Revisiting DMC - again

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Let's say for the sake of argument Kings made the playoffs. That means they would have lost the #5, #15, #20 and #34. Can you really expect a better return than that if you wait to trade him?

That's just playing the results. How do you know that, instead of trading him for what ended up being the tenth pick, and flipping that for the fifteenth and twentieth picks, that Divac couldn't have done that or better if he'd waited until draft day, anyway? Like I said, a Cousins with a playoff appearance on his résumé would have been a much more valuable trade asset.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I don't see you guys making the playoffs with Cousins. You were in contention with a bunch of teams but it isn't like you were in the playoffs when he was traded.

The Kings would have made the playoffs, had they kept Cousins the full season. I will not be convinced otherwise.

 

[jpsls]

That's just playing the results. How do you know that, instead of trading him for what ended up being the tenth pick, and flipping that for the fifteenth and twentieth picks, that Divac couldn't have done that or better if he'd waited until draft day, anyway? Like I said, a Cousins with a playoff appearance on his résumé would have been a much more valuable trade asset.

I don't know. No one knows if they could have fetched a better deal, but I believe Vivek's crush on Hield influenced which trade partners Vlade could engage with. There's no poiint in fretting or lamenting about what the Kings could have potentially got.

Bottom line is that today the Kings are in much better position than they were with Cousins. That's all that really matters.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

That's just playing the results. How do you know that, instead of trading him for what ended up being the tenth pick, and flipping that for the fifteenth and twentieth picks, that Divac couldn't have done that or better if he'd waited until draft day, anyway? Like I said, a Cousins with a playoff appearance on his résumé would have been a much more valuable trade asset.

I actually agree with you that we would have likely made the playoffs, but the risk is if we didn't make the playoffs and lost the pick we were hosed. We'd have that second rounder that Chicago sold and that's it. Probably closer to 40-44. So I really do think we have to consider the entire draft haul + Buddy as the result of this trade. That makes it rather livable in my mind. I still hate how it went down and I still think there were better deals out there but Vivek really wanted Hield and that was key to him signing off on the deal.

 

[Npliam]

The Kings would have made the playoffs, had they kept Cousins the full season. I will not be convinced otherwise.

Ok but you guys were like 9 games below .500 and the 8th seed finished at .500. Heck, the Pels had Demarcus Cousins and they didn't really come close to getting to .500.

I know that this is a Kings fan board but the "we would have made the playoffs if we hadn't traded Demarcus" narrative is a little overly optimistic without the purple glasses.

 

[Mike]

The Kings would have made the playoffs, had they kept Cousins the full season. I will not be convinced otherwise.

Perhaps, but we had lost Rudy Gay to injury at that point. Even had we gone on a run and got into the play offs it is likely we would have been swept by the Warriors. So with the team having limited upside, it is no wonder they decided to blow it up and start again. And to be honest, I'm not sure I would have bet on us making the play offs had we kept Cousins, I think we would have fallen short by a handful of games.

 

[Telemachus]

Ok but you guys were like 9 games below .500 and the 8th seed finished at .500. Heck, the Pels had Demarcus Cousins and they didn't really come close to getting to .500.

I know that this is a Kings fan board but the "we would have made the playoffs if we hadn't traded Demarcus" narrative is a little overly optimistic without the purple glasses.

The Kings went into the break in the 9th spot 1.5 games behind Denver for the 8th spot (had 3 games remaining against Denver.) They also had one of the easiest schedules for the remainder of the season. The odds were very much in their favor to make the playoffs.

 

[dude12]

The Kings went into the break in the 9th spot 1.5 games behind Denver for the 8th spot (had 3 games remaining against Denver.) They also had one of the easiest schedules for the remainder of the season. The odds were very much in their favor to make the playoffs.

But but purple tinted glasses, Kings biased....... Yes, the Kings were in position for making the playoffs as Kings fans should know. The only reason for stating that it was overly optimistic is because one is a non- Kings fan or just got tired of Cousins.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Bottom line is that today the Kings are in much better position than they were with Cousins. That's all that really matters.

That is very much a YMMV point of view.

 

[jpsls]

That is very much a YMMV point of view.

Tons of cap space with young players vs. topping out at 33 wins.

 

[whozit]

Tons of cap space with young players vs. topping out at 33 wins.

Let's see how we feel in a month or two. I'm hoping it's just agents posturing but still based on Vivek's history as managing partner gotta be nervous.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Tons of cap space with young players vs. topping out at 33 wins.

