan than those two or three guys you spend that dough on this offseason.
If Boston gives us picks then yes, Hayward is a great get.
Yeah I’ve seen that proposed trade on the internet as well. I liked both options especially the 2nd one where we get Theis, Kanter and the 14th pick.
Our lineup should be young and getting high picks the next few years
He has no business in our lineup IMO
The path isn’t always straight. That lineup getting young is going to be a couple moves away in some cases. For example, you take that second deal and get a young player with the #14. Then you move Hayward next deadline as an expiring to bring back another young asset or two. It’s a process. Every player brought in doesn’t need to be seen as a core piece of the culminating roster. There are going to be transitional assets along the way.
Plus Hayward’s a really good player! People are acting like he’s this huge albatross contract. He was far superior to Barnes this season for instance. He could easily start for championship team (he’d be the Lakers 3rd best player, but obviously they’re unique). If the Kings could move long-term money for Hayward, plus pick up a young asset, then that seems like a good move to me.
Well, yeah. I even think you’re understating it. He performed better this year than anyone on the Kings roster.
Yeah I mean I probably wouldn’t pick Hayward in Ziller’s 1a/1b question due to the age/injury, but Hayward is the type of player I’d want to pair with Fox. He’s not gonna run in transition, but he’d make the half court offense a lot more efficient.
Bill Simmons on his pod said Hayward, Langford, and one of Boston’s 3 FRPs for Buddy.
Who says no?!
(also Zach Lowe said he thinks the Kings will try to make the playoffs next season)
Sign me up for that one. I mean, I think we still won’t make the playoffs, and we’ll blow our chance at a top 5 pick… but Hayward’s contract is expiring. Can flip him at deadline, and acquire potentially another 1st if he plays well.
Gets Buddy’s long-term money off the books and we can pick a shooter either at 12 or with a Boston pick. Plus keep Bogi.
12th pick = Get either Nesmith, Vassell, Saddiq. With the Boston pick either the 27th or 30th target guys like Bane, Bolmaro or Tillman.
I’d rather have Bane, Bolmaro and Tillman than any of the guys you listed above them.
Nesmith and Bey are good prospects for the 12th pick IMO. Idk I just like what they bring to the table which is shooting and defense.
My ideal pick for the Kings would be Nesmith or Bey for the 12th pick. Bane with the 27th pick (Assuming we can get a late first round), Isiah Joe with the 35th pick, Malachi Flynn with the 43rd pick and a stash player with the last pick.
I actually think there’s a path that has the Kings load up on some picks AND compete for the playoffs. For example, trading for both Hayward and Horford could probably add 2-3 1st round picks over the next couple drafts, as well as opportunities to use later cap space/expiring for more, and create a playoff worthy 2020-21 starting 5 based on Fox, Bogdan, Hayward, Bagley/Bjelica, Horford.
It’s a bit of the bargain Thunder approach. Target good, but overpaid players.
It sounds fine, but the drawback is missing out on a really high pick next year for a team that at best likely gets bounced in the first round. It would be fun though.
That’s fine. I’m not really a believer in planned tanks. Teams build without top 3 picks all the time.
I just don’t see how we’re going to get that superstar. Maybe we just get lucky with a late lottery pick, but those are pretty rare.
I mean, 5 of the 12 guys that got MVP votes this year were drafted after the lottery (I believe. I’m going off memory for draft placement). As well as something approaching 9-10 of this season’s All-Stars. You could easily make an argument that the best player on 7 of the 16 playoff teams was drafted outside the lottery (again, off memory of draft position) including one of the finalist. That finalist does have 2 lottery players among their key personnel. They were draft 13th and 14th.
Obviously, it’s easier to find a star with a top pick, especially in a draft with clear great prospects. But we’ve seen plenty of counter-examples.
Yeah I was speaking more specifically about the upcoming drafts, where it appears there may be a couple potential superstars available at the top.
History shows stars will be available later in the draft as well. But the odds do decrease. And I think the boom/bust potential increases as well. For every Giannis, there are probably several more Bruno Caboclo’s.
Using the 2020 All NBA first team as an example: Giannis (who was drafted 15th), but then Harden (3rd), Luka (3rd), and two overall #1’s (AD and Lebron).
Now, include the 2nd and 3rd team! Or last year’s All-NBA team!
Just kidding, I’m not denying that it’s much easier to find elite talent at the top of the draft. I’m just not sure tanking is worth a 14% chance of getting Cade Cunningham/Emoni Bates. You could win zero games and still only have a 40-ish% chance of getting a top 3 pick.
Yeah who cares about those scrubs on the 2nd and 3rd team 😉
For the record I’m still advocating for something like the Hayward trade above… I’m just stating the drawback would be taking ourselves out of the running for those elite guys in the drafts coming up (most likely).
If we can’t find a deal like that though, I’d stay start up the tank!
