Kings picking 13th overall (formerly the draft lotto thread)
- Thread starter Tetsujin
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Really? HB is invisible for the majority of the the season, Huerter may or may not bounce back after a bad season and bad injury but clearing him out fully opens the door for Keon who’s more useful in the context of our team anyways, and 13 is a major crapshoot. If we’re not attaching extra firsts and swaps i cannot fathom how that’s Vlade-like.
I don’t even like Grant that much, let alone that contract, but I’m essentially thinking HB out for any upgrade in talent is a huge win.
I don’t even like Grant that much, let alone that contract, but I’m essentially thinking HB out for any upgrade in talent is a huge win.
There has been much discussion about players that should only take one 1st (or less) to get (Grant, Kuzma, LaVine, Finney-Smith, Hunter, G. Williams, Wiggins, Isaac, etc.). It’s the “future draft capital” part which is interesting. Technically the Kings can trade the following picks…
#13
2027 Pick Swap
2028 1st
2029 Pick Swap
2030 1st
2031 Pick Swap
…so who would we be targeting with a combination of those assets? The list of “available” players that may command such a price tag seems to be…
Trae Young
Darius Garland
Dejounte Murray
Donovan Mitchell
Mikal Bridges
Brandon Ingram
Kevin Durant
Julius Randle
Lauri Markkanen
Karl Anthony-Towns
Jarrett Allen
None of those seem like ideal/perfect fits…
If I had to go all-in on a player from this list, I’m focusing on Bridges or Markkanen.
#13
2027 Pick Swap
2028 1st
2029 Pick Swap
2030 1st
2031 Pick Swap
…so who would we be targeting with a combination of those assets? The list of “available” players that may command such a price tag seems to be…
Trae Young
Darius Garland
Dejounte Murray
Donovan Mitchell
Mikal Bridges
Brandon Ingram
Kevin Durant
Julius Randle
Lauri Markkanen
Karl Anthony-Towns
Jarrett Allen
None of those seem like ideal/perfect fits…
- Bridges is great in a vacuum but a Fox-Ellis-Bridges-Murray-Sabonis lineup seems to small to me to get over the hump. I love Bridges at SG and Murray at SF while finding a bigger PF to put next to Sabonis but that means relegating Ellis to the bench (and I’m not sure how that’ll workout cap-wise).
- Markkanen is a great offensive fit at PF and has size, but he’s not the ideal defensive, athletic force we’d ideally want at PF.
- Ingram’s offense is very midrange heavy which doesn’t seem ideal next to Fox & Sabonis. He’s got injury concerns and his defense is nothing to write home about. I also don’t consider Ingram a PF so you run into a similar issue that we would with Bridges.
- Randle’s not a great shooter, not a great defender and has a pretty high usage. Doesn’t seem like a good fit with our core at all.
- Durant is really old and I don’t like his track record with coaches and team chemistry.
- Towns is more of a C than PF in my eyes but even if we played him at PF, I don’t like the idea of playing a Towns/Sabonis frontcourt from a defensive standpoint but he seems like a similar comp to Markkanen (but would be much more costly to acquire)
- Mitchell is a talent but if it’s not working with Garland, why would it work with Fox?
- Young, Murray, and Garland are all PGs and clash with Fox
- Allen is a C and clashes with Sabonis
If I had to go all-in on a player from this list, I’m focusing on Bridges or Markkanen.
Yeah, I think Lauri is the one they are looking at since there was some smoke about that this last season. The problem is it's Ainge and it will probably take all of those things you listed to get it done and he's not THAT much better than someone like Grant. Randle is my personal hope for Monte to look into. The Kings were rumored to have pretty much almost landed him a few years back IIRC but that was before Domas. I think with Domas he's an even better fit. Randle and Domas would demolish frontlines physically.
