We don't actually know what the pick will be yet -- there's still a 32% chance it will be in the top 4. And if not for last year's "6,7,8,9 pick" putting the team on his back to win 4 games against fellow lotto teams in just over a week, we might have been sitting in 5th pre-lottery which would have given us a... 42% chance of a top 4 pick. Some people are just complaining for the sake of complaining (or perhaps out of habit).
Since taking over as GM on Sept 17, 2020 Monte McNair:
(1) Fired Luke Walton
(2) Drafted one of the best individual defenders in the NBA
(3) Traded for an All-Star center
(4) Kept all of his future first round picks
(5) Currently has about $55 million in cap space available for the summer of 2023 (based on cap projections)
All of this looks like a tremendous improvement from our last 2 GMs to me and McNair has only had the job for just under 18 months.
6. Gave a max contract to Fox, who he tried to trade away the year after giving the max, but was unable to, because of the max and poor play.
7. Drafted a guy at 12, who became the Kings most valuable piece, but everyone would’ve drafted him at 12.
8. Traded Cojo and two seconds for Delon Wright, who was traded for Tristan Thompson, who became trade fodder.
9. Has drafted three dudes in the second round. Two of those seconds were relatively early. Two are no longer on the team. The third looks destined to be off the team soon as well.
10. Let Bogi walk for nothing. Could’ve gotten a protected first, which would’ve likely become two seconds had he agreed to take on Snell.
11. Stated the play-in was a goal, post-trade, but failed to make it. Stated the playoffs were a goal before the season, but failed to make it. Entering year three, has a losing record, and will be gone by the deadline if the team sucks by then.
Being better than the previous two GMs isn’t saying much when both of those GMs sucked. He’s producing at a C average right now. Better hope his max player transforms his game this off season or dude is gone by February.