Alright, we got the 8th pick, options...

[Dime Dropper]

Trade down and select Capela.

I'd be OK with this. It'd be a risk as he may not work out, but if he does you have the perfect fit next to Cuz. If we got a proven player along with him in exchange for 8, it'd soften the blow if he didn't work out.

Really hating that WCS pulled out now. He'd be perfect for us, and right around our range.

 

[Nikolizzle]

Trade McLemore, Pick 8 and possibly a sweetner (Williams maybe, although I like him a LOT) to Orlando for pick 4, and select Exum.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

niko, really? we suffered 2 seasons to move up to 4th pick? i'll personally feed gerbil to the python myself if that's true.

 

[GoodOldDouwe]

I wouldn't trade McLemore, #8 and Williams for the best player of the Australian League, that's just too much. You don't know how he fares against NBA level type players. I haven't given up yet on McLemore, I'd only trade him if we could land a vet who provides either shotblocking or shooting, combined with leadership and an unselfish mentality.

 

[KingMilz]

I wouldn't trade McLemore, #8 and Williams for the best player of the Australian League, that's just too much. You don't know how he fares against NBA level type players. I haven't given up yet on McLemore, I'd only trade him if we could land a vet who provides either shotblocking or shooting, combined with leadership and an unselfish mentality.

He never played in the Australian League, but I agree 3 lottery picks for one does not make much sense.

 

[GoodOldDouwe]

He never played in the Australian League, but I agree 3 lottery picks for one does not make much sense.

Ah, right, my bad!

 

[dude12]

Another idea involving Atlanta would include Schroeder, who I thought was very impressive in the Summer League, but also including the big man Lucas Noguiero. He would fit in with this roster. Schroeder, Noguiero, and 15th pick for 8th and JT or Landry or DWill. Not sure if salaries work but it does make us younger, but may clear some salary to sign a cheaper but effective vet or 2. I like Schroeder and the young big man

 

[Kingster]

Another idea involving Atlanta would include Schroeder, who I thought was very impressive in the Summer League, but also including the big man Lucas Noguiero. He would fit in with this roster. Schroeder, Noguiero, and 15th pick for 8th and JT or Landry or DWill. Not sure if salaries work but it does make us younger, but may clear some salary to sign a cheaper but effective vet or 2. I like Schroeder and the young big man

Love it!

 

[Kingster]

Trade down and select Capela.

I wouldn't have a problem with that either. If they can't trade up into the top 4, and they can't find a trading partner for the 8th pick (like Schroeder), then the last resort is to pick a project like Capela who conceivably has a high ceiling and just acknowledge he's a project that won't do much for the next couple of years. All that said, I think that scenario is the last one on the Kings' wish list. They want to make more of an immediate impact.

 

[LPKingsFan]

He never played in the Australian League, but I agree 3 lottery picks for one does not make much sense.

Well, Derrick Williams is closer to a couple second round picks in value, not a lottery pick.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Saw this tweet:

Across The Court™ ‏@AcrossTheCourt_ 18h
Rumor: Kings may look to trade up in the draft to get Joel Embiid

The twitter page doesn't look as if it would have any particular inside sources, and has no affiliation to the Kings. It's just a rumours/opinions page, so I'd imagine it's nothing to get excited about. Especially considering we don't really have the ammunition to move into the top 3.


Smart, Embiid, Smart and others worked out in front of most GMs earlier today.

Chad Ford ‏@chadfordinsider 1h
Another huge workout this morning in Santa Monica. Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid, Marcus Smart, Jerami Grant, Kyle Anderson headline.

Chad Ford ‏@chadfordinsider 37m
Marcus Smart headlined the first group. Shot the ball well from three today. But is the motor and body that teams love.

 

[Gary]

I haven't avoided your posts. I respond to some; not to others.

First, I guess you haven't read Glenn's posts over the past season. What, you have him on ignore or something? And it's not certainly not just him; a scan through IT subject matter would easily tell you that. Yeah, you could be wrong about "nobody's" anti-IT. Safe bet on that. Talk about revisionist history.

Second, your comment:

"Comparing Jimmer's athleticism to Smart's is about par for the course for your level of posting. We'll see if Smart is quick enough next season. I fully expect you to admit that you're wrong when it happens. It's not common knowledge by the way, Smart doesn't look as quick as he is because he's huge, but he gets wherever he wants. He's not Westbrook but he's above average for an NBA PG. We'll wait and see. I think he's plenty quick and will be one of the most overall athletic PGs in the NBA."