I remain unconvinced that the Kings had "topped out" with DeMarcus Cousins. I also have a very low opinion of the young players.

 

[jpsls]

I remain unconvinced that the Kings had "topped out" with DeMarcus Cousins. I also have a very low opinion of the young players.

Maybe, but there were 200 million reasons to not take the risk.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Which has little to do with whether or not the Kings are better off, and doesn't make it true, either way.

 

[jpsls]

Which has little to do with whether or not the Kings are better off, and doesn't make it true, either way.

It has a large effect on the future of this franchise. If Cousins is taking up 35-45% of the cap space, how are the Kings going to get better players considering you have a low opinion of our young players?

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

What's that cap space worth, if nobody wants to sign in Sacramento? You might as well have given that money to Cousins. I mean, what, you'd rather give it to Labissière?

 

[pdxKingsFan]

The Kings went into the break in the 9th spot 1.5 games behind Denver for the 8th spot (had 3 games remaining against Denver.) They also had one of the easiest schedules for the remainder of the season. The odds were very much in their favor to make the playoffs.

Let's not let facts get in the way of a good story

 

[jpsls]

What's that cap space worth, if nobody wants to sign in Sacramento? You might as well have given that money to Cousins. I mean, what, you'd rather give it to Labissière?

They will sign, but you have to overpay them.

What the Kings did is hope that one of these young players will turn into a star player on a cheap contract which will afford them the flexibility to get other vital pieces in free agency.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

That's even worse: I heard about the report that you guys offered the max to Otto F. Porter, Jr. I mean, I know that it's not the same amount of money, but just the idea that you'd offer the "max" to Otto Porter, but traded Cousins because you didn't want to pay him... like, seriously?

 

[Blastoff]

but traded Cousins because you didn't want to pay him... like, seriously?

For Steph Curry money? Yes, like seriously. I wasn't in the "must trade DMC" camp but I also felt uneasy giving the biggest deal in NBA history to him and tying our fortunes to him for half a decade with BIG questions still hanging over him, and with an untradable albatross of a contract if his track record continued. I think Vlade came to the same realization.

 

[LA King Fan II]

That's even worse: I heard about the report that you guys offered the max to Otto F. Porter, Jr. I mean, I know that it's not the same amount of money, but just the idea that you'd offer the "max" to Otto Porter, but traded Cousins because you didn't want to pay him... like, seriously?

Didn't want to pay him an extra $40 million above anyone else. The lack of interest in trade partners validated the Kings would have been idiots to overpay him. Personally, I found the team unwatchable with Cousins as its best player. Can't wait for this year. Way better.

 

[jpsls]

I doubt the only reason the Kings traded Cousins was because they didn't want to pay him.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

It was the least stupid reason.

 

[LA King Fan II]

Yup, the tears for Cousins will never dry up. The whole world was against the poor misunderstood Cuz. All the refs pulled against him, coaches couldn't coach him the right way, teammates always let him down. If only Bricklayer had been in uniform with him to protect and ban anyone who bad mouthed him in real life. Undeniable skills, but also a guy with a set of luggage that was a pleasure to lose.

So glad he's gone.

 

[KingsFanGER]

In some way Cousins and Bricklayer are really in the same boat. Although they are gone, some still feel the need to talk about them.

 

[New Era]

In some way Cousins and Bricklayer are really in the same boat. Although they are gone, some still feel the need to talk about them.

Bricky defected to the Pels forum. I'm actually starring to wonder if Boogie pays him to be his PR guy.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Yup, the tears for Cousins will never dry up. The whole world was against the poor misunderstood Cuz. All the refs pulled against him, coaches couldn't coach him the right way, teammates always let him down. [unnecessary passive aggressive bull**** against another poster redacted] Undeniable skills, but also a guy with a set of luggage that was a pleasure to lose.

So glad he's gone.

Good for you. The Kings are still bad, though.

 

[LA King Fan II]

Good for you. The Kings are still bad, though.

Cuz will never be a winner either. Keep forgiving.

 

[jpsls]

Good for you. The Kings are still bad, though.

Which means the Kings were bad during the Cousins era, so not much has really changed, right? At least the Kings won't have half their payroll tied up in one guy while getting swept by the Warriors for the next 3 years.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Cuz will never be a winner either. Keep forgiving.

There's nothing for me to forgive; he didn't transgress against me. What is it, exactly, that you believe I am 'forgiving' him for?