Kings sign Darren Collison

[funkykingston]

Ken Berger: Kings intend to create room for Collison's non-taxpayer mid-level deal by waiving and stretching a player, source says. Twitter @KBergCBS

Rumors tagsLos Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Free Agency, Darren Collison
- See more at: http://hoopshype.com/rumors/tag/sacramento_kings#sthash.LlqbzjhU.dpuf


So why do we need to stretch a player now if we used the MLE?

To minimize the cap (and potentially the luxury tax) hit.

In essence Collison's contract only adds $2.5 million per year to the cap over the first two years if they use the stretch provision on Jason Terry. Obviously that eliminates being able to use his ending contract (a relatively valuable commodity) in trades, but theoretically it would still let the Kings match a reasonable offer for IT. Whether they have any interest in doing so is another story entirely.

Overall this is a lateral move at best if IT signs elsewhere. Collison's style may work better with Gay & Cousins but IT is the more talented player. Weaker a bit defensively but a far better offensive weapon.

The issue for me is that this team hasn't really moved forward at all. For all of PDA's "aggressiveness" and the talk of "NBA 3.0" and so forth, this Kings team has so far just spun it's wheels this offseason. Stauskas will add shooting and can be a nice roleplayer but one big issue about being so open about pursuing guys like Love or Rondo or even Smith and basically telling everyone that your #8 pick is available for deals is that you raise expectations.

For two years in a row the Kings have stayed put in their draft spot, made no trades on draft night, signed an undersized big to an inflated contract in Landry and picked up a steady guard relatively cheaply in Collison. Are we certain there's been much change from the last few Petrie years?

 

[Albatros]

The issue for me is that this team hasn't really moved forward at all. For all of PDA's "aggressiveness" and the talk of "NBA 3.0" and so forth, this Kings team has so far just spun it's wheels this offseason.

takes two too tango sadly, no body is buying what we're selling.

 

[Padrino]

This is what I meant. We are stuck with young SGs but Stauskas can be a star. I love this pick up and suspect IT will have his dreams answered and will be a Laker.

i sure hope not. as much as i would have preferred to see the kings trade IT before the deadline, and as much as i have insisted that he belongs in a 6th man's role, his napolean complex would not be fun to encounter four times a season, as opposed to the two times the kings would play against him if he landed in, say, detroit...

 

[Kingster]

Collison fits with our team MUCH MUCH better than IT does. Not to mention he can play a little bit of defense and he's stronger and taller than IT.

Having Collison here allows Gay and Cousins to dominate the ball more which is what we want!!! Collisons stats wont be the same as IT's but I bet you we're a better team.

Speak for yourself. Having Cousins and Gay dominate the ball more than they already do would make me vomit. I want more team ball, not more ISO Cousins & Gay ball. If Malone doesn't have the imagination or even the SA plagarizing ability to come up with a more imaginative offense, I'm going to be very dissapointed in him.

 

[Glenn]

i sure hope not. as much as i would have preferred to see the kings trade IT before the deadline, and as much as i have insisted that he belongs in a 6th man's role, his napolean complex would not be fun to encounter four times a season, as opposed to the two times the kings would play against him if he landed in, say, detroit...

Can you imagine Kobe and IT on the court together?

 

[Folsomkingsfan]

I say screw it and give collison a chance. It's not like things can get much worse.

 

[Padrino]

For two years in a row the Kings have stayed put in their draft spot, made no trades on draft night, signed an undersized big to an inflated contract in Landry and picked up a steady guard relatively cheaply in Collison. Are we certain there's been much change from the last few Petrie years?

there's certainly been a change in the way this regime chooses to do business. that can't be denied. they're transparently aggressive, they're much more involved with the fan base, they're giving great consideration to the franchise's brand as a whole, etc. that said, i don't entirely disagree with you in that the on-court result is hardly any different from what we saw of the latter day maloof/petrie kings. it's still a lotta patchwork acquisitions, offense-heavy philosophy, defensively deficient personnel, questionable draft day decisions, dearth of useful trade assets, etc. who knows when or if this team will turn the corner. i remain cautiously optimistic that it might happen. but it could also take a few years of stumbling around in the dark before the kings decide to blow it all up and try again...

 

[Hoovtrain]

To minimize the cap (and potentially the luxury tax) hit.

In essence Collison's contract only adds $2.5 million per year to the cap over the first two years if they use the stretch provision on Jason Terry. Obviously that eliminates being able to use his ending contract (a relatively valuable commodity) in trades, but theoretically it would still let the Kings match a reasonable offer for IT. Whether they have any interest in doing so is another story entirely.