This is why I don't respond to all your posts. It's ridiculous. The point is not that Jimmer Quickness = Smart Quickness. The point is that Jimmer was overated in his quickness and ballhandling, and now Smart is being overated in his quickness, athleticism, and the faith that his jump shot is going to inevitably get better. The key word is, overated. Smart is overated in my view just like Jimmer was overated in my view. You're misreading of comparisons is so typical and that's why I don't respond.

what what what!?

Smart has ALWAYS had quickness. He's not the greatest athlete but he doesn't have to be. He's VERY VERY quick and has long arms. I guarantee you defense in the NBA will not be a problem for Smart. I would be willing to bet that in five years he will be talked about as being a great defender by everyone throughout the NBA.

 

[FaStRmAn]

For the Cleveland Cavaliers? ?

Come on, no matter who wins, somebody always says rigged. if we win, they scream rigged, because obviously gift to new ownership etc. If the Lakers win they scream rigged, because Lakers of course. if Minny wins, its to help them retain Love. If the Pels win its new owner again, and wanting to create an A.D. superteam. New York, because its the Knicks. There are only handful of teams out there who could have own it without screams of "rigged!" At a certain point the "rigged!" is coming from us internally. not by anything anybody else is doing.

I believe the entire system just doesn't work. It just seems that the team needing the most help rarely gets it. You would think there would be a better method. No one complains about the NFL or MLB draft. Why is that? What are they doing right that the NBA is doing wrong ?

 

[Gary]

Saw this tweet:



The twitter page doesn't look as if it would have any particular inside sources, and has no affiliation to the Kings. It's just a rumours/opinions page, so I'd imagine it's nothing to get excited about. Especially considering we don't really have the ammunition to move into the top 3.


Smart, Embiid, Smart and others worked out in front of most GMs earlier today.

He's got a decent amount of followers but is following a lot of people too so who knows if they are legit followers or just followers because he followed them....

I would take a trade for Embiid in a heartbeat. I would trade pretty much anyone on the team not named cousins.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

The twitter page doesn't look as if it would have any particular inside sources, and has no affiliation to the Kings. It's just a rumours/opinions page, so I'd imagine it's nothing to get excited about. Especially considering we don't really have the ammunition to move into the top 3.

Rumor: The Los Angeles Lakers may look to trade up in the draft to get Joel Embiid
Rumor: The Charlotte Hornets may look to trade up in the draft to get Joel Embiid
Rumor: The Cleveland Cavaliers may look to trade up in the draft to get Joel Embiid...oh wait, don't run with that one!

 

[LPKingsFan]

I believe the entire system just doesn't work. It just seems that the team needing the most help rarely gets it. You would think there would be a better method. No one complains about the NFL or MLB draft. Why is that? What are they doing right that the NBA is doing wrong ?

The short answer, from a post on Grantland today:

No league in pro sports makes franchise transformation as difficult as the NBA. Trade restrictions on salaries, the new sign-and-trade rules, and a flawed free-agency system are all factors in making the draft the single most important night for teams. If you want to change your team, this is how you do it.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

I believe the entire system just doesn't work. It just seems that the team needing the most help rarely gets it. You would think there would be a better method. No one complains about the NFL or MLB draft. Why is that? What are they doing right that the NBA is doing wrong ?

Not worrying about "tanking".

Seriously, I'm not kidding. They do a straight reverse-order draft and you never, ever hear anybody whine about "tanking". Joke about it, sure. But never whine about it.

But the NBA has installed a tank-deterrent mechanism and yet worries more and more about tanking as the years go by. There's a bit of good reason for it - a single draft pick in the NBA can transform a franchise in a way that doesn't happen in the NFL or MLB. LeBron was good for 18 extra wins as a 19-year-old, Dwight Howard was worth 15 extra wins at the same age. And it's generally easier to identify the top overall players at draft time in the NBA. But still, the anti-tanking focus lately has gone too far in my opinion. Scrapping the idea of a competitive balance draft in order to stop "tanking" will most likely result in more, not fewer, franchises mired in the .300s in winning percentage.

 

[LPKingsFan]

Not worrying about "tanking".

Seriously, I'm not kidding. They do a straight reverse-order draft and you never, ever hear anybody whine about "tanking". Joke about it, sure. But never whine about it.

But the NBA has installed a tank-deterrent mechanism and yet worries more and more about tanking as the years go by. There's a bit of good reason for it - a single draft pick in the NBA can transform a franchise in a way that doesn't happen in the NFL or MLB. LeBron was good for 18 extra wins as a 19-year-old, Dwight Howard was worth 15 extra wins at the same age. And it's generally easier to identify the top overall players at draft time in the NBA. But still, the anti-tanking focus lately has gone too far in my opinion. Scrapping the idea of a competitive balance draft in order to stop "tanking" will most likely result in more, not fewer, franchises mired in the .300s in winning percentage.

