The Kings have made a move and it’s a big one! According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sacramento Kings are trading Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte, and pick considerations in a three-team deal that will see six-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA guard DeMar DeRozan land in Sacramento for 3 years, $74 million. Barnes and a 2032 unprotected first round pick swap will be headed to San Antonio, while Chris Duarte and two future second round picks will be sent back to Chicago.
DeRozan’s acquisition should be seen as one of the most significant free agent signings in team history. Although he’s a bit on the other side of the hill at 34-years of age, DeRozan is still an incredibly productive player, having averaged 24 points, 4.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals last season. He represents a massive upgrade in the starting lineup, whether he slots in as the shooting guard or small forward, and his ability to penetrate defenses and draw fouls (7.7 free throw attempts per game – which would have led the Kings last year) should open up the floor for Sacramento’s shooters, as well as Fox’s and Monk’s lane penetration and Sabonis’ high-post dribble hand-offs. Perhaps even more impressively, he accomplished those feats while averaging a league-high 37.8 minutes per game in his 79 appearances. There should be no injury or durability concerns despite having played in 15 NBA seasons.
And while he’s not exactly a threat from deep, having knocked down only 33% of his 2.8 three-point attempts in the 23-24 season, DeRozan isn’t necessarily detrimental when it comes to spacing the floor. Teams still must respect his ability to both attack the paint off the dribble and pull up and hit the middy (43% on a league-leading 6.9 attempts per game), meaning Sacramento’s offense shouldn’t be gummed up even without Barnes’ reliable outside ball. His clutch game will also be a boon to Mike Brown’s late-game offense, as DeRozan scored 4.6 clutch points per game last season, which also led the league.
Defensively, DeRozan isn’t going to solve any of Sacramento’s problems, but he also likely isn’t going to be much worse the Kevin Huerter or Harrison Barnes. And with Barnes exiting the roster, there’s no doubt that Monte McNair needs to pull off another trade or two. The roster is currently even more unbalanced than last season, as Sacramento now employees De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, Devin Carter, Keon Ellis, and Kevin Huerter at the guard spots, with Keegan Murray remaining as the only true wing on the team. Considering DeRozan’s hefty salary of $24.6 million, the Kings will likely need to seek some lower cost options on the market, likely leaving Cam Johnson or Kyle Kuzma as potential primary targets, while bigger names such as Lauri Markkanen, Brandon Ingram, and Jerami Grant are or will likely be too expensive from a cap management perspective.
The fandom has understandably questioned Monte McNair’s ability to land big deals after having sniffed around so many major names and massive upgrades for two straight seasons, but DeRozan’s acquisition is quite the feather in this front office’s cap. The journey to balance the roster and build a competitive, sensible depth chart isn’t nearly complete, and no “Mission Accomplished” banners should be hung quite yet, but with multiple tradeable contracts, multiple first rounders, and the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions still at their disposal, Monte McNair and company should be able to make some additional splashes prior to training camp.
How about that? Makes you wonder what deals McNair couldn’t close today.
Happy now, bitch?
Why the name calling? So petty and small.
Best thing about TKH is all of the people who are going to post just to say thank you to HB knowing he will probably never read it…the worst is the petulant, habitually pearl clutching person at the top of these comments.
Pearl Clutching? HaHaHa!
Wow, talk about ruining the vibe Debra Downer.
How old are you?
lol . No .
I will be happy when the kings get a Power forward lol but it’s coo let’s hope a 34 year old basketball don’t suddenly become bad
For that pick swap in 2032, I would have like to see Zach Collins come over. Maybe he’s still an option.
I know others didn’t like it but I giggled about the name calling. There have been so many people on this site ready to drive the Kings bus over MM. Granted, MM still needs to make another move or two, but the narrative around calling him Monte McNearly was way premature as well as completely unfounded.
I’m glad that Monte found a way to quiet the haters, essentially by trading Barnes / Duarte / some picks / a swap for DD without appreciably increasing payroll. It was masterfully done and I expect a whole lot of people to come back on here to eat a little crow about how wrong they were. So far, a lot of praise is being heaped on MM here but not a lot of people are owning up to the fact that they were badly wrong about his ability to close a deal.
And I can’t say enough good things about Harrison Barnes. I was so happy when I learned we were adding him to the team. He’s been an utterly fantastic Sacramento King, a consummate professional, and a fantastic mentor to the young ‘uns. I wish you all the best, HB!
Lets be real its a great deal but it just offsets the terrible decision to resign Barnes on a crazy overpay…but without decent PF we are still screwed
I think he has enough to get a serviceable power forward. Nothing special but someone who is a true four.
He can trade Huerter for Kuzma and two future 1sts straight up if they would take it…probably puts us into the apron but we would be roster set for the next 3 seasons if Vivek was willing to pay for it
If Vivek pays the tax I might actually believe he is trying to build a team to make a playoff run.
I would rather have the 2 players above than Kuzma. Both fit really well next to Sabonis. You could also get Paul Reed with our MLE
QUESTION: So now if your over the 2nd apron 2 straight seasons, your pick drops to the end. What if you traded that pick to another team?
Anyone, Anyone, Beuler?
No thanks. Kuzma is not worth 2 picks, unless we get Kispert back. Collins is the right choice and would be worth it for 2nd round picks.
I like either John Collins or Isaiah Stewart.
No it doesn’t offset the decision, that was a decision to KEEP a viable nba asset and not lose him for nothing…
Curse you Edward!
I think the Barnes deal was a mild overpay at worst. He’s durable, a great stabilizing presence, and most certainly contributed to wins.
He isn’t a superstar by any means, but he wasn’t paid like one, either.
problem is non of these dudes will eat crow…which is why I also chuckled at the name calling haha
Good read. “Monte McNearly” is hilarious though.
I enjoyed it Sims 🙂
There are women who like this website as well. I personally have a teen daughter who occasionally checks this site out for news about the Kings.
Some basic human decency isn’t too much to expect.
And several TKH writers are women. Even if they weren’t, gender-insults, like race-demeaning, should be long gone from us.
I always thought that term universal. Still not cool though.
Omg get out lol
We never truly know what people are in private. When they show it off in public boldly there is an issue.
You’re adorable, and have never watched The Wire.
I have no idea what this means or who it is directed to, but I am giving it a rec for its very strong Robert California at a Halloween Party vibes.
Lame comment.
Why people would like this petty comment (unless it was sarcasm) is beyond me.
Agreed. The petulance and petty arguments among people degrade the quality of the site. An ignore feature would be a great improvement.
Great signing for that price , I guess you had to do that, despite questionmarks about fit.
Now if Monte can flip Huerter for Collins, that would help.
And a big thank you to The Black Falcon, A pro’s pro and good person.
I just arrived on the north shore of Kauai to find this news. Mai Tai’s are on me tonight, all!
Hat tip Barnes for his run in Sac. Ultimate professional and down right awesome human being. Thank you!
You’ve done well Monte, now move Huerter for PF.
I’m looking at the roster in FanSpo and this is how it shakes out:
Fox/Monk/C. Jones
Keon/Carter/M.Jones
DeRozan/Huerter/Crawford
Murray/Lyles/McDaniels
Sabonis/Len/I. Jones
The difference between Lyles and Barnes was pretty marginal last year, and Barnes’ skillset was redundant with Keegan. But Lyles/Murray as a platoon at PF makes A LOT of sense. Contrasting skillsets that can play with and without each other.
I also have been saying we should hang on to Huerter, and I think he’ll be an excellent backup at the 2/3 and can play with anyone. When you consider that Murray and Huerter both slide up a position, we don’t have as much of a glut at the guard position, and not as much of a deficit at the forward position.
