Koufos to the Kings!

[hrdboild]

We're better off spending that on a perimeter defender at the 2/3 position.

Oh I agree, a perimeter defender is #1 on my list too I just don't see any available as free agents that I like. Truly good perimeter defenders -- good enough to come off the bench for 10-15 minutes and impact the game defensively -- are probably the rarest type of player in the NBA right now. I look around the league and there are some intriguing options already on rosters but why would their current team give them up? We've already traded as many picks as we realistically can trade. We can absorb a contract but we have nothing to trade. I actually don't think DeAndre Liggins is a bad option to fill that role. He'll come cheap, probably a minimum deal so we can sign him after we use our cap space and our room exception. He was the defensive player of the year in the D-League in 2014 -- so he's at least the right type of player. He was also DeMarcus' teammate for a year at Kentucky so they're familiar with each other.

 

[Tetsujin]

Go after KJ McDaniels!

I somehow forgot the dude existed. (So did his coach in Houston)

 

[Mike]

I like this signing. It gives us a good defensive center that can back up Cousins, or start if Cousins slides over to PF - or dare I say it, a fall back in a worse case scenario where Cousins demands a trade or is traded despite not requesting it.

So what's the current consensus on how our front court looks?

- Gay (SF), Cousins (PF), Koufos (C) and WCS off the bench.
- Gay (SF), WCS (PF), Cousins (C), and Koufos off the bench.
- ? (SF), Gay (PF), Cousins (C), Koufos and WCS off the bench.

Good options for Karl to have.

 

[dude12]

What is interesting is that we have added 2 athletic, defensive bigs who can run the floor. A QB in Rondo who is going to be better in Karl's offense than he was in Carlisle's...expecting a good year here for Rondo. Bellinelli is going to be huge for this team with his shooting and though his defense is suspect, we have some bigs who can make up for that.

 

[Kingster]

I like the Koufos and Belinelli additions; I don't like the Rondo signing.

 

[The_Jamal]

Evans is a good team guy who has a great relationship with Boogie. He is the one who set that tech goal with him last season. I personally wouldn't mind seeing him back just for the positive influence he seems to provide and it is always nice to have a tough guy at the end of the bench, in case of injury

I'd be a very happy camper if Andre Miller and Reggie Evans were our 11th and 12th men on the bench. Great team guys, and great for chemistry but they just aren't rotational players on winning teams anymore. Yet, they're still capable of playing minutes in a pinch. You just don't want to depend on them for 15 MPG every game

 

[The_Jamal]

Rondo || Collison || Miller
Ben || Belinelli
Gay || Casspi
Cousins || Moreland || Evans
Koufos || WCS

Crazy that this depth chart is extremely attainable. Chalk full of veterans, mentors, some young guys with room to grow. Honestly, just missing that perimeter defender and there really isn't another major weakness on the team

 

[funkykingston]

Rondo || Collison || Miller
Ben || Belinelli
Gay || Casspi
Cousins || Moreland || Evans
Koufos || WCS

Crazy that this depth chart is extremely attainable. Chalk full of veterans, mentors, some young guys with room to grow. Honestly, just missing that perimeter defender and there really isn't another major weakness on the team

KJ McDaniels is a restricted free agent. DeAndre Liggins could also be that dude - plus he has the Kentucky connection with Boogie.

 

[FaStRmAn]

Love the Kufos signing. We will see about Rondo but Belinelli is solid. We are pretty set for a season where the Kings field a drastically revamped lineup. And after 3 seasons under 3o wins SOMETHING had to be done. Well the Vladfather has done it. Kudos to Vlade !

 

[pshn80]

Someone above made the casual comment that we have no one to trade. We have Ben and Ray and they have some value. Don't necessarily want to see them go BUT if it made another improvement happen, go for it.

