[News] Scott Perry is the new GM of Sacramento Kings

[gunks]

I would go further and say that he does not deserve it, no qualifier.

As somebody who wants to trade him, I still approve this message haha.

Domas is a beast, I just don't see a path to a star on Fox's level to pair with him. Lavine ain't it.

I also think the curious (ironic? Interesting?) thing about his play style is that he wouldn't BE Domas without being a bruiser, but that also contributes to how banged up and ineffective he is by the time post season rolls around.

If we keep him, hopefully he plays a little more "finesse", and hopefully Doug gets a few more Ts going after the refs that let him get beat to hell every game.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

I also think the curious (ironic? Interesting?) thing about his play style is that he wouldn't BE Domas without being a bruiser, but that also contributes to how banged up and ineffective he is by the time post season rolls around.

Yeah, there may be something to this.

If we keep him, hopefully he plays a little more "finesse", and hopefully Doug gets a few more Ts going after the refs that let him get beat to hell every game.

As we all know, the game doesn't start until Domas gets hit in the face!

 

[SacTownKid]

As somebody who wants to trade him, I still approve this message haha.

Domas is a beast, I just don't see a path to a star on Fox's level to pair with him. Lavine ain't it.

I also think the curious (ironic? Interesting?) thing about his play style is that he wouldn't BE Domas without being a bruiser, but that also contributes to how banged up and ineffective he is by the time post season rolls around.

If we keep him, hopefully he plays a little more "finesse", and hopefully Doug gets a few more Ts going after the refs that let him get beat to hell every game.

He could be an even better fit on paper. Domas coming out and saying they need a PG is concerning though. They just went and got a much better DHO fit and he wants a PG? If they are building around Domas and not committing to DHO or Domas running like 90% of the offense there is no value in it. None of this makes sense which means what it means, lol.

And as for finesse, I think the answer was they wanted him to shoot more. Domas isn't a finesse player largely because his strength is his body. He doesn't have a bag of tricks or elite pull up skills. As a big like him probably once a bruiser always a bruiser unless he goes more Brad/Webber running a lot more pick and pop sets. Domas doesn't have the size to really finesse bigs that can send his stuff back either. Smaller bigs like that tend to use that lower center of gravity and strength. Carl Landry would be a player somewhere in between but he was a locked in shooter also.

 

[dude12]

I’m not sure what part of the fan base has turned against Domas. I think people have recognized his regular season stats and effort, but it’s the playoff performance part, combined with his salary where people don’t think we can advance beyond a play-in team. That is not being disrespectful.

 

[gunks]

I’m not sure what part of the fan base has turned against Domas. I think people have recognized his regular season stats and effort, but it’s the playoff performance part, combined with his salary where people don’t think we can advance beyond a play-in team. That is not being disrespectful.

I agree with the meat of this post, but I have seen people acting like Domas is a bum online.

Full disclosure, I'm in the "he's historically bad in the post season maybe we should move on" camp myself, but I can still recognize what he brings to the table, especially when healthy.

Dude is a really good complimentary player, he can get triple dubs like Jokic, he just can't drop 40+ like Jokic.

We have Lavine, who CAN drop 40+, but I think he's another complimentary player. If Zach isn't hitting 40+ on insane efficiency, he's giving you nothing.

That's why I'm on the rebuild train, but I'll eat crow if Perry can pull off a retool around Domas and Lavine. I don't have a vendetta against any players, I just want us to be a playoff team again.

Actually I do have a vendetta against Fox. **** that guy. Haha

 

[Caccia]

If he can actually convince Vivek to not be a short sighted idiot, Perry is in a good position to rebuild.

Definitely trade: Deebo (should be a mutual thing, he was a classy guy while here and deserves to be on a contender).
Probably trade: Domas. I have zero faith in him in the playoffs, but his regular season numbers should make him a decent trade piece around the deadline - hell, last time he was traded the return was a franchise PG! He's also good enough to keep us right in the dreaded 10thish in the West zone of mediocrity.

If Monk wants to stay through a rebuild as a 6th man, keep him, but otherwise Perry should probably work something out with him, hopefully finding trade partners that are preferred destinations considering Malik hooked the team up with a friendly deal.

Carter can get some reps as our PG, Keegan can get reps as a clear 2nd option, Lavine can tank commander us for a couple of drafts until he's a big fat expiring contract.

