Money or the lack of

[Glenn]

This is my once in a decade note.

The Kings present situation may be more of an indication of why Westphal couldn't find a job as an NBA coach than anything else. It also is an indication of what happens when you depend on inexperienced youngsters. Only a dreamer would expect more. BUT ..... I think there is a far bigger problem that may either mean the Kings will be another version of the Clippers or will leave. I presume there is a third alternative but it doesn't immediately pop to mind.

Money.

No one in the area has enough interest in the Kings to cough up the money to have a competitive NBA team. The Maloofs may be the world's best fans but (I think) they have far less money than everyone thinks and their recent pattern has shown a distinct unwillingness to spend money IF they do have it. They are called billionaires. I believe the fact is that the Maloof family has a billion dollars and not each one them. That's a big difference.

In any case, they don't spend it. They get a head coach who offers himself at a cut rate to get the job. This is a guy who couldn't get a job as an NBA coach UNLESS he offered himself at cut rate. There is a reason why he couldn't find a job.

The Maloofs have never shown the willingness to pay for a high level coach. They ruined their relationship with Adelman who is perhaps the only good coach we have had in 25 years. So, #1, no money spent for a coach.

They are unwilling to spend money on players. Players cost a lot of money when they get older yet there is nothing like experience to round out a great NBA player. (Think of Tyreke and Cousins in 5-7 years) Players are over paid as they get older and under paid when they are young. The Maloofs think they can get by on the cheap and use young guys who still are in no position to ask for boatloads of money. It doesn't work. Their inexperience is painfully obvious and the effect it has on a team is also painfully obvious.

The plan to have some bad years and get some great picks is a good one. We now are on the way to have another chance at a great pick. BUT .... what happens when they can demand max contracts? Do the Maloofs cough up the money or don't they? We got two "great" picks and I at least thought this year's team would be better than last year's team. Did anyone think otherwise? So far, the plan is not working but there is time.

#2 The area is unwilling to spend money. We need an arena. Arenas are not just pretty and cool large buildings. They are a large as life message to free agents of the area's willingness to support a team. I have seen nothing to prove the area is willing to support this team.

So we now have the two major sources of money coming up short; the owners and the area. At some point you have to spend money and in Sacramento, there will never be enough income generated by the team to make a profit. Owners have to be willing to take a loss. Let me drag your short term memory back to MY opinion and thought that the Maloofs have far less money than we think.

It may be time for the team to either move on down the road to reap the benefits of an excited new population or we should just get used to mediocrity. I suspect the latter is in the immediate if not long term future. I do not doubt the Maloofs' devotion to the area.

The Kings as a franchise have had one brief period of semi-greatness. People seem to forget the first 15 years. We are now reverting to the first 15 years. So how did we get great for those few years - trades and free agents.

Tyreke will get his jump shot and demand a maximum salary. Therefore he will leave because the Kings can't afford him. Cousins will grow up. I have faith in that. He may even lose a few pounds and be able to play defense. But then he will demand mega bucks and move on down the road.

Ideally, get us a Blake Griffen quality player with another bad year's draft and be willing to pay to keep the young studs into their early 30's and we will have a great team. That has been the popular plan. Is the will there? Is the money there? The latter is the issue and I suspect "no" is the answer.

Final thought: maybe a new CBA will help. There is no way of knowing.

 

[DeMoN]

This is my once in a decade note.

The Kings present situation may be more of an indication of why Westphal couldn't find a job as an NBA coach than anything else. It also is an indication of what happens when you depend on inexperienced youngsters. Only a dreamer would expect more. BUT ..... I think there is a far bigger problem that may either mean the Kings will be another version of the Clippers or will leave. I presume there is a third alternative but it doesn't immediately pop to mind.

Money.

No one in the area has enough interest in the Kings to cough up the money to have a competitive NBA team. The Maloofs may be the world's best fans but (I think) they have far less money than everyone thinks and their recent pattern has shown a distinct unwillingness to spend money IF they do have it. They are called billionaires. I believe the fact is that the Maloof family has a billion dollars and not each one them. That's a big difference.

In any case, they don't spend it. They get a head coach who offers himself at a cut rate to get the job. This is a guy who couldn't get a job as an NBA coach UNLESS he offered himself at cut rate. There is a reason why he couldn't find a job.