I want to call attention to the fact that the post above plus my general glow of happiness are proof of my flexibility and open-mindedness. After all in the past I have been an advocate of "replace Ben as starter", "don't think about getting Rondo", "don't get rid of JT", "keep Nik". I was right of course but after all I am a reasonable and flexible man. It's OK, you may withhold your applause. Go Kings!!!

 

[Hallama]

KJ McDaniels is a restricted free agent. DeAndre Liggins could also be that dude - plus he has the Kentucky connection with Boogie.

I wouldn't sleep on CJ Leslie either. He might work really well with this roster.

 

[White_Chocolate]

I somehow forgot the dude existed. (So did his coach in Houston)

He would be a perfect final bench addition. Long defensive - minded 3 who is young and showed quite a bit of potential in Philly before getting buried on the Houston bench

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

KJ McDaniels is a restricted free agent. DeAndre Liggins could also be that dude - plus he has the Kentucky connection with Boogie.

What ever happened with Terrance Williams? Anyone know what he ended up doing last season?

 

[The_Jamal]

KJ McDaniels is a restricted free agent. DeAndre Liggins could also be that dude - plus he has the Kentucky connection with Boogie.

Well, we are Kentucky West, so hey, why not.

KJ McDaniels would be fantastic. He'd be one guy I'd more than be okay with signing over Casspi. Showed a ton of potential in Philly to be a jack of all trades type of player and was there best player for awhile. (I know, not that hard, but still impressive)

Unfortunate for him he got traded. Probably would have been in line for a decent pay-day after taking the risk of not getting a long-term deal as a 2nd rounder

 

[bajaden]

Not to mention he's a legit center. JT was in a rough spot as a backup center he's not super long nor very strong. JT did well for playing out of position at times I guess but he was about as stopgap as you can get as a center.

In fairness to JT. he was long enough, but when he spent an offseason bulking up and lifting weights to play center, they would move him back to PF. And when he came in lighter and quicker to play PF, they would move him back to Center. No player on the roster got jerked around more than JT, which I believe hurt is overall game. That said, there's no doubt that Koufos is a far superior defender and although JT is more skilled offensively, he never put it to use, so it doesn't matter.

 

[jayfly]

Our bench:

Collison
McLemore
Casspi
?
Koufos

Probably better than the 76ers' and Lakers' starting lineup.

Marco is not going to be a starter unless Ben gets hurt. He is strictly a bench player.

 

[kingsboi]

Well, we are Kentucky West, so hey, why not.

KJ McDaniels would be fantastic. He'd be one guy I'd more than be okay with signing over Casspi. Showed a ton of potential in Philly to be a jack of all trades type of player and was there best player for awhile. (I know, not that hard, but still impressive)

Unfortunate for him he got traded. Probably would have been in line for a decent pay-day after taking the risk of not getting a long-term deal as a 2nd rounder

I'm afraid that title belongs to the Phoenix Suns.

 

[dude12]

Another reason to watch the SL team now.....good read on Liggins. So some defensive bigs in WCS and Moreland and then a Liggins...iirc, James Anderson also solid defensively.

 

[Bricklayer]

I said whoa now!

 

[VF21]

MOD NOTE: This is a thread about Kosta Koufos coming to the Kings. Discussion of domestic violence isn't appropriate here...or anywhere else on this forum. It's one of those trigger topic we generally avoid so I've removed those posts, which were about Liggins anyway. Thanks.

 

[Sac.1989]

I like this signing. It gives us a good defensive center that can back up Cousins, or start if Cousins slides over to PF - or dare I say it, a fall back in a worse case scenario where Cousins demands a trade or is traded despite not requesting it.

So what's the current consensus on how our front court looks?

- Gay (SF), Cousins (PF), Koufos (C) and WCS off the bench.
- Gay (SF), WCS (PF), Cousins (C), and Koufos off the bench.
- ? (SF), Gay (PF), Cousins (C), Koufos and WCS off the bench.

Good options for Karl to have.

very much so. I like that first option and feel that it could be a steller defensive unit if Rondo and Ben start also in line with funkykingston's post