Yeah I’ve been thinking a lot about the best way to build around Fox. I think they either need to do a hybrid Thunder approach, or trade Fox. I just don’t know if Fox is down to be the good soldier on the team that won’t sniff the playoffs until the second year of his extension. If they have any doubt about his willingness to be the tank commander for a team that has missed the playoffs his entire career, then they have to trade him now when his value is highest.
Plus there is at least a notion that consistently playing on shitty teams can impact a young player’s development. I don’t think that type of conventional wisdom can be really proven one way or the other, but it does at least feel like guys like Mitchell/Tatum/Brown/Bam all seemed to grow throughout the playoffs.
I would do Buddy, Joseph for Hayward, Langford and their 27th pick.
Who did you talk to from the Nets FO?
BHE just revealed himself to be Monte McNair.
Nah, Monte has more hair.
S & M (Sean Marks to you) and I go way back.
But seriously, I was a HS basketball player in the Bay Area when Marks was at Cal. I used to go to a lot of games and attended their summer camps. He was there for the last one I went to when I was in 8th grade.
I’d bet the Warriors would love to have him. Part of me wonders if Barnes and Holmes for Wiggins and #2 could be the start of some kind of package.
I’d try REALLY hard to avoid Wiggins contract. Be that via including a 3rd team or looking elsewhere (I don’t see the #2 as an especially perfect spot)
I’m no fan of the Wiggins or his contract, but I thought it might entice McNair to have the #2 and #12 in this draft. McNair would really have to like Wiggins, because I don’t think his contract is movable unless additional assets are attached to him.
I’d rather have the 2021 MIN pick than the #2. Even knowing it’s top 3 protected.
Agreed. Would you that trade then? Wiggins and the 2021 Minny pick? What if you could still get the #2 if the Kings added the #12?
Barnes, Holmes, #12 for Wiggins, #2, 2021 Minny pick.
Yeah, I’d do that. I’d kinda hate it. But I’d do it. Wiggins is just SO bad. And he’d see the Kings as a chance to pump his Usage back up.
Then flip Wiggins, Parker and Buddy to Philly for Horford, Tobias and a future pick. One bad contract begets another, but at least you get a pick out of it.
WHY MUST YOU KEEP FOISTING MY LEAST FAVORITE CONTRACTS UPON ME!?!
For reference, I’d much rather have Horford than Wiggins or Harris.
As would I, I was trying to figure out a positive way to flip the Wiggins deal. Ideally I would flip Wiggins for Horford and Richardson, but I don’t think Philly does that.
Ya but Wiggins would give us the best chance at a better 2021 pick than Horford and Tobias.
I really like Nesmith and his my pick for the Kings 12th pick.. His injury history is a concern though (I think its a right foot stress fracture). If he can show that his healthy and he had fully recovered, I’ll happily grab him with our pick.
If the Kings wind up retaining the #12 pick, do you think that the player chosen at #12 will log more floor minutes for Sacramento or Stockton (providing that COVID allows for a “normal” G-League season)?
What is your position on grocery store sushi?
The avocado rolls at Ralph’s (L.A., probably the equivalent of a Raley’s in Sac) are plastic-y.
I’m wondering how grocery store sushi in a central place like, say Nebraska or Kansas, comes across.
Sushi at Whole Foods is actually pretty good. Does that count though, because it probably costs the same as a restaurant…
I didn’t like their sushi (but I’m a vegetablarian, so I only tried their avocado roll). I like their pizza.
I head straight for the cheese section usually, hoping to find free samples.
Seaweed salad (in the sushi section) is pretty amazing as well.
I’ll give it a go, thanks!
Love these questions! Most I’ve tried are pretty ordinary. RORDOG will have to let us know about gas station sushi.
Spoiler: It gives you gas.
I have high standards for my gas station food products! It must have been Perpetually heated for so long that literally life has a better chance of surviving on the surface Venus than the surface of my food.
(the one exception are those jalapeño cheeseburgers you can get and microwave at the gas station. Those microwave can cook a whole ass burger in like 30 seconds so I feel like any germs are irradiated in the process)
How old are you, do you mind me asking? I could have eaten any of those things back in my 20s, but just thinking about it triggers my acid reflux now. 🙂
Age is just a number, Otis (or 1951, should I say)
1951 is just a number.
Is that Dan Aykroyd from that one movie where he played piano with Digital Underground?
Hahaha! “Nothing But Trouble”
I’ve only got just a little more than a month before I official enter my 30s, but on my Dad’s side of the family we’ve had the slim build with overall good metabolism (which my brother and I got). Although in college I ate cheap, crappy food (and even when I started my first full time job I always bought the cheapest stuff), but I started watching a YouTube channel called FlavCity and now most of the stuff I get is of good quality (in terms of ingredients, not just nutritional facts). And three weeks ago I finally resumed strength training exercises at home after not doing any since quarantine happened in March. 🙂