KING DEMAR
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ht" dir="ltr">Paul George (Age 34):<br>- Career: 20.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.7 apg<br>- 2023-24: 22.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.5 apg<br>- Contract: 4 years, $212 million<br><br>DeMar DeRozan (Turns 35 in August)<br>- Career: 21.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.1 apg<br>- 2023-24: 24.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.3 apg<br>- Contract: 3 years, $74 million <a href="https://t.co/0aHLjDzD7w">pic.twitter.com/0aHLjDzD7w</a></p>— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) <a href="
">July 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
From the management stand point of view - very good job. Maybe more things will develop in the future.
Sure, offensively DDR is not just simple upgrade over Barnes. That's like comparing tropical storm to hurricane category 4 (not 5 though
).
I prior expressed my opinion about DDR and his game. I hope, that 3 years in San Antonio and 3 years made DDR into a better player.
Only time will tell how Kings will attack and play D. I hope that I will see different DDR than from his tenure with the Raptors.
Fox is prone to small injuries due to his size. Domas played all 82 games last regular season. Keegan is healthy as a horse. DDR soon will be 35 years of age. Sure, his athletic abilities are not the same as they were 10 years ago, but for a pro athlete the most important thing is to be available. DDR is diligent about his shape. Last 2 seasons with the Bulls he was a main horse. Most minutes, most FGAs. His role with the Kings will be different. That should help him to stay healthy. Injuries were never a concern, but age is a b*tch.
I just wish for DDR in Sacramento to use more of his brains, not the body
Anyway, he is a King now. No need to set personal expectations for the players, it's always 5 on 5 on the floor ( plus 3 zebras too).
Sure, offensively DDR is not just simple upgrade over Barnes. That's like comparing tropical storm to hurricane category 4 (not 5 though
).I prior expressed my opinion about DDR and his game. I hope, that 3 years in San Antonio and 3 years made DDR into a better player.
Only time will tell how Kings will attack and play D. I hope that I will see different DDR than from his tenure with the Raptors.
Fox is prone to small injuries due to his size. Domas played all 82 games last regular season. Keegan is healthy as a horse. DDR soon will be 35 years of age. Sure, his athletic abilities are not the same as they were 10 years ago, but for a pro athlete the most important thing is to be available. DDR is diligent about his shape. Last 2 seasons with the Bulls he was a main horse. Most minutes, most FGAs. His role with the Kings will be different. That should help him to stay healthy. Injuries were never a concern, but age is a b*tch.
I just wish for DDR in Sacramento to use more of his brains, not the body
Anyway, he is a King now. No need to set personal expectations for the players, it's always 5 on 5 on the floor ( plus 3 zebras too).
people are acting like De’Aaron is galdarn Celtics Rondo from three in here. Dude shot 38% from three on almost 8 attempts per game. That is almost Dame level elite volume shooting. He’s also a freaking star. Teams aren’t just going to leave Derozan and Fox wideass open all game and if they do it’s not like those guys aren’t going to be able to do something good.
I am one of those who think Keegan can become a superstar in the league, but I was just trying to make it a point that averaging 14ppg will be hard for any player on our team, especially someone less experienced and more limited as a scorer (Keon). Don’t have enough shots to go around at the very least.
But I’m excited to see this new offense. Keon’s 3pt shooting is going to play a big role
But I’m excited to see this new offense. Keon’s 3pt shooting is going to play a big role
Most impressive acquisition. Gave up very little the Kings couldn't afford to lose. For the last few years, DeRozan has been one of those absolutely sneaky vets who gives you Paul George-esque production at a fraction of the games lost to injury (and also at a fraction of the price, given George's contract with Philly). DeRozan doesn't have George's outside shot, of course, so I think the Kings' spacing will take some time to sort out, but their talent level has jumped, their offensive production level has jumped, and their creation/playmaking level has jumped. It's certainly not a move with the long-term in mind, but in the immediate, it takes the pressure off of Keegan to be that "third guy" while he's still developing.