The Maloofs have never shown the willingness to pay for a high level coach. They ruined their relationship with Adelman who is perhaps the only good coach we have had in 25 years. So, #1, no money spent for a coach.

They are unwilling to spend money on players. Players cost a lot of money when they get older yet there is nothing like experience to round out a great NBA player. (Think of Tyreke and Cousins in 5-7 years) Players are over paid as they get older and under paid when they are young. The Maloofs think they can get by on the cheap and use young guys who still are in no position to ask for boatloads of money. It doesn't work. Their inexperience is painfully obvious and the effect it has on a team is also painfully obvious.

The plan to have some bad years and get some great picks is a good one. We now are on the way to have another chance at a great pick. BUT .... what happens when they can demand max contracts? Do the Maloofs cough up the money or don't they? We got two "great" picks and I at least thought this year's team would be better than last year's team. Did anyone think otherwise? So far, the plan is not working but there is time.

#2 The area is unwilling to spend money. We need an arena. Arenas are not just pretty and cool large buildings. They are a large as life message to free agents of the area's willingness to support a team. I have seen nothing to prove the area is willing to support this team.

So we now have the two major sources of money coming up short; the owners and the area. At some point you have to spend money and in Sacramento, there will never be enough income generated by the team to make a profit. Owners have to be willing to take a loss. Let me drag your short term memory back to MY opinion and thought that the Maloofs have far less money than we think.

It may be time for the team to either move on down the road to reap the benefits of an excited new population or we should just get used to mediocrity. I suspect the latter is in the immediate if not long term future. I do not doubt the Maloofs' devotion to the area.

The Kings as a franchise have had one brief period of semi-greatness. People seem to forget the first 15 years. We are now reverting to the first 15 years. So how did we get great for those few years - trades and free agents.

Tyreke will get his jump shot and demand a maximum salary. Therefore he will leave because the Kings can't afford him. Cousins will grow up. I have faith in that. He may even lose a few pounds and be able to play defense. But then he will demand mega bucks and move on down the road.

Ideally, get us a Blake Griffen quality player with another bad year's draft and be willing to pay to keep the young studs into their early 30's and we will have a great team. That has been the popular plan. Is the will there? Is the money there? The latter is the issue and I suspect "no" is the answer.

Final thought: maybe a new CBA will help. There is no way of knowing.

I totally agree, if the Maloofs are unwilling to pay for this team, they need to stop pretending they can and sell the team to someone who will.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I don't disagree that money is now a very pressing issue, but the Maloofs relationship with Adelman soured when they began chasing after PJ and surely they would have broke the bank for him. They also were apparently willing to spend for Stan VanGundy knowing they were in a competitive situation.

The team is young and with at least two guys who could be perennial all stars, if a vet were available that could come in for a short term spell and help right the ship I am sure they'd go after him. If there were an elite coach that has proven he can guide a young team unhired I'm sure they would pay for him. Who are these people? They spent years undoing the mess that was a result of the Webber trade and the 2-3 years that followed trying to patch up a broken team and now it seems things aren't moving quick enough. I think people forget that the impending lockout also creates all kinds of considerations when signing talent right now. Of course the arena situation adds some impending sense of urgency but I just don't see an easy solution either.

 

[Tetsujin]

I totally agree, if the Maloofs are unwilling to pay for this team, they need to stop pretending they can and sell the team to someone who will.

They were more than willing to pay in the early 2000s. Why pay for something when you're still building up your young talent that you will have to pay in a few years? That's kind of like buying ornaments before you've bought the Christmas tree.

 

[The Hammer]

This is my once in a decade note.

The Kings present situation may be more of an indication of why Westphal couldn't find a job as an NBA coach than anything else. It also is an indication of what happens when you depend on inexperienced youngsters. Only a dreamer would expect more. BUT ..... I think there is a far bigger problem that may either mean the Kings will be another version of the Clippers or will leave. I presume there is a third alternative but it doesn't immediately pop to mind.

Money.

