Potential Free agent/trade/sign tracker
- Thread starter iowamcnabb
- Start date
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
Welp, looks like HB is done as a king then
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
Huh that’s very interesting on Barnes. If that ends up being true maybe we are going with Barnes, Sasha and a raised and extended Sabonis in cap space and then we still have the room to add one more piece. I won’t be upset with that outcome but we will always wonder why we couldn’t just sign Domas next year and keep the pick. Not only that but we no longer have richauns 12 mil dollar salary to help match on a trade if one comes up.
sactowndog
All-Star
Yep it will mean we basically sold prosper to save money. But we shall see what happens. Prosper was the guy I wanted so not happy about it.
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
I share your disappointment but a cost saving explanation doesn’t stick. We have two guys who could be inked to max or near max deals in the coming days. I don’t think we are afraid to spend.
I mean, there is value in inking Domas now and not having to worry about his UFA status next season. Especially if it's at a serious value of what was being reported. That very likely would pay dividends down the line to keeping another piece with this core in the new CBA.
But still, super conservative approach, which I really don't like from us. If we're betting a FRP, I want us to be taking a real swing to build a contender. Not play it safe.
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
Here’s another thought: what if Monte had 24-38 on his big board in the same tier and liked 3-4 guys best. He figured he could get one guy he liked, the ability to make a big splash if that option came up (draymond for example) and plenty of cash to re-up Domas. If we drafted Colby at 24 and traded 38 and a future second to get off Holmes contract we would be calling Monte a genius no?
Probably something like this is how it went down. No one would have batted an eye if Jones was the pick at 24. But imagine if we could have taken Omax or Miller AND still gotten Jones and Slawson? That's a home-run draft.
We'll see. I still don't think he did all this just to reup Domas and Barnes. That's not his MO when he makes an aggressive move. Whenever Monte is aggressive, it's to make a play. It's not to stay passive.
I'm no insider but to me it looks like Ham is getting played by agents.
Reports that Harrison Barnes has been ghosted by the org for 3 weeks and suddenly by the end of the evening talks have resumed.
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
takes two to tango though. Aggressive was pursuing Beal but giving up Keegan would have been dumb. Aggressive is pursuing Draymond but he has to want to come here over GS. 3/4 of this board doesn’t want Kuzma. If he is signed who knows how that turns out. I’d rather hand the keys to the guy you drafted in the top 5. I mentioned it earlier but how many non bust top 5 picks are 4th options in the nba? That list can’t be very long. He showed in the cali classic, summer league, first 5 games of last year, here and there through the season and in the last half of the playoff series he can score with the ball in his hands. He was one of the most efficient and best scorers in college. He doesn’t make mistakes. He is unselfish. Give him the shots!
Yeah, the reports don't line up with the actions of the org. That's rule 101; don't follow words, follow what the org actually does. If we were bringing HB back, why wouldn't we just stay as an over the cap team, keep our pick and just use bird rights to keep him on board? Bring Vezenkov, use the MLE to keep Lyles and call it a day? Makes 0 sense
The one thing I can think of with signing Domas now without breaking the bank is maybe it allows us to keep Monk (who we don't have Bird rights to) next season. I'd still like to think that we could have given Holmes away without a first rounder though, but I am sure Monte tried everything on that front. When a guy can't even get minutes obviously the rest of the league knows we're playing the weak hand.
LPKingsFan
All-Star
There’s a lot of smoke from the locals. Can’t just write it off as “lol Ham” anymore.
He's getting the agents talk. You can't write it off but they're using him to get Monte to act. If that's indeed what is going on he is playing a useful idiot actively harming our team to do agent's bidding and acting like an insider.
HndsmCelt
Hall of Famer
When you are defending NEVER watch the other guy's head. You will go for the fake every time.
twslam07
All-Star
I’d much rather resign Barnes than sign Kuzma. Especially if we’re talking about Barnes in the $15-17 mil range and Kuzma in the $22-25 mil range.