Yeah, to the national press, Barnes was nothing but bloated stats on bad teams with an albatross contract and history of choking if not outright disappearing in big games, and the Kings were inept and silly for wanting to keep him.
… until the Spurs wanted him.
Now suddenly he’s a savvy vet with championship pedigree and invaluable playoff experience to mentor their young stars, and the Kings were inept and silly for giving him up.
… until the Spurs wanted him.
Now suddenly he’s a savvy vet with championship pedigree and invaluable playoff experience to mentor their young stars, and the Kings were inept and silly for giving him up.
I like DeRozan’s veteran leadership. We occasionally seek Barnes's leadership when things go south in crunch time, yet he switches his ON/OFF button frequently forcing Fox/Monk to resort to hero ball. That’s where we need a proven star like DeRozan who can take over in the 4th quarter or take the pressure off them. I still remember he put up 19 pts on impressive 100% shooting in a 21 pts comeback win, the last time we faced the Bulls. According to the media, he’s known for treating younger players with respect and plying them with confidence.
Our bread and butter, the DHO stalls when we face teams with good wing defenders. This is where DeRozan could be very handy eating them inside, and disrupting their defense. He is a solid 2nd or 3rd scoring option on a winning team.
All these above are a very good return from a $25mil/year player nowadays, yet we still have in the hunt for a player to address the glaring weakness in the wing.
Our bread and butter, the DHO stalls when we face teams with good wing defenders. This is where DeRozan could be very handy eating them inside, and disrupting their defense. He is a solid 2nd or 3rd scoring option on a winning team.
All these above are a very good return from a $25mil/year player nowadays, yet we still have in the hunt for a player to address the glaring weakness in the wing.
Exactly, I seen enough of HB's defense. There are times he is slow in response to guy attacking the basket...slow in reaction. Also, he doesn't do anything to help a collapsed defense...his help team defense is probably one of the worst in the league. And when he did keep up with the man in front of him, it doesn't appear his defense has any effect on the shooter. My point is, his reaction and basket defensive instinct is slow. He doesn't help to affect other areas as well like blocking shot or rebound due to his height. There are limitations to his game. He has maximize his potential imo. The positive he brought to the team is his relentless in attacking the basket and drawing fouls, his ability to shoot 3s.
But DeRozan will take over that role and become even more efficient. He went to the line almost twice as many times as Barnes and his FT% is off the charge. He is also consistent in 2pt shots which is something the Kings hardly rely on? Also, base on statistics, DeRozan play better defense. I imagine the Kings will draw up plays for DeRozan like those plays where they isolate for Barnes but more often this time. And when Sabonis need a breather, they can go to him in the post while surrounding him with shooters (like Fox, Monk, Ellis (or Lyles), Murray).
But DeRozan will take over that role and become even more efficient. He went to the line almost twice as many times as Barnes and his FT% is off the charge. He is also consistent in 2pt shots which is something the Kings hardly rely on? Also, base on statistics, DeRozan play better defense. I imagine the Kings will draw up plays for DeRozan like those plays where they isolate for Barnes but more often this time. And when Sabonis need a breather, they can go to him in the post while surrounding him with shooters (like Fox, Monk, Ellis (or Lyles), Murray).
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Yeah the narratives online are ridiculous. When Demar was linked to the Lakers a few weeks ago he was a player that was going to take the Lakers over the top. Now he's suddenly not very good and overpaid (will be the 64th highest paid player next season). The Ringer even ranked him as the 49th best player in the league, but in their analysis of the trade they don't think this was a good move for the Kings and they praise Harrison Barnes who they left off the top 100 list.
That sounds more like King’s fans take than National media. HB has a pretty good reputation around the league outside of Golden State and Sacramento.
The Spurs did really well in this trade and I kinda hate them for it. They did nothing but spend money they would have been forced to spend and they received a wing who shoots 39-40 percent from three, never misses games or turns the ball over and has enough of a bag to iso for free and a pick swap.
