Darius Will Opt Out of Contract

#3
Can the Kings sign and trade him anyway? I bet even if they can, they can't get much 1.5 million dollars to trade? Anyone know about this kind of information?
 

VF21

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#4
If Darius wants to test the waters, then I think he has every right to do so.

I was really worried. I thought the big news was going to be something a lot more drastic.
 
#6
VF21 said:
If Darius wants to test the waters, then I think he has every right to do so.

I was really worried. I thought the big news was going to be something a lot more drastic.
I thought so too. I thought it might be a coaching change or something.
 
#7
Bye Bye... Guess 1.5 mil isn’t enough for a backup.

That’s taking a big chance considering the CBA is up for negotiation right now.

At best Darius is a 7th man
 

VF21

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#8
Bballkingsrock said:
Can the Kings sign and trade him anyway? I bet even if they can, they can't get much 1.5 million dollars to trade? Anyone know about this kind of information?
Not unless he agrees to do it. Most likely his new contract will contain a trade provision or kicker.

Free agents are players who have gotten away. The time to do a sign and trade is BEFORE they get to the opting out point.
 

VF21

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#10
BigWaxer said:
Bye Bye... Guess 1.5 mil isn’t enough for a backup.

That’s taking a big chance considering the CBA is up for negotiation right now.

At best Darius is a 7th man
And I have no problem whatsoever with him testing the waters. If the Kings want him, they'll make a decent offer. If another team wants him more, they'll get him.

It's a business. And when the team you're opting out of has recently shown they really don't care anything about loyalty as opposed to the business, players aren't going to be overwhelmed with emotion about leaving.

It's my humble opinion the effects of the Christie and Webber trades may just now be truly starting to show.
 

VF21

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#12
So, right now we have:

PG - Bibby, Bobby
SG - Martin
SF - Peja, Corliss
PF - Thomas
C - Miller, Tag, Skinner

...sigh...

EDITED to add Skinner. :eek:
 
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#13
This is odd to me. Darius fits very nicely in our system. We all know what he is capable of, which is why we all like him so much (for the most part) and are upset to see him opting out. But I have to wonder what he is thinking. Outside of Sacramento, not too many people know what he is about, and I hardly doubt too many teams are going to be willing to shell out a lot of money to get him. Unless this is some kind of ploy to get the Kings to pay him more than he deserves - which is something we are accustomed to doing (see Bibby, Webber) - I see this as a bad decision. Anyways, I hope he stays. I like him off the bench.

Then again, this team is the biggest question mark in the league right now, so who knows what his role will be next year. I guess you can't fault the guy for testing the waters, especially when his current team is in a stage of extreme change.
 

VF21

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#14
funsc said:
I have the same feeling. I think it's gonna be related to RA.
Past tense. The announcement has been made. Darius is opting out of his contract. That's the "big news."

As far as Adelman goes, he's on a one-year extension they didn't even announce until late in the season. I don't think they would have done that if they simply intended to wait until the end of the season and then dump him.
 
#16
VF21 said:
Past tense. The announcement has been made. Darius is opting out of his contract. That's the "big news."

As far as Adelman goes, he's on a one-year extension they didn't even announce until late in the season. I don't think they would have done that if they simply intended to wait until the end of the season and then dump him.
hehe... I thought so. I hope Kings will keep RA, who is a very good coach.
 

VF21

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#18
JayBird said:
This is odd to me. Darius fits very nicely in our system. We all know what he is capable of, which is why we all like him so much (for the most part) and are upset to see him opting out. But I have to wonder what he is thinking. Outside of Sacramento, not too many people know what he is about, and I hardly doubt too many teams are going to be willing to shell out a lot of money to get him. Unless this is some kind of ploy to get the Kings to pay him more than he deserves - which is something we are accustomed to doing (see Bibby, Webber) - I see this as a bad decision. Anyways, I hope he stays. I like him off the bench.

Then again, this team is the biggest question mark in the league right now, so who knows what his role will be next year. I guess you can't fault the guy for testing the waters, especially when his current team is in a stage of extreme change.
If he doesn't get a better offer, I would like to think the Kings will at least offer what they would have paid if he hadn't opted out.

I would have said "I'm pretty sure" but after what happened in January and February of this year, I'm not sure about anything any more.
 

VF21

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#19
SDKing said:
How many players have we lost over the last few offseasons? It almost seems like it's a brand new bench every year!
Right now we have four players who were part of the team for 2003-2004: Bibby, Bobby, Brad and Peja.

That's it...
 
#20
VF21 said:
Right now we have four players who were part of the team for 2003-2004: Bibby, Bobby, Brad and Peja.

That's it...
And the year before that, Bibby, Bobby, and Peja. Well maybe Martin will be getting that playing time you wanted VF.
 
#21
VF21 said:
Right now we have four players who were part of the team for 2003-2004: Bibby, Bobby, Brad and Peja.

That's it...
That's just sad. I'm all about rebuilding or whatever, but rebuild after your current guys have PROVEN that they just can't get it done. Webber, Christie, Bibby, Peja, and Vlade were a few missed free throws and pathetic calls away from dethroning the Lakers and winning it all. If we had been healthy the next two years, we would have gone much farther than we did. (Given that this is the Sacramento Kings, so that is one BIG "IF").

I'm just saying that I think this team gave up too quickly, got into panic mode, and started shuffling pieces like crazy to try to make an impact. This team has gone through such a dramatic hangover that it really doesn't matter what Darius decides to do. Nobody knows what direction this team is headed in... and Darius Songaila is the least of concerns.
 
