Amick: De’Aaron Fox requests trade

[fansinceday1]

Some perspective: the Denver Nuggets possess a three-time MVP, one of the greatest to ever grace a basketball court, who is putting up one of the most impressive statistical seasons in league history, as well as Jamal Murray, a second-tier star that many would categorize as on par with De'Aaron Fox. And they're still significantly closer to the play-in than they are to first place in the Western Conference. They're only two games ahead of the scrum that will result in two perfectly worthy and talented teams missing the playoffs altogether. It's possible and even likely that one .500-or-better squad will actually miss the play-in out west this season.

Maybe Monte McNair is a good GM whose team can't break through because not every team gets to break through, particularly in the Western Conference. Call it a curse of geography. Call it bad luck or bad timing. But not everybody gets to go to the dance. Not everybody gets to start with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, as Presti did. With the roster and assets Monte was dealt, and with a mandate from ownership to win now, he has done quite well. Few GMs would do much better under the same circumstances, I imagine. Maybe Kings fans shouldn't be quite so desperate for a change that could land this franchise back in the wilderness for another decade or more. My advice to all those panicking in this thread: do not allow yourself to forget just how bad it can get.

I’ll speak for myself.
I know how bad it can get! Ricky Barry taking himself out. Bobby Hurley almost dying on del paso blvd driving home from a game. Jerry Reynold having a heart attack on the court. Then there is the bad basketball. 1991 the kings go 1-40 on the road.
1987 at the lakers. The kings score 4 points in one quarter. Yeah, it can be so much worse. Is it too much to ask that the franchise do one proper rebuild? You can’t say that kings fans are being impatient. If impatience was a problem they wouldn’t be a kings fan! Again I’ll speak for myself. I see the kings gong down the wrong road again . As a fan since 85 I feel like I can recognize when this team is going down that dark road again . Nothing I say will change it but I will say that I can see it coming a mile away. I hope I’m wrong.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

No evidence of that. However it fits Rich Paul so nicely

I circle back to this tweet yesterday which was a clear shot at her.

https://twitter.com/statuses/1884682999067001077

There's also plenty of evidence that they were on good/friendly terms in the past, so of course this could have come from a casual conversation they had. The fact that he went in HARD on Fox in the recent past and she likes to step in and defend her man could have lead to this conversation. And also the fact that he initially started off going hard on Wes Wilcox of all people seems to be the complaint you would hear from someone actually inside the organization and not the agent.

Like I said, apologies if it is ever clear that it was Paul. I thought it was Paul until I put some thought into that tweet and then he started throwing more shade her way yesterday. Feels like he thinks he got used in all of this by someone that he didn't suspect. You have to know if talking to Paul you're getting agent spin.

Also despite DLo sticking to the San Antonio only story (something that probably comes straight from the player or someone extremely close) Paul has given a list of other approved teams to the org, rumored to be as many as 4.

 

[BenchMob]

I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that Vivek/Fox conversation.
What’s Vivek gonna say to him?

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Something happened that made him feel played for sure. Usually it's someone tied directly to a player. Cousin, wife, whatever. He's not the first low rung local guy to get played like that. The problem with radio guys is they add narrative to sell it to an audience. He blasted the org and likely got a rude phone call or text about it. Whoops.

Like you would only blame yourself if you get played by an agent, right? Someone you trusted is another story.

 

[Jdbraver137]

I circle back to this tweet yesterday which was a clear shot at her.

https://twitter.com/statuses/1884682999067001077

There's also plenty of evidence that they were on good/friendly terms in the past, so of course this could have come from a casual conversation they had. The fact that he went in HARD on Fox in the recent past and she likes to step in and defend her man could have lead to this conversation. And also the fact that he initially started off going hard on Wes Wilcox of all people seems to be the complaint you would hear from someone actually inside the organization and not the agent.

Like I said, apologies if it is ever clear that it was Paul. I thought it was Paul until I put some thought into that tweet and then he started throwing more shade her way yesterday. Feels like he thinks he got used in all of this by someone that he didn't suspect. You have to know if talking to Paul you're getting agent spin.

I’ll just add that it doesn’t really make sense for her to leak it and then say Fox didn’t request a trade. I certainly don’t know who it was but calling out spouses seems like something I would need more concrete evidence. Just my opinion.