And who cares what some dork on twitter thinks, we upgraded talent big time on a great contract for limited assets. It’s a risk but so is every move. It’s a big time win
So much of what I read on here last year was that our offence was too reliant on the 3pt shot and we were essentially a make or miss team. There was also a change in that, after years of wishing for Fox improve as a 3pt shooter, now many miss his midrange game and his frequent attacks to the basket. I, for one, do not want DeMarr to come and start jacking up threes. I don't want to be reassured that his 3pt % is good, now he just needs volume. I don't want it for Sabonis either. Sure take a couple if the shots there. But don't forget what you're actually good at.
The last time the Kings saw DeRozan was when he killed them almost single handedly. The Bulls had nothing to play for at the time and he came with his A-game to destroy the Kings. Without question this is a talent upgrade. The contract is good and the 3-year length is good. It's not a perfect fit, however. Just like with a potential Ingram trade, DeRozan is not a 3 point marksman. He's not going to spread the floor for Fox or for Sabonis and Fox and Sabonis are not going to spread the floor for him. Brown, who seems to thrive on players who shoot the 3 (like a Barnes), is going to have his work cut out for him trying to to make this bunch complement each other offensively. It's going to be an interesting challenge for a coaching staff who I thought was subpar last year on the offensive end.
Still waiting for a big lengthy defender to help out Sabonis and Murray in the front court. If anything, the DeRozan trade might have made it a little more difficult to find the kind of big guy that they have been missing. Now the lengthy defender must not only cover up the team's defensive weakness, but also have a good 3 point shot in his lexicon; otherwise the overall 3-point shooting deficit of this team would be too much to overcome.
Still waiting for a big lengthy defender to help out Sabonis and Murray in the front court. If anything, the DeRozan trade might have made it a little more difficult to find the kind of big guy that they have been missing. Now the lengthy defender must not only cover up the team's defensive weakness, but also have a good 3 point shot in his lexicon; otherwise the overall 3-point shooting deficit of this team would be too much to overcome.
Kings are getting luke warm to panned from media outlets.
Here is Sam Quinn giving essentially an "F" panning (D-). He makes some good points, but too much weight on the swap pick and defense.
And to actually grade, you'd have to wait until after the season/post-season......but to play along, I don't think its an "A" trade grade, but maybe a "B-".....Quinn well articulated the unknowns with how the offense is going to assimilate with Derozan which was the other consideration with age - the shooting and spacing must be practiced. The Kings could've stayed put, but last year was a small decline, and Quinn fails to note it, so to say the organization is impatient is not true. They gave it a swing. Quinn also calls for a "swap" for Barnes and Duarte - Derozan would not have gone for that as it was a sign and trade, so that's likely a non-starter as well. It is a gamble. Chris Paul is a decent comparison, however Paul was having more injuries earlier. Barnes isn't exactly young so, the age comparison, one could also say applies to Barnes fairly as well.
"
Sacramento Kings: D-
Let's start with the positives here before we get into the low grade. DeMar DeRozan is remarkably durable, and by virtue of rarely shooting 3's, remarkably consistent on a night-to-night basis. He has not missed more than 11 games in a season since 2012. Last season, he was held below 15 points only six times. He's always on the court. He never really has "bad" games. That means quite a bit for the Kings, specifically, whose offense just cratered after late-season injuries to Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter. De'Aaron Fox tends to miss between 10 and 20 games per year. DeRozan raises your floor offensively in those games. He still gets to the line at an elite level. He was just the Clutch Player of the Year runner-up; Fox won the award in 2023. The Kings are going to be able to find better shots late in games than most teams. They still control most of their own future draft capital, so it's not as though they're locked out of making big moves down the line. DeRozan is still a valuable player in the right context.
It's just that the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings aren't remotely that context. The Kings already had plenty of ball-handling. Fox and Monk are both high-usage players. The Kings run a lot of offense through Domantas Sabonis. They've developed a system that emphasizes movement, both out of the ball and their players. DeRozan is a bit of a ball-stopper. While he is a solid play-maker when he has the ball, he holds it, on average, for 4.73 seconds per touch, according to NBA.com tracking data. Fox isn't far behind at 4.68 seconds per touch. Both are near the top of the league. Neither of them are suited to watching the other dribble. DeRozan is both a low-volume and low-percentage 3-point shooter. Fox has improved his volume substantially under Mike Brown, but the 36.9% of his 3's he made last season represented a career high, and that's barely above league-average.
