Grade the deadline (2025 edition)
- Thread starter Tetsujin
- Start date
I think there will be incremental improvements each game, but after now watching the first two games, I'm starting to think doing nothing and sending DaAaron home for the rest of the season may have been a better choice. Ellis is an easy fit with the other starters and we already know its been effective. There aren't many games left in the season and even a small losing streak is going to sink us below the play-in seeding. It is going to take some time to incorporate a player like Lavine into this starting lineup. Overlapping skillsets, unique nature of playing with Domas, defensive deficiencies, etc.
I would still give the trade a B as far as talent back. Looking at what the bulls got in the deal, I don't think that's a better alternative (would you really rather have Zach Lavine or Collins, Jones and the Bulls lottery protected pick this year...) and clearly the Spurs weren't desperate enough to make it happen with higher value picks or young players.
However, I do feel like the transition period might just cost us the season...which then has cascading affects. Monte/Doug probably gone in the offseason, and who knows how Domas, Demar and Lavine will feel individually about their future here. Not trying to be overly reactionary here, and I still like the concept of Lavine here, but it's not a seamless fit with this team that happens overnight. Hoping they now get a day of practice together and then come out with a better showing against the Pels to instill some confidence. They need to stay afloat until the all star break.
I would still give the trade a B as far as talent back. Looking at what the bulls got in the deal, I don't think that's a better alternative (would you really rather have Zach Lavine or Collins, Jones and the Bulls lottery protected pick this year...) and clearly the Spurs weren't desperate enough to make it happen with higher value picks or young players.
However, I do feel like the transition period might just cost us the season...which then has cascading affects. Monte/Doug probably gone in the offseason, and who knows how Domas, Demar and Lavine will feel individually about their future here. Not trying to be overly reactionary here, and I still like the concept of Lavine here, but it's not a seamless fit with this team that happens overnight. Hoping they now get a day of practice together and then come out with a better showing against the Pels to instill some confidence. They need to stay afloat until the all star break.
The best asset from the Fox trade is the future picks that allow us the ability to take a big swing down the road. Monte had 2 available firsts to trade before and now he has up to 6 this offseason.
The best player is obviously the guy that was having a better season than Fox (Lavine). Before the season he was seen as a negative asset because he had 3 full years left on his deal and was coming off an injury. That narrative has changed some and will continues to trend into positive territory if he finishes the season like he started
The best player is obviously the guy that was having a better season than Fox (Lavine). Before the season he was seen as a negative asset because he had 3 full years left on his deal and was coming off an injury. That narrative has changed some and will continues to trend into positive territory if he finishes the season like he started
I’d imagine Deebo or Lavine will be part of a trade within the next year. We have a lot of options now to build this out. I’m kinda hoping to have a drama free rest of the year and mostly play fun basketball without some big expectation to win a first round series. Then some hard decisions will need to be made
I give it a C. Neither bad nor good. This team is in transition. How exactly this transition will manifest itself is anyone's guess. I don't buy into the idea that anything on this team is set in stone for next year. Not remotely do I believe in that idea. There is always the possibility that things could go haywire between now and the end of this season, in which case the entire team could be blown to smithereens. It does make for interesting watching, that's for sure.
Everybody sure seemed to prior to and after the trade. Ball handling isn't an issue. Monk is a little sloppy at times, but that's him. The Kings probably have the most ball handling and play creation in the entire league team wide. Having 1 guy run 90% of the pick and rolls was never what this team was to begin with. That's probably one of the reasons why Fox wanted out. Now he gets to be that guy. With Domas that was never going to happen with the Kings.
Well the easy (and correct) answer is that it's too early. We'll have to see how the talent fits, how some of the players we have traded away perform (Colby in particular, since he has room to grow, and showed promise at times), and where the draft picks land. However, that will not be known for several years. So my answer is an A-. This is primarily based on two assumptions
He had made an all-NBA team just the year prior, and was good last year too. Easy to say in retrospect, but most of us would have been mad if he had been traded except for some young, all-star wing. Not sure who was available.
