Hopefully Ronald Burkle gets a hold of this team..point blank Maloofs are losing money. Never a good sign.
Fire Geoff Petrie, he's had a good run and brought us some good basketball during the first half of the decade, but the clock is up.
Let go of Keith Smart. He is a solid intern coach but there is a reason Cleveland and Golden State didn't see him in their future plans..He's not a championship caliber coach. You can argue that he has gotten the best out of Cousins so far, but there are plenty other more intriguing coaching options out there.
Hire - Chris Mullin as GM..His first tenure at Golden State brought mixed reviews. He ended the city's 13 year playoff drought and wasn't afraid to make the big move to acquire talent. (Baron Davis trade, NBA record 11player deal for Stephen Jackson) Some of these brash moves turned out for the worst and is the reason he was let go, like handing Adonal Foyle a monstrous contract, but he is undoubtedly a candidate who is dedicated to winning. Dream hire would be former Blazers GM Kevin Pritchett but he just recieved a brand new job at Indiana as director of player personal and would be unlikely to move.
Mid season - Trade JJ Hickson and Francisco Garcia to Atlanta for Kirk Hinrich.
Atlanta badly needs front court help for their playoff run since Al Horford went down, and Hickson is still is young and has value for them to decide take on Garcia's contract. Sacramento gets a veteran point guard who is capable of playing off the ball to compliment Tyreke, much like he did with Derrick Rose. The main gain is a 8million dollar expiring contract coming off the books. Well past his prime, at the worst "Captain Kirk" can help tutor young guards Jimmer and Isiah Thomas.
Off Season.. Amnesty John Salmons. Get him as far away from the team as possible. Siberia is my first choice.
Kirk Hinrich isn't a priority to be signed. At 32 years old he doesn't fit into this team trying to rebuild and would be better served on a contenders bench.
Let Donte Green walk. He came into the league as a diva one and done and has transformed himself into a hustler and decent defender. But its safe to say he's not in the team's future plans. His outside shooting is horrendous and we can afford to let him go to a team who will overpay based on his age and "potential."
Let Jason Thompson walk. He can stretch the floor and has an intriguing skill set for a big man but cannot catch the ball, finish or defend. He will never be a perennial starter for a good team.
Free Agency..Nic Batum has already stated that he intends to test the market first and find the best offer before negotiating with the Blazers this offseason after not getting an extension this season. We have the lowest payroll in the league. Throw the money his way. Somewhere around 5 yrs 25-30million range. In Batum you are getting a 23year old versatile small forward who excells on defense, can hit the outside shot and doesn't demand the ball or need to it be effective.
Brandon Rush - Shooting lights out this year for the Golden State, has always been a reliable defender and solid outside shooter. Warriors will probably let him test the market considering their crowded backcourt featuring Monta, Steph Curry and 10th pick Klay Thompson. 1yr 2 million is the qualifying offer.
Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton are both Shooting guards with a very similar game. While both talented scorers, I don't see the team succeeding with both of them on the roster, time for one of them to go. Tyreke still has ridiculous upside, hes just coming off a year playing on virtually one foot and hes still only 22. While he may never be Kobe Bryant, he can definitely improve and be a potential 23, 5, 5 player easily. I'm from the Philly area, I've seen him play for years..he has a crazy handle but he IS NOT a Point Guard. He still needs the ball to be dominant but don't most go to players..Kobe, LeBron, Joe Johnson, ect.. With Thornton what you see is what you get, he can score in bunches but will probably be a solid 15-16 ppg Jamal Crawford type player his whole career. Trade him while his value is decent. Take a look back at teams with similar guards who could put the ball in the basket..Doesn't translate to winning basketball. There's a reason we traded Kevin Martin as soon as Tyreke came into town originally.
Allen Iverson, Larry Hughes
Kobe Bryant, Eddie Jones
Monta Ellis, Steph Curry
Most teams realize to maximize their teams potential you need to part ways with one of the players while their value is high..Golden State is already considering it. Not to mention the Kings already have two other players in Cousins and Jimmer who need the ball frequently to be effective. Eddie Jones was a perennial All Star but L.A moved him to give the keys to Bryant which lead to numerous titles. I'm in no way comparing Reke and Thornton to any of these players, but just giving examples of the same types of situations.
