Current Team Discussion and Possible Trades

[funkykingston]

Trading all of our vets and getting youth and picks would be like getting an expansion team. We would be terrible for another 5 years at least. Trade Gay first and see what happens. Blowing it all up is a terrible idea and not practical.

If (and that's a big IF) the decision is made to trade Cousins the Kings have already shown for years that they are essentially an expansion team without him playing. PDA called the team "Philadelphia bad" without Boogie and somehow argued that as a rationale for Malone's firing.

If that first domino falls then there's really no choice but to burn the whole thing down.

I DO believe this Kings team is essentially missing one piece to be a winner. But that one piece is a second star. I've never been a Rudy Gay fan. I think he is a one dimensional scorer who plays a losing style of basketball. But I think he could be a third scorer on a winning team. And I think Collison is plenty serviceable as a starting PG on a winning team. But what this team is missing is a second star. Ideally a SG wifi stretches the defense (like Klay Thompson maybe even Devin Booker) but even a scoring PG (Lillard or even Curry if you want to dream big) who would make things easier for Cousins and vice versa. The rest of the roster is pretty easy to fill out. A complimentary PF, some bench role players etc - many of which the Kings do have in Temple, Koufos, Barnes, maybe even Casspi.

But getting that second star is a very hard thing to do. It will likely never happen in free agency for the Kings. They don't have the trade assets to land one either. It almost has to happen through the draft.

And that's the frustrating thing. The Kings could have drafted ALL FOUR of the guys I listed above.

For the Kings to build a winner around Cousins they need to draft a star.

And lottery pick after lottery pick in the last 8 or 9 years they've shown that Cousins was the lone exception. The one pick they were able to actually nail.

 

[dude12]

If (and that's a big IF) the decision is made to trade Cousins the Kings have already shown for years that they are essentially an expansion team without him playing. PDA called the team "Philadelphia bad" without Boogie and somehow argued that as a rationale for Malone's firing.

If that first domino falls then there's really no choice but to burn the whole thing down.

I DO believe this Kings team is essentially missing one piece to be a winner. But that one piece is a second star. I've never been a Rudy Gay fan. I think he is a one dimensional scorer who plays a losing style of basketball. But I think he could be a third scorer on a winning team. And I think Collison is plenty serviceable as a starting PG on a winning team. But what this team is missing is a second star. Ideally a SG wifi stretches the defense (like Klay Thompson maybe even Devin Booker) but even a scoring PG (Lillard or even Curry if you want to dream big) who would make things easier for Cousins and vice versa. The rest of the roster is pretty easy to fill out. A complimentary PF, some bench role players etc - many of which the Kings do have in Temple, Koufos, Barnes, maybe even Casspi.

But getting that second star is a very hard thing to do. It will likely never happen in free agency for the Kings. They don't have the trade assets to land one either. It almost has to happen through the draft.

And that's the frustrating thing. The Kings could have drafted ALL FOUR of the guys I listed above.

For the Kings to build a winner around Cousins they need to draft a star.

And lottery pick after lottery pick in the last 8 or 9 years they've shown that Cousins was the lone exception. The one pick they were able to actually nail.

I think Rudy can be a number 2 guy with the right team....I think it's very apparent that he and Cousins together makes us slow and very ball dominated by only 2 guys....maybe out of necessity. I'd like to see us get quicker at the 3. I disagree with your assessment of DC as good enough for a winning team...as a starting PG. I pointed this out in the PG trade thread but if you start looking at every game we play, we lose the PG battle. I do like DC and Lawson as off the bench guys and think that is the role they should be in. Our 2 PGs hardly crack the top 20 in any category and defensively both are ok. Not terrible but not game changers. Put a big time PG on this team and we turn the corner.

 

[Kingsfan23]

Trading all of our vets and getting youth and picks would be like getting an expansion team. We would be terrible for another 5 years at least. Trade Gay first and see what happens. Blowing it all up is a terrible idea and not practical.

