The Kings landed the 9th pick in the NBA Lottery yesterday, just like the odds said they probably would. After all, the Kings only had a 4.5% chance at the #1 pick.
However, for a brief moment, Sacramento actually had the best odds in the entire league, as pointed out by Reddit user sorajurgen.
For those of you that are confused, the way the lottery actually works behind the scenes is that the NBA puts 14 numbered ping pong balls in a contraption and then draws 4 of them. There are 1,001 total possible combinations and each team is given a certain amount of combinations to equal their percentage. The first three balls drawn yesterday were the numbers 5, 11 and 13. The Kings would have won the lottery if the final ping pong ball was a 9, 10, 12 or 14. In that brief moment of time, Sacramento’s 4.5% chance had skyrocketed to 36.4%. Alas, the final ball was the #1 and Detroit was awarded the 1st pick.
But hey, look on the bright side. At least we didn’t drop to 10th?
I’ll just repost this here:
I’m not too upset with it, it just feels like salt in an already open and festering wound of a franchise.
If there’s anything Kings fans know about being a Kings fan….
That sad lion is my inner Slampson.
I’ve read this several times, and I’m not getting it. This isn’t a surprise, probability & statistics are not my strong suit at all.
Where did this information come from? I think that 5, 11, and 13 represent Toronto, Cleveland and Houston, which is why they aren’t shown. The graphic shows the moment between when Houston snagged the #2, and before the draw for #1 happened?
But I don’t think that’s probably right. Of all the sequences Detroit had, 5-11-13-1 was among them? And Sacramento had the sequences 5-11-13-(9/10/12/14)? I feel like I’m getting closer. So, this means that among all of the Kings’ sequences, the draw gave us four that began with 5-11-13-? And therefore, there were lottery teams that had no chance of winning the drawing for the #1 pick?
Gawd, what a dope.
I think it’s that the only teams with the 5-11-13 combo were in that list, and not that there were lottery teams without a chance to win at all. (Some teams had 5-11 and then other numbers, so they weren’t in that list).
That being said, I’m pretty sure that grass cutters are generally dumber than radio people, so I could be wrong.
Hah, no, not at all. Radio people are the dumbest people of all.
Your kindness is appreciated.
So it’s notable that the Kings fans are aren’t happy that we didn’t luck out in a unlikely circumstance? Both situations are out of fan’s control (winning the lottery vs changing the team’s chosen strategy), why not hope the basketball gods will intervene on behalf of these long-suffering fans. Should you never hope for good outcomes in improbable situations? I guess I just don’t understand the point.
I am not saying don’t have hope.
I am saying that I am more disappointed in the FO for putting the Kings in the NBA no-man’s-land of team building through draft assets than I am that one ping pong ball didn’t bail us out.
Bleacher Report had a nice trade idea.
Magic: Bagley and a 1st
Kings: Johnathan Issac
I don’t think the Magic do it.
Another player I’d like to target is Christian Wood. I think Hou is going full rebuild. Given Monte’s history with the Rockets I can see there being various discussions on different players:
Hou; Bagley, 2022 protected 1st
Kings: Wood
The thing that irks me about this FO is we could’ve easily signed Wood last off season, could’ve traded low for Myles Turner, could’ve retained Bogi.
Instead we did nothing of substance in FA or trades. My concern is we have another inactive off season and run essentially the same team back and expect miracles. It’s time to take some big swings.
I saw that Isaac trade. You’re rendition I would be all for. They’re rendition was worse Bagley, Woodard, #9, AND a 2022 1st (lottery protected). I REALLY like Isaac, and his contract is great. But his injury history is arguably worse that Bagley’s, so two firsts AND Bagley is a LOT. But in consideration of Isaac’s tremendous defense, I’d would be interested in a Bagley+9 swap for Isaac, and could see the Magic going for it if Mobley somehow feel to them.
I’d be very interested in your Wood for Bagley+9 trade though. Considering the Rockets need for a tear-down, I could even see them going for it (maybe).
I didn’t realize the Issac trade included two firsts, that is a lot indeed for a player with his injury history.
I think Wood fits in very nicely with Fox and Hali.
Fox
Hali
Buddy
Barnes
Wood
That’d be a solid starting lineup, especially if we can replace Buddy’s slot with a 3 and D player and use Buddy as a 6th man instead.
We know one of those 3 free agency player statements is true. Kings could’ve retained Bogi if they wanted…he was restricted.
NO idea if Christian Wood had any desire to come to the Kings or not…probably not, why would he? Don’t remember any rumors about it, besides the ones we make up here. If Turner could’ve been gotten for so cheap, why did no one get him? Probably because Pacers not giving him away cheaply.
All the concerns are valid and taking a big swing might be the play…but stating all these things could’ve happened is not real fair in evaluating Monte, when we don’t know them to be true or even rumored to be true.