Perhaps Monk ends up the “starting” SG, but in terms of the rotation it seems clear he’s our sixth-man PG once again – perfect, that’s what I wanted anyway. As for the “true” SG, Keon and Carter will also be an EXCELLENT platoon. Sub out Keon’s 3&D and connective playmaking and Carter’s comes right in.
With Fox/Sabonis/DeRozan as the certified stars of the team, defense and shooting was gonna be paramount. I see a LOT of it around them. We still probably need some length, athleticism, and rim protection, but this team is fine to head into training camp.
What a masterstroke in terms of team building. Not just the way the skillsets work together on paper, but knowing with every other team’s cap situation that there weren’t gonna be any buyers for a 6x All-Star so the Kings could just swoop right in. And at $25M a year – a STEAL. He just takes Barnes and Duarte’s combined salary, and this team is STILL $8.3M under the tax with a BAE and essentially all of its 1st rounders leftover.
Monte…you’ve done it. You’ve absolutely done it.
This ????
And on a 3-year deal and not 4, a decline in DeRozan’s play during the contract won’t cripple the cap long-term.
Yeah, only $15m in year 3, and only partially guaranteed, which is also Murray’s extension year.
Feels like DeMar brought in to do the things they hope Keegan can eventually do offensively.
In 2 years- Keegan Will hopefully be there and they won’t need DeRozen.
But crazy how good the 1/2 court O might be. Especially in the clutch. Can/Does DeRozen run PnR much?
DeMar is a very effective Pick and Roll player, one of the better in the NBA. I am excited to see what the combined bball IQ of Domas and DeMar bring to the half court offense.
Monte is back to his first year- acquiring talent (assets) no matter the position.
Last year not so much. Acquired nada. And I really hope Huerter is gone. I think that acquisition was not valuable as Huerter is not very playable in playoffs.
Good work by Monte. Da rozen and Carter are both bringing talent and upgrades. (Probably w Carter)
They definitely need D PF and maybe a wing. Don’t need to be expensive or big names, just the right fit.
Certainty will be exciting to watch.
With Huerter and Lyles and maybe a second you can get John Collins. With Huerter and maybe 2 seconds you can get Isaiah Stewart.
Yeah HUGE upgrade to depth with just that one signing…he still has huerter and future picks for cam/kuzma if he so chooses
Haha, I read your last sentence as “now move Huerter to PF” at first.
I’ve been skeptical of bringing in DeRozen mostly due to his age, pay, and what we might have to give up. The deal that was made is about as good as it gets for the Kings!
Yep. I don’t like this trade a bit. As a sign and trade giving up an unprotected swap is too much. That it is seven years out is malpractice. Why should Monte care, though…he will almost certainly be gone. For a 35 year old and 70 plus million. It makes them better next year and that as far as they ever look. Kangz! It’s an uptown Kangz move, but is still just Kangz.
IMO opinion you’re wrong. Look at Conoley. Look at Hotford. And playing almost 38 minutes last year doesn’t equate to a dead and buried player. And he doesn’t have to play 38 minutes a game here. Maybe 37 will do it.
Neither one of the guys you mentioned plays in the NBA.
Mike Conley (36) and Al Horford (37)? They most certainly do.
I understand the enthusiasm people have for the trade. I just think the trade will age poorly even if the player doesn’t.
Barnes is solid and plays a bunch of minutes. Derozan is solid and plays alot of minutes AND he scores.
Kings got better today . More Offense for certain and another guy who plays 75+ games a season . Actually a good deal for Spurs . Good job Monte but still would like more size . Barnes a pro’s pro and deserves praise .
Ugh….. I’m just so excited for mediocrity. Fun 3 years of 1st round and out basketball. Obviously I’m not excited, but unless we blow up this roster the ceiling has always felt like it will peak in the 2nd round.
I’m fine with it. The roster got better without really spending assets.
There is still work to be done. The team still needs to get bigger and deeper at the 4. I’m not worried about the end of bench pieces – those will happen.
I think this deal gives the team the real potential of 50 wins and a legit playoff (not play-in) spot. Once you get to the playoffs, it comes down to matchups and health.
Hoping to see Huerter moved for help up front. But the team got better today, landing its 2nd top 10 free agent of the summer. Today is a good day.
Also, Harrison Barnes. Good King.
Yes and Yes.
The Sacramento Kings are a more talented and deeper roster than they were yesterday.
The end of the game bucket strategy has vastly improved:
2023 Mr. Clutch award winner – De’Aaron Fox (DeMar DeRozan was 3rd)
2024 Mr. Clutch award winner – Steph Curry (DeMar DeRozan 2nd)
obviously, this is a Northern California award, and this increase DeRozan’s chances immeasurably. That’s probably why he signed.
The Kings will still lose games “they shouldn’t lose” but this changes 47th minute strategies – those games that Dallas had Kyrie and Luka to contend with, those games that Boston bested Indiana with these playoffs (though late game melt down on Indiana was also a good part of that). The chance that Sacramento becomes a 50 win team just increased significantly (injury bug always a worry).
In that vein – does this allow DeRozan and Fox to rest more minutes?
And just as Harrison Barnes was a wonderful mentor to Keegan Murray, can we hope that DeMar DeRozan assumes that role for Devin Carter? I hope so.
This acquisition also makes the PF position, more about getting a solid starter rather than a star (Lauri Markannen). John Collins is a better balance piece than a Markannen, who is going to expect to have the ball in his hands a lot. And better than Kuzma as well.
Fox 26.6 ppg
DeRozan 24.5 ppg
Domas 19.4 ppg
Monk 15.4 ppg
Keegan… 18 ppg? (was 15.2 ppg last season)
That’s 76 ppg + maybe 18 ppg for Keegan or 94 ppg from those 5.
I am rambling…
the Kings need a PF who rebounds and weakside blocks shots and who is their backup PG – Monk? Colby Jones?
This also, I am guessing, increases the Kings NBA watchability index, or however they figure out who gets national TV games.
It’s not important, but it’s sorta important.(Agents like this! Players like this!)
Also *Correction* ESPN reports that the pick swap with San Antonio is for 2031 not 2032
Plus Monks points puts the top 6 well over 100ppg…
I really like Collins. Won’t need a first to get him. Also like Isaiah Stewart, The guy is a beast and has a motor that won’t quite.
I can’t say I don’t disagree with you, but it’s the offseason so let’s just be optimistic about the potential of this roster, especially if MM can land a PF.
He will.
This roster is better than the Mavs and they just made a run to the finals…it’s all about getting into the dance and then try to make a run. Heat just did it from the 8 seed two seasons ago.
This magical “ceiling” CD and other fans talk about is horse doo doo.
Better than the Mavs is a long imaginative stretch. The trade was good but reality is a thing.
Yeah. That statement was ridiculously debatable.
Dude they have two great players that got hot and made a run.
Well that’s the point, they have two great players, one of which is arguably the first or second best player in the league..and both Kyrie and Luka have proven themselves in the playoffs…we don’t have that.
The Mavs changed dramatically after they traded for Gafford and (sighs) PJ Washington. The thing for the Mavs now is, is it sustainable, which is always a question when the mercurial Kyrie is part of the equation.
Adding, the Kings roster still has serious, unaddressed flaws. Injuries notwithstanding, I don’t see the 7/6/24 roster catching OKC, Den, Min or Dal.
Sac certainly upgraded.
Pels still frighten me.
OKC – young, #1 seed, MVP candidate SGA, but I still haven’t figured them out; how is it that rookie Chet, super Soph Jalen Williams, Lu Dort and…?
I don’t see it-but they collect Wins.
Denver’s frontline- Gordon, MPJr and the amazing Jokic. Jamal Murray, ok. and… ?
Minny, on paper, seems the strongest and deepest.