Yeah between Bridges and Markkanen, I could see Markkanen being more available/realistic simply because BKN doesn't own their 1st for the next 4 years (2 picks and 2 pick swaps) including this year. I have a hard time thinking that BKN would make their roster worse by trading Bridges for picks only to have to surrender those picks to HOU for the next few years. I think BKN is much more likely to try and throw big money at someone during the 2025 offseason. If they resign Claxton this year, trade Finney-Smith for some future assets (since he'll likely opt out and command a bigger paycheck), and keep Cam Thomas' cap hold in place, they should have enough cap space (& more) to offer a max contract with the following players under contract:
PG -
SG - Bridges / Thomas
SF - Johnson / Whitehead
PF - Clowney / Wilson
C - Claxton
Picks - 2025 PHX 1st / 2025 BKN, HOU, or OKC 1st / Any Picks from a DFS trade
Now do I think that BKN team with a max FA is a title contender? I don't, but they could be a decent playoff team for some time which is maybe what ownership would prefer considering their current pick situation. And if they are lucky, perhaps those future PHX 1sts they have eventually sneak into the lottery and they get the opportunity to take a swing at a 3rd star to really bolster their chances.
As for Markkanen vs. Grant, I don't know if I'd say Markkanen is "not that much better" than Grant. He does average 3 more points per 36 min (25.3 vs. 22.3), and despite the increased volume, his TS% is 5.8 percentage points better (63.1% vs. 57.3%). And these numbers are when both are considered #1 options for their team. As a comparison point, Markkanen's scoring & efficiency are in the realm of Fox (26.6 PTS per 36 min and 56.7% TS%). Markkanen's been a pretty darn good scorer. Then there is the rebounding...Markkanen averages 5.1 more rebounds per 36 min (8.9 vs. 3.8). That's a massive differential. Defensively, I think they've both been average defenders, but I think Grant has the ability to ramp up his defense (if he wants to). I have Markkanen above Grant pretty easily from a talent standpoint but then factoring in age (Markkanen is 27 and Grant is 30) and it tips it more in the direction of Markkanen. Don't get me wrong. I think both would be solid upgrades and fits for us. I just have Markkanen as solidly above Grant. The question remains though...is a Markkanen/Sabonis frontcourt able to win a championship with marginal defense (despite the excellent offensive talent)? I'm not so sure.
Randle I want no part of. With Markkanen, I can at least see the offensive fit (despite the not ideal defensive fit), but with Randle, he's a high usage big who is neither a good shooter or defender. That seems like a 2 + 2 = 3 scenario knowing he'd be playing with Fox and Sabonis.
PG -
SG - Bridges / Thomas
SF - Johnson / Whitehead
PF - Clowney / Wilson
C - Claxton
Picks - 2025 PHX 1st / 2025 BKN, HOU, or OKC 1st / Any Picks from a DFS trade
Now do I think that BKN team with a max FA is a title contender? I don't, but they could be a decent playoff team for some time which is maybe what ownership would prefer considering their current pick situation. And if they are lucky, perhaps those future PHX 1sts they have eventually sneak into the lottery and they get the opportunity to take a swing at a 3rd star to really bolster their chances.
As for Markkanen vs. Grant, I don't know if I'd say Markkanen is "not that much better" than Grant. He does average 3 more points per 36 min (25.3 vs. 22.3), and despite the increased volume, his TS% is 5.8 percentage points better (63.1% vs. 57.3%). And these numbers are when both are considered #1 options for their team. As a comparison point, Markkanen's scoring & efficiency are in the realm of Fox (26.6 PTS per 36 min and 56.7% TS%). Markkanen's been a pretty darn good scorer. Then there is the rebounding...Markkanen averages 5.1 more rebounds per 36 min (8.9 vs. 3.8). That's a massive differential. Defensively, I think they've both been average defenders, but I think Grant has the ability to ramp up his defense (if he wants to). I have Markkanen above Grant pretty easily from a talent standpoint but then factoring in age (Markkanen is 27 and Grant is 30) and it tips it more in the direction of Markkanen. Don't get me wrong. I think both would be solid upgrades and fits for us. I just have Markkanen as solidly above Grant. The question remains though...is a Markkanen/Sabonis frontcourt able to win a championship with marginal defense (despite the excellent offensive talent)? I'm not so sure.