Defense is the greater concern here. DeRozan has historically been bad on that end of the floor. So is Monk, though he can't help it given his size issues. Fox is a bit more of a mixed bag. Keon Ellis emerged as a stellar defender down the stretch last season, but unless there is another trade coming, likely involving Kevin Huerter, he's not going to get enough minutes to hold together Sacramento's perimeter defense. Remember, the Kings don't have a high-end rim-protector to clean things up for their guards. Sabonis is, emphatically, an offense-first player. They managed to reach No. 14 in defense last season due to some great coaching from Brown, the late emergence of Ellis and, frankly, late-season injuries to some of their defensive minuses (Monk and Huerter). Having Harrison Barnes, a competent veteran at the league's scarcest position, didn't hurt either.
In a perfect world, the Kings are envisioning a combination of their 2022-23 offense, which, to that point, was the most efficient in NBA history, and their 2023-24 defense, which was average. Historic offense and average defense is a contending formula. But one of the most important factors in their historic 2023 offense was health. All five of their starters played at least 73 games. That's not replicable. The Kings ranked sixth in 3-point volume and ninth in 3-point percentage during the 2022-23 season. DeRozan's last six offenses have ranked in the bottom-10 of the NBA in 3-point attempts per game. Four of them finished dead last. Last year was a bit of an anomaly, but generally speaking, the teams that rank near the top of the league in offensive rating are the ones that attempt and/or make the most 3's. The Kings are making sacrifices in the math game to accommodate DeRozan, and it's not even clear that they needed to.
Their general offensive concept still worked last season. The starting lineup from the 2022-23 season scored 119.9 points per 100 possessions last year. That was the fifth-best mark of any five-man unit to play at least 300 minutes last season, trailing only the best groups from the Nuggets, Suns, Bucks and Celtics. Their starters were more efficient offensively than either the Thunder's or the Clippers'. Both of them emphasized defense in their offseason moves. The Kings did get worse when bench lineups played, but, they just paid Monk $78 million to run their bench units. You don't trade for a player of DeRozan's stature to shore up your backup groups. This fundamentally disturbs a group of starters that was working.
And the cherry on top here? DeRozan turns 35 in August. He's no spring chicken. Individual shot creation tends to decline more rapidly with age than, say, 3-point shooting. Maybe DeRozan holds off Father Time for another year, but this contract carries him through his age-37 season. It is overwhelmingly likely that DeRozan is a significantly worse player at that point than he is today. Think about the contract Chris Paul signed with the Suns in summer 2021 as a comparison. Paul was still an All-Star in his age-35 season, but struggled mightily in the playoffs. His age-36 season showed enough decline that he was traded in a package for Bradley Beal. In his age-37 season, he averaged 9.2 points per game off of Golden State's bench. He's still an effective player, but he was getting paid for who he was at 35 when he is obviously no longer that player. Both are mid-range heavy scorers. Paul brings several other things to the table that DeRozan does not.
If the Kings had just swapped out Barnes and Duarte for DeRozan, this is probably a "C" or "C-" move. The fit issues all would have persisted, but it's a talent swing on a former All-Star. There is at least logic to that. But the Kings also included an unprotected 2031 pick swap. The words "unprotected" and "Kings" really don't belong together. An unprotected Kings pick swap ultimately turned out to yield the pick that became Jayson Tatum. This is a franchise that has missed the playoffs in 17 of the past 18 seasons. History suggests that there is a good chance that swap yields a lottery pick. Perhaps a very valuable one. Fox and Sabonis might seem fairly young right now, but seven years is a lifetime in NBA terms. Seven years ago, at this time, Kyrie Irving was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Seven years from now, Sabonis will be 35 and Fox will be 33. Maybe they'll still be Kings and maybe they won't, but there's a good chance they're past their prime. Giving up control of that pick could prove to be absolutely enormous down the line.