All are big, tall, athletic teams. It is easy to see defensively where Sac will struggle. On the other side of the coin- can those teams defend Sac?
My silly fan optimism may be showing, and no better time for that than July-October, but, like you, I see a 50 win (aka playoff) team with this move. And matchups and playoffs are funny things.
The biggest game story for me this season was the schizophrenic nature of games. And this should be a Jerry Reynolds question as well.
20 point leads (or deficits) are no longer a concern. Insurmountable? Surely, you jest!
We also did seem to see more blowouts as well (Denver vs Minn comes to mind)
I am continuing to promote that DeMar DeRozan is a “closer”. Fox is elite in that regard as well. I can imagine that this alone will save/recoup many games for Sac. Hey- a guy’s gotta dream!
The Pelicans are a hell of a lot less scary with Valanciunas being replaced by a rookie.
I’m optimistic that the Kings can compete against OKC, Den, and Dallas. I worry about Minnesota and the Pelicans (they under-performed in the Playoffs last year and now seems like a top 2-3 team if BI stays). With a starting caliber 4/5 to play with Sabonis, we would likely move into the top 4-5, if healthy.
They have depth as well. Players want to be there.
They have run further and faster than any player on the Kings roster ever has. I have been fortunate to see them play in person many times. They are next level.
Monte didn’t have to give away the farm to make this deal. Good job Monte, I have to say I’m impressed. Good luck Falcon, we loved having you here all these years.
Monte didn’t have to give away the farm to make this deal. Good job Monte, I have to say I’m impressed. Good luck Falcon, we loved having you here all these years.
I am in love with this move. DeMar is (was) my favorite non-Kings player in the NBA. In fact, this is the 2nd time in 3 years that MM has acquired my favorite Non-King, Domas Sabonis was my former #1. DD is an exquisite player. His shot creation, his passing, his mental toughness, it is going to strengthen this team. The pains of last season of quarter long brain farts, the offense going cattywampus for six or eight minutes a game, the lack of fortitude, will be quelled by his addition. I think his ability to lead by example is going to be fantastic for Sabonis and Fox as well, as will his influence on Keegan.
The ability to get him cheaply, the moderate contract, and the short term of the contract, make him the most premium version of duct tape this franchise could hope for. Neither Ingram or Lauri were worth both the cost of acquisition and the cost of keeping them, the team isn’t a final contender yet. DeMar will strengthen the team and hold it together until Keegan becomes more fully realized, the synergy of Domas-Fox-Monk hits its pinnacle, the team sees if Ellis or Martin genuinely pops, and there is a crystal clear target of what player(s) can take the Kings to a contender.
Just a brilliant move. I don’t know how many fans have watched DeMar, he has been the cornerstone of my fantasy teams for years and I have watched him a ton, and he is a such a competitive, skilled, and consistent performer.
Great move Monte. Great move.
I was really impressed by DeRozan in a Kings game in Chicago a couple years ago, can’t remember the deets. Kings were up going into the 4th, and he just took over, put the Bulls on his back, and defeated us. It was awesome, glad he’ll be doing that for us now.
What a sweet sweet deal for DeRozan! Kings send out $25 million with Barnes and Duarte and give it to DeRozan! Go Monte! HUGE thanks to Barnes. The ultimate professional, a very good player who came to the Kings when they desperately needed a SF, a bucket getter when needed for most of his time in Sac, and an all around great guy.
Wow. OK, OK. Now let’s balance this roster. Show me the the full (plan) Monte!
If anyone is still watching the California Classic, Keon is looking like a dude that’s a starting SG in the NBA amongst a bunch of scrubs. This man is doing whatever the hell he wants out there, even flashing some self-creation, handle, and playmaking. This night just keeps getting better.
No doubt. I’m looking forward to seeing him play against NBA-level talent tomorrow.
I try not to get too excited over what I see in Summer League, but Ellis’ growth throughout last season and his overall career path to get to this point has me thinking that he is going to be the camp animal this Fall – he is not going to give up that starting position willingly or easily.
Biggest FA signing since Vlade?
Welcome to Sac, DeMar! Don’t worry, the heatwave you’re experiencing will pass by soon and the weather will be better once the season begins!
And as others have said here, hat tip to Harrison Barnes. Ultimate professional and class act.
Way bigger than Vlade imo…huge get
Vlade is the only FA signing to make an All Star game as a Sacramento King, so we’ll see.
Vlade was a free agent and DeMar was a sign and trade . Vlade cost only money !
DeBeam
I don’t get why so many are calling him a guard, he played a VAST majority of his minutes at the wing positions.
huge get for the kings!
For too long this team has consisted entirely of guards.
Conditioning.
He started most games at the 4 last year.
His best position has always been 3 .
How much cap space do the Kings have left?
The same as before the trade.
Big news always crashes TKH!
Having two of Fox, Monk and DDR on the floor majority of the time is going to put a ton of stress on defenses.
I think we’re a PF and a wing with size away from a much more balanced roster.
If MM can come away with J. Collins and DFS look out.
That’s a sick finishing lineup:
Fox
Monk
DeRozan
KM
Domas
That five to finish will be difficult to defend. Very difficult.
Hopefully this comment is made out of the excitement of signing a decent free agent and not the picking of nits about site availability that has reared its ugly head over the last week.
I have not been here long but I have quickly seen and experienced a strange thing here. Very simple and straight forward comments are often analyzed and called out for being something they are not. An extremely tense and hypersensitive analysis of a few words.
This site did crash with the announcement of the news. A whole bunch of fans jumped on.
It’s fair to call out the site crashing. It was in one of the other recent FA threads where a few people started to over step their boundary, IMO. I didnt want this thread to devolve into that.
The site went down on draft day too when Carter got selected.
You are here to police the comments?
Hahahahh….yeah it is.
This site is very clunky. Even comments take a long time to load. I constantly get signed out. There’s a constant lag as well.
It’d be nice if TKH used the same interface as the SBNation sites..but my guess is those interfaces are expensive. That’s the only thing I could think of as to why they would continue using this interface.
And I say interface because I don’t know the official word the platform the site runs on.
????
WordPress. Not designed for this type of usage.
I see.
Must be for financial reasons then which is understandable given TKH isn’t run by a corporation the way SB Nation is.
Uh…
Is anyone going to tell him?
I’d be more excited if he were 32, but a healthy DeRozan should help.
Led the league in minutes last year so he should be good for another two years or so.
Beggars can’t be choosers, when it comes to FA’s, we’ve always been beggars.
Laker fans are losing it right now haha ????
The duds, clips and fakers continue to get passed up, they’re time has come and gone.
DeLicious!
DeLight(the beam)ful!
Light DaBeam!
This is a good move. Certainly, Derozan is an upgrade over Barnes. 100% agree with the other takes that this limits the offensive lapses the Kings have had.
I think this makes the team 2-3 wins better, absent any other moves. You figure the league gets better as well,so this is a ~46-48 win team, which might get you into the top six. I don’t think it makes the Kings a second round playoff team, but it gets them one step closer to that level.
The Kings lose some shooting and rebounding and as others pointed out, there are still roster balance issues. That being said, Kevin Huerter ought to be worth an decent, possibly slightly underachieving big, and the Kings still (?) have the MLE to use.
Derozan probably doesn’t want to see his minutes limited, but he doesn’t need to carry this team, so I’d like to see a little bit of reduced minutes versus his last two years, potentially keeping him fresh for fourth quarters and later in the season.
And1- Harrison Barnes is just the prototypical Spur. High IQ on and off the court, solid citizen, good leader, does things the right way. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see a statistical bounce vs being the fourth option on the Kings last season.