Randle I want no part of. With Markkanen, I can at least see the offensive fit (despite the not ideal defensive fit), but with Randle, he's a high usage big who is neither a good shooter or defender. That seems like a 2 + 2 = 3 scenario knowing he'd be playing with Fox and Sabonis.
I've been thinking about it this way:
Is Fox/Murray/Sabonis a good enough core to seriously contend?
If not, then maybe the conversation should be trading one or more of those three as part of the needed "upgrade" to get this team to the next level.
But if you believe it is, the Kings shouldn't need a fourth "star" per se, but more of the type of trades that transformed Dallas at the deadline this season.
They struck gold with Lively as a rookie, signed some useful (also long and athletic) vets in Derrick Jones Jr and Dante Exum, but made the biggest push after trading for Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington. Also, big kudos to Nico Harrison for trading away Grant Williams in the Washington deal. Williams was the Mavs big splashy free agency move over the summer, and often GMs aren't willing to admit mistakes that quickly and move on.
But the Mavs did and they made changes to benefit their two star guards in Doncic and Irving, but surrounding them with big athletes who can defend and be vertical threats. They absolutely killed the Timberwolves but just running those staggered screen sets over and over and leaving the defense with no good option when Kyrie or Luka was left with a favorable matchup, a rolling big and a corner 3pt threat.
So what would the Kings need to do to fill holes and improve their roster around the strengths of Fox, Murray, and Sabonis?
They need a similar infusion of talent at the PF spot that Keon Ellis provided at the SG. They don't need another major scorer (IMO), but they need someone who continues to transform them defensively while being good enough offensively to command some attention. They need a better backup center. They need more defense and shooting in the second unit overall, and they need some length and athleticism.
I've advocated for some of these moves in the past already, but this would be MY off-season blueprint if I were trying to build around our current trio:
1. Re-sign Monk. Yes, this is easier said than done if a team decides to offer him a huge money deal. But it's not a coinidence that the team's playoff hopes went down at the same time Malik did.
2. Pry Jonathan Isaac out of Orlando and gamble on him staying healthy. He's my ideal fit between Sabonis and Murray.
3. Send some future draft capital Portland's way along with HB and get Thybulle and Robert Williams to bolster the Kings bench.
4. Dangle Davion and #13 to move up in this year's draft a few slots and grab a big two way wing in either Risacher or Salaun. Neither will help much this season, but one (or both) could be a pseudo MPJ type player (likely not as good offensively, but better defensively) for the Kings in a year or two. Maybe two or three in Salaun's case. I think both guys are somewhat boom or bust, but especially for a team like the Kings, you have to take some gambles like this. Given that I'm not sure who else would need to be moved (along with future picks) to make get Isaac, I'm not sure who would be left on the roster, but this (or something close to it):
C Sabonis/Williams/???
PF Isaac/Lyles/Salaun or Risacher
SF Murray/Huerter/Edwards
SG Ellis/Thybulle/Duarte
PG Fox/Monk
to me is a team that is upgraded around the three core players. I have us moving Barnes, Mitchell, Vezenkov and Jones but maybe Huerter is dealt and we keep Colby. I haven't tried plugging most of these into the trade machine to really hone them in.
Is Fox/Murray/Sabonis a good enough core to seriously contend?
If not, then maybe the conversation should be trading one or more of those three as part of the needed "upgrade" to get this team to the next level.
But if you believe it is, the Kings shouldn't need a fourth "star" per se, but more of the type of trades that transformed Dallas at the deadline this season.
They struck gold with Lively as a rookie, signed some useful (also long and athletic) vets in Derrick Jones Jr and Dante Exum, but made the biggest push after trading for Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington. Also, big kudos to Nico Harrison for trading away Grant Williams in the Washington deal. Williams was the Mavs big splashy free agency move over the summer, and often GMs aren't willing to admit mistakes that quickly and move on.
