We’re back! Jerry Reynolds, Will Griffith, and Tony Xypteras discuss Sacramento’s 4-game losing streak, recent trade rumors, trade deadline strategy, Keegan Murray’s strong play, De’Aaron Fox’s (slight) struggles, Kevin Huerter’s reemergence, and more on the podcast this week. Thanks for listening!
Note: This episode was recorded before Monday nights win over the Atlanta Hawks.
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in my amateur opinion, I’d say there are 3 phases to building an NBA roster:
Gather Assets – Draft high, take flyers on guys, and make small savvy moves to accumulate talent. This is what Monte has been doing for the past few years.Churn – Once you have that talent, you should be able to consistently make the playoffs but are probably a ways away from winning a title. This is ‘good not great’ as Mike Brown might say. And since your talent won’t take you all the way, you need to be turning over the roster until you can find a winning formula. Which leads to the final step.Consolidation – This is when you commit to the guys you think will take you all the way. Moving money away from 10 or so rotation players, to the 6-8 guys that you really believe in. In the Kings context, it might mean signing Monk or Murray to big, long-term deals. But once those deals are signed, it becomes hard to turnover the roster. So when you commit, you gotta be REALLY really sure.Currently, the Kings are in phase 2. And to my eye, they are not close to competing for a title. That means that for as much as we may appreciate guys like Monk or even Murray, we cannot fully commit to them until they show their ability to take us to the next level.
So for right now, I am all in on churning this roster. Regarding choices like “do I pay a 6th man that doesn’t play defense $20+ mil/yr for the next 4 years or flip him for younger, cheaper assets?”, I fall firmly on the latter option. I do not care if this team gets worse in the short-term as long as there is a path towards growth in the long-term. If Monk brings me back a 20-something with a couple years left on his rookie deal, that’s ideal. Because a young, cheap player growing into himself is a lot easier to either build around or trade for a star than an overpaid guy who’s hitting his prime.
Gimme young-ins like Herb Jones, Jalen Smith and Isaac Okoro, or role-players that you commit MLE money towards like Caruso or Thybulle. None of these guys are going to take you to contender by themselves, but they all project as rotation players on a contender or – at the very least – trade bait for real stars.
Now is not the time to lock ourselves into bad contracts, sentiment for our guys be damned. One need look no further than the Barnes deal to show how missing the window to part with an aging, expensive player can only hamstring long-term growth. Teams like the Hawks and Bulls are also cautionary tales of spending big on B-tier talent. The standard for winning in this league is high, so you’re either a capable two-way rotation player, or you’re just a stand-in for one in the meantime!
Well stated.
It’s clear the Hawks haven’t found benefits from pairing Trae and Murray so I would make a run at Murray. He’s long, can defend, play the point and can carry a team if needed. This eliminates the need for Monk and Davion (who may be a better pairing with Trae) and likely Kevin, who could be used to trade for another asset. Trading with the Hawks also allows us to use the 2024 pick to make a deal work.
I believe Murray’s awkwardness playing next to Trae (a scoring guard who is bad on defense) would not be better next to Fox (a scoring guard who is mediocre on defense). Murray himself is also a mediocre defender, so swapping him for a guy like Monk or Huerter is too marginal of a difference for me to want to throw the necessary assets at it.
Yep. Murray’s rep as a lights-out defender goes hand-in-hand with his playing under Popovich. I’m not sure that he makes a real dent when it comes to the defensive deficiencies of this team.
Yup. A Thybulle or a Caruso type player is a better defensive fit next to Fox, and likely come at a much lower cost.
I disagree that Caruso would cost less than Murray right now.
You very well could be right. He is a legit basketball player and the type of guy the Kings could really use.
If they came away with Caruso and Herb by this deadline, then things would be looking real nice in the kingdom.
If the starting 5 was Fox-Caruso-Keegan-Herb-Domas by the end of the trade deadline I’d say the Kings are a legit dark horse out of the West.
I agree. He’s gonna likely cost a pick or two and may be an awkward fit next to Fox. I truly see Murray as a lead guard, which he won’t be here in Sac. He’s just not the ying to Fox’s yang.
I agree somewhat, but you still have to seriously consider and determine if its worth it to pay the current cost to acquire him now versus what the Kings could get from flipping him to a PG needy team in the off-season if you don’t like the fit with Fox.
He’s the kind of player that other teams will want back in a trade for one of their all-star caliber players. Sometimes picks alone won’t work and you need a valuable player asset and I think Murray could be that kind of asset (I’m comfortable saying he’s viewed league-wide as a better asset than Barnes/Huerter).
How would we rank our reported targets- Jones, Harris, Bojan and Grant?
For me, it’s Herb Jones by a country mile over the rest of the guys you listed. He fits the need, timeline, and he’s locked up on a very team friendly deal through 2027. I feel he could have a Mikal Bridges type arc to his career. Maybe not as much a scorer, but every bit the defender…or possibly better.
If he is really available, I’d overpay for him on this team with anyone not named Keegan, Fox, or Sabonis…even if it takes a few picks as well.