No one in the area has enough interest in the Kings to cough up the money to have a competitive NBA team. The Maloofs may be the world's best fans but (I think) they have far less money than everyone thinks and their recent pattern has shown a distinct unwillingness to spend money IF they do have it. They are called billionaires. I believe the fact is that the Maloof family has a billion dollars and not each one them. That's a big difference.

In any case, they don't spend it. They get a head coach who offers himself at a cut rate to get the job. This is a guy who couldn't get a job as an NBA coach UNLESS he offered himself at cut rate. There is a reason why he couldn't find a job.

The Maloofs have never shown the willingness to pay for a high level coach. They ruined their relationship with Adelman who is perhaps the only good coach we have had in 25 years. So, #1, no money spent for a coach.

They are unwilling to spend money on players. Players cost a lot of money when they get older yet there is nothing like experience to round out a great NBA player. (Think of Tyreke and Cousins in 5-7 years) Players are over paid as they get older and under paid when they are young. The Maloofs think they can get by on the cheap and use young guys who still are in no position to ask for boatloads of money. It doesn't work. Their inexperience is painfully obvious and the effect it has on a team is also painfully obvious.

The plan to have some bad years and get some great picks is a good one. We now are on the way to have another chance at a great pick. BUT .... what happens when they can demand max contracts? Do the Maloofs cough up the money or don't they? We got two "great" picks and I at least thought this year's team would be better than last year's team. Did anyone think otherwise? So far, the plan is not working but there is time.

#2 The area is unwilling to spend money. We need an arena. Arenas are not just pretty and cool large buildings. They are a large as life message to free agents of the area's willingness to support a team. I have seen nothing to prove the area is willing to support this team.

So we now have the two major sources of money coming up short; the owners and the area. At some point you have to spend money and in Sacramento, there will never be enough income generated by the team to make a profit. Owners have to be willing to take a loss. Let me drag your short term memory back to MY opinion and thought that the Maloofs have far less money than we think.

It may be time for the team to either move on down the road to reap the benefits of an excited new population or we should just get used to mediocrity. I suspect the latter is in the immediate if not long term future. I do not doubt the Maloofs' devotion to the area.

The Kings as a franchise have had one brief period of semi-greatness. People seem to forget the first 15 years. We are now reverting to the first 15 years. So how did we get great for those few years - trades and free agents.

Tyreke will get his jump shot and demand a maximum salary. Therefore he will leave because the Kings can't afford him. Cousins will grow up. I have faith in that. He may even lose a few pounds and be able to play defense. But then he will demand mega bucks and move on down the road.

Ideally, get us a Blake Griffen quality player with another bad year's draft and be willing to pay to keep the young studs into their early 30's and we will have a great team. That has been the popular plan. Is the will there? Is the money there? The latter is the issue and I suspect "no" is the answer.

Final thought: maybe a new CBA will help. There is no way of knowing.

Pretty much completely sums up my thoughts and speculations.

 

[Glenn]

The Palms was opened in November, 2001. I wonder if that changed where the Maloofs wanted to invest their money.

I wouldn't want the team sold as it is likely the Kings would leave - who knows. The Maloofs are at least stable. I think the Maloofs as a clan need to meet and decide what type of priority the Kings have for them. Perhaps they already have. The economy and new CBA may change the financial situation in unexpected ways. The changes might actually benefit the Kings. Might as well remain positive. Certainly the new CBA will cut salaries.

 

[BradC79]

Didnt the Maloofs spend 120 mil on Webber, 80 mil on Bibby, 35 mil or so on Christie, and 55 mil on Martin? So to say they dont spend money is ridiculous. The kings are over the cap o you cant spend money you don have. Next summer we will be way under the cap and the Maloofs have come out and said they will spend money. Also please dont tie in the money spent at the Palms to money spent on the ings because they are two differant buisness ventures. Just because they spend 10 million to say upgrade the Palms does not mean if they did not spend that 10 million that it would have gone to the Kings because it wouldnt. You cant compare the two because tere run as two seperate ventures money wise.

 

[BradC79]

Also to say Tyreke and Cousins will leave when they get great and there rookie contracts are up is stupid because if anything the Maloofs will pay there own as evidance by my last post of how they overpaid, but they did pay Webber,Bibby,etc...

 

[Glenn]

Gee, sorry. Now I remembr why I quit posting here. Ciao! Have fun insulting each other.