Team is unwatchable now. I'd rather watch kids play hard than mediocre vets come out with lack of heart. Team itself has a losing culture that may itself necessitate airing out the laundry.

 

[funkykingston]

I think Rudy can be a number 2 guy with the right team....I think it's very apparent that he and Cousins together makes us slow and very ball dominated by only 2 guys....maybe out of necessity. I'd like to see us get quicker at the 3. I disagree with your assessment of DC as good enough for a winning team...as a starting PG. I pointed this out in the PG trade thread but if you start looking at every game we play, we lose the PG battle. I do like DC and Lawson as off the bench guys and think that is the role they should be in. Our 2 PGs hardly crack the top 20 in any category and defensively both are ok. Not terrible but not game changers. Put a big time PG on this team and we turn the corner.

I really can't envision Rudy Gay being a cornerstone to a winning team. Third scorer? Sure. Very good 6th man? Maybe, if he'd accept the role. But he's a ball stopping scorer who doesn't shoot all that well from distance and isn't a great compliment to Cousins. And he's 30 years old, about to be a free agent and command a ridiculous salary while already saying he plans to leave Sacramento. So it's a bit of a moot point if he can be a number 2 guy. He very likely can't and won't for the Kings.

With Collison, he's an okay starter IF there's a star player at the SG or SF spot. If not, then yes, I'd prefer to upgrade that position and bring DC off the bench. I think he's a mediocre starter but a high level reserve point guard.

Should the Kings trade Cousins to Boston (for Brown, Rozier, Zizic and the 2 Nets 1st rounders), here's an optimistic look at where they could be next year, courtesy of Tankathon:

Today I'd take Fultz at #1 and Jackson at #3 though that may change by draft day. But just for the sake of argument that would give the Kings

PG Fultz/Rozier
SG Jackson/Bogdanovic/Temple/Richardson
SF Brown/Barnes
PF Cauley-Stein/Labissiere
C Koufos/Papagiannis/Zizic

Plus anything they might get if they trade Rudy instead of letting him walk as a free agent and with the ability to still resign Collison and Casspi if they so desire.

That team would struggle mightily next season but the potential is off the charts. They would still need a low post scorer but they'd likely have two more top 10 (maybe top 5) draft picks the next year to address that. And as it happens there are a few big man prospects who could potentially fit the bill in the 2018 draft.

Right now, I'd much rather root for that team than the one we have.

 

[Kingsfan23]

I really can't envision Rudy Gay being a cornerstone to a winning team. Third scorer? Sure. Very good 6th man? Maybe, if he'd accept the role. But he's a ball stopping scorer who doesn't shoot all that well from distance and isn't a great compliment to Cousins. And he's 30 years old, about to be a free agent and command a ridiculous salary while already saying he plans to leave Sacramento. So it's a bit of a moot point if he can be a number 2 guy. He very likely can't and won't for the Kings.

With Collison, he's an okay starter IF there's a star player at the SG or SF spot. If not, then yes, I'd prefer to upgrade that position and bring DC off the bench. I think he's a mediocre starter but a high level reserve point guard.

Should the Kings trade Cousins to Boston (for Brown, Rozier, Zizic and the 2 Nets 1st rounders), here's an optimistic look at where they could be next year, courtesy of Tankathon:

Today I'd take Fultz at #1 and Jackson at #3 though that may change by draft day. But just for the sake of argument that would give the Kings

PG Fultz/Rozier
SG Jackson/Bogdanovic/Temple/Richardson
SF Brown/Barnes
PF Cauley-Stein/Labissiere
C Koufos/Papagiannis/Zizic

Plus anything they might get if they trade Rudy instead of letting him walk as a free agent and with the ability to still resign Collison and Casspi if they so desire.

That team would struggle mightily next season but the potential is off the charts. They would still need a low post scorer but they'd likely have two more top 10 (maybe top 5) draft picks the next year to address that. And as it happens there are a few big man prospects who could potentially fit the bill in the 2018 draft.

