ESPN’s Zach Lowe unleashed his free agency preview on Thursday, in light of the expected agreement that the new season will begin December 22nd. There are two Kings nuggets included in the discussion, with biggest rumor surrounding Bogdan Bogdanovic.
It’s been reported previously that Milwaukee is interested in Bogi, so that part isn’t a surprise. The addition of Harrison Barnes is what makes this interesting.
In any case, the Bucks will be active. They love Bogdan Bogdanovic, a restricted free agent with the Sacramento Kings who would require a sign-and-trade; the Bucks have kicked around scenarios in which they also absorb Harrison Barnes, sources have told ESPN. It is unclear if they have engaged the Kings in real discussions; it’s early. (Acquiring any player in a sign-and-trade would trigger the hard cap.)
The return package to make salaries work is where this gets interesting. The Bucks obviously want to move Eric Bledsoe’s contract, but it’s a disaster of a deal. Brook Lopez also has a large but moveable contract. The only other big money that the Bucks could move would be George Hill, but he’s been solid for them and I can’t imagine them including him. Would the Kings take on an abatross deal like Bledsoe for Donte DiVincenzo and draft assets? We’ll see.
The other mention of the Kings (not counting a throwaway line about how the Kings could be a fun landing spot for Rudy Gobert), is regarding what it would take for Sacramento to move up to the second pick in this year’s draft.
I poked around the notion of Golden State sending No. 2 to Sacramento for No. 12, Nemanja Bjelica, Richaun Holmes, and a top-five protected future Kings pick, but the consensus from executives across the league was that Golden State would view that as selling low. I get that, even though Bjelica and Holmes would help now. But both are on expiring deals, and the average return on the combination of No. 12 and a future pick that lands around No. 8 is not all that robust.
It’s not surprising that such an offer wouldn’t be enough. I’m not particularly high on this draft class but I’d still do that deal if it was an option.
As for the Bucks deal (or the Gobert idea for that matter), fire up the trade machine and show us what you’ve got.
I would most certainly not do that Warriors deal, especially because I am not high on the top of this draft. Taking the trade as described, with the future pick top-five protected, if it ends up being, say, the sixth pick next year, that player could very well be better than the second this year.
I don’t think either side does that Warriors trade. the rare “Lose/Lose” trade.
Agree with this. I’m done giving up future firsts
As I wrote elsewhere, the Bucks would have been better off keeping Brogdon, who is a better and slightly younger player than Bogi.
He’s likely more expensive, but they wouldn’t have to pay for Barnes if they had retained him.
I also can’t see how the Bucks are willing to pay Barnes to be a backup behind Giannis and Middleton.
Middleton at SG, Barnes at SF, Giannis at PF and Bogi off the bench?
Unless they haven’t ruled out moving Middleton?
why would they move Middleton for Barnes? I mean I like Harry, but that’s a downgrade.
I didn’t say it would be moving Middleton in this deal. I don’t know if I want to touch Middleton’s contract at all, even though he’s still pretty productive.
Middleton is an excellent player. I would take that contract in a heartbeat. In fact, he would solve A LOT of the Kings problems.
Yeah I’m trying to think of anything that could be beneficial to both sides, and I just don’t see it.
I mean, perhaps if the Bucks view Middleton’s contract as a future albatross (he’s 29), but I doubt that’s the case.
Bogi (at around $14M) and Barnes for Middleton and say DJ Wilson works, salary-wise. I highly doubt they would do that, but maybe we swap 12 for 24?
Middleton is still underrated
So their main target is Barnes?
No clue, but it all seems unrealistic to me.
Yup.
I think they may need to move Brook Lopez to adjust their roster. That could mean Giannis playing more Center. So it would be Giannis (C), Barnes (PF), Middleton (SF), Bogi (SG)
Ooopps replied to the wrong sender.
Bledsoe and Divincenzo don’t even add up to Barnes’ salary next year, so they will need to add more salary. If it has to be 2 deals, they could do those two for Barnes, then Bogi for BroLo and the 24th pick in a second deal.
Agree that it would be 2 separate deals. I’ll be okay with getting Lopez.. Not sure about Bledsoe, unless we flip him to a different team maybe the clippers? I just don’t want to deal with Bledsoe and have another “I don’t want to be hair” tweet coming from him.
him playing with Fox isn’t the greatest fit especially considering spacing. But he’s strong enough to guard 3 positions if necessary (sort of like Marcus Smart). It would be a decent temporary fix, especially if the Kings are able to move Buddy and Joseph as well.
Or, situationally, Middleton at SF, Barnes at PF, Giannis at C.
Barnes is more of a PF in a modern rotation anyway.
