In all honesty, there are few things Geoff Petrie could do today which would really make me sour. We joke about Spencer Hawes being a disaster, but that's borne of our current displeasure which a lack of frontcourt athleticism more than actual concern Hawes is going to be a complete bust. We'd be upset if Hawes got picked over a Joakim Noah or Jeff Green or Julian Wright, yes. But we'd still come back next year, we'd still root for our Kings in the summer league next week and preseason in October. We'd still be a part of Kings Nation.

There's one move Petrie could make to push me away, far far away. That's trade Kevin Martin. I've heard whispers for two weeks now — since the Reggie Theus hiring, to be specific — that the Kings will look to package KevMar in a deal for another 'star.' I've heard it's the Maloofs pushing Petrie to win now, even if it means compromising the team's near future. Someone was quietly pushing a KevMar + Brad Miller + filler for Jermaine O'Neal rumor last week, a rumor which made me scream into my pillow.

You cannot trade Kevin Martin right now. This community's link to the Kings is tenuous at best. Fan favorites on this roster are so few that the entire community exploded in loud cheers when a guy who might play in Bangladash next year got his qualifying offer. We love Francisco Garcia, yes, and Justin Williams. But there's one guy who keeps our brain stems activated, one guy who gives us legitimate hope for a pleasant tomorrow, and that's Kevin.

The Kings aren't under any circumstances landing a Kobe or Garnett, so those theoreticals are lost time. The best bounty they could hope for by trading Kevin and a contract are second-tier, aging would-have-beens. IT IS NOT WORTH IT, even if it gets the team to the second round in 08.

Kevin Martin is more than a young star; his future as an All-Star has been well-documented here. He is the soul of this fanbase, the reason we're still tuned in. Remove him, and you're turning off our tube. We have nothing else, even if you land a Brandan Wright or a Mike Conley. We need to keep Kevin. Please.