Potential Free agent/trade/sign tracker
- Thread starter iowamcnabb
- Start date
The thought of Monk and Kuz out there is interesting and scary, lol. At times inconsistent, sometimes erratic. Exciting? Sure, but man, I don't think Brown could take it, haha. In the end that's still a team dependent on Fox and Domas and everyone else pretty much still works off the catch. The Kings need true triple threat options without relying on movement.
I hear you. And I love me some Davion. But he’s the Kings’ 4th guard. And Colby Jones might start making a case for more playing time. And the contract is up soon.
So - if you can get a starting 4 man for your 4th guard, you wish Davion luck. He’d be going to a place where he could get more minutes and earn his next contract.
So - if you can get a starting 4 man for your 4th guard, you wish Davion luck. He’d be going to a place where he could get more minutes and earn his next contract.
So a few things when we talk about new additions to the team, monk is all well and good, but we saw numerous times throughout the season that even with Monk you still needed Sabonis or Fox for him to be effective whether it was to create or to score. What we hope to see is that Keegan can be the 4th scoring threat consistently and that the 4 can be played in any combination, but what is needed is a player that can reliably give you 18-22 points per game. As of last season, neither Monk or Keegan were that player. Hopefully things further develop this season, but in addition to getting longer on the perimeter we need a player that can go get yoy 18-22 per night, every night, on their own if necessary. I think that is why people are interested in Kuzma, Grant and to an extent (although i doubt any of us want any part of his contract) levine. I think an dark horse in that I would personally love more than the above would be markannen. And with the right moves, as i stated above, i think with a heavy price of 3 FRP (including this year's) he could be had and we could drop ourselves low enough salary wise to unlock the full NTP MLE (12M) and use the BAE (4.6M) to go get longer players too. This allows you to potentially keep HB for more trades or an expensive but solid bench player and still stay just below the luxury tax.
Absolutely, I've been a believer in Davion's development and he's a great back-up PG. Defense and a rapidly improving 3 point shooter. Plus, he's a good match with Monk in the backcourt since Monk wants to do the facilitating. However, what Colby Jones does this year will have a big impact on this because if he keeps improving he may take the 4th guard spot.
The Monk signing means any other major additions have to come via trade. When I look around the league at other team's contracts, it's tough to find a fit anywhere with a team who might want what we're offering that also has matchable contracts attached to players that they aren't in love with. I'm fully against adding another max contract player. Guys like LaVine and Ingram are just going to take shots away from the rest of the team without providing much value in other facets of the game (hence why they're on the trade block in the first place). Kyle Kuzma and Jerami Grant both strike me as me-first players who are going to get their numbers but aren't going to make the team markedly better.
At this point I think our ability to improve defensively is what will determine our playoff future so I'm only interested in adding players who elevate our defensive ceiling. We need a wing defender and a shot-blocker most of all. Priority # 3 is getting another guy who can create offense off the bench to share the load with Malik Monk. Ideally none of these guys actively makes our defense worse. Then there's also the issue of finding a team who might actually want a package of Huerter and Barnes. If we throw in Vezenkov we have a trade package of three guys who are all good bets to shoot 37-40% from three next season at the SG/SF/PF positions.
Atlanta is the one potential trade partner that comes to mind who checks every box. They're looking to make a quick re-set, they value outside shooting, their current roster is loaded with talent but the pieces don't fit well together. And then you have the one intangible which no other team has -- they've won with a Trae Young and Kevin Huerter backcourt before so he may have more value there than anywhere else in the league.
This is very much a pie in the sky scenario, but here's the best off-season plan I could come up with centered around a trade with Atlanta....
(1) Ron Holland falls to #13 and Monte picks him to be our starting SF of the future.
(2) Make the trade @pdxKingsFan proposed and send Davion Mitchell and #45 to the Suns for #22. Take the best defensive big available at #22. Let's say it's Yves Missi.
(3) Trade Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Sasha Vezenkov and 2 Future First Round picks (2027 and 2029) to Atlanta for Dejounte Murray and Onyeka Okongwu.
(4) Sign Stanley Johnson to a 2 year deal at the veteran's minimum as a backup SF/PF defender.
