Post National Media Coverage Here

Bill Simmons, die hard Boston Fan, is the creator of the Ringer. It's always going to tilt toward the Celtics. Though I think the comment in this article was an acknowledgement of that bias. Tongue in cheek.
Oh yes, I’m fully aware of the green tinted glasses as the ringer....still a fun site and great podcast content. I was listening to the nba podcast yesterday and they were actually taking Coach DJ’s comment about luka the other day seriously. Just a reminder to take national content/opinion with a grain of salt (on the Kings specifically or any team in general).
 
Zach Lowe spent 20 minutes on the Kings in his latest podcast. He did a good job and was very positive. Complimentary of Fox, Hield, Bogdan and Bagley.

Thinks trying to get Otto Porter would be a mistake. Overpriced for what you get. Thinks Shump and Bogdan are a better value at that spot and Porter is not a big enough upgrade to pull the trigger.
 
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
Remember the bust talk or Pels were dumb for not choosing Jamal Murray? Buddy Hield's December averages: 23.5 PTS, 4.3 REB, 4.5 3PT and 2:1 AST/TOV ratio. His season 59.5 TS% only bested by 9 players averaging 15+ shots a game including Steph, Harden, LeBron, Dame, Giannis.

Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
New Orleans Pelicans look to regroup against upstart Sacramento Kings, featuring one of the best shooters in the game — Buddy Hield thebirdwrites.com/2018/12/23/181…pic.twitter.com/QpLTSv6qDJ
 
• The Kings are still sitting there with the only meaningful chunk of cap room left -- about $11 million -- waiting to use it to pick up an asset, sources say. That could be a pick. It could be a player who helps them now. The Kings are so far trying to thread the needle: stay competitive in case they pull off a run for the No. 8 seed without taking on money beyond this season.

They haven't shown nearly as much interest in Gasol as has been reported, per league sources. They have a package that makes sense -- Willie Cauley-Stein, salary filler, and a future first-round pick -- but I don't get the sense the Kings are willing to part with a pick for Gasol. They already owe this season's pick to Boston. Gasol is an odd fit for their turbo style. His $26.5 million player option looms.

There are non-stars on long-term deals the Kings like enough to sacrifice future space. Porter has been one such player, per league sources. If they don't find one, they might step back and use their space to act as a facilitator.

• The Kings are willing to talk about Cauley-Stein separately, sources say. He's a restricted free agent this summer. Sacramento could bail if the market goes above a certain price point. (He shouldn't have that kind of market, but you never know.) In that case, they should search out what they could get for him now. Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles are coming.


http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...expect?platform=amp&__twitter_impression=true
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
• The Kings are still sitting there with the only meaningful chunk of cap room left -- about $11 million -- waiting to use it to pick up an asset, sources say. That could be a pick. It could be a player who helps them now. The Kings are so far trying to thread the needle: stay competitive in case they pull off a run for the No. 8 seed without taking on money beyond this season.

They haven't shown nearly as much interest in Gasol as has been reported, per league sources. They have a package that makes sense -- Willie Cauley-Stein, salary filler, and a future first-round pick -- but I don't get the sense the Kings are willing to part with a pick for Gasol. They already owe this season's pick to Boston. Gasol is an odd fit for their turbo style. His $26.5 million player option looms.

There are non-stars on long-term deals the Kings like enough to sacrifice future space. Porter has been one such player, per league sources. If they don't find one, they might step back and use their space to act as a facilitator.

• The Kings are willing to talk about Cauley-Stein separately, sources say. He's a restricted free agent this summer. Sacramento could bail if the market goes above a certain price point. (He shouldn't have that kind of market, but you never know.) In that case, they should search out what they could get for him now. Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles are coming.


http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...expect?platform=amp&__twitter_impression=true
all good news. No need to sacrifice any picks and I think the Kings should wait until the offseason to make moves. No rush to do so right now if they have to give up too much.
 