His advanced stats list him as having a 9.2 win share. Not sure how that stat “works,” per se. Does it suggest the obvious, that his play would net 9.2 extra wins per season? Or is that an gross simplification?
We actually gained rebounding. 3 per game for Barnes and a little over 4 per game for DeMar. In addition, gained much more in terms of playmaking. 1.3 assists per game for Barnes and 5.3 for DeMar. If by shooting you mean 3s then yes, some efficiency dip there, but more doubles overall point production per game with DeMar. Huge upgrade. And DeMar be fine in 4th quarters, he doesn’t tire, he led league in 4th quarter points last year and top 3 in clutch award last two years. Fatigue not an issue. Do need a big that can rim protect and wing defender.
You might double-check minutes played and roles on their respective teams.
I agree that this is the likely scenario. Derozan’s signing makes Kings 2-3 wins better in terrifyingly talented west, leading to 46-49 wins. The ceiling for this team is 6th assuming relative health for everyone.
The Kings haven’t given up any defense so far this offseason. They’ve added offense in DD and, by extension, significantly deepened the bench. Added one of the best rebounding guards (if not THE best) in the NCAA via the draft. I fail to see why the assumption is 46-49 wins.
The West is definitely really difficult, but the Kings have improved significantly this offseason. The games still have to be played, but I have a feeling this team will surprise folks.
Offseason improvements are not complete, but this is a great step in the right direction. Lauri deal off the table now, but I do not think this stops them from pursuing Ingram. Kuzma or Cam or DFS most likely at this point, but Ingram still viable. Would prefer a wing defender like DFS, but would still ooze with joy if can acquire BI.
I saw that Kennard’s option was declined to make him a free agent. I also saw that Houston might not pick up Sengun’s contract, so that would be nice to pursue. It’s possible that we can trade KH for guys like Steward, John Collins, and Zach Collins without giving up a 1st rounder. If we strike gold there, then Keegan can slide to the 3 and have more room to develop with DeRozan playing more inside as a second passer. This could shift Keon and Monk to play with the second team and develop a solid offense/defense with the addition to Carter.
Senjun is considered a franchise cornerstone . Just waiting a year to extend .
And now we know why Monte gave Barnes that 18 mil. contract last offseason. The money has to be spent one way or another.
The Bulls really seemed to get the worst end of the swap, only getting Duarte and 2 futures + our good buddy Cash Considerations. Spurs – Barnes and a first rounder… The Spurs are going to be set with draft reloads for a while.
Apparently “they who shall not be named” were trying to acquire his services as well, always nice to get the added bonus of getting a player they wanted and not letting them get better, in general. Same with the damn Dubs.
The Kings need talent. He is that and on a manageable deal. I’m looking forward to seeing how this works on the court!
Lastly, I will miss Barnes and I think the team will, too. The guy was a solid teammate and professional. He absolutely helped Sacramento retain some respectability through a tough transition. If we had a ring of honor I’d suggest his name would / should be added as soon as he retires. Since we don’t, I think we should raise our voices in one last call to the Black Falcon;
CaCAW!!!
On the Scores team from 2018-19, HB was arguably the Kings best player. Good dude. Class act.
I like the move, thought we were going to lose Huerter too but gave up basically nothing in Barnes actually helps to get rid of him. His age isn’t great but the contract is reasonable. With another couple moves things could end up looking good, as least for a Kings fan lol. Let’s not act like this is some amazing acquisition but I desperately needed something and this is a nice start. I want some big defensive 3 an D wings too but yeah like you said the Kings are still loaded with a few assets to use if necessary. Monte has a really tough job given what he came into and what a small market with a long-running bad reputation can achieve so I would say he has done well for what he was given.
IDK it’s pretty amazing to essentially trade Barnes and Duarte for DeRozan. Hopefully Monte has more up his sleeve, but this is pretty freaking amazing!
As much as I’m sure KH will be traded at some point, keeping him adds to a pretty deep bench. Couldn’t tell you the starting 5 just yet but having keon, monk, Carter, and KH mix and matching at the 2/3 seems pretty nice to have. With DD you can deploy a back court of KH and Keon, with all 3 being able to playmake a bit.
Between the Monk and DD deals, chef monte was definitely cooking this off season. Next season should be fun
KH must be traded for a defensive minded 4/5, as we have enough offense. We lack a lot of defensive depth and KH has very little value if he’s shooting 3s and that’s it. We have seen him mentality become ineffective and decrease his 3pt efficiency. We need to move on to be a solid team.
I love the move, but I’m a little surprised we had to give SA an unprotected first to take Barnes. That feels really steep and handicaps us even more on any further trades we might make.
Never mind, just saw that it was a swap. That makes a lot more sense.
Someone can correct me if I’m wrong here, but I read that it was an unprotected FRP swap, not a pick outright.
Correct which means we’ll get a non lottery pick that year regardless of how the kings are doing. That’s better than giving a pick outright and still give the kings the ability to trade away first round picks around those years.
It could be a lotto pick if both teams are lotto teams. In the year the Kings drafted Fox, a pick swap caused them to drop from #3 to #5. Philly traded up from #3 to #1 & drafted Fultz while Boston traded down from #1 to #3 & took Tatum.
Yep. It is. See my edit. That’s not nearly as big of a deal, because we can still do a worst of first round pick trade as part of a future deal.
This is now a comically unbalanced roster. I will say talent is talent, and this dude is a legit NBA star, even at 34 years of age. This team desperately needs defense and rebounding and must add a starting power forward and backup small forward asap.
Derozan is a SF…this doesn’t unbalance the roster anymore than it was lol
He and Barnes are roughly the same height and weight. Trading out Duarte balances the roster more.
then this team is even more undersized than before, and we got obliterated by bigger physical teams like the Pelicans. Derozen is a prototypical shooting guard, he is 6’6” in sneakers. Murray is a SF. There are zero power forwards on the team and even Sabonis is a bit undersized at center. Do y’all remember scrub Mooney manhandling the Kings in the paint? There is no paint defense or rebounding aside from what Sabonis can do by himself.
Talent got better. Issue at the 4 remains the same. This is a roster that should win more games but is still very susceptible to mismatches against longer teams.
A nice addition, but not yet time to hang the mission accomplished banner.
He is a small forward !
Major benefit with DeRozan is that he takes pressure off Fox and Monk to initiate the offense, the Kings struggled after Monk was injured. Fox can play fewer minutes as well. As noted, DeRozan can take over in the 4th when needed, too.
More work to be done, but a good start
The Kings even struggled to create offense during the season when Monk was healthy. Teams have to guard Derozan during the entire possession, as opposed to Barnes. Once defenders closed out on Barnes, he would slow it down and eventually pass the ball, allowing the defense to reset.
Close out on Derozan and he has the ability to just get by the defender to the rim or a mod-range jumper. I think he and Domas will kill it in the pick and roll and DHO.
I’m kind of neutral on this. He’s definitely an upgrade over Barnes, no doubt. Doesn’t really change the team’s trajectory in a substantial way in my opinion. Not crazy about the pick swap.
10ppg, 1reb, 3ast more per game…huge upgrade for a team that wasn’t many wins away from home playoff games
Not sure you can just add points on to the existing team when a player comes over. There are only so many shots, and more for DeMar means less for other players and vice-versa. He was carrying the Bulls and doesn’t need to (and shouldn’t) carry the Kings.
I agree that he’s better than Barnes.
Barnes was ranked somewhere near 100 in top player rankings per hoops hype and ESPN. Derozan was around top 30. I would say that is an improvement for the roster.
Players change the trajectory of the team not draft picks.
Demar Derozan is stud
Can you all stop crashing the site? Twice in less than a month! /s
When monte cooks, the site will crash
Barnes in San Antonio is going to be solid. That man is one of the best pros in the NBA.