Right now, I'd much rather root for that team than the one we have.

Trading Cousins for that specific package is something many would do. But what if the Celtics only offered half of that, by chance, and no team offered better?

There are a few factors that work against his value. Boston can acquire a lesser player like Lopez, Okafor/Noel, Bogut etc for a lot less. Many argue that he's seem less with Horford (Horford may best be a C now). His reputation. The fact that the Celtics have played with pace/ball sharing and potentially have to re structure offense.

Due to Cousins reputation, his declining play of late, his years left, I'm personally concerned that he would generate enough interest that would make it a tough question how much other teams might give up. In that scenario, are you ok with moving him at .70 -.80 of the dollar to reboot

 

[funkykingston]

Trading Cousins for that specific package is something many would do. But what if the Celtics only offered half of that, by chance, and no team offered better?

There are a few factors that work against his value. Boston can acquire a lesser player like Lopez, Okafor/Noel, Bogut etc for a lot less. Many argue that he's seem less with Horford (Horford may best be a C now). His reputation. The fact that the Celtics have played with pace/ball sharing and potentially have to re structure offense.

Due to Cousins reputation, his declining play of late, his years left, I'm personally concerned that he would generate enough interest that would make it a tough question how much other teams might give up. In that scenario, are you ok with moving him at .70 -.80 of the dollar to reboot

I don't think you are understanding how Ainge works. He doesn't want "a center" - he wants to bundle the assets he's accumulated for a star that makes the Celtics a contender.

It has been widely reported that the Celtics could have traded for Okafor. They didn't. Bogut (when healthy which isn't all that often it seems) is a good defender/rebounder but not a player that takes a team over the top. Same for Lopez but on the offensive side. The Celtics don't need any of those guys. What they need is a difference maker. A guy who either commands double teams inside opening things up for their numerous shooters or who relentlessly scores against a single defender.

Declining play? Cousins is averaging 34.2 PPG and 12.3 RPG in his last six games. He's shot 45.1% in those games which is a tick below his season average and a point below his career average but that tends to happen when you're trying to carry an entire team.

As for what to do if the Celtics won't pony up? You dont make a trade. Easy.

Cousins has another year on his deal. He's not pressuring the Kings to trade him or lose him for nothing as free agent. Vlade isn't having his hand forced.

Plan B if they can't get the package they want is exactly what they've been doing anyway - trying to retool the roster around the best center in the NBA.

 

[notoriousBEN3]

A couple weeks back I was looking on a Blazers forum, and many were on board with a trade package centered around CJ Mccollum for Boogie (with other players in the mix as well, of course). I can't seem to find it now, but how would CJ as a centerpiece bode with Kings fans in a Boogie trade?

 

[Hoovtrain]

A couple weeks back I was looking on a Blazers forum, and many were on board with a trade package centered around CJ Mccollum for Boogie (with other players in the mix as well, of course). I can't seem to find it now, but how would CJ as a centerpiece bode with Kings fans in a Boogie trade?

No. at this point it's either the scenario like the one with BOS that Funky laid out or nothing. That scenario gives back 3 young players along with 2 high picks. CJ is nice but I wouldn't want him as the centerpiece since I can't really see what else POR has to offer

 

[funkykingston]

A couple weeks back I was looking on a Blazers forum, and many were on board with a trade package centered around CJ Mccollum for Boogie (with other players in the mix as well, of course). I can't seem to find it now, but how would CJ as a centerpiece bode with Kings fans in a Boogie trade?

I like McCollum a lot but he's not a franchise player and will be making $5 million more than Cousins next year when his extension kicks in.

If the Kings trade Cousins it has to be to rebuild, not to retool, especially with a lesser talent.

And the formula for a rebuild trade is pretty straightforward. It's a combination of young players on rookie deals, draft picks and ending contracts to balance the salaries and open up caproom.

The other goal is to play the young guys you get and the young guys you have after trading away your big pieces. This is partly to get them experience and help them develop but the larger, unstated goal is to allow your team to tank, increasing the possible value of your own pick.