But the Mavs did and they made changes to benefit their two star guards in Doncic and Irving, but surrounding them with big athletes who can defend and be vertical threats. They absolutely killed the Timberwolves but just running those staggered screen sets over and over and leaving the defense with no good option when Kyrie or Luka was left with a favorable matchup, a rolling big and a corner 3pt threat.
So what would the Kings need to do to fill holes and improve their roster around the strengths of Fox, Murray, and Sabonis?
They need a similar infusion of talent at the PF spot that Keon Ellis provided at the SG. They don't need another major scorer (IMO), but they need someone who continues to transform them defensively while being good enough offensively to command some attention. They need a better backup center. They need more defense and shooting in the second unit overall, and they need some length and athleticism.
I've advocated for some of these moves in the past already, but this would be MY off-season blueprint if I were trying to build around our current trio:
1. Re-sign Monk. Yes, this is easier said than done if a team decides to offer him a huge money deal. But it's not a coinidence that the team's playoff hopes went down at the same time Malik did.
2. Pry Jonathan Isaac out of Orlando and gamble on him staying healthy. He's my ideal fit between Sabonis and Murray.
3. Send some future draft capital Portland's way along with HB and get Thybulle and Robert Williams to bolster the Kings bench.
4. Dangle Davion and #13 to move up in this year's draft a few slots and grab a big two way wing in either Risacher or Salaun. Neither will help much this season, but one (or both) could be a pseudo MPJ type player (likely not as good offensively, but better defensively) for the Kings in a year or two. Maybe two or three in Salaun's case. I think both guys are somewhat boom or bust, but especially for a team like the Kings, you have to take some gambles like this. Given that I'm not sure who else would need to be moved (along with future picks) to make get Isaac, I'm not sure who would be left on the roster, but this (or something close to it):
C Sabonis/Williams/???
PF Isaac/Lyles/Salaun or Risacher
SF Murray/Huerter/Edwards
SG Ellis/Thybulle/Duarte
PG Fox/Monk
to me is a team that is upgraded around the three core players. I have us moving Barnes, Mitchell, Vezenkov and Jones but maybe Huerter is dealt and we keep Colby. I haven't tried plugging most of these into the trade machine to really hone them in.
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Isaac is the gamble to make. He showed he's legitimately one of the best defensive players in basketball this year, but I think there's a lot of questions still if he can maintain health and if he could ever be a big minute guy again. I think there's a real natural Huerter for Isaac trade that makes a ton of sense foe both sides. Isaac is blocked by Franz and Paolo and they desperately need an off ball spacer and shooter like Huerter around their creators.
I would be more than ok with Markannen even with the defensive shortcomings. Sliding Murray to the 3 slot and keeping Fox and Ellis would give us a nice balance of offense and defense. We would get bigger and longer with Murray at the 3 and Markannen is a bigger himself too at 7 feet.
I agree about Randle, he’s a black hole and inefficient. Grant is too pricey.
I agree about Randle, he’s a black hole and inefficient. Grant is too pricey.
I think you're right. Especially if the Magic swing and miss on Klay as a FA. As I've noted in the past, there's also the issue that Isaac only has one year left on his current deal and the Magic have to think about whether they can afford to keep him when they have to pay Franz and Paulo.
The Kings would have to add more of course, but the bones of the deals could boil down to Barnes to POR for Thybulle and Williams and Huerter to Orlando for Isaac.
For the Trailblazers this basic setup (plus draft picks) means they'd also be saving about $6 million which may have a lot of appeal.
The Kings would have to add more of course, but the bones of the deals could boil down to Barnes to POR for Thybulle and Williams and Huerter to Orlando for Isaac.
For the Trailblazers this basic setup (plus draft picks) means they'd also be saving about $6 million which may have a lot of appeal.
