Possible Free agents

[bajaden]

Maybe this can be repurposed as a general offseason thread...but I’m curious...if both Fultz and Ball were semi-available this offseason would we be interested in either?

For instance, if we get the 3rd pick and the Sixers get 6 or 7 and dangle Fultz to move up, would we want him?

I’m on record that Deng/ Ball will be moved if Lebron goes to LA. Any interest?

First, the idea that Lebron is going to the Lakers is a Laker pipe dream. I'd be stunned if that happened. Lebron just turned 33 years old. Next season will be his 16th NBA season. I know, hard to believe isn't it? I came up with a player durability measuring stick a few years ago, where with some research, I found that most NBA players never reach the thousand game mark. There are rare exceptions of course, and those exceptions are usually players like Lebron, who first, are very durable to begin with, and second, spend a lot of time taking care of their bodies and eating the right things. So far Lebron has played in 1,117 games.

That means he has already exceeded that thousand game threshold. That means he's facing an uncertain future as far as his health goes. I think we can agree, that in those 1,117 games, he's played a lot of minutes, and most of his minutes are fairly physical, which means his body is being subjected to a lot of physical abuse. So the question I would ask, and it's one he should be asking himself as well, is how many good years does he have left?

Taking all that into consideration, why in god's name would Lebron go to the Lakers? If I'm Lebron, I 'd rather stay in Cleveland and the weaker Eastern conference than go to the Lakers, one of the youngest teams in the league to end my career. If I'm going to the Western conference, I'm going to Houston or perhaps Oklahoma City.

Back to your original question about Ball and Fultz. Ball may be traded, but not because of Lebron, but because of his father. And that would be enough reason alone for me to be not interested in him. Another reason is that we already have our PG of the future in Fox, and Ball needs the ball in his hands or he's nothing more than a piece of furniture on the floor. Fultz can at least play off the ball, and is a player that could play along side of Fox. The question with Fultz is his shoulder. I'd have to have a guarantee that he's fully recovered, and so has his shot.

 

[bajaden]

No!

Succinct and to the point! Brevity is the soul of wit...

 

[Joshoua]

Mario Hezonja is the answer here he’s unrestricted so it’s actually possible and he has ties with Paja while we were all over him at draft time. He’s only 22 as well and happened to play a position of need.

6’8-215 great size for SF and small ball PF and he has come on now that he was given playing time. Last 8 games he’s averaging 16ppg 48% from 3 (20-41) in 29 minuets.

Go get your man Vlade/Paja

 

[allrightythen]

Mario Hezonja is the answer here he’s unrestricted so it’s actually possible and he has ties with Paja while we were all over him at draft time. He’s only 22 as well and happened to play a position of need.

6’8-215 great size for SF and small ball PF and he has come on now that he was given playing time. Last 8 games he’s averaging 16ppg 48% from 3 (20-41) in 29 minuets.

Go get your man Vlade/Paja

He kinda scares me. Why the sudden outburst? Contract year surge, is he just now finding himself?

He's tempting because he's still young and has good size and athleticism to fill the SF spot. He has good handles for a SF and can score in multiple ways. He could probably be had cheaper than most of the other(Parker, Hood) but there is a reason. He's more of a risk.

 

[206Fan]

Mario Hezonja is the answer here he’s unrestricted so it’s actually possible and he has ties with Paja while we were all over him at draft time. He’s only 22 as well and happened to play a position of need.

6’8-215 great size for SF and small ball PF and he has come on now that he was given playing time. Last 8 games he’s averaging 16ppg 48% from 3 (20-41) in 29 minuets.

Go get your man Vlade/Paja

I'm fine with Hezonja, but I just hope we don't offer him an insane contract. He's improved this year, but how much is that due to being $$$ motivated? Does him being on one of the worst teams in the NBA play a factor too? I'm a big Hezonja fan and he was one of my targets in the 2015 draft. However, after watching him his first 2 years in the league, I haven't been impressed. I get a lot Ben signals from him... questionable IQ, below average defense, poor handles, etc. He's going to be 23yearsold soon, which does fit on our timeline. However, he's been madly inconsistent with some questions about his position.