Boston is in the best position to make that kind of deal but there are other teams that could put together the right type of rebuild package. Philly certainly could but they won't. Cousins doesn't fit there with Embiid and Simmons even if they sent Noel & Okafor to Sacramento. Minnesota could too but would they want A Boogie & KAT tandem?

Dallas doesn't have as many pieces but they could put something together. The Suns definitely could.

But yes, a Boston/Sacramento deal probably makes the most sense for both teams.

 

[kupman]

A couple weeks back I was looking on a Blazers forum, and many were on board with a trade package centered around CJ Mccollum for Boogie (with other players in the mix as well, of course). I can't seem to find it now, but how would CJ as a centerpiece bode with Kings fans in a Boogie trade?

Straight up? maybe.

I would be much more interested if we could do a trade for CJ and Plumlee for DMC and a SG of Portland's choice.

Getting one of the better shooters in the league does get my interest.

I am not interested in trading DMC for young players with "potential" or draft picks. A player of his caliber should allow us to get at least 2 proven players with years left in the tank.

 

[206Fan]

Otto Porter will be looking for near max money and will likely get it. The Kings might not even be able to retain him. I've always liked Porter but wouldn't want him in any Cousins trade given his contract situation.

Kevin Love isn't really a great comparison for Cousins for a couple reasons. One is that NBA GMs already knew what Tyson Chandler told the whole world during a halftime interview - that Love doesn't play any defense. The analytics reflected that. He also wasn't a guy who you could dump the ball into and tell him to go get a tough basket. He was a very good player putting up numbers on a good team and the smart money already knew that. But the Cavs also kind of had their hand forced by LeBron. He wasn't going to want to have to wait for Wiggins (or whoever went #1) to develop - his window was then and now and he wanted to win. So a bit of an odd situation in both regards.

Now Deron Williams was definitely considered one of the best PGs in the NBA at the time of that trade. And he netted the Jazz Derrick Favors (drafted a couple slots above Boogie and now a major piece for Utah), Devin Harris (who was averaging 15 ppg and 7.6 apg at the time) and two first round picks.

That's not a bad comparison for what Cousins should fetch. Boogie is young, has been free of major injuries and really doesn't have a lot of holes in his game. He can score from inside or outside, pass the ball, is a great rebounder and (unlike Love) the analytics show the same thing the eye test does - he's become a very effective defender.

This year's draft class has been disappointing and Jaylen Brown was a bit of a surprise to go third. I figured he'd actually slip to the Kings at 8. Either way, he's not as valuable a trade piece as Favors was though the pick swap and unprotected Nets pick are likely to be better value picks than what the Nets gave the Jazz. Devin Harris was a pretty good starter - I'd value him a bit above Rozier.

So to me, the two picks, Brown, Rozier and Zizic (with Amir Johnson thrown in for salary reasons) is a pretty reasonable comparison. Especially when you consider that (a) Cousins is a talented big which traditional wisdom says has more value than an equally talented guard (b) the Nets didn't yet have a team around Williams and the Celtics wouldn't lose a single starter or their top 2 or 3 bench players in this deal and (c) Ainge has long had a strategy of accumulating assets for exactly this reason - to trade them for major pieces.

If the Celtics need a backup PG to fill in for Rozier then the Kings can throw in Lawson as he doesn't affect the cap considerations around the trade.

This is the first season I've ever wanted to see the Kings explore a Cousins trade and while I think it's now not only the right move but imperative to do so, I'll be sad if it actually happens and root for his success with Boston. But in my mind this is a very fair deal that helps both franchises - one to get over the hump and the other to restock assets for a rebuild. Because if the Kings don't move Boogie they'll likely be forced into a rebuild soon anyway, and possibly with Cousins signing elsewhere and leaving them with no big chip to trade to start that rebuild.