Wood didn’t get the money or interest that many NBA pundits were expecting. Therefore, I’d say if the Kings showed major interest and the money they could have signed him. My guess is the Kings didn’t bother because of Bagley.
As far as Turner, the Pacers were basically just trying to get out of his contract and let Sabonis be the center piece big, they didn’t see Turner’s breakout season coming, so auffice to say he could’ve been had.
You could be right and the Kings never reached out to Wood bc of Bagley. They also could have called and said hey we are thinking 15-16 mill a year and he said, no thanks I’ll play on a winning team with James Harden, and reap the benefits like Clint Capela.
Other than more blocks Turners season was almost exactly like the last several. His value should still be relatively the same, or low as you stated.
I get the frustration of the Kings treading water thus far but I think judging a GM on individual non moves that we don’t know existed isnt a great process. Now a general, hey no major moves are made to upgrade team wide view argument is fair. I just think the sample size of one off-season and deadline thus far is pretty small. More time will tell I guess.
Wood is just twenty-five, and seems like he’d be a crucial part of any team’s rebuild. I don’t see any way that Houston moves on from him, much as I’d love to see him in purple.
Yeah, Porter Jr and Wood are the centerpieces of their current build.
Thanks, Akis.
That’s hilarious!
The little guy gets up immediately after each shot to the face, even though more pain awaits him. He is we and we are him.
My apathy must be growing. I completely forgot that the lottery was yesterday.
I didn’t watch it for the first time in the last fifteen or so years after the Luka draft.. After they passed on Luka, my stance on the franchise changed.
Amended headline/article idea: The Kings Came Really Close to Being a Relevant Basketball Team

Who knew that Jay Leno could kick like that?
Wore his purple shirt to the draft but alas disappointed and pissed.
Who knew Vivek and Aneel could take kicks like that?
So you’re saying Vivek’s anti tank plan almost worked?!?!
Vivek Ruindumbe almost cherry picked it
Why?
Thread jack: Still an angry dude
https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-issues-next-day-technical-to-de-marcus-cousins-for-shoving-devin-booker-cameron-payne-213713734.html
Not a Boogie defender at all but that was nothing but immediate after game feels and poor acting.
Payne said something to DMC, got a half-hearted shove for it and went on to pretend he was assaulted and then Booker got into DMC’s face for touching Payne, which earned Booker a little “get-of-out-of-my-face” shove which he also used to act as if someone took a swing at him.
DMC deserved his tech for pushing Payne, but I’m absolutely sick of this prima donna diva bullshit that players are pulling where someone gets touched and then starts flailing around like they were set on fire. There was nothing in any of that except some poor sportsmanship on both sides.
Yeah, going to disagree on that one. Cousins was clearly in the wrong here and it was a typical childish move on his part.
DMC’s prima donna BS of acting like a complete ass and actually getting away with it until he was forced out of Sacramento.
If Divac was not so bad in so many other decisions his decision to dump Demarcus would be considered genius. Too bad he did all he could to eliminate any chance of that.
Okc has way more picks in this draft then they can accommodate. They might want some quality for their quantity. I would propose our 9th pick for their 16th, 34th, and Isaiah Roby.
So are the Kings just taking the quantity then? Kings already have got one early 2nd round pick this year. Two from last year on roster. Don’t know all the roster/2 way machinations of call ups etc.
Feels to be like there is a bit of a drop in tier from after 12-13. Don’t think I’d move 9 to OKC unless it was for 16 and 18…maybe.
Also, not blaming Want to be GM, but can someone explain to me the obsession with Roby on this board? I don’t think its the same member every time, but he is always coming up as someone the Kings should target and people want back in a trade with OKC. I just don’t see it, in the few games I’ve seen him in or the traditional/advanced stats. Am I blind?
I’m with you Wiz, his name has been brought up a few times over the last few days and I don’t see much in his game to get excited about. He is 6-8, 230lbs and only 22, so there’s that.
He’s also a high level athlete with good instincts and passing. He isn’t a star and isn’t likely to be one, but I do think he could be a good rotational big with some starter upside if all goes well. If the Kings could get him at a bargain, I think he would be a smart target. WtbGM’s suggestion values him roughly at the same level as a high-2nd. Which I think is a pretty good deal for a young guy an a cheap contract that’s shown some ability to be a useful NBA player.
They’re fans. You can’t criticize the owner without getting a thumbs down anymore. If they like garbage they got it then. Please keep giving thumbs down because the truth hurts.
Roby is certainly no sure thing but an intriguing prospect. I watched over 50 OKC games this year and he made dramatic improvement and I think has more to go. From SI.
In this debut game, he would show flashes of what he can do at the NBA level. For the first time, he got enough minutes to put together a full game body of work. Roby would score 19 points on 9-for-12 shooting and pulled down seven rebounds. This was the first NBA contest in which he was playing more than just garbage minutes at the end of a game.