How much money would you be willing to give him?

I wouldn't mind him on this team..but I just wouldn't want to give him an insane amount. I know he and his agents have a ton of connections with Peja, but the FO will need to put those feelings aside when negotiating the contract.

 

[The_Jamal]

I'm with you on most of these. Hezonja is making an interesting case for himself to say the least.

Parker is the wild card. He can sink the franchise if we give him a big contract and he's hurt every year. He has all the potential to be a #1 scorer but I haven't seen enough of his game to know how well of a fit he is next to WCS, Koufos and the myth that is Giles.

See, not really. One good thing that Vlade and Co have done is keep a super clean cap sheet that any long-term major salary commitments to annoying vets we don't need in the next 3-4 years won't impact our ability to keep the young core:

2018 rookie- 4 more years
Fox/JJ/Mason/Giles- 3 more years
Skal- 2 more years
Bogdan- 2 more years
Buddy- 2 more years
WCS- 1 more year

Maybe you offer a similar deal we gave Hill this summer: 4 years/77 million with a team option for that 4th year (but it being fully guaranteed). Would be tough for a lot of teams to take on that risk and for us.... who comes and signs here anyway? Much less a player/prospect the caliber of Parker?

As far as Parker's game, he's a true flex player with the ability to guard the 3 and small-ball PF. He finally started shooting the 3 again last year after not doing it for some reason is first two years in the league (his shot was never a problem in college, was so strange) and hit a good clip of them. He started to develop nicely as a playmaker last year too and really protects the ball and limits turnovers. I think he could be even better at getting to the line too, once he steps out of Giannis shadow a bit and gets more control of the offense.

I'll be tuning in more for sure once he gets closer to 30 minutes and at full strength. I want to see if his excellent athleticism and bounce is still there and that he's not tentative.

 

[The_Jamal]

I'm fine with Hezonja, but I just hope we don't offer him an insane contract. He's improved this year, but how much is that due to being $$$ motivated? Does him being on one of the worst teams in the NBA play a factor too? I'm a big Hezonja fan and he was one of my targets in the 2015 draft. However, after watching him his first 2 years in the league, I haven't been impressed. I get a lot Ben signals from him... questionable IQ, below average defense, poor handles, etc. He's going to be 23yearsold soon, which does fit on our timeline. However, he's been madly inconsistent with some questions about his position.

How much money would you be willing to give him?

I wouldn't mind him on this team..but I just wouldn't want to give him an insane amount. I know he and his agents have a ton of connections with Peja, but the FO will need to put those feelings aside when negotiating the contract.

Hezonja is just a different player this year and he's finally getting his opportunity to shine with Gordon on the shelf. He was one of my favorite guys in that draft too, but he was always going to take some time to develop coming out. And there were reports of his "immaturity" which probably played into him being a disappoint his first couple years. Maybe he didn't take basketball as seriously? I imagine not getting your option picked up after being the 5th pick in the draft is a good a wake-up call as anything in the league.

And I don't think Ben has ever had a 15 game sample this good in his career:

30 MPG
15.3 PPG
5.4 RPG
1.7 APG
61% TS
20% USG

Also, the Magic are an absolute trash-can of a franchise. They're worse than us at developing prospects and building team chemistry. I don't think they've believed in Hezonja in a long-time and he's really only gotten run because Gordon's been out and forced their hand to keep giving him minutes.

As far as a contract goes, I'd be more than willing to go 9-10 mil/season. Maybe I'm just obsessed with 3/4 flex wings who can space the floor, but I think Hezonja fits that bill and he's just now starting to tap into his potential. I think collecting as many of those kind of guys is so key to unlocking Fox's potential as a (maybe) franchise player to take advantage of his ability to get to the rim. And there aren't going to be many other teams who want to make that sort of commitment to Hezonja; both minutes and money.