 

[IfAt1st]

Didnt the Maloofs spend 120 mil on Webber, 80 mil on Bibby, 35 mil or so on Christie, and 55 mil on Martin? So to say they dont spend money is ridiculous. The kings are over the cap o you cant spend money you don have. Next summer we will be way under the cap and the Maloofs have come out and said they will spend money. Also please dont tie in the money spent at the Palms to money spent on the ings because they are two differant buisness ventures. Just because they spend 10 million to say upgrade the Palms does not mean if they did not spend that 10 million that it would have gone to the Kings because it wouldnt. You cant compare the two because tere run as two seperate ventures money wise.

You may want to repeat this diatribe, using coherent English this time.

It looks like your keyboard got coke poured on it, you're missing so many letters we have to infer your meaning.

And did you actually say the Kings are OVER the cap this year?

That would be an embarrassing mistake, if that wasn't a typo.

 

[rainmaker]

Didnt the Maloofs spend 120 mil on Webber, 80 mil on Bibby, 35 mil or so on Christie, and 55 mil on Martin? So to say they dont spend money is ridiculous. The kings are over the cap o you cant spend money you don have. Next summer we will be way under the cap and the Maloofs have come out and said they will spend money. Also please dont tie in the money spent at the Palms to money spent on the ings because they are two differant buisness ventures. Just because they spend 10 million to say upgrade the Palms does not mean if they did not spend that 10 million that it would have gone to the Kings because it wouldnt. You cant compare the two because tere run as two seperate ventures money wise.

Please explain how they can be over the cap, and have the lowest payroll in the league at the same time?

 

[Bricklayer]

The Maloofs have always, and I do mean ALWAYS paid to keep talent in town. I can't think of one time we let one of our top guys go rather than pay him. Midlevel players ala Bonzi sure, but that is more strategic cap management stuff. But the closest I can think with top players might have been Peja the second time around, and that of course was a good basketball decision given his decline. I guess you could say decrepit Vlade, but he was done too. Does Mobley count? Don't think so. The guys you have to keep, the foundation guys, we've always kept. I have no doubt we will this time around too. Now the lesser lights, the spending on spots #3-#12 who knows. Certainly never wihtout an arena. But we've always retained our top guys.

 

[nbaFan]

its all moot anyway as the Kings wont be here next summer

 

[Gary]

Gee, sorry. Now I remembr why I quit posting here. Ciao! Have fun insulting each other.

Hey Glenn Agree with pretty much everything you said, but Brad was kinda right when saying Maloofs tend to overpay on their own FAs to keep them here.

 

[LPKingsFan]

I agree w/ Brick on the spending part in terms of the core guys, but I definitely get the sense this franchise is currently being run on the cheap. Hollinger or one of the ESPN guys alluded to it at some point, and everyone dismissed it as biased/out of touch national media talk, but I think they were on to something. The front office isn't all that agressive, doesn't carry anyone full-time to work on advanced statistics, the team doesn't coordinate that much with its D-league affiliate... etc. Now we're beginnign to see why Westphal was available for so cheap. I could go on. So, while the specific point about not willing to pay for stars may be slightly off, the bigger point seems to be on to something I fear.

 

[Bricklayer]

I agree w/ Brick on the spending part in terms of the core guys, but I definitely get the sense this franchise is currently being run on the cheap. Hollinger or one of the ESPN guys alluded to it at some point, and everyone dismissed it as biased/out of touch national media talk, but I think they were on to something. The front office isn't all that agressive, doesn't carry anyone full-time to work on advanced statistics, the team doesn't coordinate that much with its D-league affiliate... etc. Now we're beginnign to see why Westphal was available for so cheap. I could go on. So, while the specific point about not willing to pay for stars may be slightly off, the bigger point seems to be on to something I fear.

Well I'm frankly glad we don't have an accountant on staff to work on Hollinger's B.S. advanced statistics. Morey has destroyed his team inside of 3 years with that garbage.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

We were over the cap and spent the MLE at every chance. Now that we finally have some flexibility people are mad we aren't maxed out even though all the top free agents consolidated or stayed with their team for max $ this year.