If we end up picked at #13, I'm all in on Tristan De Silva. Can make an immediate impact, can shoot the 3, has good size, and can play D. Perfect type of player to slot between Sabonis and Murray. It's a real shame because someone like PJ Washington would have been perfect and was available last summer, but understand our picks were strapped.
Need an Aaron Gordon, PJ Washington, Jeremiah Grant, or a healthy Jonathan Isaac type next to Sabonis and I think De Silva is the easiest way to obtain one.
Need an Aaron Gordon, PJ Washington, Jeremiah Grant, or a healthy Jonathan Isaac type next to Sabonis and I think De Silva is the easiest way to obtain one.
Here is the harsh reality in my mind... probably not. I mean Fox is not Luka and Domas is not Joker. That's not intended to be a slight, just reality and the knowledge that virtually every NBA champion has a top 5 player on the roster. I think both are at best a rung below that level. Now, our glory year Kings also didn't have a top 5 player (in my mind) and just almost pulled it off. Obviously the glaring example is the Pistons championship, but this just doesn't normally happen. We also aren't likely to acquire a top five player with any of the assets on our roster, save through a total blow-up/rebuild that nets us enough draft capital + enough luck to win the lottery in a year with a generational talent.
With that said... we have no legit choice at this point but to build around fox and domas. Our biggest unknown for our future is Keegan. Either we roll the dice that he takes a couple more leaps into All-Star level player (in which case we've at least got a shot at a championship), or we throw him and our draft assets in the pool to get another top 25 player to pair (if at all possible) with Fox and Domas. We can play around the edges with the Kuzma types, but it's probably going to take more assets than people think and while he still could become an upgrade to the roster, just not likely to move us to contender status anytime soon.
This is not me giving up on this team. I am still desperate and excited for change and a fun year next year. I will still live and die by this team, and get sucked into believing we can pull it off in the playoffs. I'm all in for a 5 year run with this team as a strong playoff contender at a minimum, and a longshot with great luck/miracle potential playoff run at best, but also realistic. The Mavs pulled their turnaround together this year because they made smart and aggressive moves around Luka, but they are only in this position BECAUSE they have Luka.... and we don't.
With that said... we have no legit choice at this point but to build around fox and domas. Our biggest unknown for our future is Keegan. Either we roll the dice that he takes a couple more leaps into All-Star level player (in which case we've at least got a shot at a championship), or we throw him and our draft assets in the pool to get another top 25 player to pair (if at all possible) with Fox and Domas. We can play around the edges with the Kuzma types, but it's probably going to take more assets than people think and while he still could become an upgrade to the roster, just not likely to move us to contender status anytime soon.
This is not me giving up on this team. I am still desperate and excited for change and a fun year next year. I will still live and die by this team, and get sucked into believing we can pull it off in the playoffs. I'm all in for a 5 year run with this team as a strong playoff contender at a minimum, and a longshot with great luck/miracle potential playoff run at best, but also realistic. The Mavs pulled their turnaround together this year because they made smart and aggressive moves around Luka, but they are only in this position BECAUSE they have Luka.... and we don't.
And that's pretty much where I am as well. Domas has been a 3rd team all-NBA player the last two years and Fox made 3rd Team All-NBA last season.
By that logic we have a pair of guys who are reasonably considered to be on the fringes of being top 20 NBA players. That's generally not a recipe for a title contender. But if Keegan could also reach that level, then maybe in total that's enough top end talent to win in the postseason.
And given how long the playoff drought was for this team, I'm going to lean into maximizing the current "core" and be happy with my bird in hand vs making wholesale changes to chase a "real" star. So that's my hope for what Monte does - to build around those guys and hope for the best.
Not to mention, I LIKE rooting for Fox, and Domas, and Monk, and Ellis, etc. Even more so than even the early 2000's Kings, at least for me it's a huge luxury that the players on this current roster have embraced Sacramento and the fans and are to all appearances, great guys as well.
By that logic we have a pair of guys who are reasonably considered to be on the fringes of being top 20 NBA players. That's generally not a recipe for a title contender. But if Keegan could also reach that level, then maybe in total that's enough top end talent to win in the postseason.