Trade Marcus Thornton to Minnesota for Darko Milicic and their first round pick (Utah Lottery Protected, figures to be around 15-17)
Minnesota is loaded with young talent and is likely to trade this pick as Kahn manages to do every year. They aren't going to get a starting SG or impact Center at 16. Instead they receive a shooting guard that can create his own shot. As for the Kings they get another first rounder in a extremely deep talented draft. The Kings interior defense has been horendous this season. When Cousins sits or gets in foul trouble there is nothing to be had inside. Chuck Hayes puts forth the effort but is clearly over matched at 6'6 guarding 7 Footers. Jason Thompson can't defend a chair, and Whiteside is far from ready to contribute on a consistent basis. Darko gives us a quality big body off our bench to spell Cousins and somewhat improves our post defense.
DRAFT - With Batum on board, small forward isn't a pressing need. In a perfect world we win the lottery and select Ant Davis, but I can settle for potential College POY Thomas Robinson 18ppg, 12 rebs. While he doesn't have All Star upside or potential, he provides a blue collar approach and a high motor and can start instantly to form a formidable rebounding duo with Cousins down low. Hes never going to be a superstar but you know what your getting with him.
With the TWolves pick, target Kendall Marshall out of North Carolina. Hes not known at all for creating his own shot, and isn't a jaw dropping athlete in the mold of Wall, Rose or even Kyrie Irving, but is a pure floor general comparable to a Mark Jackson or Andre Miller. He averages a ridiculous 9.9 assists per game..exactly what the Kings need. Look at how the Twolves play with Rubio..when players know there is a player that will find them open and get them the ball they will play 10 x harder.
You are essentially getting two quality players who do not need to score or shoot the ball to make an impact. This leaves the bulk of the shooting for Tyreke, Demarcus and Gulp..Jimmer..to do. Instead of what we have now a bunch of talented 22 year olds chucking up garbage to pad stats.
C. DeMarcus Cousins (Star post presence, Rebounding)
F. Thomas Robinson (High motor/energy, Rebounding)
F. Nic Batum (Versatile Defender, Outside shot)
G. Tyreke Evans (Go to scorer, slasher)
G. Kendall Marshall (Floor General, Distributor)
C. Darko Milicic (Physical, Defense)
F. Chuck Hayes (Leadership, Toughness, Rebounding)
F. Tyler Honeycutt (Versatile Defender)
G. Brandon Rush (Outside shot, Defends, can spell Tyreke)
G. Jimmer Fredette (6th Man, 3 point threat)
G. Isiah Thomas (Crafty scorer, sparkplug)
C. Hassan Whiteside (Shotblocking, project)
F. Travis Outlaw (Veteran Reserve, Can jump pretty high..)
This team is built around Tyreke and Cousins, with quality young role players to play off of them. The Lakers wouldn't have won without players like Horace Grant, Rick Fox or Derrick Fisher or even Robert Horry..it is important to play as a team as opposed to a bunch of talent chucking up 3's and playing pickup ball with no defense. The one glaring concern is point guard. Kendall can get people the ball, Jimmer can shoot, but neither is a strong defender. The way this team is built, there are plenty of quality perimiter defenders to hide their weaknesses. Batum, Tyreke could potentially be lockdown duo. Honeycutt is compared to a poor mans Tayshawn Prince and can get his share of blocks, and Brandon Rush is no slouch either. The trade of Thornton also clears up minutes for Jimmer to show what he can do as the man option off the bench. One injury to Rush or Tyreke, Jimmer can slide over to 2 guard and Isiah Thomas can assume the backup pointguard duties, so he is a valuable asset to keep as well.