This trade screams impatience from an organization that had no need to rush for the wrong fit. Fox and Sabonis are still relatively young. Keegan Murray has two years left on his rookie deal. They didn't need to take on a high-risk contract for a 35-year-old that doesn't really fill a need for them. But look back at the rumor mill of the last year or so. They've been linked to several players just like that. Zach LaVine. Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram. Contract negotiations with 2023 Coach of the Year Mike Brown were contentious, with reports indicating that ownership expected the team to build on its 2023 success. But making a significant investment in an aging player that doesn't fit the existing roster just for the sake of adding talent simply wasn't a responsible roster-building decision. The likeliest outcome here is that the Kings are still worse than their 2023 counterparts. If they turn out to be better, their defense still presents a hard ceiling on their championship equity. This is the sort of move you make when you're one DeMar DeRozan away from serious title contention. The Kings aren't.
Here is Sam Quinn giving essentially an "F" panning (D-). He makes some good points, but too much weight on the swap pick and defense.
And to actually grade, you'd have to wait until after the season/post-season......but to play along, I don't think its an "A" trade grade, but maybe a "B-".....Quinn well articulated the unknowns with how the offense is going to assimilate with Derozan which was the other consideration with age - the shooting and spacing must be practiced. The Kings could've stayed put, but last year was a small decline, and Quinn fails to note it, so to say the organization is impatient is not true. They gave it a swing. Quinn also calls for a "swap" for Barnes and Duarte - Derozan would not have gone for that as it was a sign and trade, so that's likely a non-starter as well. It is a gamble. Chris Paul is a decent comparison, however Paul was having more injuries earlier. Barnes isn't exactly young so, the age comparison, one could also say applies to Barnes fairly as well.
"
Sacramento Kings: D-
Let's start with the positives here before we get into the low grade. DeMar DeRozan is remarkably durable, and by virtue of rarely shooting 3's, remarkably consistent on a night-to-night basis. He has not missed more than 11 games in a season since 2012. Last season, he was held below 15 points only six times. He's always on the court. He never really has "bad" games. That means quite a bit for the Kings, specifically, whose offense just cratered after late-season injuries to Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter. De'Aaron Fox tends to miss between 10 and 20 games per year. DeRozan raises your floor offensively in those games. He still gets to the line at an elite level. He was just the Clutch Player of the Year runner-up; Fox won the award in 2023. The Kings are going to be able to find better shots late in games than most teams. They still control most of their own future draft capital, so it's not as though they're locked out of making big moves down the line. DeRozan is still a valuable player in the right context.
It's just that the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings aren't remotely that context. The Kings already had plenty of ball-handling. Fox and Monk are both high-usage players. The Kings run a lot of offense through Domantas Sabonis. They've developed a system that emphasizes movement, both out of the ball and their players. DeRozan is a bit of a ball-stopper. While he is a solid play-maker when he has the ball, he holds it, on average, for 4.73 seconds per touch, according to NBA.com tracking data. Fox isn't far behind at 4.68 seconds per touch. Both are near the top of the league. Neither of them are suited to watching the other dribble. DeRozan is both a low-volume and low-percentage 3-point shooter. Fox has improved his volume substantially under Mike Brown, but the 36.9% of his 3's he made last season represented a career high, and that's barely above league-average.
Defense is the greater concern here. DeRozan has historically been bad on that end of the floor. So is Monk, though he can't help it given his size issues. Fox is a bit more of a mixed bag. Keon Ellis emerged as a stellar defender down the stretch last season, but unless there is another trade coming, likely involving Kevin Huerter, he's not going to get enough minutes to hold together Sacramento's perimeter defense. Remember, the Kings don't have a high-end rim-protector to clean things up for their guards. Sabonis is, emphatically, an offense-first player. They managed to reach No. 14 in defense last season due to some great coaching from Brown, the late emergence of Ellis and, frankly, late-season injuries to some of their defensive minuses (Monk and Huerter). Having Harrison Barnes, a competent veteran at the league's scarcest position, didn't hurt either.