Overall this is a lateral move at best if IT signs elsewhere. Collison's style may work better with Gay & Cousins but IT is the more talented player. Weaker a bit defensively but a far better offensive weapon.

The issue for me is that this team hasn't really moved forward at all. For all of PDA's "aggressiveness" and the talk of "NBA 3.0" and so forth, this Kings team has so far just spun it's wheels this offseason. Stauskas will add shooting and can be a nice roleplayer but one big issue about being so open about pursuing guys like Love or Rondo or even Smith and basically telling everyone that your #8 pick is available for deals is that you raise expectations.

For two years in a row the Kings have stayed put in their draft spot, made no trades on draft night, signed an undersized big to an inflated contract in Landry and picked up a steady guard relatively cheaply in Collison. Are we certain there's been much change from the last few Petrie years?

So basically they are losing the value of Terry's expiring? Just lovely. Unless they have some plan in place, this seems short sighted and not very smart

 

[Livinthedream]

No, it just shows how unbelieveably biased towards IT some (quite a few) on this forum are towards IT. Actual professionals know the value of Thomas and know this is a stupid move if meant to replace him

What the national media doesn't bring up is that we won 28 games two years in a row with IT. IT may not have been the problem, but he wasn't the solution.

The national media will critcize any move until we start winning. They critcized the Gay trade. They even laughed at KJ when he said we'd keep the Kings. Just hold on for a bit and when we start winning, we can throw it back in their faces.

 

[Padrino]

Speak for yourself. Having Cousins and Gay dominate the ball more than they already do would make me vomit. I want more team ball, not more ISO Cousins & Gay ball. If Malone doesn't have the imagination or even the SA plagarizing ability to come up with a more imaginative offense, I'm going to be very dissapointed in him.

it's a mistake to conflate offensive hierarchy with isolation basketball. just because cousins and gay represent the kings' first and second options doesn't mean that every play featuring one or both of them need be an isolation play. as you say, it's up to coach malone to fashion something more creative than that, but i don't think it's a mistake to subtract a high usage player in isaiah thomas from the starting unit in order to implement a less top-heavy offensive approach. if stauskas can help supplement playmaking at all, the kings should be better balanced amongst the starters...

 

[sdballer]

What the national media doesn't bring up is that we won 28 games two years in a row with IT. IT may not have been the problem, but he wasn't the solution.

The national media will critcize any move until we start winning. They critcized the Gay trade. They even laughed at KJ when he said we'd keep the Kings. Just hold on for a bit and when we start winning, we can throw it back in their faces.

This. Not saying the national media isn't right or wrong some of the times, but they take a very narrow view of how the world works. The best teams/markets can sign guys at discounts while the others overpay. So they mock every move the little guys make while praising the genius GM's from other markets.

They also rarely watch the small teams and get caught up in stats/reputations.

 

[Padrino]

Can you imagine Kobe and IT on the court together?

not really. i don't think it would work out particularly well for the lakers, in the short term, at least. i just don't like the idea of isaiah thomas using that massive chip on his shoulder against the kings four times a season...

 

[Dreadnought]

I can't wait to find out the fate of IT so we don't have to hear about it anymore. Kings fans, we are loyal to our own, I'll give that.

 

[Tetsujin]

Can you imagine Kobe and IT on the court together?

I can imagine Kobe wringing IT's neck after he ignores him to jack up an ill-advised three with 18 seconds on the shot clock for the fifth possession in a row.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

i've been all for the Kings replacing IT, but they went and got an even more shoot first PG? WTF

 

[Tetsujin]

i've been all for the Kings replacing IT, but they went and got an even more shoot first PG? WTF

He's not.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

not really. i don't think it would work out particularly well for the lakers, in the short term, at least. i just don't like the idea of isaiah thomas using that massive chip on his shoulder against the kings four times a season...

I do. He'll make the rest of that team worse in the process of 'making his statement'

 

[sactownfan]

there's certainly been a change in the way this regime chooses to do business. that can't be denied. they're transparently aggressive, they're much more involved with the fan base, they're giving great consideration to the franchise's brand as a whole, etc. that said, i don't entirely disagree with you in that the on-court result is hardly any different from what we saw of the latter day maloof/petrie kings. it's still a lotta patchwork acquisitions, offense-heavy philosophy, defensively deficient personnel, questionable draft day decisions, dearth of useful trade assets, etc. who knows when or if this team will turn the corner. i remain cautiously optimistic that it might happen. but it could also take a few years of stumbling around in the dark before the kings decide to blow it all up and try again...

DUUUUDE.... its been one year.... one year for the new ownership and front office to try and correct almost 10 years of damage.... Take a deep breath. This team is improving. Moving all our trash for Gay was a move that alone warrants you and everyone else to chill out for a little while. We got a ton of contracts that will start looking pretty tradable come all-star break. If you don't get a sense that the culture is changing by now. I dunno what else to say. you just love being emo.