What should the kings do in the near term, like the next 3 years? I don’t see this group as anything more than battling for the 8th seed.
Blow it up? Trade for bad contacts/assets? I think they’ll make at least one more try with this group and a “win now” move, but I don’t love it.
I think moving Bogdon (and Barnes for that matter) for some younger/future assets is probably the way to go here, even though I like both of those players. Kings are probably falling back to the ol’ “need to find a star” rebuilding position again, so why not try to collect assets?
Agreed; blow it up and start from scratch. Amass as much ammunition as possible to trade up next year, while tanking simultaneously.
Blow it up sounds extreme, but I think they can and will explore getting long-term assets for guys over 25. Next season seems like a perfect opportunity to take one step backward in order to make multiple steps forward: likely no fans in the stands for at least a decent portion of the year, potentially more games against a stacked west if they move to a more regional schedule. The play-in opportunity could change that calculus, but my hope is that just drives up the demand for guys like Bjelica.
Why? What foundation do we have to build on? I like Fox, but he still has significant holes in his game and he’s likely not even a top 8 or top 10 guard in the West right now.
I think we both agree that right now isn’t the key consideration, correct?
I think the long term value of keeping and developing Fox Likely is still better than whatever package of picks you get for him. You’re likely to be bad enough to have a pretty good pick in 2021 even if you keep him and trade the older vets, and you have the length of his rookie extension to build pieces around him.
I think Fox is the *only* asset the kings have right now that’s worth considering as a foundational block, and even then it’s a fairly shaky block to build on. Everyone else has to be available for the right price, and if some amazing deal came along for fox they have to consider that too, even if that’s really unlikely to happen
Sure; he might be top 7 in the next two years. In the meantime he’s becoming used to a losing environment or becoming disgruntled. Now is the time to cash in on him.
Hello darkness my old friend
I’ve got a couple of questions regarding Bogi and the Bucks before I really look at the numbers
1) Can the Bucks even sign Bogi to an offers sheet since they are capped out?
2) Would any inclusion of Barnes need to be a seperate deal as a S&T of Bogi would need to be in isolation and not packaged?
The Bucks cannot sign Bogi directly, it would need to be a sign and trade.
It would need to be two separate deals. Ultimately the teams would treat it as one deal but it would be two transactions that would each need to work under the trade rules.
A sign and trade would be the Kings signing Bogdan and then trading him, so it wouldn’t require the Bucks to sign an offer sheet.
So there would need to be a lot of working parts to this deal. The Kings, Bucks, and Bogi would have to agree to the same number, no other teams would need to be interested in offering a contract to Bogi, Bogi would want to go to the Bucks, and the Kings would need to like the return from Milwaukee. Lastly, you’d need to work out a Barnes deal.
It’s gonna be a tough deal to complete.
It could basically translate to Bogi and Barnes for Bledsoe and BroLo. I think I would want their 2023 pick in there somewhere though, maybe top 5 protected. We’re doing them a solid and taking on their bad contracts.
But I don’t think they include those post-Giannis picks unless they’re getting a young-ish allstar in return.
They do have the #24 pick this year.
Correct. I value the 2023 pick much higher though. There’s a chance that will be a much better asset, even in a future trade. We’ve been talking for weeks about how the 12th pick may not even get a starter for the Kings, so what would the 24th pick get? Unless they want to package the 12th and 24th pick to move up in this draft.
I just think that 2023 pick is pretty much off limits unless they are bringing in another all-star. That would be going all in on Giannis re-signing.
I agree with that. I think they’ll eventually have to go all-in on Giannis staying, even knowing it will screw them in the years after. That’s the cost of a small market trying to compete for a championship.
I definitely think they’ll entertain moving that pick this off-season. But it won’t be for average starters.
IMO there are a lot of prospects that I would be happy taking with the 24th pick. (Poku, Bolmaro, Bane, Tillman,). I agree they might not be starter material in day 1 but having some assets for the future is and should be the Kings priority.
Bogi, Barnes for Lopez, Divicenzo and the 24th pick is a good start
Some of that is easier than you might think. The Kings are unlikely to care what the salary is for Bogi as long as they feel the return package is worth it. And the interests of other teams is irrelevant if Bogi wants to go to the Bucks. Teams can make offers but Bogi has to sign a sheet for it to gum up anything for a deal like this.
Off topic, but does anyone have any thoughts about trying to get Aron Baynes on a short,
reasonable deal. He’s a dirty work guy like Holmes, but can also stretch the floor a bit. He sets screens like Hadrian’s wall, and he does the little things properly to help his teammates. I can’t imagine Phoenix retains him, but for something like a two-year deal with a team option, he’s be a nice get off the bench, and logging 20-30 minutes a night, depending on matchups.