I also don't subscribe to the "rebuild" theory. We are not the Nets who decided to gut the team to build for the future. We have far too many decent pieces (led by Domas) to completely suck our way to a high draft pick. So, trading Fox for purely future assets was never an option, unless mandated by Vivek, and which would have resulted in trading away most of the vets. Just no reason to do so, particularly for a franchise with the postseason record like ours.
That said, Monte has clearly shown that he values assets and depth. He will tinker to try and balance out the roster, but he probably favored talent over fit (if such options were available). I think in terms of overall talent, we didn't go South after the trade (might be net positive in fact). Other than Fox (and perhaps a future Colby), didn't lose any major piece. Added useful pieces, but they have to prove they can win together.
As for some of the "expensive" contracts we now own, let's see how the salaries play out once the new TV deal is in place at the end of this season. The current bloated contracts may seem like a relative bargain, particularly as the number of years remaining on the contract reduces.
Lastly, when we traded for DDR, once analyst had chided us for the opportunity cost of not giving more responsibility to Keegan. One may agree or disagree (or both in limited ways), but it's the same story wrt Keon and Carter and Lavine. Getting a young forward instead of Lavine would have been better, but no idea if anything was on the table. Moreover, as mentioned above, Monte clearly likes to acquire assets and balance out the roster later. So, he may have preferred Lavine purely for that reason. No way to know.
- The trade demand from Fox was a bombshell even for the FO. If they had any inkling, and could have taken some action before he went public, I would downgrade my assessment.
- We retain LaRavia. If he is as good as some folks are saying, it will not only be sad to see him leave, it will be worse, since we lost some assets to get him.
He had made an all-NBA team just the year prior, and was good last year too. Easy to say in retrospect, but most of us would have been mad if he had been traded except for some young, all-star wing. Not sure who was available.
I also don't subscribe to the "rebuild" theory. We are not the Nets who decided to gut the team to build for the future. We have far too many decent pieces (led by Domas) to completely suck our way to a high draft pick. So, trading Fox for purely future assets was never an option, unless mandated by Vivek, and which would have resulted in trading away most of the vets. Just no reason to do so, particularly for a franchise with the postseason record like ours.
That said, Monte has clearly shown that he values assets and depth. He will tinker to try and balance out the roster, but he probably favored talent over fit (if such options were available). I think in terms of overall talent, we didn't go South after the trade (might be net positive in fact). Other than Fox (and perhaps a future Colby), didn't lose any major piece. Added useful pieces, but they have to prove they can win together.
As for some of the "expensive" contracts we now own, let's see how the salaries play out once the new TV deal is in place at the end of this season. The current bloated contracts may seem like a relative bargain, particularly as the number of years remaining on the contract reduces.
Lastly, when we traded for DDR, once analyst had chided us for the opportunity cost of not giving more responsibility to Keegan. One may agree or disagree (or both in limited ways), but it's the same story wrt Keon and Carter and Lavine. Getting a young forward instead of Lavine would have been better, but no idea if anything was on the table. Moreover, as mentioned above, Monte clearly likes to acquire assets and balance out the roster later. So, he may have preferred Lavine purely for that reason. No way to know.
Jake Laravia - A , really good glue guy
Jonas- B minus/C+,I think part of this was to show some love loyalty to Sabonis and they got a starting (low end) C on a cheap deal still an iffy fit but upgrade.
Zach/picks (anything from. B to D depending),this is a really hard one due to how the team in constructed the package should have been better when it comes to picks they got. I hate how Monk/DDR/Lavine fit but then talent is there and can explode. If they moved DDR and got a athletic 3/4 to pair with Sabonis/Keegan this result could have been an A imo.
From a pure talent point of view the Kings are solid/good but man it's hard seeing the one on one stuff the past few games.
Jonas- B minus/C+,I think part of this was to show some love loyalty to Sabonis and they got a starting (low end) C on a cheap deal still an iffy fit but upgrade.
Zach/picks (anything from. B to D depending),this is a really hard one due to how the team in constructed the package should have been better when it comes to picks they got. I hate how Monk/DDR/Lavine fit but then talent is there and can explode. If they moved DDR and got a athletic 3/4 to pair with Sabonis/Keegan this result could have been an A imo.
From a pure talent point of view the Kings are solid/good but man it's hard seeing the one on one stuff the past few games.