Do it, Perry!

You want to trade our best player, Domantas Sabonis? You can lead the team back into the wilderness for sixteen years.

 

[The_Jamal]

I’m not sure what part of the fan base has turned against Domas. I think people have recognized his regular season stats and effort, but it’s the playoff performance part, combined with his salary where people don’t think we can advance beyond a play-in team. That is not being disrespectful.

Well, if we're going to judge players off 7 game sample sizes and disregard everything else, boy do I have some hot-takes about Hali in the finals. Which is why judging players off small sample sizes is dumb.

 

[gunks]

You want to trade our best player, Domantas Sabonis? You can lead the team back into the wilderness for sixteen years.

Haha, I agree that he's our best player, disagree that building around him is the best path forward.

I'd rather roll the dice on the draft a few years than watch the Zach/Domas tandem get us a couple of play-in eliminations in the same time frame. Unless Perry somehow gets us a first option star to play with those guys.

There's no guarantees about anything right now. Including another 16 years in the lotto wasteland, assuming that's the route Perry takes.

 

[NewArena]

I’m not sure what part of the fan base has turned against Domas. I think people have recognized his regular season stats and effort, but it’s the playoff performance part, combined with his salary where people don’t think we can advance beyond a play-in team. That is not being disrespectful.

We went to the playoffs once and he played with one available hand so i still don't understand this narrative to be honest with you. There's only so much Sabonis can do, we just need to find the right pieces that don't require him to score 25 a night because he clearly doesn't want to do that

 

[NewArena]

Haha, I agree that he's our best player, disagree that building around him is the best path forward.

I'd rather roll the dice on the draft a few years than watch the Zach/Domas tandem get us a couple of play-in eliminations in the same time frame. Unless Perry somehow gets us a first option star to play with those guys.

There's no guarantees about anything right now. Including another 16 years in the lotto wasteland, assuming that's the route Perry takes.

There were sooo many factors that played into us being a play-in team this past season and they still won 40 games in the toughest conference after literally everything went wrong and very little opportunity to build chemistry. You may very well be right, but, i don't think we have enough evidence to just assume this team is going to be hovering around the 9th and 10th seed when no season has resembled the last one in the NBA as of late, let alone out west. None of this is as predictable as some are making it sound. Idk, let's at least get into the offseason (post finals) first.

 

[KayDee55]

Well, if we're going to judge players off 7 game sample sizes and disregard everything else, boy do I have some hot-takes about Hali in the finals. Which is why judging players off small sample sizes is dumb.

Hali delivers in do or die games, because he has that in him. Thats why they are where they are.
There is never a big sample size for games like these. You just show up, or you dont. You have that in you, or you dont. For every player there are exceptions to the rule. But the rule is either the player shows up, or he doesnt.
Thats something that doesnt necessarily shows up in stats. You can see it watching the games.
Fox, for example, is a great competitor for these games. Even with him shooting bad, or being hurt, you could see it.
Hali, too, had a few bad shooting nights in these playoffs. This doesnt mean, that they lost, or he didn't carry his team in other parts of the game.

Sabonis does not show up in these situations. Never did and probably never will. Which is not a bad thing, because most of the players dont. Doesnt mean these players are bums.

Nobody is saying he is a bad basketball player. He is one of the best in the world.
He may be THE best rebounder, but even then, he will get outrebounded in the most important games.
The point is, like most of his critics in media say, and most of the critics in this thread say, that he is not a number one on your team. The point is not that he is a bum. You can ignore everyone who says that.

Its hard to build around his skillset already, which in combination with his size, athleticism and position, is very unique.
Its even harder to build around him when he has that conctract in an ecosystem where there is a cap and apron system in place.

So if you read what i wrote correctly i am saying that we will not be a deep playoff team with sabonis on the roster, if perry does not find a unique roster makeup which fits sabonis' playstyle.
It is easier to build a deep playoff team without him on the roster.

And him asking us to upgrade the roster, as someone already mentioned, could lead to him asking out, when we dont upgrade the roster to his liking which is why i think that a lot of people are arguing that we should cash in now.