Im staying super positive thru this years all-star break and next years draft and free agency offseason . AT THAT POINT if things are a mess or not improving people can be justified with complaining.

 

[Padrino]

I do. He'll make the rest of that team worse in the process of 'making his statement'

haha fair enough

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

We went from a possible Elfrid Payton and Ben starting lineup....to Collison and Stauskus instead. We came out well ahead here

 

[Gary]

i've been all for the Kings replacing IT, but they went and got an even more shoot first PG? WTF

Eh? Collison is not "more" of a shoot first PG. Collison is basically the Borg. He can adapt to whatever offensive scheme is given to him to play. That's what I had always liked about him. He's not flashy, he's not an all-star but he will bring stability to the PG spot and he'll be solid in every part of the game that we need him to be solid at. It's a good addition.

 

[sdballer]

On its own no problem with the move. What it means for using the other assets ( like IT) is a bigger issue for me. We absolutely can't let it walk and then be down additional assets.

On a petty related note, it's interesting to watch the same fans (here and elsewhere) that reacted one way to the Reke news now flipping out over it.

 

[Tetsujin]

On its own no problem with the move. What it means for using the other assets ( like IT) is a bigger issue for me. We absolutely can't let it walk and then be down additional assets.

On a petty related note, it's interesting to watch the same fans (here and elsewhere) that reacted one way to the Reke news now flipping out over it.

People apparently reeeeeeeallly like the smallball

 

[Padrino]

DUUUUDE.... its been one year.... one year for the new ownership and front office to try and correct almost 10 years of damage.... Take a deep breath. This team is improving. Moving all our trash for Gay was a move that alone warrants you and everyone else to chill out for a little while. We got a ton of contracts that will start looking pretty tradable come all-star break. If you don't get a sense that the culture is changing by now. I dunno what else to say. you just love being emo.

Im staying super positive thru the this years all-star break and next years draft and free agency offseason . AT THAT POINT if things are a mess or not improving people can be justified with complaining.

i haven't the faintest idea why you feel the need to be condescending towards my position. i gave due credit to the new regime for their aggressiveness, for their involvement with the fans, and for their management of the kings brand thus far, while maintaining that i'm cautiously optimistic that the on-court product will improve over time. but i do have concerns about their inexperience and their basketball philosophy. it may work out, or they may have to blow it all up in a few years. is that not a fair assessment? i'm hardly declaring that the sky is falling...

 

[funkykingston]

takes two too tango sadly, no body is buying what we're selling.

Which just underscores why it was a mistake to try and retool instead of blowing up the roster and rebuilding.

Big market teams can retool quickly because they can be an attractive destination for big name free agents or stars trying to force their way to a new team. The Knicks were terrible and yet they were enticing to Carmelo Anthony when he was poised to leave Denver. And the Lakers look lost and rudderless right now but they are still tied to big names this offseason because they are the Lakers.

Look at the successful small market teams. San Antonio drafted Duncan, Ginobili, Parker and Leonard. OKC drafted Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka. They also drafted Jeff Green who they traded for Perkins to add defense and beef to their frontcourt. And they drafted Harden and only traded him because they knew they couldn't afford to pay him.

The Kings needed to build through the draft. They needed to blow up the roster for cap room and to aid in tanking. And they'd need to sell Cousins on the notion which I think they could have. They were still committed to him as the face of the franchise with a big extension so I think PDA & co could have bought a couple years of loyalty. I have my doubts about Jabari Parker but I'd take him locked into a rookie deal for four years over one year of Rudy Gay at $19.3 million.

Once this team decided to let Tyreke walk the goal should have been stripping everything down to the studs and rebuilding with a Cuz as the foundation.

Yes, the team runs the risk of losing him with that strategy, but that's only if it isn't successful. Because they'll definitely lose him with this current strategy as well if it isn't successful. At least with a rebuild DMC could see the strategy.

If the FO makes no other significant moves (and assuming IT walks) then I see this team winning around 30-35 games again next season without a lot of hope for a bigger jump in seasons to come. Considering they'll be close to the luxury tax threshold I'd say that's terrible return on investment.

 

[Glenn]

We went from a possible Elfrid Payton and Ben starting lineup....to Collison and Stauskus instead. We came out well ahead here

Now someone is getting the picture. The summer isn't over, folks. Now if we can get a defensive big it would be very difficult to whine.

 

[Tetsujin]

Now someone is getting the picture. The summer isn't over, folks. Now if we can get a defensive big it would be very difficult to whine.