 

[The_Jamal]

PG - Fox / Mason
SG - Bogdanovic / Hield
SF - Porter / Jackson
PF - Giles / Labissiere
C - Cousins / Cauley-Stein

Looks pretty good to me. I say we go for it

What's funny is we struggled for so long to build any sort of a cohesive unit that would help Cousins thrive and we managed to put a team together that would fit him like a glove a year after he's gone.

 

[Joshoua]

Hezonja is just a different player this year and he's finally getting his opportunity to shine with Gordon on the shelf. He was one of my favorite guys in that draft too, but he was always going to take some time to develop coming out. And there were reports of his "immaturity" which probably played into him being a disappoint his first couple years. Maybe he didn't take basketball as seriously? I imagine not getting your option picked up after being the 5th pick in the draft is a good a wake-up call as anything in the league.

And I don't think Ben has ever had a 15 game sample this good in his career:

30 MPG
15.3 PPG
5.4 RPG
1.7 APG
61% TS
20% USG

Also, the Magic are an absolute trash-can of a franchise. They're worse than us at developing prospects and building team chemistry. I don't think they've believed in Hezonja in a long-time and he's really only gotten run because Gordon's been out and forced their hand to keep giving him minutes.

As far as a contract goes, I'd be more than willing to go 9-10 mil/season. Maybe I'm just obsessed with 3/4 flex wings who can space the floor, but I think Hezonja fits that bill and he's just now starting to tap into his potential. I think collecting as many of those kind of guys is so key to unlocking Fox's potential as a (maybe) franchise player to take advantage of his ability to get to the rim. And there aren't going to be many other teams who want to make that sort of commitment to Hezonja; both minutes and money.

This is absolutely true and you’re right you need multiple 6’6-6’9 wings to compete and he’d fit right in.

He kinda scares me. Why the sudden outburst? Contract year surge, is he just now finding himself?

He's tempting because he's still young and has good size and athleticism to fill the SF spot. He has good handles for a SF and can score in multiple ways. He could probably be had cheaper than most of the other(Parker, Hood) but there is a reason. He's more of a risk.

On magic board they were saying how year 1 he got no minutes even as a top pick than year 2 he was not healthy and coming back from knee injury

 

[206Fan]

Hezonja is just a different player this year and he's finally getting his opportunity to shine with Gordon on the shelf. He was one of my favorite guys in that draft too, but he was always going to take some time to develop coming out. And there were reports of his "immaturity" which probably played into him being a disappoint his first couple years. Maybe he didn't take basketball as seriously? I imagine not getting your option picked up after being the 5th pick in the draft is a good a wake-up call as anything in the league.

And I don't think Ben has ever had a 15 game sample this good in his career:

30 MPG
15.3 PPG
5.4 RPG
1.7 APG
61% TS
20% USG

Also, the Magic are an absolute trash-can of a franchise. They're worse than us at developing prospects and building team chemistry. I don't think they've believed in Hezonja in a long-time and he's really only gotten run because Gordon's been out and forced their hand to keep giving him minutes.

As far as a contract goes, I'd be more than willing to go 9-10 mil/season. Maybe I'm just obsessed with 3/4 flex wings who can space the floor, but I think Hezonja fits that bill and he's just now starting to tap into his potential. I think collecting as many of those kind of guys is so key to unlocking Fox's potential as a (maybe) franchise player to take advantage of his ability to get to the rim. And there aren't going to be many other teams who want to make that sort of commitment to Hezonja; both minutes and money.

I think Ben has had multiple stretches like this towards the end of the season though. Don't forget about his stretch with Malone... I do think Orlando is a poorly ran franchise though.

9-10million seems like too much. I think it would be fair to compare contracts of other younger wings from the 2017 seasons.