 

[Bricklayer]

We were over the cap and spent the MLE at every chance. Now that we finally have some flexibility people are mad we aren't maxed out even though all the top free agents consolidated or stayed with their team for max $ this year.

It is ridiculous isn't it.

Guys, they are doing it RIGHT.

Now they don't spend any money next summer, assuming we even have a next summer with the lockout looming, then we can talk.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

Yea, The only thing we are really doing wrong as an organization is how the team is playing. We have money, we made a fantastic trade to bring in Dalmbert, we did what EVERYONE wanted us to do in the draft by bringing in Cousins and Whiteside. By all accounts, the owners are doing what they can to keep the team in Sacramento ... All this negativity is due to how the team is playing. Everything else is great.

If the team wasnt playing like Pooh ( no offense Jeter ) I would be on cloud 9. Thats my only issue right now.

Im not trying to down play it though. This is a crucial development year, and up until this point we havent shown any development. It NEEDS to change. It needs to. And soon. I have a gut feeling Westphal is a few more blowouts away from a pink slip. He will get a few more games to try and turn this thing around, and if he does - good for him. And if he doesnt, Im actually somewhat confident we'll fire him and get someone else in here.

I know its hard to step back and look at things rationally, but its only been a month.

 

[cfechter]

Well I'm frankly glad we don't have an accountant on staff to work on Hollinger's B.S. advanced statistics. Morey has destroyed his team inside of 3 years with that garbage.

I agree with you here....most of the way. You can't over-analyze statistics when putting together a sports team. It's fun for fantasy sports, maybe useful in deciphering why certain teams are better than others, but I don't need a stats expert to tell me that the Lakers are better than the Kings because of the Player Efficiency ratings of the Lakers players is higher than the ones on the Kings'.

There is a lot that goes into whether or not someone has a high "player efficiency" rating - including how good the team is that they're on.

I do believe in it...somewhat, but you can't just analyze advanced stats putting together a team and I'm also glad that we don't have someone on staff doing that.

 

[sackings]

It is ridiculous isn't it.

Guys, they are doing it RIGHT.

Now they don't spend any money next summer, assuming we even have a next summer with the lockout looming, then we can talk.

Ditto. This is nonsense. Please lock this. King's Fans are getting out of control.

 

[BradC79]

Gee, sorry. Now I remembr why I quit posting here. Ciao! Have fun insulting each other.

How did I insult you? LOL I was just giving you my take. Yes I did have some typos, sorry I was typing too fast. The Kings are right at or over the cap. If they were not they would have spent money this summer. They will have the money next summer to sign one very good player or two players that will help us improve. The Maloof's have said they will spend the money and if they dont we can ***** and moan.

 

[hrdboild]

The coach:

Rick Adelman wasn't re-hired because he wasn't able to get the team over the top and win it all. Unfair, sure, but you have to admit there were some legitimate concerns with Rick Adelman. Those Kings teams early in the decade were talented teams but they couldn't pull out close playoff games because they couldn't get stops consistently. His treatment of Chris Webber after the knee injury confused a lot of people and he wasn't very patient with young players. Rick Adelman will probably be looked back on as a coach who took a lot of talented teams right to the brink of success but never won a championship. I think a lot of it is simply bad luck, but it is what it is. He's a nice guy and one of the better coaches in the league. The Maloofs are competetive...they thought they could do better. And I bet in retrospect they'd probably admit they should have stuck with Rick.

In any case, they've interviewed the top candidates that were available. They made a bad decision with Musselman -- he's too young and hot-headed, but he understands the game. I think he might still make a good coach eventually. They also made a mistake with Reggie Theus. He's not ready for an NBA head-coaching job yet, but his ties to Sacramento and his success with college aged kids made him seem like the right guy for a re-building team. Westphal is a decent coach as well, just a bit gun-shy about dealing with player's egos which makes him seem indecisive and temperamental. We did go after Stan Van Gundy, but he wanted to stay in Florida. Money had nothing to do with it. I was in favor of Larry Brown, but he was still considered a bit of a pariah after what he did to Detroit and New York and the general consensus at the time was that he would be a poor fit. I don't see a pattern of money influencing coaching decisions, I see a paucity of qualified candidates worth considering and impatient owners who expect results sooner than they probably should. Extending Westphal before the season started seemed to indicate they've learned their lesson and are willing to be more patient this time, but will the fans?

