This, more than anything, is what the NBA needs to fix. Lauri Markkanen is a very fun and exciting player to watch; he should not be getting rested for tanking purposes as he's been over the last 4 years. It's bad for the NBA landscape when guys like him are purposefully sat out of games. Makes the product infinitely worse.
(and I cvcan't argue
The more I think about it, the more Capt's idea of letting teams dictate the draft order via a vote seems like the only viable option to discourage tanking. Even something like where they only decide the top 5 picks and the rest of the lottery is determined by record. Just take any sort of option off the table where purposefully making your team worse helps you get a better pick.
Said it over the Lakers win a few weeks back. Why should I feel bad, as a fan, that we won that game? Of course, beating the GD Lakers is always good, but it was absolutely a thought in the front of my mind of "Man that Vivek will ever change his strategy, this hurts our #1 pick odds". That sucks and it's horrible for fan interaction over
I'd like to ask a question:
Does anyone believe that no matter what we do, who we trade for or who we draft, that we are going to be a team that EVER exceeds the cap?
Because I don't believe that Vivek will ever change his strategy (and I can't say he is wrong on that score).
This is why top GM's don't want to come here, so we get either unproven auditioneers or retreads looking for last paychecks.
Earlier in this thread, hrdboild said this:
..."the reasons that they're forever stuck as a 4-6 seed playoff team who can't get out of the first round."
Personally, given the owner's intentions (monetarily) and the fact that we are a small market team stuck in a division with four big spending owners, being a 4-6 seed playoff team who can't get out of the first round would be fine - problem is we can't seem to do even that with consistency.
Given our financial constraints, I believe we should be "aiming lower".
Because WHERE you draft a prospect determines what his salary scale will be (I think Wemby's rookie scale contract began at $10 million annually}
If we had the #3 or #4 pick, I would be looking to trade down and I would identify a player NOT in the top ten as my target.
If we get the number four pick and I could trade down to 7 or 8 and get a first rounder for doing so, I'm in and if I could trade down to 12 or 13 and get another first, I'm doing it.
And when we drop to 15, I draft Giannis.
We went through this with Cousins - his payday came up and we traded him.
No matter how high we draft, we will have to trade him when his payday comes.
Unless someone believes that Vivek will eventually sign that pick to a $300 million extension (and I don't believe that).
I'm not bring negative - I'd be HAPPY contending for a playoff spot year after year - I already accept that the Kings (under Vivek) will NEVER seriously contend for a championship.
And that's OK by me. As long as games are competitive. Which they currently are, but haven't been before this homestand.
The only way I deviate from this formula is if we have the #1 and a Wemby is there.
I checked into that possibility and we could have made the best offer for Wemby's pick
I doubt that the Kings even explored the possibility:
https://basketball.realgm.com/tradechecker/saved_trade/7814631
swap picks and players:
| Incoming Players | |
|---|
| Doug McDermott
34 year old, 6-7, 225 lb F from Creighton
3.4 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.3 apg in 10.0 minutes in 2025-2026 |
| Devonte' Graham
30 year old, 6-1, 195 lb PG from Kansas
No games yet played in 2025-2026 |
| Zach Collins
28 year old, 6-9, 240 lb C from Gonzaga
9.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.5 apg in 18.4 minutes in 2025-2026 |
| Khem Birch
33 year old, 6-8, 233 lb PF from UNLV
No games yet played in 2025-2026 |
