To be clear, and I've said this multiple times, I'm giving Perry until the trade deadline to start dumping these vets. It will tell me a lot about whether or not this franchise possesses anything resembling a forward-thinking outlook. Personally, I would have had no problem whatsoever with the Kings dumping DDR for second rounders in the offseason, but if Perry wants to hold out and see if he can squeeze another small asset or two out of a team that thinks any of the Kings' assorted vets are their missing piece at the deadline, then go for it. I'll 100% support it.
What I've not been encouraged by is Perry's and Christie's approach to this supposed "gap year" of Kings basketball. The Kings were under no pressure whatsoever to sign aging vets like Dennis Schroder or Russell Westbrook. They're not a playoff team. They're not one or even two pieces away. Yet huge minutes are currently going to players who aren't long-term pieces, including Perry's Schroder and Westbrook acquisitions. Few minutes are going to Keon Ellis. Even fewer are going to Devin Carter. This does not communicate to me that the franchise is serious about using its "gap year" to evaluate its long-term outlook. We already know everything we could possibly want to know about Westbrook, DeRozan, LaVine, and Schroder. There's nothing to learn. There's no takeaways to discover. Short-sighted, this all is.
So, as a result of the bulk of available minutes going to known quantities who are age 30 and over, the Kings are signaling to me that they're gunning for the play-in, and that they don't care, at present, about developing their younger talent, nor do they seem to care if alienating Keon Ellis results in his decision to walk via free agency. GMs and coaches in the NBA communicate what they value through their decision-making more than their public-facing words. And just about every decision since Perry took over and Christie had the interim tag removed screams play-in or bust.
But again, we'll see. If Perry summons a quick pivot toward a rebuild come February, I and many others will be pleased. GMs around the league expect the Kings to be sellers at the trade deadline, because that's what they should be at the trade deadline. But the Kings have given me no reason to believe that they won't try and "rescue" this first iteration of Perry's roster for short-term gain and play-in glory.
I get what you’re saying, but with the new CBA restrictions, especially how they limit teams’ flexibility in taking on big or mid-sized veteran contracts it’s not that simple. The Kings might not even be able to move those deals without taking back bad money or losing value. At that point, the more realistic approach might just be to let those contracts expire in 2027 and regain flexibility then.