Derozan for Barnes and the removal of Duarte is a solid move. This is something that can work. Still some dry powder to get a serviceable true power forward and solidify the bench.
Monte is slowly bringing this team into the professional realm of the NBA.
First off I want to show respect for Harrison Barnes both as a player and a person. He was a class act always and one of the best Kings we’ve had over the past 10 years. But DeMar DeRozan? Hell yes! Wish he was 27 but I’m confident he will be very productive these next 3 years. Welcome to Sacramento! Excellent value signing. Now get a real PF. John Collins would work.
John Collins would really work and I’ll bet we can get him without giving up a first rounder
Huerter might be enough as Jazz thin at guard
This is a nice deal. I hope HB does well in SA.
Like the move if we get another PF or bigger SF… a Caleb Martin type not big but plays big . This team is small unless you can play Demar at 2 , KM at 3 and Lyles at 4 against the longer teams like NOP… I like that Demar can get buckets when the team struggles at the 3, it always felt like we were missing that guy who could get a non 3 when team was struggling
Achiuwa and Paul Reed, both somewhat smaller PFs, are still free agents. They could help. Neither shoot the 3 well, but add toughness and rebounding
Other notables that could help whom might be available are John Collins, Kuzma, Isaiah Stewart, a healthy Robert Williams, Cam Johnson, Haywood Highsmith, etc.
Not sure what Monte is thinking about additional moves. Maybe keep Huerter for more of an offensive route and let Lyles play more minutes now?
We have the offense now we need a big to play next to Sabonis. The 2 IMO would fit really well are John Collins or Isaiah Stewart. Your choice. I like the idea of getting Paul Reed with our MLE. Only 25 and would be a good backup to one of the 2 above.
Can’t wait to hear the Standing O that Barnes get when he come to Sac the first time. I know the fans will not let me down!!
Jordan McLaughlin?
Just signed him. 5th or 6th guard.
The Kings need a “break glass in case of emergency” PG to wear a suit / sit at the end of the bench. If that winds up being McLaughlin, fine. This is a “nothing to see here” signing, one that maybe has just slightly more importance if a guard is moved to address the four position.
I don’t understand. I don’t like the move. It doesn’t address needs.
It increased the overall talent by upgrading from Barnes, didn’t add any salary, and gave then another legit option.
They still have the ability improve the PF/C with the assets they have.
If…IF, we make a couple of more moves and address weakside rebounding and defense, then let’s go. I’m on board. If this is it, then I’ll just sit back and see how the roster gels. I don’t think we’re balanced enough. We “allegedly” have a dawg in the backcourt with Carter.
It is a must we have a dawg in the frontcourt, specifically at PF, in which said person can slide over and play backup C when Len isn’t getting it done.
Plenty of time left to round out the roster and address the needs you listed. I will reserve judgment for now and address the totality of the offseason as training camp begins.
At worst, Huerter is a really great bench option. A bench of Monk / Carter / Huerter / Lyles / Len should be a significant improvement over Monk / Davion / Sasha / Lyles / Len or whatever flotsam we sent out there at the 2 & 3 position last year.
Even if we head into the season without serious weakside rebounding and defense, the team will be in the playoff hunt at the deadline, barring injuries. At that point, Huerter, with only 1 1/2 seasons left under contract is a very tradeable asset. I still don’t see him starting the season with the Kings, but with DD added to the roster, Monte can deal Huerter from a position of strength, now or at the deadline.
Now would be fine with me. Huerter and lyles and maybe a secnd for John Collins. Get Reed with the MLE. That would do it for now.
That would work for me, too.
Net-net, I think the team just got better. A change of 2 pts. per game is a pretty significant jump when you look at league point differential.
I agree that the work is not done. But the Kings got better today,
If we land a starting caliber PF (Kuz, Portis, Collins) then this all starts to make more sense. Only a week into FA and trade season, let the dominoes continue to fall.
How does a team with a massive talent drop off outside of its top 3-4 players trading for a massive talent not address needs?
Love Jordan McLaughlin! Perfect third PG!
LFG!
I like this move, the team is better today than it was yesterday. I’m sorry to see Barnes go, he is the ultimate professional and is now a Kings legend.
That being said, there is another domino or two to fall. What are the likely trade targets or free agents that fill needs and are realistic targets? There was a Reddit post about the Kings going after Ingram still which is foolish and from a salary matching perspective impossible without giving up Keegan, Lyles and Huerter. Aka that’s unrealistic.
The Jordan McLaughlin signing is a curious one.
He finished his $6.5m/3 yr contract with Minnesota this last season to become an UFA.
The 5’11” PG was undrafted 2018, from USC (same place as Boogie Ellis and Bronny James). The 26 year old was signed by Sac to a one year, likely minimum deal. This also, likely, places Sac firmly pennies below the first apron
From SI:
He fills the Dellavadova role of “break glass in emergency” PG depth. Very cheap end of bench guy.
He’s the Jordan Ford / Matthew Delladova for this roster. This was a spot that needed to be filled by someone.
The end of the roster may need another center, unless the Kings feel that Lyles and McDaniels can both spend time there as needed. A four that is better than Lyles and McDaniels would be the premium get, and if it could be done at the cost of Huerter the roster would be pretty well balanced – maybe add a deep bench SF to act as an emergency option behind DDR and Murray.
This is what Mike Brown is probably looking at (more or less) today:
Sabonis / Len / Lyles / McDaniels
Murray / Lyles / McDaniels / DeRozan
DeRozan / Murray / Huerter
Ellis / Monk / Huerter / Carter
Fox / Monk / Ellis / Carter / McLaughlin
I’d really like to see Keegan get his three point percentage up a few points, and I’m hoping Ellis remains a 40% shooter, or there might be some shooting issues in the starting lineup. Certainly Keegan will be asked to create a lot less with that lineup.
It felt like the Kings were far too in love with the three last year. When the threes weren’t falling, we would frequently see a +/- around -15 in a matter of minutes. I, for one, will be really thankful if the team does a better job of taking open 2’s when the 3’s aren’t falling.
But I certainly agree about Keegan. If he improves his three point percentage by 2-3 points and Keon stays above 38%, all will be good in Kings land! The addition of DD should result in lots of open looks for both KM and KE.
I stated a few times recently we need an end of the bench emergency PG, and I guess this cat is it. Never heard of him and barring injuries he won’t play much it at all.
Decent signing considering his shooting splits.
Far better having an actually experienced NBA player on the bench vs. the summer league or G league rotation.
Well played Monte! Really swung for the fences on this one. Really liking the chemistry of this team right now. Hoping the Toronto connection between Derozan and McDaniels will help reignite Jalen’s career. After reading the article in the NY Times this morning, it appears Demar really invests his time and energy into helping his teamates – especially the younger ones – train for success in the offseason.
Not too worried about the current roster composition – there is still plenty of time to make moves – and I’m hoping Kessler Edwards will get some more minutes (that he earned by the way at the end of 2023 but wasn’t afforded last season) in the vacuum created by the departure of Duarte and Vezenkov which proved to be disastrous acquisitions.
I think they turned down Kessler’s option. McDaniels replaces Kessler. I don’t think either would be getting many minutes.
I am hoping that Demar can pass some knowledge/wisdom to Keegan, along with helping Keegan develop more offensively.
I did not even think of this, they have somewhat similar games. He can only help Keegan ????
Just as Keegan had his Barnes, Devin Carter will have DeMar DeRozan
And maybe he can get Jalen McDaniels to be more like Jaden McDaniels; Jalden (or Jadlen, you chose) McDaniels perhaps.