 

[dude12]

Well, if we're going to judge players off 7 game sample sizes and disregard everything else, boy do I have some hot-takes about Hali in the finals. Which is why judging players off small sample sizes is dumb.

lol. Cool, so our Max player will show this next time

 

[sactowndog]

We went to the playoffs once and he played with one available hand so i still don't understand this narrative to be honest with you. There's only so much Sabonis can do, we just need to find the right pieces that don't require him to score 25 a night because he clearly doesn't want to do that

The fact we went to the play-offs once in a year we had few injuries and others had many should say something to you. The problem is the right pieces are long athletic forwards who can help protect the rim. But those guys are very hard to find. Either you are drafting high or you are a top free agent acquisition.

Therein lies the conundrum.

A Chet or Wemby type player would be perfect next to Sabonis but if you already have Sabonis you are not drafting that high.

 

[KayDee55]

The fact we went to the play-offs once in a year we had few injuries and others had many should say something to you. The problem is the right pieces are long athletic forwards who can help protect the rim. But those guys are very hard to find. Either you are drafting high or you are a top free agent acquisition.

Therein lies the conundrum.

A Chet or Wemby type player would be perfect next to Sabonis but if you already have Sabonis you are not drafting that high.

This and because of his probability of asking out, we should ask the teams that already have those types of players for a sabonis trade to get the best value out of him now.
He is more valuable to those teams, so you might get the best value in a deal with them

 

[Jdbraver137]

The fact we went to the play-offs once in a year we had few injuries and others had many should say something to you. The problem is the right pieces are long athletic forwards who can help protect the rim. But those guys are very hard to find. Either you are drafting high or you are a top free agent acquisition.

Therein lies the conundrum.

A Chet or Wemby type player would be perfect next to Sabonis but if you already have Sabonis you are not drafting that high.

Not unless you tank, which we should, but won’t. Vivek just wants to be middle of the road

 

[Padrino]

Not unless you tank, which we should, but won’t. Vivek just wants to be middle of the road

For the most part, I'd prefer it if Vivek stays silent. I'd certainly prefer it if he just let his basketball people run the show. But I actually wouldn't mind if he publicly articulated his own vision for this franchise if he intends to be so hands-on as an owner. Preferably without a bunch of Silicon Valley speak, motivational pablum, or empty shakas. What does he actually want? Does he even know? "Win now" seems to be the mandate, but how does he see the Kings accomplishing that? By constantly shuffling GMs, head coaches, and star players who aren't amongst the league's upper echelon and don't fit together optimally? Does he actually believe in Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis? Has he even said much on the record about Domas since his arrival? Does he still see basketball through the lens of jazz-as-a-metaphor? If so, what kind of players does he think should lead his jazz band? From the outside, it seems like Vivek is just blindly throwing sh*t at the wall to see what sticks. And that's probably the reality. But if he wants to continue to put his stamp on the direction of this team, I'd love to hear what his vision is, if he even has one.

 

[KayDee55]

Not unless you tank, which we should, but won’t. Vivek just wants to be middle of the road

I get the reluctance to tank, as you have to make a lot of good decisions for this to work out. Its a big gamble, which if it doesnt work out, you will be a bottom dweller.
Look at okc for example, they didnt only hit on drafting jalen williams, but underrated stuff like keeping Lu Dort, although he was never a plus guy for their offense. There were stretches where he was straight up bad for their offense.

Getting Caruso, getting Hartenstein, drafting Cason Wallace even smaller moves like getting Isaiah Joe lead to them being where they are right now. SGA and Jalen Williams alone is not enough for this kind of success
Hiring Daigneault who wasnt known as a top coach at that time, but is winning tactical battles against one of the best coaches ever now.

You can look at Charlotte as a bad example.
Bad decisions, bad player development und they seem to be in basketball hell, even if they hit on some draft picks (they drafted Monk, PJ Washington, Mark Williams, Brandon Miller, Lamelo)
With bad management decisions you eff up a rebuild, and become a bottom dweller for years.

 

[admira1]

I agree with the meat of this post, but I have seen people acting like Domas is a bum online.

Full disclosure, I'm in the "he's historically bad in the post season maybe we should move on" camp myself, but I can still recognize what he brings to the table, especially when healthy.

Dude is a really good complimentary player, he can get triple dubs like Jokic, he just can't drop 40+ like Jokic.

We have Lavine, who CAN drop 40+, but I think he's another complimentary player. If Zach isn't hitting 40+ on insane efficiency, he's giving you nothing.