What are your thoughts on Jalen Smith?
I’d kick his tires for sure, but not sure he is available. I speculated that he might be with the addition of Pascal, but then I read the Pacers have made Obi Toppin available instead, to go along with Buddy.
I did a comparison between Herb Jones and Tari Eason. Jones 25(6’8′) 7′ wingspan. Eason 22(6’8″) 7′ 2″ wingspan. Jones leads Eason in lot of catagories but Eason is a better offensive rebounder and has a better 3pt.percentage. Both are good rebounders and defenders. Just a comparison. PS The Rockets are looking for a vet to come in and help the younger players and locker room.Looking at Barnes contract much higher than either one but much higher than Easons. If the Kings would trade for either one it would probably take a third team to get involved. Just an idea.
I’d love to get Eason, but just don’t know if Houston is willing to move him.
I’m with you. When looking at the combination of player and contract, it’s Jones, and it’s not close. My guess is that he is not available – I can’t figure out why the Pels would deal him, short of getting something extraordinary in return.
Give me Grant after that. I don’t how you make a deal for Tobias Harris without involving another team or two. Bojan is not much of a needle mover for me.
From what I understand, they want to free up long term money to re-sign Jonas and possibly extend Murphy III. I think they see Ingram and Zion as players ahead of Herb on the depth charts and want to cash out on him in order to fill their holes elsewhere.
They are just so deep with talent that they can’t keep/pay them all.
Pelicans are on the brink of becoming the Bulls imo. I have never really been a believer in Zion and the idea that he is one of your max players just seems like a massive liability for me.
And then paying big bucks to Jonas also sounds like a mistake to me. He’s a nice player, but can’t I pay a guy like Thomas Bryant a fraction of the price for roughly 80% of the same production?
Depending on the deal I think Murphy is worth resigning, but if I have to pay either him or Herb I’m picking Herb. And honestly? I’d pay them both before giving Zion the rest of his money if I could find a buyer. Murphy-BI-Jones is infinite positional versatility, and Zion is decidedly not that.
For what its worth, the Pels came out after the report said Herb Jones might be available so the Pels have money to re-sign Trey Murphy (paraphrased) and completely refuted the idea that Jones is available in any trade.
Whether that is posturing or not, I don’t see why the Pels would make a move now, they have plenty of time to do something later and Jones is getting better and better as he plays.
Apparently Fox has been boycotting the press since being called out for not going to the podium after the Pelicans blowout? This coincides with his struggles on the court. What’s up with him?
My arse-pulled guess is that he is hurt/banged up. But he has fallen off quite a bit after that scintillating start. I mean, at the quarter pole he was the inarguable top player on this team. But halfway through it is Sabonis, and not Fox, that has been the clear best player on the 23-24 roster.
He also does not seem as engaged for the past 3-4 weeks, compared to the beginning of the season. Lots of lackadaisical moments on the floor. Maybe that is injury, maybe he has something off the court going on, maybe he is getting tired of Brown’s coaching style/decisions, etc..who knows.
But he needs to be much better and more consistent if this team has a chance of accomplishing anything of note this season.
Yep. He’s been good. The Kings need for him to be great.
And 1 – Can we take a moment to appreciate how insanely good – and consistent – Sabonis has been since his arrival? Add in the thumb injury that he played through last year and what we are witnessing is rare and special, and I hope not overlooked among the fan base.
Yup. He was not scoring much last night but he rebounded very well and never showed any signs of lazy or uninterested play.
Domas had a 93 DRTg against the Hawks, for what that’s worth
It looks to me that he’s been cradling his right arm (which tells me his shoulder might be hurting) during games when he’s not really required to do anything (like waiting for balls to be inbounded, after whistles, and other short stoppages).
I’m pretty sure that’s his wrist (could be a shoulder is banged up too)
Fox’s wrist being hurt has coincided with his downturn in shooting. I believe the reason he’s still shooting 3 ball well is because that shot uses the legs to launch- much less strain on the wrist.
But in close less legs and free-throws too. More pain on those shots.
If true, that’s disappointing out of Fox.
My biggest concern is whether the injuries hampering his game will heal (heal enough) that he can be close to regular Fox?
If not, this team goes nowhere.
OT: Did not see that coming.
+1 Lol, they wanna bring Doc Rivers in?
HAHA!!! What a joke. They will blame the poor defense this season, which is a cop out. Traded away Jrue and replaced him with Dame, and Middleton has not been himself with the injuries. Still unsure why they fired Coach Bud to begin with.
Doc ain’t that guy to lead them to the promise land.
Agree with you on coach Bud. He steered the franchise to a championship and then dumped him within a couple years. Maybe there was more going on, but their current circus seems like a joke in comparison to what Budenholzer was doing.
I can see replacing Bud with a different proven coach, but to hire a first time Head Coach and expecting a championship is not good planning.
Crazy. The FO created the situation and then held the coach accountable for it.
“Actually, it’s pronounced ‘Mee-lee-wah-kee,’ which is Algonquin for, ‘Good Lord, Doc Rivers?!?'”