 

[Padrino]

It's been a minute since the Kings were in this position, and sometimes even I forget just how certain fans are that they know what's going on behind the scenes. Fox is a snake! He's been engineering this for more than a year. It's his wife! She wears the pants in that family. The snide copium and the intensity of the vitriol are really disappointing to see.

Maybe... it's just business? You know, the exchange of money for services, and everybody's trying to manage their own end of those transactions. The Kings' front office is doing their diligence, exploring trade opportunities to set the team up for success. Fox is doing his diligence, because he's got the rest of his career and his family's needs to consider. Rich Paul and Klutch are doing their diligence, trying to put their client in the best position possible. Is it a great position for the team to be in? Not particularly. Does it feel good as a fan to live with the uncertainty of how this is going to play out and if the Kings will be in a better position after the dust settles? No, it doesn't.

But man... some of you need to get a grip. You don't know what's in the minds of these individuals. You don't know what is motivating their decision-making. You don't have insider information, and guess what? Many of the talking heads you're listening to don't, either. Social media and the modern attention economy has really unwound people's possession of good sense. The speculation here is approaching tinfoil hat levels of absurdity.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I’ll just add that it doesn’t really make sense for her to leak it and then say Fox didn’t request a trade. I certainly don’t know who it was but calling out spouses seems like something I would need more concrete evidence. Just my opinion.

Probably after it happened Rich Paul was WTF are you doing because they have been carefully managing Fox's public image since Brown got fired.

Also just ... you know, whatever, but after DLo destroyed Fox after Brown's sacking he had this tweet. So I'm sure they are friends and she may have reached out over the weekend if this trade blew up over Fox refusing to commit to the team if they sent picks to Utah.

https://twitter.com/statuses/1873082505232040022

 

[Tetsujin]

yeh. I think Presti is the best talent evaluator in the game I just think he gets just a hair more credit than he deserves.

Yeah. He’s a great GM but I’m not sure how much props he deserves for the Clippers accidentally trading him the best player in the NBA.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Some perspective: the Denver Nuggets possess a three-time MVP, one of the greatest to ever grace a basketball court, who is putting up one of the most impressive statistical seasons in league history, as well as Jamal Murray, a second-tier star that many would categorize as on par with De'Aaron Fox. And they're still significantly closer to the play-in than they are to first place in the Western Conference. They're only two games ahead of the scrum that will result in two perfectly worthy and talented teams missing the playoffs altogether. It's possible and even likely that one .500-or-better squad will actually miss the play-in out west this season.

Maybe Monte McNair is a good GM whose team can't break through because not every team gets to break through, particularly in the Western Conference. Call it a curse of geography. Call it bad luck or bad timing. But not everybody gets to go to the dance. Not everybody gets to start with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, as Presti did. With the roster and assets Monte was dealt, and with a mandate from ownership to win now, he has done quite well. Few GMs would do much better under the same circumstances, I imagine. Maybe Kings fans shouldn't be quite so desperate for a change that could land this franchise back in the wilderness for another decade or more. My advice to all those panicking in this thread: do not allow yourself to forget just how bad it can get.

I love this post but one nit: Presti drafted all of them.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Yeah. He’s a great GM but I’m not sure how much props he deserves for the Clippers accidentally trading him the best player in the NBA.

Assuming he could have picked anyone he wanted off their roster in that deal he should get a lot?

 

[Tetsujin]

Assuming he could have picked anyone he wanted off their roster in that deal he should get a lot?

But at the same time the Clippers were being run by Jerry West at the time so if they thought he was going to randomly turn into an MVP candidate they would’ve had the wherewithal to say no.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

But at the same time the Clippers were being run by Jerry West at the time so if they thought he was going to randomly turn into an MVP candidate they would’ve had the wherewithal to say no.

Probably the same thing I will say if Castle is holding up the Fox move, "you gonna let Shai Gilgeous Alexander hold up Paul George and Kawhi Leonard?!?!?"

Granted in 2025 this sounds a lot different than 2019.

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1885055018858143826

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Somehow that's Monte's fault too, we were going to trade everything for a guy to make Fox happy who doesn't even want to be here!


good we can cross him off the list of guys to bring in in a secondary move.

 

[Joshyjosh31]

You don’t sit out an entire half of the season if you want max money.

He can sit this and next this is the nba he’s getting max money Zion is getting max money

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

No way. MB isn’t a snake. It was 100% Rich Paul. But Fox signed off on it.