That's why I'm on the rebuild train, but I'll eat crow if Perry can pull off a retool around Domas and Lavine. I don't have a vendetta against any players, I just want us to be a playoff team again.

Actually I do have a vendetta against Fox. **** that guy. Haha

This is a really bad take...23/4/4 on the 3rd highest effective FG% of guards this season...you're saying he'd need to score almost twice as much more at his already insane efficiency before he's useful? I'm not saying he's our answer, but he's far from "nothing" without 40 points.

 

[admira1]

For the most part, I'd prefer it if Vivek stays silent. I'd certainly prefer it if he just let his basketball people run the show. But I actually wouldn't mind if he publicly articulated his own vision for this franchise if he intends to be so hands-on as an owner. Preferably without a bunch of Silicon Valley speak, motivational pablum, or empty shakas. What does he actually want? Does he even know? "Win now" seems to be the mandate, but how does he see the Kings accomplishing that? By constantly shuffling GMs, head coaches, and star players who aren't amongst the league's upper echelon and don't fit together optimally? Does he actually believe in Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis? Has he even said much on the record about Domas since his arrival? Does he still see basketball through the lens of jazz-as-a-metaphor? If so, what kind of players does he think should lead his jazz band? From the outside, it seems like Vivek is just blindly throwing sh*t at the wall to see what sticks. And that's probably the reality. But if he wants to continue to put his stamp on the direction of this team, I'd love to hear what his vision is, if he even has one.

Legit don't know...do other owners come out and articulate the vision? Few if any I've seen/heard. But it's silly to think they don't all have some say in it. How do we know how hands-on he actually is? Everyone is so sure it's Vivek that "wants" to stay middling and actively assign blame to him then turn around and actively say that Monte was an idiot and its his fault. This fan base is so broken we can't even decide on a scapegoat after multiple people already got fired lol.

 

[coolhandluke]

A Chet or Wemby type player would be perfect next to Sabonis but if you already have Sabonis you are not drafting that high.

You don't need an unicorn per se. Someone in the mold of PJ Washington can also fit the bill. The misfit roster construction means we are lesser than the sum of parts.

 

[PacMan]

You don't need an unicorn per se. Someone in the mold of PJ Washington can also fit the bill. The misfit roster construction means we are lesser than the sum of parts.

Get somebody like Jon Isaacs and Anthony Black and this team will be fine. May not be championship caliber but definitely playoff level

 

[Padrino]

Legit don't know...do other owners come out and articulate the vision? Few if any I've seen/heard. But it's silly to think they don't all have some say in it. How do we know how hands-on he actually is? Everyone is so sure it's Vivek that "wants" to stay middling and actively assign blame to him then turn around and actively say that Monte was an idiot and its his fault. This fan base is so broken we can't even decide on a scapegoat after multiple people already got fired lol.

Some NBA owners are more visible than others and more vocal than others. Mark Cuban is obviously the best available example of an owner who consistently articulated his vision for the Mavericks franchise (and the NBA at large), his desire for certain players, etc. while he was a majority owner in Dallas. Vivek has owned the Kings for twelve years now, and he was very vocal early in his tenure, and has largely receded from public comment on the inner-workings of the franchise as criticism of his approach to ownership increased.

But in that twelve years, I'm hoping he's learned some things about how you win in the NBA. That's not entirely clear to me, however. He wasn't exactly wrong in his initial desire to build a team for the "pace and space" era of NBA basketball, but the moves he openly endorses betray only a surface-level understanding of how to accomplish that feat. Banking on guys like Buddy Hield or Nik Stauskas to become the next Steph Curry or Klay Thompson is... not wise. And more recently angling for DeMar DeRozan so you can co-opt a bit of "Not Like Us" swag on the sideline definitely isn't the move to make if you want your team to play fast with an emphasis on ball movement and "spray threes". DeRozan is a slow, deliberate ball stopper who operates primarily in the mid-range.

Who were the Kings supposed to be this last season? Monte's reputation is as an analytics guru, so were the moves that set the Kings up to fail in 24-25 all Monte's doing, despite those moves seeming to cut against his instincts as a GM? DeRozan and LaVine are "shiny objects" that a guy like Vivek seems to value, while their advanced statistical profiles are no analytics guru's idea of true impact talents in the modern NBA. I can't say with any level of confidence that Vivek is most responsible for those deals, but in reading the tea leaves as best I can, I see moves that reflect his values more than I see moves that reflect Monte's.