“Just not Mark Jackson. Or Luke Walton!”
Same as it ever was!
It has been S I X T E E N years since Doc won a championship. Since then, he’s been on absolutely LOADED rosters that have never gone anywhere. At what point does the shine wear off?
Apparently never. Those loaded teams have failed in glorious fashion too.
It has been 14 centuries since the KaNGz got out of the first round.
Here we are…..staring at the dim and dull.
Just wow. Firing Griffin could be seen as “we demand nothing less than excellence … we will hire only the best”. But firing Griffin + hiring Doc is just a panic move.
3rd best record in the league, playing damn near .700 ball. Buh-bye.
I really hope Giannis spared the equipment manager.
You mean his brother? He’s probably safe.
https://x.com/LegionHoops/status/1744037182514557190?s=20
Crap. How does one embed a tweet these days?
I don’t even know how to add a pic or gif…
“Dammit, Thanasis! I said ‘no starch!!!'”
I trust Monte McNair. Just want to make sure we are not taking having a generational player like Fox for granted as the NBA has showed us Diva’s can throw a fit and leave for a superteam at the drop of a hat.
Fox isn’t there yet, but if the wrong voices get in his ear I could see him starting to resent being in a small market during his Prime. So long as he’s committed then I’d like us to lean into the draft to find gems to assist as I think we can find better deals there. Good GMs miss but the NBA fields 5 starters so why give up just on the draft because Davion wasn’t the best pick. Teams and players are looking to fleece the Kings as a small market team, but we can control who we draft and set ourselves up for future success on the floor and financially
Establish a culture that encourages players to want to stay
Don’t trade Malik please
Fox is great but people seem to misunderstand what “generational” means.
Fair – overstated his skills relative to the rest of the league. He’s still the best player we’ve had during the last 15 years and it’s not close
He may already be “Sacramento Generational.” Kings have been here almost 40 years. Over 340 players. Who do you put ahead of Fox? Right now I have Richmond and Webber ahead of him. Maybe Peja. And that’s it (I have him ahead of Cousins, others may not).
Expanding on that theme, all-time starting five. Mine would be Sabonis, Webber, Stojakovic, Richmond, Fox. Give me Cousins, Brian Grant, Artest, Christie and Bibby off the bench. Maybe IT, Brad Miller and Hedo just to round out the roster.
Peja, J will, Bibby, Richmond, Vlade, Bobby Jackson,…..anyone who scored and played hard on defense.
Only Richmond and Webber, IMO.
Only if Monty gets exactlly what he wants.
PS Just hypothetical. If the Kings use Monk in a trade with an expiring contract can’t we pick him up in free agency or is this out of the question?
Fox is great. Not generational by a long stretch. Not even close. Guy has put together 2 strong years. Period. That’s generational?
Generational: Curry, Doncic, Lebron, Durant, Jokic, Gianni’s, Embiid. Kawhi,
Fox would never be in that conversation
Now got around to listening to the podcast.
Thank you Jerry for the kind words. Always enjoy listening to you.
The real problem is you have a real hole at the 2 and 4. No matter what you trade for you’re not getting back to high quality starters for Barnes and Huerter. Not happening.
Murray is improving. But is he really a 3 on a champion? No. And No way. Not yet anyways
Sabonis for all his great regular season achievements. Will be exposed in the playoffs again Guarantee that. He can’t shoot, can’t space and of course can’t rim protect.
This team is built for some regular season success. But I don’t see any deep run.
Herb Jones would be nice. I have a feeling Pels break down and sign him to an extension or he gets moved for a really nice package. He can help about 20 other teams. So I expect at least 5-6 other teams will have more to offer NO. Pels would have no interest in any of Barnes, Huerter, or Davion.
Caruso. Do you really want a guy who averages at least 30 games missed every single year? You can be sure he will get injured in the playoffs.
Marginal moves to fill out the bench make sense. But I see Dallas, Wolves, and OKC making some moves to strengthen their teams even more for the post season
Not sure Sac can keep up. Right now Clips, Pels and Denver would all be Sacs nightmare matchup.
i hear rumblings about Zion. Well if you watch a lot of Pels. Which I do. I can tell you it has more to do with Green’s wacky rotations and offensive sets. That don’t always favor Zions dominance. Tons of Pels fans will tell you that.
On paper 1-8. Pels are as strong as any team in the league. Should have an even better record that they do. They have tons of assets both picks and players to go after a real 1. I suspect if the Pels flame out in the playoffs. Green will be history.
Green being fired would rank with the brilliant.coaching moves of firing Budenholzer and Stotts . Bucks, Blazers proven mistakes .
That was a fun listen.
Thanks Will, Tony and The Great Jerry Reynolds
The repeated talking point that “McNair decided to stand pat” in the offseason is a facile one.
You look to make moves, but a so many factors are beyond your control. If nothing beneficial can be generated, then you don’t make stupid moves to show how dynamic you are.
You end up standing pat.
Badge Legend