• Tony Snell 11.5mpy
• Bogdan 9mpy
• Jonathan Simmons 6.6mpy
• Reggie Bullock: 2.5mpy
• KCP 18mpy
• Robert Covington 15.5mpy
• Shabazz Muhammad 1.6mpy
• Otto Porter Jr 26mpy

We've all agreed that Hezonja has a weird case. Not sure how much he'll get in the open market, but I would be shocked if it around 9-10mpy. There's just too much risk in him right now. I do have concerns about his defense. He's a SG/SF/PF, but I don't think he can guard any position..

 

[206Fan]

well speaking of the guy(Hezonja).. 21pts 10rebs 3asts 2stls. Not the greatest efficiency at just 10-20FG, but looks like he had himself a game.

 

[The_Jamal]

well speaking of the guy(Hezonja).. 21pts 10rebs 3asts 2stls. Not the greatest efficiency at just 10-20FG, but looks like he had himself a game.

Orlando can't offer him more than like.. 5 mil right? Because they declined the option?

 

[sactowndog]

Hezonja is just a different player this year and he's finally getting his opportunity to shine with Gordon on the shelf. He was one of my favorite guys in that draft too, but he was always going to take some time to develop coming out. And there were reports of his "immaturity" which probably played into him being a disappoint his first couple years. Maybe he didn't take basketball as seriously? I imagine not getting your option picked up after being the 5th pick in the draft is a good a wake-up call as anything in the league.

And I don't think Ben has ever had a 15 game sample this good in his career:

30 MPG
15.3 PPG
5.4 RPG
1.7 APG
61% TS
20% USG

Also, the Magic are an absolute trash-can of a franchise. They're worse than us at developing prospects and building team chemistry. I don't think they've believed in Hezonja in a long-time and he's really only gotten run because Gordon's been out and forced their hand to keep giving him minutes.

As far as a contract goes, I'd be more than willing to go 9-10 mil/season. Maybe I'm just obsessed with 3/4 flex wings who can space the floor, but I think Hezonja fits that bill and he's just now starting to tap into his potential. I think collecting as many of those kind of guys is so key to unlocking Fox's potential as a (maybe) franchise player to take advantage of his ability to get to the rim. And there aren't going to be many other teams who want to make that sort of commitment to Hezonja; both minutes and money.

Hezonja could be the reason the Kings made the moves they did. To sign him they likely needed more money available this year versus next. It would explain dumping Hill, Malachi and Pappa.

We know Vlade likes him because he tried to trade for him. If he can sign him I will be the first to say we were wrong. He would be a good fit with the Kings filling the 3 spot while we draft a 4-5.

 

[Telemachus]

Orlando can't offer him more than like.. 5 mil right? Because they declined the option?

I believe the most they can offer him is about $5.7 million.

 

[Joshoua]

Hezonja 21-10-3 tonight Orlando fans must be livid turning down is contract it was like 5 mill. This is after trading away Oladipo and Harris

 

[ockingsfan]

I think that since Vlade and Peja have shown interest and have a personal relationship with Hezonja, they would have him targeted in free agency this summer.

But, considering that the draft occurs before free agency, I think Vlade would have his eye on Luka Doncic with their lottery pick first. If Doncic is not available when the Kings pick, there is a good chance we take a big with our lotto pick.

If the Kings take a big, I think there is a very good chance the Kings go after and sign Hezonja. The question is what will be his asking price? If he continues his hot streak for the rest of the season, he may command a $12-$15 mil per year contract over 4 years.

Considering that Orlando needs to re-sign Aaron Gordon and have Jonathan Issac slotted as their SF of the future, they would be less inclined to pursue him aggressively.

I think if Vlade comes out strong for Hezonja at the very start of free agency, I think the Kings can get him. I just hope it is not too much of an overpay to sign him.

 

[Joshoua]

I think that since Vlade and Peja have shown interest and have a personal relationship with Hezonja, they would have him targeted in free agency this summer.

But, considering that the draft occurs before free agency, I think Vlade would have his eye on Luka Doncic with their lottery pick first. If Doncic is not available when the Kings pick, there is a good chance we take a big with our lotto pick.