Your GM becomes an easy fall guy when everything goes south, but maybe Monte genuinely angled for DeRozan and LaVine without Vivek's express involvement, in which case he deserved to be fired. Of course, I think he's smarter than that, and I don't think highly of Vivek's basketball IQ, so I know where I'm more inclined to place the blame. But you're right, we don't really know how hands-on Vivek actually is with respect to player personnel. All we have are reputation, rumors, and hearsay.

It's worth noting that Monte got scooped up rather quickly by the Clippers' front office after his firing in Sacramento, and the Clips have been a pretty well-run organization since Steve Ballmer purchased them. Monte's clearly still respected to at least some degree by others around the league, while Vivek has yet to rehab his reputation as a meddler and big name chaser.

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

Some NBA owners are more visible than others and more vocal than others. Mark Cuban is obviously the best available example of an owner who consistently articulated his vision for the Mavericks franchise (and the NBA at large), his desire for certain players, etc. while he was a majority owner in Dallas. Vivek has owned the Kings for twelve years now, and he was very vocal early in his tenure, and has largely receded from public comment on the inner-workings of the franchise as criticism of his approach to ownership increased.

But in that twelve years, I'm hoping he's learned some things about how you win in the NBA. That's not entirely clear to me, however. He wasn't exactly wrong in his initial desire to build a team for the "pace and space" era of NBA basketball, but the moves he openly endorses betray only a surface-level understanding of how to accomplish that feat. Banking on guys like Buddy Hield or Nik Stauskas to become the next Steph Curry or Klay Thompson is... not wise. And more recently angling for DeMar DeRozan so you can co-opt a bit of "Not Like Us" swag on the sideline definitely isn't the move to make if you want your team to play fast with an emphasis on ball movement and "spray threes". DeRozan is a slow, deliberate ball stopper who operates primarily in the mid-range.

Who were the Kings supposed to be this last season? Monte's reputation is as an analytics guru, so were the moves that set the Kings up to fail in 24-25 all Monte's doing, despite those moves seeming to cut against his instincts as a GM? DeRozan and LaVine are "shiny objects" that a guy like Vivek seems to value, while their advanced statistical profiles are no analytics guru's idea of true impact talents in the modern NBA. I can't say with any level of confidence that Vivek is most responsible for those deals, but in reading the tea leaves as best I can, I see moves that reflect his values more than I see moves that reflect Monte's.

Your GM becomes an easy fall guy when everything goes south, but maybe Monte genuinely angled for DeRozan and LaVine without Vivek's express involvement, in which case he deserved to be fired. Of course, I think he's smarter than that, and I don't think highly of Vivek's basketball IQ, so I know where I'm more inclined to place the blame. But you're right, we don't really know how hands-on Vivek actually is with respect to player personnel. All we have are reputation, rumors, and hearsay.

It's worth noting that Monte got scooped up rather quickly by the Clippers' front office after his firing in Sacramento, and the Clips have been a pretty well-run organization since Steve Ballmer purchased them. Monte's clearly still respected to at least some degree by others around the league, while Vivek has yet to rehab his reputation as a meddler and big name chaser.

Preach, my friend!

PREACH!!!

 

[pdxKingsFan]

What Ainge has done

It's worth noting that Monte got scooped up rather quickly by the Clippers' front office after his firing in Sacramento, and the Clips have been a pretty well-run organization since Steve Ballmer purchased them. Monte's clearly still respected to at least some degree by others around the league, while Vivek has yet to rehab his reputation as a meddler and big name chaser.

My read on Monte is smart guy lousy negotiator. If we want to play pop psychologist he's probably somewhere on the spectrum that makes him avoidant to public dialogue which is why press conferences were so infrequent and lousy. I think if he is a high level advisor he might be in the perfect role. As face of a FO he was an odd fit.

 

[Padrino]

What Ainge has done

My read on Monte is smart guy lousy negotiator. If we want to play pop psychologist he's probably somewhere on the spectrum that makes him avoidant to public dialogue which is why press conferences were so infrequent and lousy. I think if he is a high level advisor he might be in the perfect role. As face of a FO he was an odd fit.