And the funny thing about the reaction to Cleveland winning the lottery is that they weren't tanking, they were trying to win! The system worked!

 

[hrdboild]

The only way trading up for Embiid is possible is if his medical report scares enough teams for him to slide out of the top 3 like Nerlens Noel did last year. Somehow Philly managed to trade up for Noel and get another pick in the process but we don't have any All-Stars to trade so even that unlikely scenario doesn't work in our favor. Other teams are going to beat our offer unless it's McLemore and a future pick (which we can't do anyway). I'd love to get Embiid but realistically, that shipped sailed on May 20th.

There's a lot of reports out there that Elfrid Payton is moving up draft boards, and I'm not surprised. He was off the radar in college but his list of credentials is impressive. If you like Smart's defense but not his shot selection and you like Tyler Ennis' poise and playmaking but question his scoring abilities, there's a lot to like about Payton in comparison. He's not a complete player but he looks comfortable running a team and the man-to-man defense should help him make an impact from day one. The more I think about it, I'd be comfortable taking him at #8 rather than trying to guess where he might fall to. If there's a deal out there to help us improve more, that's even better but if we're keeping the pick, I think Payton would be a good one because I like his chances of sticking in a starting lineup. I hope Malone gets a lot of input on the pick because a standout defender at the point would be a dream come true for his "all defense, all the time" mindset and Payton is going to come in looking to pass the ball to our scorers -- Cousins, McLemore, and Gay/Williams.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

What logic convinces you that anybody we could pick in the draft could be a "potential star," but any established veteran we could get in exchange for the pick would be "mediocre"?

Who out there is going to trade us a player that will make this team legitimately better?

Ok maybe star wasn't the right word, but Noah Vonleh or Aaron Gordon could make for an outstanding front court with DeMarcus.

 

[dude12]

I'd have to see a top tier player coming to us in any trade of the 8th, especially if Ben is also tied to the deal. I think Ben is going to become the player the FO wants....it's just going to take time. If Smart is there we take him but I think he's going to keep climbing the draft board. It's probably Vonleh or Gordon or maybe Randle. You take those guys and work the trade wire, trying to shed salary and acquire a 2nd rounder or late first. Sign a cheap vet.

I think the FO will be aggressive in bringing another guy like Gay....a legitimate quasi-all-star

 

[hrdboild]

And the funny thing about the reaction to Cleveland winning the lottery is that they weren't tanking, they were trying to win! The system worked!

If you only look at this season, I suppose you could make that claim. But considering (a) they won as many games as they did primarily because they've already had 2 #1 picks and 2 #4 picks in the last 3 years and used one of them to draft this year's All-Star game MVP, (b) they completely bombed every front-office decision they made in the last year, and got rewarded for their efforts with incredible good fortune, and (c) they blatantly tanked in 2003 and landed the greatest player of this generation then frittered away that good fortune with horrible free agent signings and whined about it when he chose to play somewhere else 7 years later.

For everyone who is not a Cleveland fan, this just looks like a bad management team being allowed to continue making bad decisions because of insanely good luck. And when you're toiling through the longest active streak of lottery picks like we currently are -- a streak which extends before Cleveland lost their MVP and immediately drafted a new one -- and still waiting for that first top 3 pick, well that's why it appears that the system is broken. I don't understand Lakers fans or Boston fans being upset with this result. The lottery is a luxury to them not a necessity. But while this franchise has only won 2 lottery picks in 21 chances in it's entire 30 year history, Cleveland has now won the #1 overall pick 4 times in 12 years. Is this system actually discouraging tanking or arbitrarily funneling talent to a few fortunate franchises (see also: Orlando, LA Clippers) at the expense of the perpetually snakebit who can toil endlessly in obscurity without ever getting lottery fortune.

 

[randymoss1881]

I like Peyton as well I would like to trade our pick to Chicago for there 2 picks which saves them some cash. We then take Peyton/Payne. Payne has great size and is an elite shooter for a big man he can play back up for center/PF. One of JT/Landry won't be here next year and having a player who can shoot lights out and rebound.

 

[LPKingsFan]

If you only look at this season, I suppose you could make that claim. But considering (a) they won as many games as they did primarily because they've already had 2 #1 picks and 2 #4 picks in the last 3 years and used one of them to draft this year's All-Star game MVP, (b) they completely bombed every front-office decision they made in the last year, and got rewarded for their efforts with incredible good fortune, and (c) they blatantly tanked in 2003 and landed the greatest player of this generation then frittered away that good fortune with horrible free agent signings and whined about it when he chose to play somewhere else 7 years later.