This team might not be contending for a title but keep this extremely young talented core together and you could be looking at a squad like the Thunder, where everyone knows there role..well besides Westbrook..and contributes to Wins
Fire Geoff Petrie, he's had a good run and brought us some good basketball during the first half of the decade, but the clock is up.
Let go of Keith Smart. He is a solid intern coach but there is a reason Cleveland and Golden State didn't see him in their future plans..He's not a championship caliber coach. You can argue that he has gotten the best out of Cousins so far, but there are plenty other more intriguing coaching options out there.
Hire - Chris Mullin as GM..His first tenure at Golden State brought mixed reviews. He ended the city's 13 year playoff drought and wasn't afraid to make the big move to acquire talent. (Baron Davis trade, NBA record 11player deal for Stephen Jackson) Some of these brash moves turned out for the worst and is the reason he was let go, like handing Adonal Foyle a monstrous contract, but he is undoubtedly a candidate who is dedicated to winning. Dream hire would be former Blazers GM Kevin Pritchett but he just recieved a brand new job at Indiana as director of player personal and would be unlikely to move.
Mid season - Trade JJ Hickson and Francisco Garcia to Atlanta for Kirk Hinrich.
Atlanta badly needs front court help for their playoff run since Al Horford went down, and Hickson is still is young and has value for them to decide take on Garcia's contract. Sacramento gets a veteran point guard who is capable of playing off the ball to compliment Tyreke, much like he did with Derrick Rose. The main gain is a 8million dollar expiring contract coming off the books. Well past his prime, at the worst "Captain Kirk" can help tutor young guards Jimmer and Isiah Thomas.
Off Season.. Amnesty John Salmons. Get him as far away from the team as possible. Siberia is my first choice.
Kirk Hinrich isn't a priority to be signed. At 32 years old he doesn't fit into this team trying to rebuild and would be better served on a contenders bench.
Let Donte Green walk. He came into the league as a diva one and done and has transformed himself into a hustler and decent defender. But its safe to say he's not in the team's future plans. His outside shooting is horrendous and we can afford to let him go to a team who will overpay based on his age and "potential."
Let Jason Thompson walk. He can stretch the floor and has an intriguing skill set for a big man but cannot catch the ball, finish or defend. He will never be a perennial starter for a good team.
Free Agency..Nic Batum has already stated that he intends to test the market first and find the best offer before negotiating with the Blazers this offseason after not getting an extension this season. We have the lowest payroll in the league. Throw the money his way. Somewhere around 5 yrs 25-30million range. In Batum you are getting a 23year old versatile small forward who excells on defense, can hit the outside shot and doesn't demand the ball or need to it be effective.
Brandon Rush - Shooting lights out this year for the Golden State, has always been a reliable defender and solid outside shooter. Warriors will probably let him test the market considering their crowded backcourt featuring Monta, Steph Curry and 10th pick Klay Thompson. 1yr 2 million is the qualifying offer.
Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton are both Shooting guards with a very similar game. While both talented scorers, I don't see the team succeeding with both of them on the roster, time for one of them to go. Tyreke still has ridiculous upside, hes just coming off a year playing on virtually one foot and hes still only 22. While he may never be Kobe Bryant, he can definitely improve and be a potential 23, 5, 5 player easily. I'm from the Philly area, I've seen him play for years..he has a crazy handle but he IS NOT a Point Guard. He still needs the ball to be dominant but don't most go to players..Kobe, LeBron, Joe Johnson, ect.. With Thornton what you see is what you get, he can score in bunches but will probably be a solid 15-16 ppg Jamal Crawford type player his whole career. Trade him while his value is decent. Take a look back at teams with similar guards who could put the ball in the basket..Doesn't translate to winning basketball. There's a reason we traded Kevin Martin as soon as Tyreke came into town originally.
Allen Iverson, Larry Hughes
Kobe Bryant, Eddie Jones
Monta Ellis, Steph Curry
Most teams realize to maximize their teams potential you need to part ways with one of the players while their value is high..Golden State is already considering it. Not to mention the Kings already have two other players in Cousins and Jimmer who need the ball frequently to be effective. Eddie Jones was a perennial All Star but L.A moved him to give the keys to Bryant which lead to numerous titles. I'm in no way comparing Reke and Thornton to any of these players, but just giving examples of the same types of situations.
