[Game] 22/82: Kings @ Rockets 03 DEC 2025, 5pm PT/8pm ET

[MizzouKing]

A true son stands up when Russ gets heckled by Rockets fans.

https://bsky.app/profile/mrbuckbucknba.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3m76enay34k26

 

[Jdbraver137]

But, if the vets don't play, we risk the chance that no one will take them...So, the point is, regardless of how they play for us, in the moment, they must be played in order to showcase them to potential trade partners so that it then becomes easier for us to send them packing for something respectable in return. If they don't play much or at all, whether it be decently or poorly, we may end up being stuck with them past the deadline, or would have to take back useless assets in a potential deal. And then what???

Nobody will want them. It’s not like they don’t have a huge body of work that they all ready can watch film on. The league knows these guys are garbage

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

.. If they don't play much or at all, whether it be decently or poorly, we may end up being stuck with them past the deadline, or would have to take back useless assets in a potential deal. And then what???

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but y'all are going to have to take back useless assets whether you want to or not. The only real question is whether those useless assets will be bundled with more desirable ones?

There's virtually no scenario where the Kings get rid of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Dennis Schröder and/or Russell Westbrook and don't have to take back dead weight, that doesn't involve outright waiving them, or letting walk in free agency. It's just a matter of will the dead weight be part of a package that includes multiple unprotected picks, or something like that?

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but y'all are going to have to take back useless assets whether you want to or not. The only real question is whether those useless assets will be bundled with more desirable ones?

There's virtually no scenario where the Kings get rid of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Dennis Schröder and/or Russell Westbrook and don't have to take back dead weight, that doesn't involve outright waiving them, or letting walk in free agency. It's just a matter of will the dead weight be part of a package that includes multiple unprotected picks, or something like that?

Fair enough, I guess what I was trying to get at is that we don't want to be stuck with any assets that we are then unable to move should we need to. If we move them, we need to acquire, at minimum, movable pieces.

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

Nobody will want them. It’s not like they don’t have a huge body of work that they all ready can watch film on. The league knows these guys are garbage

And you know this to be factual because...???

 

[dude12]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but y'all are going to have to take back useless assets whether you want to or not. The only real question is whether those useless assets will be bundled with more desirable ones?

There's virtually no scenario where the Kings get rid of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Dennis Schröder and/or Russell Westbrook and don't have to take back dead weight, that doesn't involve outright waiving them, or letting walk in free agency. It's just a matter of will the dead weight be part of a package that includes multiple unprotected picks, or something like that?

But in the case of Westbrook, he’s making a relatively small contract that could be swapped for a younger guy or a like enter contract and pick.
Derozan for Kuminga works or does GS have to attach other contracts?
Lavine is going to be difficult
Schroeder is about 14M per year I think. Seems moveable

Most likely nothing happens.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

But in the case of Westbrook, he’s making a relatively small contract that could be swapped for a younger guy or a like enter contract and pick.

Perhaps he could, but why would anyone do that? What team is a Russell Westbrook away from competing, that would be willing to give up a young guy and/or a pick?

Derozan for Kuminga works or does GS have to attach other contracts?

This is going to sound like I'm repeating myself... I can't be bothered to keep track of players' salaries to know whether that works financially, so I'll take your word for it. But I'll ask again, presuming that DeRozan straight up for Kuminga works, why would Golden State do that? Best-case scenario, he's a less injury-prone Jimmy Butler. They don't really need another one of those.

Schroeder is about 14M per year I think. Seems moveable

Moveable like Salmons? Or moveable like KT?

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Moveable like Salmons? Or moveable like KT?

Both the Salmons and KT contracts topped out at about 15% of the salary cap when they were (perhaps wrongly) considered "movable pieces". Schroder's deal this year is at about 9% of the salary cap. So, it's technically only about 60% as large, relatively speaking, and should definitely be "more movable".

 

[gunks]

Schroeder ends up on a different team every season. You can't get more tradable than that!

 

[Caccia]

Thank goodness there were three days until the next game. The players are feeling it.

 

[NewArena]

Keegan will always be a complete non factor against long athletic players unless he's like the 3rd and even 4th option he just has zero creativity but he's always a plus player overall cause of the D and always playing within himself.

Max is interesting I'm not sure what to make if him , it's hard to know with bigs because if they know how to move without the ball and get playing time they will put up numbers (e.g Jock Landale prior to Edey or Holmes prior to Sabonis, even Tristan Vukcevic put up big numbers when given time), it's worth it exploring but I'm not seeing much of a talent difference between him and a lot of Euroleague bigs he's just had a golden opportunity kind of like Quintin Post (who I personally dont consider to be a NBA caliber player) so far he's taking it with both hands so respect to him for doing so and playing hard/right way. I need more convincing but it's a positive.

Keegan has new tricks in his bag and has shown pretty sleek and cool finishes at the rim against guys like Gobert so I’m not gonna write him off like he’s just completely incapable of developing or handling lengthy athletic guys. That just isn’t true.