For everyone who is not a Cleveland fan, this just looks like a bad management team being allowed to continue making bad decisions because of insanely good luck. And when you're toiling through the longest active streak of lottery picks like we currently are -- a streak which extends before Cleveland lost their MVP and immediately drafted a new one -- and still waiting for that first top 3 pick, well that's why it appears that the system is broken. I don't understand Lakers fans or Boston fans being upset with this result. The lottery is a luxury to them not a necessity. But while this franchise has only won 2 lottery picks in 21 chances in it's entire 30 year history, Cleveland has now won the #1 overall pick 4 times in 12 years. Is this system actually discouraging tanking or arbitrarily funneling talent to a few fortunate franchises (see also: Orlando, LA Clippers) at the expense of the perpetually snakebit who can toil endlessly in obscurity without ever getting lottery fortune.

How is the bad management being rewarded or allowed to continue making bad decisions? Didn't their GM get fired?

And if they're bombing their picks, doesn't that lessen the impact on the less lucky but more savvy teams below them, since the better players trickle down to them anyway?

 

[pshn80]

Who out there is going to trade us a player that will make this team legitimately better?

Ok maybe star wasn't the right word, but Noah Vonleh or Aaron Gordon could make for an outstanding front court with DeMarcus.

..... once we teach 'me to dribble, pass, tie their shoes, etc., etc., etc. makes for a large incentive to find a willing match for a quality veteran, which is what we need. EVEN Cuz wasn't ready to be reliable enough in his first year.

 

[Chupacabra]

We really need to trade this pick. The shot blocking/help defense at the rim-hole needs to be plugged up and cemented shut once and for all. We can trade #8 + player/s or we can trade up and take Capela. I'd much prefer we just trade the pick and address our interior defensive need with a player that is already Atleast somewhat established. I'm sure we could find a trade partner that would agree to a scenario where we trade a package of #8 + Thompson/IT for the shotblocker + late first/early second round pick this year. This is the way I would go.

 

[hrdboild]

How is the bad management being rewarded or allowed to continue making bad decisions? Didn't their GM get fired?

And if they're bombing their picks, doesn't that lessen the impact on the less lucky but more savvy teams below them, since the better players trickle down to them anyway?

I just don't get how you can look at a system which awards the top pick to the same team in 3 out of 4 years and say "nope, that system is working just fine". If the purpose of the draft is to ensure that incoming talent gets spread evenly and fairly throughout the league, than it quite obviously is not working.

 

[Kingster]

what what what!?

Smart has ALWAYS had quickness. He's not the greatest athlete but he doesn't have to be. He's VERY VERY quick and has long arms. I guarantee you defense in the NBA will not be a problem for Smart. I would be willing to bet that in five years he will be talked about as being a great defender by everyone throughout the NBA.

Nope: http://nbadraft.net/players/marcus-smart
And this from Draft Express: Weaknesses: Solid athlete, but not spectacular. Not the quickest or most explosive guard


He's a 7 out of 10, which corresponds to my observations. That's less than average for an NBA pg. By the way, Schroeder was a 10, which I also think fits. Another example would be Teague. I think he was also a 10 on this scale; he was a 10 on my quickness scale when he was drafted. Maybe you are judging Smart in comparison to college players, not NBA players.

 

[Kingster]

I just don't get how you can look at a system which awards the top pick to the same team in 3 out of 4 years and say "nope, that system is working just fine". If the purpose of the draft is to ensure that incoming talent gets spread evenly and fairly throughout the league, than it quite obviously is not working.

I'm not saying the draft is perfect (I like Vivek's reform idea), but there are other factors that contribute to the unequal distribution of talent. The Miami case is a good place to start.

 

[hrdboild]

I'm not saying the draft is perfect (I like Vivek's reform idea), but there are other factors that contribute to the unequal distribution of talent. The Miami case is a good place to start.

Oh for sure. Certain market inequalities are always going to be there. Teams like New York and Los Angeles and Boston are always going to cash in their "legacies" and media-market exposure to attract star players and small markets are always going to have trouble competing in free agency. But the draft is supposed to be one area where every team has an equal shot. I don't really know how to fix it. Eliminating the lottery would solve some problems but exacerbate others. Maybe the percentages should be adjusted to account for multiple seasons (Cleveland and New Orleans both recently won the lottery one season after they made the playoffs -- we're 8 years out now and still waiting). Maybe there should be a handicap if you won a top 3 pick the year before. Even after all that though, Cleveland had a 1.7% chance this year and won anyway, it can happen. I'm just at the point where I feel the randomization of it has become worse than the problem it was designed to fix.