I like your proposed pick. In regards to Favors, I don't think Brown is too far behind him. Favors was a promising rookie, but really raw. Favors was still averaging single digit points until his 4th/5th year. It wasn't until his 7th year that he truly broke out.

I liked Jaylen Brown coming out of the draft, but I thought he was too raw for a team like the Kings to try to develop. However, he possesses a lot of nice skills for a SF. I think he's a guy who can be a fringe All-Star or better depending on how he develops.

I think the question comes down to when we should pull the trade trigger. Do we pull it by deadline? Do we pull it at the end of the year? Nets pick isn't a guaranteed top 5 pick till the draft lotto, so it's something we'll have to keep an eye on.

 

[funkykingston]

Not knowing where the Nets pick will end up either year is part of the gamble.

The Timberwolves knew that they were getting the #1 pick and they knew it was Wiggins or Parker (or Embiid before he broke his foot) when they traded Love to the Cavs.

The Kings don't know what the pick would be

The Nets pick could land anywhere from 1-8 though im guessing it ends up being top four. The Nets pick for next season is even less certain. If the Kings were to wait until the offseason to trade Cousins to Boston (or another team with a high pick) they'd know what pick they'd get but if, say, the Nets pick was #1 overall, the Kings would almost certainly get less other assets in the deal.

What tips things for me is the need for the Kings to tank the rest of this season so that their pick is also a high lottery selection.

Unfortunately that means the Philly pick swap may come into play but as long as the Sixers remain terrible their pick will also be high.

And this is really shaping up to be a draft where two high lottery picks could be huge.

 

[Kingsfan23]

I like McCollum a lot but he's not a franchise player and will be making $5 million more than Cousins next year when his extension kicks in.

If the Kings trade Cousins it has to be to rebuild, not to retool, especially with a lesser talent.

And the formula for a rebuild trade is pretty straightforward. It's a combination of young players on rookie deals, draft picks and ending contracts to balance the salaries and open up caproom.

The other goal is to play the young guys you get and the young guys you have after trading away your big pieces. This is partly to get them experience and help them develop but the larger, unstated goal is to allow your team to tank, increasing the possible value of your own pick.

Boston is in the best position to make that kind of deal but there are other teams that could put together the right type of rebuild package. Philly certainly could but they won't. Cousins doesn't fit there with Embiid and Simmons even if they sent Noel & Okafor to Sacramento. Minnesota could too but would they want A Boogie & KAT tandem?

Dallas doesn't have as many pieces but they could put something together. The Suns definitely could.

But yes, a Boston/Sacramento deal probably makes the most sense for both teams.

Whoever would trade for him needs to feel real good about him re signing in a year and a half, and shouldn't be invested this year in getting a high pick, which would IMO rule out most of those besides Boston

 

[Hoovtrain]

Not knowing where the Nets pick will end up either year is part of the gamble.

The Timberwolves knew that they were getting the #1 pick and they knew it was Wiggins or Parker (or Embiid before he broke his foot) when they traded Love to the Cavs.

The Kings don't know what the pick would be

The Nets pick could land anywhere from 1-8 though im guessing it ends up being top four. The Nets pick for next season is even less certain. If the Kings were to wait until the offseason to trade Cousins to Boston (or another team with a high pick) they'd know what pick they'd get but if, say, the Nets pick was #1 overall, the Kings would almost certainly get less other assets in the deal.

What tips things for me is the need for the Kings to tank the rest of this season so that their pick is also a high lottery selection.

Unfortunately that means the Philly pick swap may come into play but as long as the Sixers remain terrible their pick will also be high.

And this is really shaping up to be a draft where two high lottery picks could be huge.

I'm in. Get on the horn with Vlade please

 

[kingjatt]

Funkys outlook is spot on with this squad and its quiet easy to see. You cannot grind out entire regular seasons in the paint anymore. The regular season is now a perimeter run and gun game. Does OKC or Houston have more talent than us? No, but they play a perimeter game spamming pick and roll and thats why they are winning teams and we are not. Boogie is TAILOR made for the playoffs when all plays are sniffed out and tired legs become a factor and its talent vs talent to get a bucket. Boston beats the Cavs if they land Boogie that's how sure of it I am so they better be ready to pay up. The gravity of having jumpshooters is something we lack and freakin boogie scores anyway, imagine boogie at the high post with the floor truely spread, thats unstoppable. We have ZERO means to aqcuire that elite wing player/players right now.