From there, he would continue to earn minutes off the bench in the games following and continued to look more and more comfortable on the floor. Standing at 6-foot-8, Roby is really a guy who should be playing either forward position, but had found a niche at backup center in OKC.
With Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault liking to play small and with pace, Roby fit his style perfectly with the ability to rebound and bring the ball up the court when needed. To Roby, playing point-center is what makes him so unique both offensively and defensively.
Huh, OK. Thanks for the read.
50 Thunder games? May I ask why??? : )
I only watched a handful of King’s games and some guys are watching 50 plus Thunder games lol. That’s awesome.
Okc has an abundance of young raw talent along with a huge stash of draft picks. Add that to players like SGA, Dort, and Bazely, and OKC is one of the most compelling stories in the NBA. OKc has some work to do but it’s highly probable with their assets they will be force to reckon with soon and for some time. Lastly, OKC used some of their vast draft capitol to move up to take Pokusevski. There may be a deal available for the Kings which also makes them an interesting watch. The one I mentioned is just one of many possibilities. I thought Moses Brown would also be a young flyer to take a chance on for the Kings but that one got away.
That may answer your question but I’m not saying anything that most knowledgeable basketball people don’t already know.
Yeah aware of most of that but those last 20-30 games were pretty flippin brutal. Just curious if you were an OKc fan or something.
The official Dumbass of this site has not only spoken, but spoken in a new type of text. I now have a new hero.
Bogdan is still a mediocre vet with injury issues that doesn’t affect winning/losing
I don’t have McNair as making a wrong move yet (if stupid Vivek is responsible for the non tanking direction)
The draft. Wright/Davis/Metu/Jones
Going to assume there was no solid deal for Barnes on the table
Tweet liked by Marvin himself.
Who’s gonna break it to him?
Please let him go!
Maybe he just walks away from the last year of his deal and practices with his Daddy while waiting for somebody else to burn money by signing him?
I would love to see the absolute shitshow of drama that would happen for the Kings to have a player decide they’d rather pull a Carlisle and leave guaranteed money on the table just to get out of the building.
He’s not going to pull a WCS
Kings fans –
That is the best news I’ve heard all day. I still think that Marvin could be an effective NBA player (even if he will never live up to he-who-shall-not-be-named) but the clown-show and drama just isn’t worth it. Time to move on. We’ll always have the pictures of my wife sitting next to him at 2019 Summer league games.
I am guessing that they let him know that he’s being actively shopped and to get ready for a move.
I really hope we don’t have to wait until draft night to ship this fool out.
There’s a lesson there for all of us.
It appears he’s given up on his hip-hop career as well!
Remember when we thought Marv was a much better pick than Trae?
Obviously hindsight is 20/20 but that is justifiable – I thought Trae Young would wash out of the NBA before his rookie contract expired and I was not alone in that opinion. A guy with that frame needs to be an absolute maestro on offense to be a useful NBA player and I just didn’t think it would translate from the SEC. Lighting up Eastern Arkansas State is an entirely different thing from playing against NBA level guards, but props to Trae for stepping up.
Clearly his game did translate and I am an idiot but I still don’t think it was necessarily a bad bet. Passing up the other guy, though, ugghh….
Vlade picked this clown over historically great players (Luka, Trae), because we already had Fox.
Not saying Trae was ever on the FO’s radar like Luka was, but you know he was never even considered because he plays the same position as Vivlade’s love child Fox. Trae is a few games away from the Finals and Luka would be too if he had even average talent around him.
Vlade is the same guy that picked wca over Turner and Booker.
This is totally unfair, but I kinda got the feeling that people who didn’t think Trae wouldn’t make it in the NBA didn’t watch a ton of him. They tended to be the ones, IMO, that focused too much on his scoring and not enough on his playmaking. The deep 3s are fun and stretch the defense, but even in college is was his elite handles, shiftiness, creativity, and vision that convinced me he would be a good NBA play. Now, I didn’t know he’d be THIS good and THIS fast. But I had him at #3 in his class.
He needs to go regardless, but I don’t put all the blame on him. He owns a large share but tell me one player we have developed vs them having so much talent they achieved despite being a king.
Case being Fox and Haliburton and Holmes. How have their games changed while playing for the kings vs being what they were when drafted. Conversely where would they be by now on other teams like the warriors.
Side note the news coming out about Monte has me firmly in the bed a dumbass camp. But I also think it shows Vivek is the meddler. Why else would a supposedly experienced competent front office guy not take a pick of a guy you knew you weren’t going to resign? The failed Bucks deal and then the waiting til the last moment reeks of the trade deadline change up and Vivek saying keep him. I mean trade him. I mean let him walk. Maybe we should sign him? No let’s let him walk.
9th pick to rule them all,
9th pick to find them,
9th pick to bring them all,
and in the darkness, mismanage them!
Badge Legend