#22
In this NBA 1.7 is very little. Darius could have had more than that last offseason but he decided to come back to a system that he was familiar with, perhaps even give the opportunity for his stock rise on a team that would allow him to do so.

Darius, Cuttino, whomever, they are not the issue I have now. Once upon a time the Kings used to be loyal to their players. Am I turning my back on owners I once and still continue to praise, no. And I take into account that it is a whole lot easier to spend someone else's money than it is your own and the proverbial fact that "this is a business." Its just a tough pill to swallow when you are force fed a media campaign that turns out to be full of fallacious propaganda or at the very least a part-time thing. We all might look back at this offseason, chuckle while we are chugging along K st. on our way to the capital...or we might see this as just another step in our declension towards the gutters of NBA-dom.

However, its times like these when you learn about yourself, the fan. I've been through hell and back with the Kings, this trip just seems to sting a little bit more.
 
#23
VF21 said:
And I have no problem whatsoever with him testing the waters. If the Kings want him, they'll make a decent offer. If another team wants him more, they'll get him.

It's a business. And when the team you're opting out of has recently shown they really don't care anything about loyalty as opposed to the business, players aren't going to be overwhelmed with emotion about leaving.

It's my humble opinion the effects of the Christie and Webber trades may just now be truly starting to show.

Unfortunately, I must agree with you. I hate to see so many "jumping ship," but when the guys up top start saying, "It's a buisness," everybody starts looking at it that way.

People wonder at the lack of fan loyalty with many teams. I don't. It is hard to stay loyal to a team when players do not. I understand that, in their position, I would do the same. However, it does not endear the average fan to a particular team when players bail and owners keep referring to the team as a buisness.

I have been a King's fan for years and will continue to be one, no matter the ups and downs. I just hope the "collective soul" of our team has not been shattered. I miss the days when we were a team first and a buisness second, win or lose.
 
#24
Hrm whilst I am sort of sad to see Darius go. You cannot really blame him can you. He probably believes he deserves a better chance and if that is what he wants goodluck to him.
 
#25
No big deal. He's a role player that can be replaced if he gets a better offer. If we can't move Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson then we already have more than enough undersized and/or unathletic forwards. If we do move Kenny and/or Corliss, then Songaila has a place on the team and the right amount of minutes.

I don't think Darius is only looking for more money, I think he's looking for long-term security. The new CBA could mean he'll have to sign for a starting salary that's less than what he's opting out of, but to a guy like Darius a 3 or 4 year deal is more valueable.
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#26
Here's the thing -- quite frankly Darius fits the system TOO well, or rather his contributions are too limited by the system. Having him as a significant minute backup with Miller as a starter was always going to be a major problem, and just impossible if we were bringing back a twerp starting PF too. You don't need EVERYBODY on your frontline to be a big rebounder/shotblocker (although that would be great), but you just cannot contend if NOBODY (significant) on the frontline is.

Now we are in the position of having to use our exceptions just to bring back the players we have already lost (Mo, Mobley, Darius) this summer, if we're even interested. Barring complete front office paralysis this is shaping up as possibly one of the most dramatic offseasons of change in the Kings time in Sacto. There was '99, and '90 before that. We still have 9 players under contract (assuming we have picked up Bobby, and Tag does opt in), but they're mismatched pieces of middling value.
 
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hrdboild

Moloch in whom I dream Angels!
Staff member
#27
Yeah I figured this was inevitable. This is a good time for Darius to see what kind of offers he'll get. He proved himself as a legitimate PF this season and with no clear sign which direction the Kings will go from here, there's really no enticing reason to re-sign. The Kings don't seem committed to givng him a starting stop (nor should they) and he can probably make more than his player option as a free agent. I'm a little disappointed, but I don't think he's really a good solution for our PF problems as the team is presently constructed, and who knows what Petrie and co. are planning for the summer. I hope lots. And anyway, all of the trade proposals I've made so far have been based on the assumption that Mobley and Songaila opt out, so it doesn't change my outlook any.
 
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VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
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#28
Bricklayer said:
Here's the thing -- quite frankly Darius fits the system TOO well, or rather his contributions are too limited by the system. Having him as a significant minute backup with Miller as a starter was always going to be a major problem, and just impossible if we were bringing back a twerp starting PF too. You don't need EVERYBODY on your frontline to be a big rebounder/shotblocker (although that would be great), but you just cannot contend if NOBODY (significant) on the frontline is.

Now we are in the position of having to use our exceptions just to bring back the players we have already lost (Mo, Mobley, Darius) this summer, if we're even interested. Barring complete front office paralysis this is shaping up as possibly one of the most dramatic offseasons of change in the Kings time in Sacto. There was '99, and '90 before that. We still have 9 players under contract (assuming we have picked up Bobby, and Tag does opt in), but they're mismatched pieces of middling value.
From what's been posted in the Cuttino thread, it looks like he's not at all interested in coming back...

If Tag doesn't opt in for next season someone better come up here and start hiding all the sharp objects. Not because he's that good but because if he DOESN'T even want to stay, we must have already sunk and be treading water with waders on.

Oh please, basketball gods of fate, let this be a time of glorious rebuilding and not sinking into the morass of bare mediocrity.
 
#29
The problem, as I see it, is that Songaila was really a good deal for the money, and he had been here two years and knew the team.

This WILL NOT free up more money to go after anyone else; it's just a pure loss for us. We are still over the salary cap; being free of Darius' $1.7 million doesn't mean much.

This wasn't unexpected, but it's just another blow we have to absorb. This offseason will be the toughest test Petrie's faced so far.
~~
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#30
With our luck we'll end up just under the salary cap, still in trouble and no exceptions to use...

Maybe we should have a car wash?