Oh, we'll find a way.

 

[Glenn]

Which just underscores why it was a mistake to try and retool instead of blowing up the roster and rebuilding.

Big market teams can retool quickly because they can be an attractive destination for big name free agents or stars trying to force their way to a new team. The Knicks were terrible and yet they were enticing to Carmelo Anthony when he was poised to leave Denver. And the Lakers look lost and rudderless right now but they are still tied to big names this offseason because they are the Lakers.

Look at the successful small market teams. San Antonio drafted Duncan, Ginobili, Parker and Leonard. OKC drafted Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka. They also drafted Jeff Green who they traded for Perkins to add defense and beef to their frontcourt. And they drafted Harden and only traded him because they knew they couldn't afford to pay him.

The Kings needed to build through the draft. They needed to blow up the roster for cap room and to aid in tanking. And they'd need to sell Cousins on the notion which I think they could have. They were still committed to him as the face of the franchise with a big extension so I think PDA & co could have bought a couple years of loyalty. I have my doubts about Jabari Parker but I'd take him locked into a rookie deal for four years over one year of Rudy Gay at $19.3 million.

Once this team decided to let Tyreke walk the goal should have been stripping everything down to the studs and rebuilding with a Cuz as the foundation.

Yes, the team runs the risk of losing him with that strategy, but that's only if it isn't successful. Because they'll definitely lose him with this current strategy as well if it isn't successful. At least with a rebuild DMC could see the strategy.

If the FO makes no other significant moves (and assuming IT walks) then I see this team winning around 30-35 games again next season without a lot of hope for a bigger jump in seasons to come. Considering they'll be close to the luxury tax threshold I'd say that's terrible return on investment.

Cheer up.

 

[LPKingsFan]

Which just underscores why it was a mistake to try and retool instead of blowing up the roster and rebuilding.

Big market teams can retool quickly because they can be an attractive destination for big name free agents or stars trying to force their way to a new team. The Knicks were terrible and yet they were enticing to Carmelo Anthony when he was poised to leave Denver. And the Lakers look lost and rudderless right now but they are still tied to big names this offseason because they are the Lakers.

Look at the successful small market teams. San Antonio drafted Duncan, Ginobili, Parker and Leonard. OKC drafted Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka. They also drafted Jeff Green who they traded for Perkins to add defense and beef to their frontcourt. And they drafted Harden and only traded him because they knew they couldn't afford to pay him.

The Kings needed to build through the draft. They needed to blow up the roster for cap room and to aid in tanking. And they'd need to sell Cousins on the notion which I think they could have. They were still committed to him as the face of the franchise with a big extension so I think PDA & co could have bought a couple years of loyalty. I have my doubts about Jabari Parker but I'd take him locked into a rookie deal for four years over one year of Rudy Gay at $19.3 million.

Once this team decided to let Tyreke walk the goal should have been stripping everything down to the studs and rebuilding with a Cuz as the foundation.

Yes, the team runs the risk of losing him with that strategy, but that's only if it isn't successful. Because they'll definitely lose him with this current strategy as well if it isn't successful. At least with a rebuild DMC could see the strategy.

If the FO makes no other significant moves (and assuming IT walks) then I see this team winning around 30-35 games again next season without a lot of hope for a bigger jump in seasons to come. Considering they'll be close to the luxury tax threshold I'd say that's terrible return on investment.

You're leaving out the off-court concerns, though, which may not matter for most franchises but are particularly poignant here. I do wonder how an arena campaign plays out in the city council and in public when it appears the team is trying to lose on purpose.

Edit to add: Cousins didn't sign his extension until the end of September. Does he still do it if the team has traded IT, Thornton, etc, for expirings/picks? Maybe, maybe not. We'll never know.

 

[lwc]

I still have real question marks in regards to Smith. He scares the hell out of me.

I almost feel as though the Kings HAVE to make that move because it's the only way to even suggest the team could be better next season. If they stand pat now, there is no hope for next year. Smith is a swing for the fences move that may blow up, but the potential is there. There is no potential here right now.

The Kings are in a desperate spot, and that's dangerous.

Now, if you could give them Landry instead of Thompson you would make a lot of my concerns go away, because you have to make that deal. With Thompson and Isaiah .. I think that's too much for Smith considering the gamble. And that doesn't even mean I'd say no to it, but that is a tough call.

I think part of the plan of improvement is to wait it out another year. They will either resign Rudy at a lower rate or let him go and gain 19 Million in cap room. Plus, 3-4 bad contracts come off the books (I think). I think they are being careful not to plunge into anything huge and are doing everything they can to create almost a 1-4 offense where the floor is spread with shooters to open the paint for Cuz.