Kings roster got better on paper. I love Barnes and am sad to see him go but DD brings a lot more offensive firepower, although they do lose some defensive versatility. Demar isn’t guarding 4s. I’m not that concerned about his 3 point shooting as his mid range game is solid enough to keep the floor spaced, but not that conducive to the “spray” offense. I don’t think the Kings are in a position to get rid of Huerter at this point though, unless they get an equivalent shooter in return.
The starting lineup will be wholly dependent on Ellis’s 3 point shooting. If he can hit spot up 3’s I think it’ll be Fox, Ellis, DD, Murray, Saboinis. If not Huerter will slide in for Ellis. Bench needs rounding out. Monk and Lyles are solid as is Ellis/Huerter, the rook is unproven. Colby Jones has yet to prove consistent contribution.
Kings need a long defensive 4. Anyone that has length and some rim running for situational defensive assignments and a PnR partner for Monk. They don’t need to bring much more.
The team’s ceiling is wholly dependent on where the ceiling of Fox, Sabonis, and Murray is. There’s certainly potential for those guys to make the team contenders, although none have proven to be established big 3 material yet. Here’s hoping they take the next step.
Ellis is conveniently forced into all of the imaginary starting lineups. He is likeable and is about an average NBA player. If he starts that is because they don’t someone better than average for that spot. That is consistent with what this team is and has been. I am ok with it but to go into the realm of the contenders that needs to change.
He got the most starts at SG after Huerter went down, including while Monk was healthy.
If Huerter is not traded, he could reclaim his starting job. But he is not as crucial to the offense as he was before DeRozan was acquired, and Ellis is the better defender. Advantage Ellis. And one could reasonably argue that his offensive skills would better serve the 2nd unit of this roster.
The longer shot seems to be Carter coming in and playing his way into the starting lineup, or the Kings going with Monk, especially now that DeRozan has been added.
I suppose that one could craft a scenario where DeRozan starts at the 2, Murray at the 3 and Lyles or McDaniels at the 4, but that does not seem as strong having Ellis, DeRozan and Murray on the floor.
My guess is that the starting shooting guard job is up for grabs. I would not bet against Ellis.
What about other players?
Anything is possible. I see Monk as a better fit as super 6th man – he can fill either G position off the bench. You do the Manu: Ellis starts, but Monk logs more minutes.
Surgery for Carter, so I don’t see him as an option right now – he’ll be too far behind.
I don’t consider Colby Jones to be a consideration at this time.
You could go DDR at SG and Lyles at the 4, but I think Ellis / DDR > Lyles / DDR.
Ellis should be the starting SG. He EARNED it.
I like Ellis. I’m rooting for him. But I would stop short of saying that he earned anything more than the right to compete for the job. He is a distinct level below Fox, DeRozan, Sabonis and even Murray in that respect. And I think that Huerter has earned the right to come in and compete for the job.
I say let him compete. I love competition. IMO though I don’t think he is a King too much longer.
I disagree, fit matters a ton and he is pur best guard defender by a mile imo. Having a 3 and d guy in a lineup with fox/dd/murray/sabonis is way more helpful compared to another offensive first guy in monk/huerter
He is an average player.
Why not improve that position as well?
Monk supposedly wants to start. That means it isn’t Ellisl
I imagine that “average player” is meant as kind of an insult here. But the guy has 73 total NBA games and 21 starts under his belt, coming in as an undrafted player. Just to be considered average at this point in his career is a real testament to his trajectory.
I won’t lose any sleep if he’s pushed to the bench but I wouldn’t bet on it. I agree with Mike here – he pairs really well with Fox, like pinot noir and baked brie (or beer and a pretzel for the less hoity toity among us). I don’t think it’s forcing things to imagine him remaining in the starting lineup.
Not an insult at all. The guy is an un drafted player that worked out. It is a great compliment to be considered average. Not bashing Ellis. There are teams and fan bases that want more than average. That is ok.
Maybe an average offensive player but not on defense. You have the offense in Fox, DD, Murray and Sabonis. You need defense out there with Ellis and Murray. The problem I see right now is a big defensive rebounding rim protecting player next to Sabonis. If that’s the case then in my opinion you sub out Ellis. Nothing less.
100% agree. If Ellis can give you Huerter’s shooting and better defense, it’s a no-brainer. I’m quite sure Ellis is fine being the fifth option. He would constantly be taking open threes.
And making them at 40%.
You tell em.
Keon Ellis starts because he is probably one of the top 10 defense players in the league He can also shoot the 3 at 40%. IMO almost every team in the league would want him especially for his defense.
Probably one of the top ten defensive players in the league coming straight from a Kings fan as fact because it is probably true.
I hate to say it but he is average. I watch a lot of either teams and other players. It is a great benefit of travelling often. He isn’t top ten for anything.
It is great that they got something in the player when they signed him.
What did the Spurs give up in this trade? Looks like a ton of upside for them.
They took on contract. Nice deal for the Spurs.
It seems the consensus is this move precludes a trade for Lauri. My question is why.
it’s my understanding that the main hold up is Utah can’t sign him to an extension until august. Couldn’t we use Huerter, Lyles, and the MLE to match his new contract?
I don’t see how (without an excessive overpay) or why the Kings would pursue Lauri at this point unless they think he makes them a championship contender and moving Keegan is ok. A move for Lauri doesn’t make sense.
There were reports that the kings were close to making a deal and other reports that Keegan was off the table. The knicks acquired Bridges without trading any significant players and a boat load of picks. Not sure why Lauri would be any different.
There appears to be no difference in the kings salary cap position before and after DeRozen so I just don’t see why one move precludes the other.
Can not use MLE as part of trade and Jazz have no interest in Huerter/Lyles for Lauri . Those two might get Collins ?
Which I hope we do.
You aren’t going to get Lauri with what you have left. You would have to include at least 2 and probably 3 first rounders. Don’t and couldn’t do that.
I believe that the Kings still have their MLE and BAE, unless I missed something. A Hayward Highsmith or Isaac Okoro might be on the menu at this point. Cedi Osman. Doug McDermott. The Kings could see if BAE money would interest Saddiq Bey, who will be out at least until November and perhaps out to March.
Now, I don’t understand the new CBA, so I am not sure if both of these exceptions are still available to the Kings, or if they can use them in a trade. It seems that unless they trade Huerter, they are either set or will exceed the first apron, which is no skin off my nose, as I don’t pay the bills.
I agree on Bey for our BAE which I think would happen. We still need a backup big to go next to Len and would really help Monk, Carter Ellis and Jones. IMO Paul Reed might fit that bill.
Sac currently with the 5th largest payroll in the NBA @$194,123,464, including DD @ $22,693,334, and JM @ $2,425,403 is the highest I can remember. I can’t remember them rising out of the twenties! Now he’s appeased the fanbase, Monte’s looking to cut some salary with Vivek going into a panic.
Rather than “cut,” I should say “shed some salaries” for cheaper contracts. I’m a bit surprised (and a little disappointed) it was HB going out instead of Huerter. I’ll be surprised if he’s still on the roster come training camp. Huerter to the bench is a terrible idea! When was the last time a 25 yr. old player went from starter to the bench and remained productive w/o disruption? Is it really fair to ask him to do that? The guy is human, after all. And he has an agent! Especially if he’s gonna back up Keon making a fraction of his money? That’s no way to build chemistry, and not in line with how MM manages his salary structure. Look at the salaries last season. Look how DeMar fits in, perfectly, this year, as the 3rd highest salary. Monte has been very consistent this way.
There are several teams where I could see Huerter start as of today: Detroit, Washington, Charlotte, Toronto (?), Brooklyn, Atlanta, Milwaukee (?).
Some interesting potential PF options on those teams that can be traded for. Stewart, Kuzma, Cam Johnson to name a few. Salaries are close to Stewart and Kuzma, Johnson not so much.