I recognize that I am frustrated and grasping at straws and making wild accusations. So, take it all with a grain of lasagna

 

[Capt. Factorial]

I recognize that I am frustrated and grasping at straws and making wild accusations. So, take it all with a grain of lasagna

Can't we have the whole noodle?

 

[Padrino]

I love this post but one nit: Presti drafted all of them.

I am aware of that. I just meant that not every GM gets to begin constructing their vision of a roster by drafting three future Hall of Famers. A GM is enormously lucky if he finds himself in a position to draft a single future Hall of Famer. If Presti hadn't started with those three, he wouldn't have been positioned to do much of anything that followed. All of his further asset management flowed from beginning with those three talented players. Small market franchises must draft well, and Presti is a good talent evaluator. But despite what the skeptics say, so is Monte. Davion was a miss, but Monte has been a strong talent evaluator since taking the gig here. If Vivek ever did give Monte the go-ahead to engage in a full-scale rebuild, I would feel confident that Monte would get the important part of that process right: maximizing the draft picks.

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1885061156055704021

When your bank turns down your application for a third mortgage so you show up to your ex’s house and yell at her husband

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I am aware of that. I just meant that not every GM gets to begin constructing their vision of a roster by drafting three future Hall of Famers. A GM is enormously lucky if he finds himself in a position to draft a single future Hall of Famer. If Presti hadn't started with those three, he wouldn't have been positioned to do much of anything that followed. All of his further asset management flowed from beginning with those three talented players. Small market franchises must draft well, and Presti is a good talent evaluator. But despite what the skeptics say, so is Monte. Davion was a miss, but Monte has been a strong talent evaluator since taking the gig here. If Vivek ever did give Monte the go-ahead to engage in a full-scale rebuild, I would feel confident that Monte would get the important part of that process right: maximizing the draft picks.

I think Monte is good, maybe doesn't always have the right approach as far as BPA or maybe just not the luck that who he has picked as BPA is also the team need the way Keegan turned out to be.

But I'd rather Monte make picks in a rebuild than some random guy that replaces him (and most certainly Hinkie who I think was horrible at talent evaluation).

 

[pdxKingsFan]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1885061156055704021

When your bank turns down your application for a third mortgage so you show up to your ex’s house and yell at her husband

this tweeter has been particularly horrible over the last 48 hours.

 

[macadocious]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1885061156055704021

When your bank turns down your application for a third mortgage so you show up to your ex’s house and yell at her husband

Wes Willcuck is pretty good though.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

Can't we have the whole noodle?

For you Cap'n... of course...

 

[Padrino]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1885061156055704021

When your bank turns down your application for a third mortgage so you show up to your ex’s house and yell at her husband

I've gotta say Tetsu, you provide an invaluable service to the board by being its resident Twitter/X reposter, especially for those of us with no social media presence, but some of this sh*t you bring to our attention just reminds me why I peaced out of social media a decade ago. Far too many people online think they know far more than they do, and far too many people online think they are far funnier than reality reflects.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I've gotta say Tetsu, you provide an invaluable service to the board by being its resident Twitter/X reposter, especially for those of us with no social media presence, but some of this sh*t you bring to our attention just reminds me why I peaced out of social media a decade ago. Far too many people online think they know far more than they do, and far too many people online think they are far funnier than reality reflects.

A lot of twitter seems to get their info from Ham and George.

 

[Padrino]

A lot of twitter seems to get their info from Ham and George.

Makes sense; there's a huge media literacy problem in the social media era.

 

[Makaveli]

I mean let’s just go ahead and do the Utah trade with or without Fox. We need that behind Murray and sabonis no matter if Fox is here or not. Collins can get all the backup pf/c min plus some giving Domas a bit more rest.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Makes sense; there's a huge media literacy problem in the social media era.

beyond that most are just on the side of making moves just to make moves and the bigger the name the more excited. I hate it at least over here you can make a case why a move is good or bad beyond 240 characters.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I mean let’s just go ahead and do the Utah trade with or without Fox. We need that behind Murray and sabonis no matter if Fox is here or not. Collins can get all the backup pf/c min plus some giving Domas a bit more rest.

He doesn't want to be here and we'll probably get Zach Collins to eat up minutes if we deal with the Spurs. I imagine same with any other trade we make, though the one with Miami would bring back a true big worth playing serious minutes.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

Makes sense; there's a huge media literacy problem in the social media era.

It's deliberate.

The dumber the post, the more engagement. You might think I'm joking.