And given how long the playoff drought was for this team, I'm going to lean into maximizing the current "core" and be happy with my bird in hand vs making wholesale changes to chase a "real" star. So that's my hope for what Monte does - to build around those guys and hope for the best.
Not to mention, I LIKE rooting for Fox, and Domas, and Monk, and Ellis, etc. Even more so than even the early 2000's Kings, at least for me it's a huge luxury that the players on this current roster have embraced Sacramento and the fans and are to all appearances, great guys as well.
I think Markkanen may not require Keegan (but a total guess). I think the Jazz are going full tank next year. And Markkanen may not want to go along for that ride. #13 is a good place to take a swing in this years draft. Add Sasha and Davion - and those are two more pieces that Ainge could increase their value and trade at the deadline. Add in one more future unprotected pick - and I at least think Ainge isn’t hanging up the phone.
If Monk comes back (I think he will) - all the Kings would need is a rim running big (hopefully a dog) to complete the roster.
If Monk comes back (I think he will) - all the Kings would need is a rim running big (hopefully a dog) to complete the roster.
Boston's 2021-2023 core of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Derrick White seems comparable. Tatum was also in that top 20 range until the team got enough pieces around him to get to the Finals and it's really that team success which elevated him into the MVP conversation. Fox finished right behind Tatum in PPG this year and already has that Clutch Player of the Year season under his belt. His improved defense should warrant more recognition than he gets. He's the closest we get to having a top 5 player and his recent revelation that he was playing most of the season on a sore ankle goes a long way towards explaining his over-reliance on outside shooting for me.
Jaylen Brown and Domantas Sabonis are very different types of players but they seem like they're in the same category as 3x All-Stars who might peak as Second Team All NBA. Neither is a great #1 option but they're more than capable as #2's. Worth noting, the ages and experience levels are very close with these guys too as Tatum and Fox both came into the league in the 2017 draft and Brown and Sabonis both came into the league in the 2016 draft.
Finding Murray, Monk, and Ellis over the past two seasons gives Fox and Sabonis the beginnings of a good supporting cast and the overall quality of that supporting cast is really where we lag behind Boston. I think if Mike Brown commits to Keon Ellis as the starting SG, Murray continues to grow as a consistent scoring threat, and Monte can find a solution for the PF position (none of the options we've tried these past two years have been good fits), we should see another big leap next year with a team built to score and defend.
Boston's ascent this year to top team in the league coincided with big trade acquisitions of Porzingis and Holiday last summer which should give us hope that a rapid ascent to the top of the Conference could still be in the cards with Fox/Sabonis and some opportunistic off-season deals. Porzingis and Holiday are technically both All-Stars but neither one was particularly costly to obtain and there are similar mid-career cast offs on the market every year for teams which manage their assets well to pounce on.
Jaylen Brown and Domantas Sabonis are very different types of players but they seem like they're in the same category as 3x All-Stars who might peak as Second Team All NBA. Neither is a great #1 option but they're more than capable as #2's. Worth noting, the ages and experience levels are very close with these guys too as Tatum and Fox both came into the league in the 2017 draft and Brown and Sabonis both came into the league in the 2016 draft.
Finding Murray, Monk, and Ellis over the past two seasons gives Fox and Sabonis the beginnings of a good supporting cast and the overall quality of that supporting cast is really where we lag behind Boston. I think if Mike Brown commits to Keon Ellis as the starting SG, Murray continues to grow as a consistent scoring threat, and Monte can find a solution for the PF position (none of the options we've tried these past two years have been good fits), we should see another big leap next year with a team built to score and defend.
Boston's ascent this year to top team in the league coincided with big trade acquisitions of Porzingis and Holiday last summer which should give us hope that a rapid ascent to the top of the Conference could still be in the cards with Fox/Sabonis and some opportunistic off-season deals. Porzingis and Holiday are technically both All-Stars but neither one was particularly costly to obtain and there are similar mid-career cast offs on the market every year for teams which manage their assets well to pounce on.