Baynes would be great but he’s going to have lots of suitors and he’ll likely want to play for a good team.
WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING?
That Baynes is an available bonny lass in the 1800s?
It seems a lose/lose trade and does little to maim prove Warriors or Kings ! Also, more likely Bucks just try to force a sign and trade for Bogi !
FWIW, Bledsoe’s deal is $17m, $18m, and a $4m buyout. That is the kind of contract that can be overcome with the right number of young players and future 1st round picks, if the Kings are (a) honest with themselves about their re-tooling timeline and (b) dug in on what their price would be (I would say DiVincenzo, the 24 pick this year and a top 3 protected 1st in ’22, which has the potential of becoming a much sexier pick if Giannis packs his bags before then).
Yeah, I’m not a huge Bledsoe fan, but I don’t see how his deal is a disaster and Barnes isn’t. Bledsoe’s deal is shorter and cheaper and Bledsoe is a better player.
If they did anything close to your suggestion (which I read as Barnes for Bledsoe, DiVincenzo, #24, and 2022 1st), I would be absolutely giddy with that. Heck, if magically the money worked, I do it with pull filler in DiVincenzo’s place. Just Bledsoe and the picks, plus unloading Barnes’ deal would be great.
The Bucks don’t own their 2022 1st (according to tradenba.com) so sub either their 2021, 2023+ 1st round pick.
If they don’t own their 2022, they wouldn’t be able to trade their 2021 or 2023 in this deal either. So it would have to be 2024.
unless it is a pick swap
Right. Which obviously wouldn’t have much value.
The numbers are worse on Barnes’ deal but it’s declining each year and Barnes is still a better player than Bledsoe.
It doesn’t decline to the level of Bledsoe’s guaranteed years, and Bledsoe’s deal is effectively a year shorter. Oh, and I absolutely disagree about Barnes being a better player. In fact, I don’t thinks it’s close.
I’d listen to offers for Barnes, but it’s not necessary to trade him.
It isn’t necessary, but if they can get out from under his contract without having to pay to do it, it would be really nice.
Plus the #24 pick.
Lose Walton and Matina for Kerr or Budenholzer!! Can throw in Vivek to make it interesting.
Not interested in much on that roster. DIvencenzo, of course. But how about Christian Wood? I really like him and feel he has a chance to get even better. Even though, he’s 25. He’s been playing along side the Freak Doesn’t get a lot of touches. But, in the right system, I see a guy who could be 20-10. Love his game. Really don’t want anyone else on that roster.
Wood is on the Pistons and is a UFA.
Aside from that I’m in
I feel like Wood has kind of become the player we all want Bagley to be, which is also why the Kings won’t be able to afford him.
Yeah, we’re about a year too late on Wood.
yeah, we should’ve grabbed him when he was let go by MIL or NO
Im thinking about teams that need a PG. What about something that routes Bledsoe (and either a pick or DiVincenzo) to Orlando and Gordon to Sac?
Orlando needs a secondary ball handling guard that can shoot. Bogdan is a better fit there than Bledsoe.
Neither of these deals holds water.
That GSW suggestion is just bad joojoo all around, and nobody knows whether this #2 pick in this draft is worth the price of giving up just Bjelica, much less Holmes.
In the MIL deal, I don’t think Sacramento would be able to take back anywhere close to the salary that Barnes and a newly-resigned Bogdanovic could produce unless it’s a dud like Bledsoe plus Lopez and a few other spare parts. The draft picks Milwaukee could offer are way too far out and will end up (probably) being out of lottery range anyway.
There’s a big difference between taking back a bad contract and taking back a catastrophic one.
Lowe was workshopping this article during his podcast with Bill Simmons last week… I like the Warriors trade if the Ws are willing to include a little additional protection on that pick… Dude’s gotta learn, you always use protection.
Barring a GM high on novocaine calling and offering Sacramento way too much in return, it doesn’t make sense to give up a ton of assets to get into the top 3 this year.
This year keeps the hits coming!!!! Happy retirement Jerry, the Kings will never be the same without you!
News update. Other sources say that the Bucks are asking for Barnes if they can get Bogdanovic also. Forget it. I wouldn’t talk to anyone from Milwaukee in at least a year.
If Lopez is involved can you spin him to GS for a 2nd and the cap exception? He is the type of center they need to go at LA’S. You know we need to shed salary? I of course assume this is if they can’t get a vet minimum deal on Gasol
If Mil is offering Middleton 30mil for Barnes 24mil then S/T Bogi 18mil for BLopez 12mil(42mil to 42mil), Sac should do that deal! Mil would not do this, would they?
how is the warriors deal “giving up too much”? This draft is super weak. Dubs need get over themselves
Badge Legend