Trade Marcus Thornton to Minnesota for Darko Milicic and their first round pick (Utah Lottery Protected, figures to be around 15-17)
Minnesota is loaded with young talent and is likely to trade this pick as Kahn manages to do every year. They aren't going to get a starting SG or impact Center at 16. Instead they receive a shooting guard that can create his own shot. As for the Kings they get another first rounder in a extremely deep talented draft. The Kings interior defense has been horendous this season. When Cousins sits or gets in foul trouble there is nothing to be had inside. Chuck Hayes puts forth the effort but is clearly over matched at 6'6 guarding 7 Footers. Jason Thompson can't defend a chair, and Whiteside is far from ready to contribute on a consistent basis. Darko gives us a quality big body off our bench to spell Cousins and somewhat improves our post defense.
DRAFT - With Batum on board, small forward isn't a pressing need. In a perfect world we win the lottery and select Ant Davis, but I can settle for potential College POY Thomas Robinson 18ppg, 12 rebs. While he doesn't have All Star upside or potential, he provides a blue collar approach and a high motor and can start instantly to form a formidable rebounding duo with Cousins down low. Hes never going to be a superstar but you know what your getting with him.
With the TWolves pick, target Kendall Marshall out of North Carolina. Hes not known at all for creating his own shot, and isn't a jaw dropping athlete in the mold of Wall, Rose or even Kyrie Irving, but is a pure floor general comparable to a Mark Jackson or Andre Miller. He averages a ridiculous 9.9 assists per game..exactly what the Kings need. Look at how the Twolves play with Rubio..when players know there is a player that will find them open and get them the ball they will play 10 x harder.
You are essentially getting two quality players who do not need to score or shoot the ball to make an impact. This leaves the bulk of the shooting for Tyreke, Demarcus and Gulp..Jimmer..to do. Instead of what we have now a bunch of talented 22 year olds chucking up garbage to pad stats.
C. DeMarcus Cousins (Star post presence, Rebounding)
F. Thomas Robinson (High motor/energy, Rebounding)
F. Nic Batum (Versatile Defender, Outside shot)
G. Tyreke Evans (Go to scorer, slasher)
G. Kendall Marshall (Floor General, Distributor)
C. Darko Milicic (Physical, Defense)
F. Chuck Hayes (Leadership, Toughness, Rebounding)
F. Tyler Honeycutt (Versatile Defender)
G. Brandon Rush (Outside shot, Defends, can spell Tyreke)
G. Jimmer Fredette (6th Man, 3 point threat)
G. Isiah Thomas (Crafty scorer, sparkplug)
C. Hassan Whiteside (Shotblocking, project)
F. Travis Outlaw (Veteran Reserve, Can jump pretty high..)
This team is built around Tyreke and Cousins, with quality young role players to play off of them. The Lakers wouldn't have won without players like Horace Grant, Rick Fox or Derrick Fisher or even Robert Horry..it is important to play as a team as opposed to a bunch of talent chucking up 3's and playing pickup ball with no defense. The one glaring concern is point guard. Kendall can get people the ball, Jimmer can shoot, but neither is a strong defender. The way this team is built, there are plenty of quality perimiter defenders to hide their weaknesses. Batum, Tyreke could potentially be lockdown duo. Honeycutt is compared to a poor mans Tayshawn Prince and can get his share of blocks, and Brandon Rush is no slouch either. The trade of Thornton also clears up minutes for Jimmer to show what he can do as the man option off the bench. One injury to Rush or Tyreke, Jimmer can slide over to 2 guard and Isiah Thomas can assume the backup pointguard duties, so he is a valuable asset to keep as well.
This team might not be contending for a title but keep this extremely young talented core together and you could be looking at a squad like the Thunder, where everyone knows there role..well besides Westbrook..and contributes to Wins
. Just kidding on the second part.