Funky, I suspect we both have the advantage of age and perspective with this team. I'm a die-hard, but I'm just not at the point in my life anymore where I can't enjoy the ride of an up-and-coming team that more likely than not will never win a championship (and probably never make it to a WCF). I'm not willing to blow up a fun team because of a championship or bust mentality.
I hadn't thought of that comparison, but it's a really good one. And I think it's also a great point that team success definitely elevates the perception of players and Tatum is a great example of that. He's definitely continued to improve, but Boston's team success is what really changed how he's viewed around the league.
Definitely. At this point I just want to be entertained by a team that has a decent chance of winning any given night. At least for me, anything beyond that is gravy. Obviously, I'd rather have the Kings be true contenders than getting bounced in the first round, the play in game or not even qualify for the playoffs, but the last two seasons for me have been incredibly enjoyable for me.
But you’re comparing them to a team that has made the playoffs in 10 consecutive years, reaching the finals 2 times in the last 3 years. Despite the similar age and experience with Fox and Sabonis compared to their duo, we are significantly behind their curve. Their 2 players have accomplished a lot more and have accolades to back it up.
They were an elite team before even adding KP and Holiday. But it’s this move that has clearly propelled them into finals favorites. This is why I found it very frustrating when Monte sat on his hands and did nothing. He kept relatively the same roster together and expected them to naturally get better, while everyone else around the league was actively improving their roster with new additions. Everyone else is adding to their team while you sit and do nothing… of course they will surpass you!
They were an elite team before even adding KP and Holiday. But it’s this move that has clearly propelled them into finals favorites. This is why I found it very frustrating when Monte sat on his hands and did nothing. He kept relatively the same roster together and expected them to naturally get better, while everyone else around the league was actively improving their roster with new additions. Everyone else is adding to their team while you sit and do nothing… of course they will surpass you!
Sorry, I might not have been clear, by THAT much better I meant what it would take to get him via trade, not as players. If Grant theoretically took 13th and Lauri took 13th and like 3 future picks? Nah, that's cutting it pretty close to bad idea territory. Markkanen isn't worth that many picks more than Grant IMO.
Making the playoffs in the West and the East is an apples and oranges comparison at this point but also I was only comparing the current core players as a potential counter-example to the idea that Fox / Sabonis might not be good enough to be the focal points of a contending team. The Brown and Tatum pairing starts in the 2017/2018 season when Kyrie Irving was the team's star and Al Horford was still in his prime. Boston has shuffled a lot of complimentary pieces in and out since then and obviously we're not anywhere close to their level of franchise prestige or consistent front office competence (unfortunately) but it was just 3 years ago that Boston finished 36-36 and lost in the first round.
What happened for Boston between 2021 and 2022 which caused them to jump from 36 wins (in a shortened 72 game season so let's round up and call it 41 wins) to 51 wins and a trip to the Finals? They re-shuffled the supporting cast around Tatum, Brown, Smart and Horford and changed coaches from Brad Stevens to Ime Udoka which boosted their defense from 14th to 2nd. That's our blueprint. Not the coaching change part of that because we already have a defensive minded coach but becoming a top 5 defensive team. If we can find enough pieces to make a similar defensive improvement happen (the Kings were ranked 14th in defense this past season) than we already have enough offense for a deep playoff run.
What happened for Boston between 2021 and 2022 which caused them to jump from 36 wins (in a shortened 72 game season so let's round up and call it 41 wins) to 51 wins and a trip to the Finals? They re-shuffled the supporting cast around Tatum, Brown, Smart and Horford and changed coaches from Brad Stevens to Ime Udoka which boosted their defense from 14th to 2nd. That's our blueprint. Not the coaching change part of that because we already have a defensive minded coach but becoming a top 5 defensive team. If we can find enough pieces to make a similar defensive improvement happen (the Kings were ranked 14th in defense this past season) than we already have enough offense for a deep playoff run.
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