D. FOX | D. MURRAY (from Atlanta)
K. ELLIS | M. MONK | C. JONES
R. HOLLAND (Pick #13) | S. JOHNSON (F.A.)
K. MURRAY | T. LYLES
D. SABONIS | O. OKONGWU (from Atlanta) | Y. MISSI (Pick #22)
All of this works with the current CBA and keeps us below the first apron cutoff. Throwing those future picks in there to entice Atlanta makes this an all-in move but I think it's worth it to get Dejounte Murray (a one-time All Star and former 2nd Team All Defense selection) and Onyeka Okongwu (an elite individual defender in limited minutes for Atlanta a year ago who had a down season and is about to get pushed aside by Clingan or Sarr). These two guys will help our defense, give us phenomenal depth at the PG and SG positions, fit the age window of our current roster, and most significantly they're both already signed for the next 4 years (3 + a Player Option in Murray's case) on team friendly deals which are only going to look better as the salary cap continues to go up.
Obviously we don't know yet if Holland or Missi will be available for those picks or if Atlanta and Phoenix would be interested in either of these proposed trades. I guess that's not the point of this thread though. We have other threads to talk about what does happen. It's quite likely none of this will happen but this would be my ideal version of building a sustainable future from where we are now. I should also add that I don't think the Fox / Ellis / Holland / K. Murray / Sabonis starting lineup would be set in stone. Depending on match-ups Coach Brown could also start a big lineup with Keegan at the 3 and Okongwu or Lyles at the 4 or go small with DeJounte Murray at the 3 and Ron Holland coming off the bench. I like the roster balance better the way I outlined it above on the depth chart but the spacing could be rough early on if Ron Holland continues to struggle with his outside jumper.
At this point I think our ability to improve defensively is what will determine our playoff future so I'm only interested in adding players who elevate our defensive ceiling. We need a wing defender and a shot-blocker most of all. Priority # 3 is getting another guy who can create offense off the bench to share the load with Malik Monk. Ideally none of these guys actively makes our defense worse. Then there's also the issue of finding a team who might actually want a package of Huerter and Barnes. If we throw in Vezenkov we have a trade package of three guys who are all good bets to shoot 37-40% from three next season at the SG/SF/PF positions.
Atlanta is the one potential trade partner that comes to mind who checks every box. They're looking to make a quick re-set, they value outside shooting, their current roster is loaded with talent but the pieces don't fit well together. And then you have the one intangible which no other team has -- they've won with a Trae Young and Kevin Huerter backcourt before so he may have more value there than anywhere else in the league.
This is very much a pie in the sky scenario, but here's the best off-season plan I could come up with centered around a trade with Atlanta....
(1) Ron Holland falls to #13 and Monte picks him to be our starting SF of the future.
(2) Make the trade @pdxKingsFan proposed and send Davion Mitchell and #45 to the Suns for #22. Take the best defensive big available at #22. Let's say it's Yves Missi.
(3) Trade Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Sasha Vezenkov and 2 Future First Round picks (2027 and 2029) to Atlanta for Dejounte Murray and Onyeka Okongwu.
(4) Sign Stanley Johnson to a 2 year deal at the veteran's minimum as a backup SF/PF defender.
D. FOX | D. MURRAY (from Atlanta)
K. ELLIS | M. MONK | C. JONES
R. HOLLAND (Pick #13) | S. JOHNSON (F.A.)
K. MURRAY | T. LYLES
D. SABONIS | O. OKONGWU (from Atlanta) | Y. MISSI (Pick #22)
All of this works with the current CBA and keeps us below the first apron cutoff. Throwing those future picks in there to entice Atlanta makes this an all-in move but I think it's worth it to get Dejounte Murray (a one-time All Star and former 2nd Team All Defense selection) and Onyeka Okongwu (an elite individual defender in limited minutes for Atlanta a year ago who had a down season and is about to get pushed aside by Clingan or Sarr). These two guys will help our defense, give us phenomenal depth at the PG and SG positions, fit the age window of our current roster, and most significantly they're both already signed for the next 4 years (3 + a Player Option in Murray's case) on team friendly deals which are only going to look better as the salary cap continues to go up.
Obviously we don't know yet if Holland or Missi will be available for those picks or if Atlanta and Phoenix would be interested in either of these proposed trades. I guess that's not the point of this thread though. We have other threads to talk about what does happen. It's quite likely none of this will happen but this would be my ideal version of building a sustainable future from where we are now. I should also add that I don't think the Fox / Ellis / Holland / K. Murray / Sabonis starting lineup would be set in stone. Depending on match-ups Coach Brown could also start a big lineup with Keegan at the 3 and Okongwu or Lyles at the 4 or go small with DeJounte Murray at the 3 and Ron Holland coming off the bench. I like the roster balance better the way I outlined it above on the depth chart but the spacing could be rough early on if Ron Holland continues to struggle with his outside jumper.