LPKingsFan
All-Star
Yeah, my guess is that it’s in the high teens and looks ok when the other options end up in the high 20s. The real question is why they felt the need to clear Holmes off the cap. We’ll see what the Sabonis extension looks like and what other moves may follow. It feels disappointing to trade out a first to lock in the same core, even if the contracts are reasonable value, so I understand the desire for something new like Kuzma.
The question is why clear Holmes though? If it's really just to ink Domas a year early... oof. That's disappointing for sure. Yeah, he's a UFA, but I just don't see a scenario where he'd walk away from us.
Now if it's to resign HB, move him to a bench role and get a Grant Williams/PJW/Josh Hart for the starting 5? Ok, now we're talking. That's a serious upgrade and should be doable with the cap.
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
Don’t think of it like that. Think of Keegan taking over Barnes spot and averaging 16-19 a game with great efficiency and Barnes hitting the open three and getting to the line at an elite rate on less shot attempts.
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
I’d be shocked if Barnes takes 15 mil. Allegedly Fred is going to be offered 40 a year. Dame and kat are going to make 50-60 soon. 20 mil is not a lot of money these days.
captain bill
All-Star
I don't think he wants to go to a rebuilding team. Idk if a rebuilding team would offer him a contract so much bigger that would lure him given how much he's made so far
Absent a sign and trade his decision would prob come down to us vs Indy and his deep roots in NorCal plus long history with the Kings resurgence is in our favor
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
if he does 3 for 54 I’d be thrilled. Leaves 15 mil to go get another player and push the Domas extension to next season.
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
Monte isnt tuning into Carmichael Dave to hear the latest rumblings. They are talking to the agents directly, I don’t think there are a ton of secrets here. They know who is interested and a ball park figure. The agents have to build a relationship with these teams so it’s not in their best interest to blow smoke all the time. Sure they they leak info or use smokescreens as leverage sometimes but I think that tactic is probably overblown imo
I was replying about "lol Ham" for the record.
He's being a useful idiot for agents, not getting Monte or inside Kings dirt, is all I'm saying. But it does hurt the team for a guy purporting to be an insider firing up the twitter and whatever else audience he has's pitchforks against Monte for whatever reason. After Ham's initial tweets yesterday there was a lot of chatter about how Monte and the team aren't straight with players and leave them hanging (going back to Kyle Guy I guess).
My guess based on what we have heard.
Plan A was to draft Kris Murray, use the MLE and/or BAE for a young wing and Sasha, use bird rights on Barnes and Lyles, and then mostly run it back, but with Kris, Sasha, and another cheaper wing (Brown, Bey, Keita, etc…).
Plan B is if Kris was off the board, then we pivot. I’m guessing we liked several draft wings equally well, but liked them slightly below Kris (and maybe Jaime Jacquez) given that those were win now prospects. We probably had guys like Jones and others ranked in the same tier, so there was hope we could trade out of 24, and still get someone we wanted at 38 (or if we were worried we could trade up from 38 for a more modest price). In this plan, instead of investing in HB/Kris/cheaper wing, we invest in one home run wing and a draft prospect. I doubt Kuz was the target. Feels like Middleton or Grant. Or the trade cap space for Beal, OG, Siakam options. Middleton said no and Grant is now a priority for Portland. Maybe Kuz was an option, but given the Houston rumor, I am guessing Kuz is going to be 4/100, and Monte said no.
Plan C. If Middleton, Grant, or a trade aren’t options, then don’t panic on a lower tier guy. Make up with Barnes, use cap space on a younger/cheaper wing (like in Plan A), extend Domas, bring Sasha in the room exception, and resign Lyles with bird rights.