I like the Boston package but IMO you have to try to create a bidding war to get at least one young rotation player (Bradley/Crowder/Smart) in the package because the lottery is a crap shoot ....especially with us. Looking at the two rosters vlade has assembled and questionable draft evaluations im not sure i trust him to make those picks anyway.

I honestly believe you give it a month more maximum to see where we are and if things continue to go downward you clean house. If you wait any longer than that the value of our assets will keep dropping.

Our problem as a team is we have less than ZERO guard/perimeter play. Nobody to pull up on a PnR jumpshot or create or anyone outside of Cuz that has an elite jumper. Collison is a scrapper but the reality is that he is a backup at best, our two best shooters outside of Cuz have slow releases (Collison and Casspi) and also have trouble creating space, Thats why when the paint gets cut off for Cuz we basically stall out in crunch time. The jumpshot saves the game from being in the refs hands as well.

Along with cuz, collison and gay also have sticky hands, who outside of lawson looks to actively create for others? (not counting cuz/gay/collison bailout passes). This team is nothing but a bunch of washed up and pass thru players looking to showcase themselves for their next gig sans Cuz (who has been hogging alot recently as well), that does not help the sticky hands situation.

My feeling on this is, if were going to continue to lose and miss the playoffs I would rather see it with a group of young prospects who will tank us properly. This team needs to be rebuilt properly!! No more crap patch jobs!! Also would like to see Joerger make use of his development skills with a young squad. Cousins will go on to be a beast and possibly a champion but we should hold no regret because we simply cannot make it work at this point, its our own fault that this happend. Even if Cuz wants to stay his timeline does not fit with that of any incoming draft picks. We gotta cash out our only major asset now because we CANNOT be left with nothing if he walks.

What sucks about all of this is that I truely believe that Cuz loves Sacramento and would actually want to stay here.

Of course tonight could be the start of a 10 game winning streak and all of this trade talk can go away!


The gravity of having jumpshooters is something we lack as

 

[Jimbob]

Its all summed up pretty well. If we are going to trade Cousins Boston is the obvious choice. The 2017 draft is a very good year to have 2 high picks, the Nets and our own which we will assure ourselves of keeping without intentionally tanking . Its potentially such a good year that some sights have Ivan Rabb going close to 10 when last year as a freshman he was projected higher.

I'm not too worried about expansion status. We will certainly keep some of the old guard, not that many of them bring much to the table, also Boston will have to send a veteran or two to balance out the salaries. I too would much prefer to watch a young team with growing pains than this veteran slop we are now being served up.

I would have loved to seen this team grow up with Cousins as a major part, but sadly years of FO incompetence has pretty much made that boat sail.

 

[funkykingston]

In the two drafts after Cousins the Kings could have taken Klay Thompson and Damien Lillard. Then we'd be talking about how far the Kings could go in the playoffs and if this is the year they win a championship.

Instead they took Jimmer and Thomas Robinson. Those were huge, huge missteps for a franchise that largely has to build via the draft.

Cousins deserves a bit of the criticism he receives but really it was the franchise that failed him and not the other way around.

I don't want him traded. I want the guy who is loyal to Sacramento to be a part of finally turning things around. But I don't see how that's possible given the current situation.

 

[Jimbob]

In the two drafts after Cousins the Kings could have taken Klay Thompson and Damien Lillard. Then we'd be talking about how far the Kings could go in the playoffs and if this is the year they win a championship.

Instead they took Jimmer and Thomas Robinson. Those were huge, huge missteps for a franchise that largely has to build via the draft.

Cousins deserves a bit of the criticism he receives but really it was the franchise that failed him and not the other way around.