Okongwu might get REAL REAL interesting if they do go with Clingan at 1. I don't think you'd need to go that huge with Murray included as well. I think you'd have to go Huerter or HB+13 and honestly probably another FRP to get it done.
What's your take on him being able to play the 4? Or is this trust in Domas to play the 4?
What's your take on him being able to play the 4? Or is this trust in Domas to play the 4?
Awhile back I proposed a 3 team deal with Portland, Sac and the Bucks that was Brogdan to the Bucks, 13, Pat and whatever matching salary we need to include to Portland and Porter coming to the Kings. We get size and toughness, Blazers get a first rounder and the Bucks get a secondary ball handler and shooting.
I'm expecting Atlanta to take Clingan #1 at this point. He's more of a proven commodity than Sarr or Risacher and I think the writing is already on the wall that they're stuck with Trae Young so they'd better build around him and that locks them into a re-tool timeline instead of a complete tear down youth movement.
I'm also presuming Atlanta wants plug and play talents like Huerter and Vezenkov instead of a bunch of picks -- but I threw in those two future picks (hopefully in the high 20s) mostly to help them save face for all the picks they traded to get Dejounte Murray in the first place. With Trae Young and Donovan Clingan in place as the building blocks, throwing a bunch of shooters on the floor around them Stan Van Gundy style is as good of a strategy as any?
I like us keeping the #13 pick in this year's draft and trading future picks instead since that allows us to get one last dip in the lotto pool and set our roster for the next 4 years or so. I guess if Atlanta really insisted on the #13 pick I might consider it but only after I saw who was available. If Ron Holland is there, that's a deal breaker. I really believe in that kid blossoming in the NBA and half the point of getting Dejounte and Onyeka is to compliment that Ron Holland draft pick.
My take from the beginning with Onyeka is that his ideal position is the 4 not the 5 -- he's just missing an outside jumper to complete the skillset. Defensively he can handle both spots and even switch onto wings some of the time and he's started taking more three point jumpers (69 attempts in just 55 games last season and he made 33%). His FT% is also trending up (63% > 73% > 78% > 79%) which is encouraging. Also with this lineup, he really only needs to play spot minutes at the 4 right away and could grow into that starting role alongside Domas if Ron Holland doesn't pan out or the league makes a shift back to taller lineups and allowing more aggressive defense.
I'm also presuming Atlanta wants plug and play talents like Huerter and Vezenkov instead of a bunch of picks -- but I threw in those two future picks (hopefully in the high 20s) mostly to help them save face for all the picks they traded to get Dejounte Murray in the first place. With Trae Young and Donovan Clingan in place as the building blocks, throwing a bunch of shooters on the floor around them Stan Van Gundy style is as good of a strategy as any?
I like us keeping the #13 pick in this year's draft and trading future picks instead since that allows us to get one last dip in the lotto pool and set our roster for the next 4 years or so. I guess if Atlanta really insisted on the #13 pick I might consider it but only after I saw who was available. If Ron Holland is there, that's a deal breaker. I really believe in that kid blossoming in the NBA and half the point of getting Dejounte and Onyeka is to compliment that Ron Holland draft pick.
My take from the beginning with Onyeka is that his ideal position is the 4 not the 5 -- he's just missing an outside jumper to complete the skillset. Defensively he can handle both spots and even switch onto wings some of the time and he's started taking more three point jumpers (69 attempts in just 55 games last season and he made 33%). His FT% is also trending up (63% > 73% > 78% > 79%) which is encouraging. Also with this lineup, he really only needs to play spot minutes at the 4 right away and could grow into that starting role alongside Domas if Ron Holland doesn't pan out or the league makes a shift back to taller lineups and allowing more aggressive defense.
Paul George went from 12.1 to 17.4 ppg in year 2 to 3, then jumped to 22 in year 4. Kawhi went from 12.8 to 16.5 in years 3 to 4 before getting to 21 ppg. Tatum was 15ppg in year 2, then 23 in year 3...Not saying Keegan is gonna be any of those those guys, but I don't see it being impossible to increase 3-7 ppg to get to this 18-22 threshold of being a top 3 or 4 scorer on this team while still being the primary defender. It's just a few more shots a game and he's obviously shown flashes.
I get the interest, in getting another guy like Kuz that can bring that, but I'd rather push Keegan to step up in the third role early in the season and let Kuz be the 4th option and see if Keegan can hit those higher expectations.
I get the interest, in getting another guy like Kuz that can bring that, but I'd rather push Keegan to step up in the third role early in the season and let Kuz be the 4th option and see if Keegan can hit those higher expectations.