If Huerter can’t accept a role that is best for the team, his agent should help facilitate a trade that would be beneficial to him and the Kings.
I think your cap total is high…
“The trade leaves the Kings hard capped at the $178.1MM first apron, per cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). They’re about $5.8MM beneath the $170.8MM luxury tax with 12 players under contract. Gozlan points out that Sacramento can add two more players to its roster without going into tax territory, but using most of its remaining $12.8MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception will push the team over the threshold.”
I have them at $168m and change right now. Did you subtract Barnes and Duarte when doing the math?
I think that I saw Bobby Marks note that the Kings could sign two vet minimums after the DDR trade and still be under the 1st apron, which I think is around $171m.
Sportrac basically has us around $168-$169m, and that includes McLaughlin, Carter, DeRozan and Len.
Barring a change in attitude from ownership, I don’t see us using the MLE or BAE to go over the apron. Another vet minimum add, and then after that any improvement would have to come via trades that don’t increase the payroll.
Did the Kings include an unprotected 2032 pick swap to the Spurs in this deal?
I saw a report last night, maybe it was fake.
See article above
Nice get. His ability to get to the line is something that was missing from HB last year. (although I think HB will do better on load management). Ability to create his own shot in the midrange helps also.
This is such a subtle, yet huge, piece to DDR’s acquisition; the Kings really struggle to get to the free throw line for whatever reason. DeRozan is a master at creating contact, finishing at the rim and completing the and1. Getting pesky defenders in foul trouble is also a great way to get them off the court.
I’ve been advocating pretty hard for focusing on a rim-protecting PF. But now, after seeing Monte add DD, I’m kind of rethinking his vision for the team, and I have questions. Clearly the team wants to build around Fox, Sabonis, and Murray, with the main focus on the first two. DeRozan probably slots in as the 3rd offensive threat behind Fox and Ox. So if everything stays as is, we have Sabonis, Murray, DeRozan, Ellis/Monk/Huerter, Fox.
Ellis obviously helped our defense a lot when he replaced Huerter, Monk has said he wants to start, and Huerter has started most of the time he’s been with the team. (Not even mentioning Carter, because he’s still an unknown.) Filling Monk into the starting 2 spot would create all kinds of issues on defense, but our offense would be killer. Like you couldn’t double anyone, because every player could hurt you. But you’d also have a ton of players who do best with the ball in their hands. Starting Ellis would help the D a ton, but would basically bury Huerter, who’s making way too much money for that.
So, the obvious answer is trading Huerter for a true PF. But if that PF is a starter, like, say Brandon Ingram, you move Keegan to the 3 and DeRozan to the 2, creating the same logjam problem we had before trading Huerter, or you bring one of Murray or DeRozan off the bench which would be weird considering how many minutes they both usually play.
So what are the options?
1: Keep everything as is, and have incredible depth at 1 and especially 2 while lacking depth at 3 and 4.
2: Trade Huerter for a backup 4 whose main calling card is defense, while also hopefully being able to stretch the floor a little. This allows us to start Keegan at 4, but also slide him to 3 when we need to focus on D.
3: Trade Huerter and pieces/picks for a starting PF and slide Keegan and DeRozan down to 3 and 2 and bring Monk and Ellis off the bench.
4: Trade Huerter and pieces/picks for a starting PF and being Keegan off the bench while starting DeRozan at 3 and Ellis or Monk at 2.
5: I think this is is even more unlikely now than it was before adding DeRozan, but include Keegan in a trade for Markkanen, and start Sabonis, Markkanen, DeRozan, Ellis/Monk, Fox. Again, super scary offense and probably makes us a true WCF contender, but has has huge cap issues and almost no defense.
6: Trade Huerter for future picks or an expiring contract to free up cap space for a future deal.
Looking at all the pieces, first, I think we should focus on a backup 4 who we could trade for Huerter without giving up any picks if possible. If we are still focusing on LaVine while also considering Keegan a starter, then I think the plan almost has to be number 3 above, where we move Murray to the 3 and DeRozan to the 2.
The good news is it’s so much better to be worrying about which starting level players we bring off the bench than starting players who really shouldn’t be starting and having no one behind them. I also love that we have Brown to sort it all out. Because he is the kind of coach he is willing to try new things to see what works best.
Anyhow, love to hear your thoughts.
I think in a second unit that huerter could easily slot in the sf spot. He can’t handle starting level sf but absolutely can hang with backups. He plays solid team defense so if his opponent isn’t a 1v1 stud (most backups aren’t) it should be fine.
i agree that keon should start for balance, especially with dd now. If they really want a bigger starting group you could slot lyles in the starting pf spot and go fox/dd/murray/lyles/sabonis.
i do think Monte will try and swing Huerter and picks for a starting pf but if the roster stays as is i think the best lineups are:
fox/keon/dd/murray/sabonis
monk/carter/huerter/lyles/len(small ball lyles)
Just my opinion:
The main quarterback for Sac is Domas. He’s the point 5. He’s the primary facilitator on offense, but he’s not a primary scorer. Think of him like a Steve Bash.
That leaves Fox, DeDe, Keegan and Monk as your offense options. And all put Kee-gan Mur-ray self create, and maybe we see a shift to more by Keegan this season. Interestingly, what was Sac main offense 2 seasons ago, Domas DHO, which supported Huerter and Murray has been shifted to a Spray 3 version.
You have a lot of scorers, and one ball. The Kings need a defensive 4 who doesn’t need to score, but can add some offense. A 3 and D PF. Naz Reid isn’t available, but he would be ideal. John Collins would be okay, I like Bobby Portis better and IMO, they are a better fit than Markannen who was a 15 ppg scorer before Utah, and was at 25.6 last season, 23.2 this season in SLC. He does not want to become a n 15-18 ppg scorer on the Kings headed into Free Agency. He’s not coming to Sac and Sac isn’t sending Keegan anywhere.
If you look at the stats between Collins and Portis Collins wins out in almost all of them especially the bigger ones.
Huerter and Lyles are better shooters than HB. Duarte was not helpful. So, of the 4 tradable guys, The Kings traded the 2 best options.
But roster imbalanced. McDaniel’s not at all the answer the same as before- length at wings, rim protection.
Not sure if it is still possible to get Markenon ( doubtful), BI (doubtful) but Kuzma , Johnson and DFS are gettable with Huerter.
Or Kings can go Free Agent route and look at Precious, Paul Reed, Poku and Bey or wait until a team is hard capped and wants to dump a player into the Kings full MLE for “free”. Vanderbilt?
Jordan Mac is serviceable- does not elicit fear but is a break glass PG. I was holding out for T. Jones in a trade with Washington
So is Collins. I would love to have Cam Johnson but he doesn’t fit the criteria we are looking for.
I like option 3. Trade Huerter for a solid PF. Kings have never, that I can remember, had a tall legit 6’6+ SG that can really get a bucket. Maybe Doug Christie but he was a defensive stud. I would love to see that. Have Keon and monk lead the second unit. Keep Murray at the 3. Exciting times for us!
Thank you HB40
❤️
That was super sweet. I’m going to miss Barnes’ presence on the team.
Consummate professional and class act, Harrison Barnes.
https://x.com/hbarnes/status/1809999083714838572
Demar is a baller, very happy with trade. Finally have a guy who knows how to consistently get to the line AND make free throws. His efficiency is well above average for a guard / small forward.
He starts at SF right and pushes Murray to 4?
If you want to add a PF then he would start at the SG position.
Demar dewho??? Who cares we got Jordan McLaughlin. All kidding aside, love HB and hope he flys high with Dallas. he is a consummate professional and a great player. This ticks off multiple boxes including more merch sales, ticket sales, upgrade in talent for the team and a guy who can play well with whomever else you have on the floor. This forces teams to rethink putting that second defender of Fox or Sabonis. This should also help free up Murray at the three-point line so he can become the next Peja.