I don't want him traded. I want the guy who is loyal to Sacramento to be a part of finally turning things around. But I don't see how that's possible given the current situation.

Unfortunately Thomas Robinson "fell to us" and so did Ben when we should have taken McCollum or better yet Giannis. Jimmer was just pure Maloof money crush believing Jimmermania would put fans in the seats, and increase merchandise sales.

Nik seemed like a blown pick over Payton but now I'm not so sure. Regardless any management since the Cousins pick should be shot for the atrocities they have bestowed on this team.

 

[Joshoua]

I really can't envision Rudy Gay being a cornerstone to a winning team. Third scorer? Sure. Very good 6th man? Maybe, if he'd accept the role. But he's a ball stopping scorer who doesn't shoot all that well from distance and isn't a great compliment to Cousins. And he's 30 years old, about to be a free agent and command a ridiculous salary while already saying he plans to leave Sacramento. So it's a bit of a moot point if he can be a number 2 guy. He very likely can't and won't for the Kings.

With Collison, he's an okay starter IF there's a star player at the SG or SF spot. If not, then yes, I'd prefer to upgrade that position and bring DC off the bench. I think he's a mediocre starter but a high level reserve point guard.

Should the Kings trade Cousins to Boston (for Brown, Rozier, Zizic and the 2 Nets 1st rounders), here's an optimistic look at where they could be next year, courtesy of Tankathon:

Today I'd take Fultz at #1 and Jackson at #3 though that may change by draft day. But just for the sake of argument that would give the Kings

PG Fultz/Rozier
SG Jackson/Bogdanovic/Temple/Richardson
SF Brown/Barnes
PF Cauley-Stein/Labissiere
C Koufos/Papagiannis/Zizic

Plus anything they might get if they trade Rudy instead of letting him walk as a free agent and with the ability to still resign Collison and Casspi if they so desire.

That team would struggle mightily next season but the potential is off the charts. They would still need a low post scorer but they'd likely have two more top 10 (maybe top 5) draft picks the next year to address that. And as it happens there are a few big man prospects who could potentially fit the bill in the 2018 draft.

Right now, I'd much rather root for that team than the one we have.

By the time we do (if) trade Cousins I don't think we'd be top 5 bad. I think it'll be top3 pick than a pick in the 6-10 range. Walking out with say Ball and Giles would be huge.

 

[Jimbob]

I recon by the time we trade Gay we've assured ourselves of keeping our pick. This assuming the trade is to OKC for Payne and considerations to make salaries work.

Now if Cousins would just agree to be patient. This draft is easily 10 players deep but some of this youth will take time to pan and by then Cuz is pushing 30. Also we should have some decent FA bucks to throw at a proven player this summer, if only they dont end up sucking once they put on a Kings uniform.

Anyways, I'm officially open to major changes but lean towards keeping Cuz

 

[Kingsfan23]

Cousins trade value will take another hit with this lawsuit..

 

[Bricklayer]

Cousins trade value will take another hit with this lawsuit..

I think you may have to get used to the idea that we aren't trading him. He wants to be here, and we are starting to turn a corner.

I also think you should go read the updates on the whole lawsuit, because the odds of it going far are not great.

 

[funkykingston]

I think you may have to get used to the idea that we aren't trading him.

I think we should, and during this season but I agree that Vlade is not likely to deal DeMarcus before the deadline. And maybe not at all.

He wants to be here

Absolutely. One of the things I love about Boogie.

we are starting to turn a corner.

Disagree. This is a mediocre, middling team that is poised to lose it's second best player - who really isn't good enough to be the second best player on a good team - in the offseason and has few assets to move to improve the team.

I also think you should go read the updates on the whole lawsuit, because the odds of it going far are not great.

I think this is probably the case. Sounds an awful lot like a potential money grab to me.

 

[Hoovtrain]

I think you may have to get used to the idea that we aren't trading him. He wants to be here, and we are starting to turn a corner.