The players:

I can't believe I even have to argue this considering we spent the majority of the decade way over the salary cap handcuffed to mediocre players. This is the first season that the tattered remains of our earlier championship hopes have finally been cleared out. It's a good thing that we didn't waste our summer going after mid-level candidates and digging ourselves a bigger hole. It's a good thing that this current team isn't loaded down with veteran malcontents who just want to win (elsewhere) instead of building a winning team here. Yes young players make mistakes. You don't always know how much of that potential will actually get converted into performance. When we win, we're loaded down with budding young talent. When we lose we need to trade these scrubs for draft picks and All-Stars (not necessarily in that order).

Tyreke Evans is going to be a star. You can put me on the bandwagon. He's going to struggle at times like all young players do, but he'll get there. I'd be shocked if he didn't. DeMarcus Cousins looks like he could be a star. It's too early to say one way or the other, but if you're watching the games you see the potential. Greene and Casspi look like they could be very good players if they keep working on their game. They have the physical tools and they have the attitude. When it comes time to pay these guys, we're going to pay them like we always have. Like we paid Bibby and Webber and Peja and Brad and everyone else who was a key part of a winning team. We even paid Beno and Garcia, whether they deserved it or not. The issue with talent for this team has never been money. It's convincing stars that the money in Sacramento is just as good as LA or Boston or New York. Bibby and Webber stayed because they wanted to win -- and they got paid more than any other team would have paid them.

The Arena:

How many NBA owners have fully funded a new basketball arena? Have any of them? The Maloofs have already offered to put up 300 million which is about as much as you can expect any owner to pay for a new arena that they're only going to use for 41 nights out of the year (give or take a few special events, pre-season and what not). That's probably half the cost, maybe more. They've also responded to a smallish city with an openly hostile major newspaper and a whole sworn of vultures (I still don't understand what rock all these anti-everything people crawled out from under) by stating emphatically, over and over again, that they are not going to move under any circumstances. And the more they say it, the more it gets printed that a half dozen other cities would be a great place for a struggling basketball team. What are you really expecting here? If 300 million isn't going to get it done, they will have to move sooner or later. That's the reality of every NBA franchise, not just this one.

If anything, I would complain that the Maloofs have been guilty of wanting to win so badly that their fandom interfered with their business sense. Cutting Rick Adelman loose without a suitable replacement was a bad business move. Unloading Webber, Peja, and Christie on midnight deals when it was clear their future was murky (and all three declined rapidly shortly thereafter) made basketball sense, but all three were also beloved by the fans and the unceremonious way they were cast aside has always struck me as tacky and unappreciative. Maybe all this losing we've done ever since is karma getting back at us. Err, them I mean.

I don't blame the Maloofs for wanting to move on and build a new future (hence the gigantic Reke and Cuz posters) but for a franchise with very little history of success it wouldn't hurt to cultivate more of a lasting tradition. It's no coincidence that the game where Webber and Vlade's numbers were retired brought a huge boost of momentary goodwill back to the team and the fanbase. It wasn't just that the game was sold out, the smiles were back. The tears were back. People were happy. Webber and Christie have already mentioned that they'd like to be more involved with the team. Why can't we make this happen? Vlade too -- though he's probably busy elsewhere right now. Yes we will have new stars and fan favorites, but that doesn't mean we forgot the old ones. Have the Maloofs forgot? I hope not.

Honestly, I don't see a team cursed by cheapskate owners. There's been rumors but very little reality to back them up. If the Maloofs lost a lot of investment money they probably have that in common with half the NBA owners, we just don't hear about all the others because their cities already bought their new arenas before the recession. Oops. I see a team that mortgaged it's future to compete for a title and when the inevitable backslide came it happened to coincide with a dramatic recession and now the fanbase is jumping ship. And it's a shame because this is a young team which is well on it's way to becoming a winner. The young talent is there, the cap space is there, and if there wasn't an expensive arena issue looming uncomfortably on the horizon the owners would probably open up the pocket books this off-season and kick start another championship run. Now we'll probably have to wait and see.