If the Kings take a big, I think there is a very good chance the Kings go after and sign Hezonja. The question is what will be his asking price? If he continues his hot streak for the rest of the season, he may command a $12-$15 mil per year contract over 4 years.

Considering that Orlando needs to re-sign Aaron Gordon and have Jonathan Issac slotted as their SF of the future, they would be less inclined to pursue him aggressively.

I think if Vlade comes out strong for Hezonja at the very start of free agency, I think the Kings can get him. I just hope it is not too much of an overpay to sign him.

Orlando can only offer 5mill per year and the only way we do go after him is if we get Doncic or Porter.

 

[ESP47]

See, not really. One good thing that Vlade and Co have done is keep a super clean cap sheet that any long-term major salary commitments to annoying vets we don't need in the next 3-4 years won't impact our ability to keep the young core:

2018 rookie- 4 more years
Fox/JJ/Mason/Giles- 3 more years
Skal- 2 more years
Bogdan- 2 more years
Buddy- 2 more years
WCS- 1 more year

Maybe you offer a similar deal we gave Hill this summer: 4 years/77 million with a team option for that 4th year (but it being fully guaranteed). Would be tough for a lot of teams to take on that risk and for us.... who comes and signs here anyway? Much less a player/prospect the caliber of Parker?

As far as Parker's game, he's a true flex player with the ability to guard the 3 and small-ball PF. He finally started shooting the 3 again last year after not doing it for some reason is first two years in the league (his shot was never a problem in college, was so strange) and hit a good clip of them. He started to develop nicely as a playmaker last year too and really protects the ball and limits turnovers. I think he could be even better at getting to the line too, once he steps out of Giannis shadow a bit and gets more control of the offense.

I'll be tuning in more for sure once he gets closer to 30 minutes and at full strength. I want to see if his excellent athleticism and bounce is still there and that he's not tentative.

If he shows that he's back close to where he was last year, then I would take a flyer on a deal like that. If we had a Parker/Giles pairing, that's a lot of ACLs to worry about if you're banking on these guys making a run. I just have a feeling that he's going to call for a bigger contract if he finishes the year on a high note.

The Kings will have to take a risk with someone. Seeing how the draft plays out, a Jabari or Hezonja signing could make things interesting.

 

[ovrush]

Would Gordon help the team a little? Yeah, probably. Can we do better than him? Yes!!! Gordon is the kind of player the King's don't want to lock up on a long term contract for max money. Yes, he's a live body with a great motor, but he's not an efficient scorer, and his defense is overrated.

Plus he'll cost a ton compared to other options that will be available this summer. I'd rather take a flyer on Nerlens Noel for cheap who I know when healthy can rebound and defend at a high level (when healthy) than spend money on Gordon who puts up innefficient numbers on a bad team and isn't a very good defender. We could potentially land Noel and Hezjona for the same cost as Gordon and that would give us two lottery tickets of high upside guys who have under-performed to go with our actual lottery pick. I'm not a huge Doug McDermott fan, but I live in Dallas and Carlisle has been saying the rest of the season he's going to be working Mcdermott as a stretch 4, so I think that's worth keeping an eye on as well. I do think putting the Bucks on the spot on Parker would be awesomely gutsy and I would be behind even with my heart in my chest about it.

One thing I don't want the Kings to do this off-season is panic about not having our 2019 pick and throw money at an older vet who they think will help us win more short term. I'd rather spend the money on young guys with upside who haven't come good to this point, or in taking on bad contracts for draft picks.

 

[ppine]

All of this talk about Cousins makes me think Kings' fans are slow learners.
The current Kings' roster is improving, they play together, they don't get thrown out of games and throw temper tantrums. They share the ball. They play like a team. I don't want to go back to the Dark Ages of the Cousins Era.

 

[ockingsfan]

Orlando can only offer 5mill per year and the only way we do go after him is if we get Doncic or Porter.

I saw some other people say that about Orlando, but Orlando will be about $18 mil under the cap in the summer.