I also think you should go read the updates on the whole lawsuit, because the odds of it going far are not great.

Agree with some of this but not really sure where you are seeing the "turning the corner" part...now or anytime in the near future

 

[Jimbob]

Well if Cuz really wants to be here he best be OK with trading Rudy soon. That will most likely cost us more games but assure keeping our pick.
Then Vlade has to hit a home run with this pick.

 

[Bricklayer]

Agree with some of this but not really sure where you are seeing the "turning the corner" part...now or anytime in the near future

I'll be putting up some numbers later. But really, they should surprise nobody. We've been banging through a tough road-heavy schedule, and yet as of this morning, we wake up with a top half +/-, that's in the Top 8 in the Conference (i.e., if if normalizes over the season we would make the playoffs), and since that Milwaulkee meltdown we are 6-8, with 2 of the losses coming in OT, and we are a +24 over those 14 games. A winning team. A +1.7 differential team.

I'm mildly shocked people cannot feel the difference. Cannot feel a good coach getting buy in and wrestling our dysfunction into nightly competition. I also think people still aren't understanding just how enormous Cousins' season is. This is the sort of season that floats all boats. And he likes Joerger. And Joerger likes him.

 

[Bricklayer]

Well if Cuz really wants to be here he best be OK with trading Rudy soon. That will most likely cost us more games but assure keeping our pick.
Then Vlade has to hit a home run with this pick.

You guys still aren't getting that either. Cuz doesn't want to lose. Joerger doesn't want to lose. Vivek of course doesn't want to lose. And Rudy is playing good ball and could much easier be convinced to come back to a team he was just on where he had meshed well with the coach on the way to a playoff run.

Its hard to impossible to say "ok, you guys bust your tail out there"....meanwhile we'll just be over here undermining those efforts for "strategic reasons". We are very clearly trying to win. Trying to build an every night is a gritty fight mentality, just like Joerger had the team doing in Memphis. Its entirely possible we could make a move to get better. Its quite unlikely we could make one to get worse.

 

[Jimbob]

You guys still aren't getting that either. Cuz doesn't want to lose. Joerger doesn't want to lose. Vivek of course doesn't want to lose. And Rudy is playing good ball and could much easier be convinced to come back to a team he was just on where he had meshed well with the coach on the way to a playoff run.

I have actually liked Rudy here this season but it would be nice to know what he is thinking. Unlike Cuz he does not come out and says he loves it here in Sacramento.

If he wants to move on, barring a few more wins this season, its likely to our advantage to part ways soon.

 

[Hoovtrain]

I'll be putting up some numbers later. But really, they should surprise nobody. We've been banging through a tough road-heavy schedule, and yet as of this morning, we wake up with a top half +/-, that's in the Top 8 in the Conference (i.e., if if normalizes over the season we would make the playoffs), and since that Milwaulkee meltdown we are 6-8, with 2 of the losses coming in OT, and we are a +24 over those 14 games. A winning team. A +1.7 differential team.

I'm mildly shocked people cannot feel the difference. Cannot feel a good coach getting buy in and wrestling our dysfunction into nightly competition. I also think people still aren't understanding just how enormous Cousins' season is. This is the sort of season that floats all boats. And he likes Joerger. And Joerger likes him.

What I understand is 8-13

 

[whoopdeedoo]

I have actually liked Rudy here this season but it would be nice to know what he is thinking. Unlike Cuz he does not come out and says he loves it here in Sacramento.

If he wants to move on, barring a few more wins this season, its likely to our advantage to part ways soon.

Let's play a game and guess what he is thinking? I think Rudy is thinking he is 30 years old and his next contract is going to be his last big one. And that his last contract he was a nice guy who took a discount and didn't get what he was promised. And that all around the league a lot of guys got big money, and he can get big money too. My guess is that goes wherever he can get the most money. I don't feel like he is one of the guys who is so motivated to win a championship/join a team that can compete vs the Cavs or Warriors that he will take a big pay cut.