• The Kings are still sitting there with the only meaningful chunk of cap room left -- about $11 million -- waiting to use it to pick up an asset, sources say. That could be a pick. It could be a player who helps them now. The Kings are so far trying to thread the needle: stay competitive in case they pull off a run for the No. 8 seed without taking on money beyond this season.

They haven't shown nearly as much interest in Gasol as has been reported, per league sources. They have a package that makes sense -- Willie Cauley-Stein, salary filler, and a future first-round pick -- but I don't get the sense the Kings are willing to part with a pick for Gasol. They already owe this season's pick to Boston. Gasol is an odd fit for their turbo style. His $26.5 million player option looms.

There are non-stars on long-term deals the Kings like enough to sacrifice future space. Porter has been one such player, per league sources. If they don't find one, they might step back and use their space to act as a facilitator.

• The Kings are willing to talk about Cauley-Stein separately, sources say. He's a restricted free agent this summer. Sacramento could bail if the market goes above a certain price point. (He shouldn't have that kind of market, but you never know.) In that case, they should search out what they could get for him now. Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles are coming.


http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...expect?platform=amp&__twitter_impression=true
A remarkable amount of common sense seems to be rattling around the G1 Center Administrative Offices these days.
 
Trade talks are fine, but the mere mention of the idea of trading Fox, Hield, Bagley or Bodgan makes me really nervous and ready to throw up.
That's a reasonable reaction, but it's also a side-effect of the Kings actually having talent that the rest of the league covets. It's a good problem to have, frankly. As this team continues to improve and rise up the standings in the next few seasons, we're going to see these names show up in trade chatter around the NBA, not because Vlade is moving to trade any of them, but because other GM's are calling the Kings to inquire. As always, it takes two to tango, and it would no doubt take a godfather offer for the Vladfather to even consider pulling the trigger on trading his prized young guys.
 

hrdboild

Hall of Famer
Bill Simmons inexplicably rating Luka better than Embiid/Jokic/George/Durant is still mind boggling though.
It's not just Kings fans who have gone Luka crazy... Wait, does this make Bill Simmons a terrible Kings fan too?

More importantly, the last time we had 3 players good enough for this kind of list was probably 2002! I kindof wish I'd just skipped over everything that happened in the interim -- just taken a long break from the NBA -- and tuned in again today. (Well, make that Monday before the Spurs game) Of course we have a new arena. Of course Vlade is our GM now. Of course we wear the black unis in big games. Of course we have one of the best passing bigs in the league and two Serbian marksmen on the roster. This is Kings brand basketball, afterall. What else could it be? (please don't answer that!)
 
In the Simmon's podcast from yesterday he spends the first 30 min or so on his new trade value rankings. A ton of Sac love. For all the over-the-top gushing he has for Luka, he really has about the same for De'Aaron. It's the intangibles (leadership, love of sac, relentlessness, etc.) that he sees as putting Fox on a high level going forward.

Also a lot of praise on Marvin. There will always be the caveat that Simmon's has that the Kings passed on Luka, but I think he gets it now and really seems to love Marvin.
 
Van Gundy gushes over the job that Coach Joeger and Vlade has done to turn it around in Sacramento! ;)

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/jeff-van-gundy-gushes-over-214121782.html
In the beginning of the season, Van Gundy pulled no punches watching the Kings. He appeared to be using a certain amount of restraint when he said "No team in the NBA can be competitive until they play team defense and willingly share the ball on offense." I never forgot that. He appears to believe now that the team is doing both things right.
 
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This is such lazy reporting. Total joke. The plan?? Hello??? The plan has been detailed and consistent since Vlade came on board and then became clear to all after the Cousins trade. Apparently USA Today can't afford an actual reporter.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/gallery/nba-trade-grades-deadline

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I'm not real happy about the trades because I personally don't think they'll make the team any better but even I wouldn't give it a D+. If we gave up Bogie or someone to get these guys then I could see people giving it a bad grade but they hardly gave up anything.