To me, that is a smart, calculated, low risk swing. The potential difference from plan A and C is so small, that it was worth the risk to try plan B, even if you strike out. In both plan A and C you run it back with HB and Lyles, add Sasha, add a young/cheaper wing in free agency, and have a draft pick join our rotation. The cost of taking the free agency big swing is trading 24, but if you valued Jones at 24, then you really lost nothing. There wasn’t really rotation room for adding a guy at 24 AND 38 on an already winning team with Keegan, Sasha, and HB/free agent, so getting one guy you wanted with those picks and taking a swing in free agency seems calculated. Plus, by getting off Holmes and swinging (and missing) in free agency, you have the fall back benefit of locking up Domas for a good deal when there is no competition.
So maybe it didn’t work out the way Monte wanted, but he seems careful and doesn’t leave his flank exposed. It seems like maybe he took a swing, knowing that if he missed he could still get most of what he wanted with little exposure. The key (and it seems like he realized this) is not panicking if his big swing didn’t work out, and getting himself into a bidding war on someone like Kuzma with a loser team with lots of cap space like Houston.
Plan A was to draft Kris Murray, use the MLE and/or BAE for a young wing and Sasha, use bird rights on Barnes and Lyles, and then mostly run it back, but with Kris, Sasha, and another cheaper wing (Brown, Bey, Keita, etc…).
Plan B is if Kris was off the board, then we pivot. I’m guessing we liked several draft wings equally well, but liked them slightly below Kris (and maybe Jaime Jacquez) given that those were win now prospects. We probably had guys like Jones and others ranked in the same tier, so there was hope we could trade out of 24, and still get someone we wanted at 38 (or if we were worried we could trade up from 38 for a more modest price). In this plan, instead of investing in HB/Kris/cheaper wing, we invest in one home run wing and a draft prospect. I doubt Kuz was the target. Feels like Middleton or Grant. Or the trade cap space for Beal, OG, Siakam options. Middleton said no and Grant is now a priority for Portland. Maybe Kuz was an option, but given the Houston rumor, I am guessing Kuz is going to be 4/100, and Monte said no.
Plan C. If Middleton, Grant, or a trade aren’t options, then don’t panic on a lower tier guy. Make up with Barnes, use cap space on a younger/cheaper wing (like in Plan A), extend Domas, bring Sasha in the room exception, and resign Lyles with bird rights.
To me, that is a smart, calculated, low risk swing. The potential difference from plan A and C is so small, that it was worth the risk to try plan B, even if you strike out. In both plan A and C you run it back with HB and Lyles, add Sasha, add a young/cheaper wing in free agency, and have a draft pick join our rotation. The cost of taking the free agency big swing is trading 24, but if you valued Jones at 24, then you really lost nothing. There wasn’t really rotation room for adding a guy at 24 AND 38 on an already winning team with Keegan, Sasha, and HB/free agent, so getting one guy you wanted with those picks and taking a swing in free agency seems calculated. Plus, by getting off Holmes and swinging (and missing) in free agency, you have the fall back benefit of locking up Domas for a good deal when there is no competition.
So maybe it didn’t work out the way Monte wanted, but he seems careful and doesn’t leave his flank exposed. It seems like maybe he took a swing, knowing that if he missed he could still get most of what he wanted with little exposure. The key (and it seems like he realized this) is not panicking if his big swing didn’t work out, and getting himself into a bidding war on someone like Kuzma with a loser team with lots of cap space like Houston.
Yeah this idea is really growing on me. Move HB to the bench and go get a defensive/low USG 5th starter that also allows Keegan to grow into a biger offensive role. Something like:
Fox
Huerter
Keegan
Grant Williams
Domas
Davion
Monk
HB
Vezenkov
Lyles
Queta
Colby
Kessler
3rd min vet PG
Vet min
Two way: Ellis, Slawson, ???
Essentially: Let's run it back, but add 2 productive role players and officially move Lyles to small-ball 5.
captain bill
All-Star
Suddenly wondering if Sabonis signally a willingness to take a discount on an extension is part of setting the tone or a negotiating tactic with HB to show that the franchise isn't expecting him to take a bigger financial hit just to pay other guys more