In a perfect world, the Kings are envisioning a combination of their 2022-23 offense, which, to that point, was the most efficient in NBA history, and their 2023-24 defense, which was average. Historic offense and average defense is a contending formula. But one of the most important factors in their historic 2023 offense was health. All five of their starters played at least 73 games. That's not replicable. The Kings ranked sixth in 3-point volume and ninth in 3-point percentage during the 2022-23 season. DeRozan's last six offenses have ranked in the bottom-10 of the NBA in 3-point attempts per game. Four of them finished dead last. Last year was a bit of an anomaly, but generally speaking, the teams that rank near the top of the league in offensive rating are the ones that attempt and/or make the most 3's. The Kings are making sacrifices in the math game to accommodate DeRozan, and it's not even clear that they needed to.
Their general offensive concept still worked last season. The starting lineup from the 2022-23 season scored 119.9 points per 100 possessions last year. That was the fifth-best mark of any five-man unit to play at least 300 minutes last season, trailing only the best groups from the Nuggets, Suns, Bucks and Celtics. Their starters were more efficient offensively than either the Thunder's or the Clippers'. Both of them emphasized defense in their offseason moves. The Kings did get worse when bench lineups played, but, they just paid Monk $78 million to run their bench units. You don't trade for a player of DeRozan's stature to shore up your backup groups. This fundamentally disturbs a group of starters that was working.
And the cherry on top here? DeRozan turns 35 in August. He's no spring chicken. Individual shot creation tends to decline more rapidly with age than, say, 3-point shooting. Maybe DeRozan holds off Father Time for another year, but this contract carries him through his age-37 season. It is overwhelmingly likely that DeRozan is a significantly worse player at that point than he is today. Think about the contract Chris Paul signed with the Suns in summer 2021 as a comparison. Paul was still an All-Star in his age-35 season, but struggled mightily in the playoffs. His age-36 season showed enough decline that he was traded in a package for Bradley Beal. In his age-37 season, he averaged 9.2 points per game off of Golden State's bench. He's still an effective player, but he was getting paid for who he was at 35 when he is obviously no longer that player. Both are mid-range heavy scorers. Paul brings several other things to the table that DeRozan does not.
If the Kings had just swapped out Barnes and Duarte for DeRozan, this is probably a "C" or "C-" move. The fit issues all would have persisted, but it's a talent swing on a former All-Star. There is at least logic to that. But the Kings also included an unprotected 2031 pick swap. The words "unprotected" and "Kings" really don't belong together. An unprotected Kings pick swap ultimately turned out to yield the pick that became Jayson Tatum. This is a franchise that has missed the playoffs in 17 of the past 18 seasons. History suggests that there is a good chance that swap yields a lottery pick. Perhaps a very valuable one. Fox and Sabonis might seem fairly young right now, but seven years is a lifetime in NBA terms. Seven years ago, at this time, Kyrie Irving was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Seven years from now, Sabonis will be 35 and Fox will be 33. Maybe they'll still be Kings and maybe they won't, but there's a good chance they're past their prime. Giving up control of that pick could prove to be absolutely enormous down the line.
This trade screams impatience from an organization that had no need to rush for the wrong fit. Fox and Sabonis are still relatively young. Keegan Murray has two years left on his rookie deal. They didn't need to take on a high-risk contract for a 35-year-old that doesn't really fill a need for them. But look back at the rumor mill of the last year or so. They've been linked to several players just like that. Zach LaVine. Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram. Contract negotiations with 2023 Coach of the Year Mike Brown were contentious, with reports indicating that ownership expected the team to build on its 2023 success. But making a significant investment in an aging player that doesn't fit the existing roster just for the sake of adding talent simply wasn't a responsible roster-building decision. The likeliest outcome here is that the Kings are still worse than their 2023 counterparts. If they turn out to be better, their defense still presents a hard ceiling on their championship equity. This is the sort of move you make when you're one DeMar DeRozan away from serious title contention. The Kings aren't.