Couldn't Orlando just use that cap space to re-sign Hezonja to a deal higher than 5 mil, if they so desired?

 

[Telemachus]

I saw some other people say that about Orlando, but Orlando will be about $18 mil under the cap in the summer.

Couldn't Orlando just use that cap space to re-sign Hezonja to a deal higher than 5 mil, if they so desired?

No. When they didn't pick up his option it put a cap on what they could offer him this summer.

 

[ockingsfan]

No. When they didn't pick up his option it put a cap on what they could offer him this summer.

That works out great for us then.

Good thing we didn't trade for him earlier this year then. Maybe that is why Vlade never pulled the trigger on that rumored trade.

 

[Kingsfan23]

Noel is a name I’d look at

 

[Sam0ah]

How good is Hezonja at defense? I know Joerger really values defense at the three.

 

[sactowndog]

Orlando can only offer 5mill per year and the only way we do go after him is if we get Doncic or Porter.

Why would we go after him if we got Doncic or Porter?

 

[sactowndog]

See, not really. One good thing that Vlade and Co have done is keep a super clean cap sheet that any long-term major salary commitments to annoying vets we don't need in the next 3-4 years won't impact our ability to keep the young core:

2018 rookie- 4 more years
Fox/JJ/Mason/Giles- 3 more years
Skal- 2 more years
Bogdan- 2 more years
Buddy- 2 more years
WCS- 1 more year

Maybe you offer a similar deal we gave Hill this summer: 4 years/77 million with a team option for that 4th year (but it being fully guaranteed). Would be tough for a lot of teams to take on that risk and for us.... who comes and signs here anyway? Much less a player/prospect the caliber of Parker?

As far as Parker's game, he's a true flex player with the ability to guard the 3 and small-ball PF. He finally started shooting the 3 again last year after not doing it for some reason is first two years in the league (his shot was never a problem in college, was so strange) and hit a good clip of them. He started to develop nicely as a playmaker last year too and really protects the ball and limits turnovers. I think he could be even better at getting to the line too, once he steps out of Giannis shadow a bit and gets more control of the offense.

I'll be tuning in more for sure once he gets closer to 30 minutes and at full strength. I want to see if his excellent athleticism and bounce is still there and that he's not tentative.

The problem with Parker is he is a restricted free agent. Mil is likely to match any reasonable offer and an unreasonable offer can quickly become a cap killer.

Hezonja is unique in that he is unrestricted, young and he has a relationship with the Kings front office. Meaning we may not have to completely overpay to get him.

 

[The_Jamal]

The problem with Parker is he is a restricted free agent. Mil is likely to match any reasonable offer and an unreasonable offer can quickly become a cap killer.

Hezonja is unique in that he is unrestricted, young and he has a relationship with the Kings front office. Meaning we may not have to completely overpay to get him.

Maybe. I think they're going to have to make a decision between Bledsoe and Parker on which one they want to keep with Middleton and Giannis. Don't think they'll pay all 4 as that'll likely be a luxury tax team; something the Bucks probably aren't going to do. And the 30+ mil they have tied into Delly/Snell/Henson for 2 more years makes that a hard sell for them to really improve on that core 4.

So we'll see. Giannis will be 25+ mil/year, Middleton will likely get somewhere close to that range and they're for sure going to work out an extension. Just depends which 3rd guy they want to pay.

 

[kingsfan101]

What's funny is we struggled for so long to build any sort of a cohesive unit that would help Cousins thrive and we managed to put a team together that would fit him like a glove a year after he's gone.

The only reason we've been able to put together this team is because of the trade. Four players on the current roster are directly the result of that trade (Buddy, Fox, Justin, Giles). Without the trade, we don't have any.

Plus, we get a higher pick this year (discounting the injury DMC suffered this year), and the cap space gives some flexibility and options.

We can still hate the trade, but this roster wouldn't have been possible without it.

 

[Joshoua]

Why would we go after him if we got Doncic or Porter?

You need multiple bog wings and he can come off the bench