That's really what it comes down to. We were playing on borrowed money with an aging (and lackluster to begin with) arena and a lot of expensive injured players. It was great while it lasted but now reality has set in and we've got to rebuild the foundation from the ground up. Those of us that appreciate hard-work* are going to continue to stick by the team because there's reason to believe things will get better. Jump ship if you want. There'll be plenty of room at the top when you come crawling back.



*Not that we're the ones doing the hard-work, though you certainly can help by supporting a new arena.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

The Kings are right at or over the cap.

Wrong. I don't know where you got that from but two people already corrected you on it and you're still saying it. Not only are they about 15 million under the cap right now, they actually have the lowest payroll in the NBA. Don't believe me? Perhaps this will convince you. http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm

 

[kingsboi]

I didn't mind them not spending any money this last summer. There wasn't anything really significant enough to help us out besides maybe a shooter or two. I like the approach we are taking, get another lottery pick this year and go spend your money this summer.

 

[Superman]

Please explain how they can be over the cap, and have the lowest payroll in the league at the same time?

That would be easy. It would simply mean that every team was over the cap, which isn't outside the realm of possibility.

As it stands, the Kings are not over the cap, so the statement was not accurate. But it is very possible.

 

[Sac.1989]

PWs salary is 4% of the teams payroll. Wright who we just waived made half of what PW will earn for a few points. Im not advocating firing PW but the cost of doing so will be a big factor considered by management.

 

[FaStRmAn]

The Palms was opened in November, 2001. I wonder if that changed where the Maloofs wanted to invest their money.

I wouldn't want the team sold as it is likely the Kings would leave - who knows. The Maloofs are at least stable. I think the Maloofs as a clan need to meet and decide what type of priority the Kings have for them. Perhaps they already have. The economy and new CBA may change the financial situation in unexpected ways. The changes might actually benefit the Kings. Might as well remain positive. Certainly the new CBA will cut salaries.

I wonder how well is the Palms doing? I should think in a weak ecomomy, even Vegas must be feeling the pinch. People dont have money to throw away gambling these days. Everyone is too afraid they are gonna lose their houses and we are all in danger of being fired or let go and lose everything. So I wonder if they are losing money at the Palms? Or perhaps they are just not as rich as was once thought. I know they sold their base company, the beer distributorship recently. That was how Papa Maloof earned all his money. That is how the Maloofs started their climb to wealth. I wonder if they sold it because it was no longer profitable, or because they needed the money? It is very odd to think that maybe the Maloofs are not as wealthy as once thought. I don't think they can pay for an arena to be built themselves even if they leveraged all their assets. Without a new arena, they are having a hard time making the Kings a profitable venture. They are first and foremost businessmen. They have to make a profit in order to keep their empire afloat. So if the Kings are not profitable, and the Palms isn't profitable, and they sold their distributorship, perhaps they are really suffering from the economic downturn like we all are. It would explain why they haven't spent much money to improve the team. They have the 10th lowest payroll in the NBA. Well below the salary cap at ~51.5 Million dollars. It does cause one to wonder if they will be able to sign their own free agents in the future. Hopefully things turn around and they are able to continue to meet their obligations as well as hold together the team they are building.

I do not believe that the new CBA will benefit small market teams. The real power brokers in the NBA will make sure of that. The big market teams will find a way to make sure they can continue to get the lions share of the talent and are able to outbid the smaller teams for their own free agents. You can bet they wont be giving anything away. In fact, they are perfectly happy the way it is. Teams that are able exceed the salary cap as much as they want and always have talent to compete. If anything, the big market owners are looking to squeeze the players for a bigger share of the profits. The CBA might well might be a protracted and ugly fight by all the owners for even more of the money. I'd be willing to bet that whatever is hashed out, Sacramento will not benefit from it. If anything it might make it even harder for the small market teams. Unless the League institutes a HARD CAP that limits the amount that teams can spend on players without any loopholes, there will always be the Haves and the Have Nots. The chances of that happening are not very good. And when you look at the Mediocrity a hard cap has caused in the NFL, you can see the built in argument the Big market teams will have against it.

I just hope that the Kings can remain in Sacramento and that it remains a viable NBA city. Times are hard now, but the future will bring better days. Lets just hope when they come, we have a Team to enjoy.