Via Wojnarowski: “Free agent guard Jordan McLaughlin has agreed to a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, agent Greg Lawrence of @wassbasketball tells ESPN.”
Kings signing Jordan McLaughlin, another gaurd to a one year contract must mean there’s another trade in the works involving a guard. Most likely Huerter because he is the only one with a big enough contract to help match incoming salary on a big move.
nice write up, helpful for us casual fans to understand our capacity as a team to balance out the roster. Gotta say there really isn’t much of an alternative out there for me to get quality write ups about the Kings (maybe athletic but I don’t pay for it so I don’t know). Thanks for all the timely work!
First and foremost, I want to echo some of the comments to say thank you to HB for your efforts and performance over the years. each and every starter who was a part of that playoff run deserves and has my respect. Been a fan back to the Mitch Richmond days, and all these hard years starting to feel like a thing of the past.
regarding demar derozan, I’m so pumped for this move! We have domas who is money finishing down low, fox and demar who are money in the midrange, and monk and huerter who can drain it from deep. Love the balance
imo we still need some size to help out domas and a solid defender to jump in with Monk and the 2nd team.
let’s go kings I’ll be enjoying this Sunday reading up on DeMar and watching his highlights. About all I can do in this weather ????
Mike Dunleavy, a myopic buffoon, panic stricken after Klay aka 0-10 Klank walked and Danny Ainge stopped taking his calls, gave Buddy Frigging Hield 8.7M next year (28M total) 12.8M to De’Anthony Melton (who?) and 8.6M to Slow-Mo, who will put Warrior fans to sleep with his methodic nothingness, while our games will be must watch viewing atop the League Pass rankings with the two best clutch players in the NBA.
Let’s do the math. $30,093,629 in committed 2024-25 salary to Larry Moe and Curly, or Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Doe, and Tweedle Dumb, if you prefer. We got the Bionic Man, by contrast, 34 years young, rarely misses a game, hops of a 24-year-old, cool as cucumber, bag as deep as the ocean, footwork of a ballerina, savage as Drake diss track, for $24,126,984 in committed 2024-25 salary.
Excuse me while I LOL at the radical divergence of competing franchises, one headed to the promised land, the other off a cliff. Getting rid of Duarte and his 5.9M was low-key nice. The guy had no past to speak of with us, and no future. It is reminiscent of how we attached Buddy to Haliburton, cutting the deadweight in the process of adding a star. An average GM would concede to a straight one for one, eating into our precious space and roster spots. Insisting on a team to take Duarte, probably requiring us to include the swap, was costly but worth it, to facilitate our next move.
Jordan McLaughlin is a good minimum signing based on my cursory review and because Colby Jones cannot be our 3rd string PG, the skills are not there, Keon and Devin are combo guards, and Mason Jones has not earned the trust of the braintrust. Mason Jones has a lot of talent, more than towel waving. He can ball hawk pass and shoot. He has size to guard three positions. I would rather develop him in our farm system than Colby.
We have 13 roster spots taken, including Len (2.1M), Devin (4.7M) and McLaughlin (2.1M) for a total of $168,378,688. In addition, according to Bobby Marks, we must add the salary for the 14th and 15th spot (2.1M each) to our obligation though those spots remain TBD.
This takes us to $172,578,688, over the tax line ($170,814,000) and under the 1st apron, which is $178,132,000. We are hard capped at this number, under by $5,553,312.
Running these numbers, it could be dumping Duarte was not a choice, but a requirement.
In terms of our next move, we have 5.5M below the apron, 16.8M (Huerter), McDaniels (4.7M) in the context of aggregation rules, maybe Lyles (8M) for 30.3M (no McDaniels) or 35.0M (with McDaniels).
BI is on the books for 36M. We can’t get there. Womp, womp, more so for them than us. NOP are going to hard pressed to find a taker for BI. Kuzma is too high usage to add to our group. I would not trust verbal assurances from Kuzma that he is open to a reduced role. I think the bad habits there are too engrained to break. If we added Kuzma, there would be at least five players on the team I would rather see shoot, including Keon.
Cam Johnson (23.6M) is a better low usage fit, but expensive. The matching salaries in a potential deal would be Lyles and Huerter (24.8M). Our GM is unlikely to obligate himself to 3 years and 68.8M of Cam Johnson, slightly less than what we paid to a 6-time all-star.
If you are following along closely you know our GM seeks disproportionate value relative to the cost. Lyles is a limited but useful player. Cam is a marginal upgrade. He’s not an exponential upgrade, especially if the Nets would be asking for a first rounder. I would rather sign Isaac Okoro. He is undersized but a very good defender and glue guy. Of course Portis is almost every fans dream acquisition. I cant say I blame them.
What is Chef McNair cooking up next? Get your bibs on, your feeding utensils in their upright positions, it is bound to be tasty. Just be prepared for your stomach to growl for however long it takes, late into the summer perhaps, until a trading partner capitulates. Meanwhile Dunleavy just opened a can of dog food and presented it to his fan base as a gourmet meal.
This contrast is more important than anything I can say to puff up our GM, who doesn’t need puffing after the fans were chanting his name last night. Look at Pelinka, another Vlade caliber decision maker, a blind squirrel looking for a nut. He gave Max Christie 4 / 32 million, who is an unproven nothing, compared to a stud like Keon. How is this a good use of resources, does the player agent have compromising photos?
Pelinka chased a washed-up Klank, and through general malfeseance took his team out of any chance to acquire Demar. Pelinka nickeled and dimed himself into Second Apron Hell, chasing every fringe talent, while our GM laid in wait, freeing up space instead of a stubborn refusal to move beyond mistakes. The Laker roster is littered with Mids akin to how the Warriors roster is filling out. Vincent (11M) Christie (7M) JHS (3.9M), Wood (3M) Hayes and Reddish, the list is endless. Bronny might be the biggest waste.
Our roster had a problem child or two as well so what did our GM do? Sasha – GONE. Davion – GONE. Duarte – GONE. McGee. Don’t call us, we’ll call you. The day after Monk was re-signed, I said we must exile Davion before the start of the season. He was gone within 24 hours! Cue I Prevail. Hit it boys:
When fans were getting restless, making disparaging comments about the GM, I came on this site, and in a moment of frustration said sit down shut up and let our GM cook. You might think I am compelled to apologize, play nice, take the high road rather than engage in negative behavior, extend an olive branch after the historic acquisition, the best free agent signing in franchise history…well, you would be wrong!
SUCK IT HATERS DOUBTERS AND TRUTH DENIERS! GO ROOT FOR THE WARRIORS OR LAKERS UNTIL YOU REPENT FOR YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS, O’ YE OF LITTLE FAITH! THE LIGHT OF THE BEAM COMPELS YOU! CONFESS TO THE ERROR OF YOUR WAYS AND BOW DOWN AT THE ALTAR OF MCGENIUS!
Seriously though I do want to say something that I think is really important given the contentionous nature of the discouse lately, the tension and angst among the fan base surrounding the free agency and trade season, since we all want the same thing more or less to be entertained and to see our favorite team achieve new heights, with that said there should common ground with the following sentiment:
MCGENIUS STRIKES AGAIN!!!!
I’ve been reading through the comments on GoldenStateOfMind and it’s hilarious to see a few of their fans talking about how Buddy Hield, Slo-mo, and Melton can help them get another championship. As a longtime hater of Buddy, I will enjoy the schadenfreude of watching their disillusionment.
Also, “THE LIGHT OF THE BEAM COMPELS YOU” lolololol…
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