Personally, I'd rather not play pop psychologist, as I think it's a bit imprudent to go placing people "on the spectrum" without sufficient medical expertise. Monte certainly doesn't strike me as much of a "people person", but then again, Geoff Petrie wasn't, either. GMs today do need to cultivate relationships with player agents in a conscientious way that wasn't as necessary in Petrie's era, so I have no problem dinging Monte for his lack of people skills, but I think we can do that without therapy-speak.

Ultimately, Monte's tenure as GM was a mixed bag. The attempt to trade Bogdan Bogdanovic for Donte DiVincenzo was the right impulse before Milwaukee fouled it up. The trade for Kevin Huerter was a winner until it wasn't. His draft record in the first round was quite good, pulling in the likes of Tyrese Haliburton, Keegan Murray, and Devin Carter. The Davion Mitchell selection was a miss, but no GM gets it right every time. His frivolous treatment of second round draft picks was not ideal from an asset-management standpoint, but snagging Keon Ellis off the undrafted scrap heap was a stroke of genius. I'm of the opinion that trading Haliburton for Sabonis was a really shrewd way to level up amidst ownership's persistent "win now" mandates, though I understand the hemming and hawing amongst Kings fans in 2025. The DeMar DeRozan signing was an inexpensive and interesting "Why not?" experiment, but predictions that it could gum up the gears of the Kings offense were not off-base, and DeRozan was obviously no antidote to the team's defensive woes. Trading De'Aaron Fox for Zach LaVine was definitely suboptimal, but I don't know if I want to attribute this one to Monte, since it smacks of Vivek's lust for shiny objects.

Again, it was a mixed bag, though probably more positive than negative on the whole if you're willing to charitably mark a few of the misses down to Vivek's influence. That's my assessment, but it's not necessarily a ringing endorsement, either, so there was certainly justification for his firing. However, unless you're convinced that Scott Perry is the guy, the Kings would very likely benefit from stability and continuity. They need to land on a GM/coaching partnership that lasts for more than a few seasons and that possesses a clear and unified vision that Vivek commits to supporting. Otherwise the franchise is just going to be stuck in this partial tear-down mode they've been in forever, where they're constantly cycling through GMs, coaches, and second- and third-tier stars.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Personally, I'd rather not play pop psychologist, as I think it's a bit imprudent to go placing people "on the spectrum" without sufficient medical expertise. Monte certainly doesn't strike me as much of a "people person", but then again, Geoff Petrie wasn't, either. GMs today do need to cultivate relationships with player agents in a conscientious way that wasn't as necessary in Petrie's era, so I have no problem dinging Monte for his lack of people skills, but I think we can do that without therapy-speak.

Ultimately, Monte's tenure as GM was a mixed bag. The attempt to trade Bogdan Bogdanovic for Donte DiVincenzo was the right impulse before Milwaukee fouled it up. The trade for Kevin Huerter was a winner until it wasn't. His draft record in the first round was quite good, pulling in the likes of Tyrese Haliburton, Keegan Murray, and Devin Carter. The Davion Mitchell selection was a miss, but no GM gets it right every time. His frivolous treatment of second round draft picks was not ideal from an asset-management standpoint, but snagging Keon Ellis off the undrafted scrap heap was a stroke of genius. I'm of the opinion that trading Haliburton for Sabonis was a really shrewd way to level up amidst ownership's persistent "win now" mandates, though I understand the hemming and hawing amongst Kings fans in 2025. The DeMar DeRozan signing was an inexpensive and interesting "Why not?" experiment, but predictions that it could gum up the gears of the Kings offense were not off-base, and DeRozan was obviously no antidote to the team's defensive woes. Trading De'Aaron Fox for Zach LaVine was definitely suboptimal, but I don't know if I want to attribute this one to Monte, since it smacks of Vivek's lust for shiny objects.

Again, it was a mixed bag, though probably more positive than negative on the whole if you're willing to charitably mark a few of the misses down to Vivek's influence. That's my assessment, but it's not necessarily a ringing endorsement, either, so there was certainly justification for his firing. However, unless you're convinced that Scott Perry is the guy, the Kings would very likely benefit from stability and continuity. They need to land on a GM/coaching partnership that lasts for more than a few seasons and that possesses a clear and unified vision that Vivek commits to supporting. Otherwise the franchise is just going to be stuck in this partial tear-down mode they've been in forever, where they're constantly cycling through GMs, coaches, and second- and third-tier stars.

I think it is fair to say after five years that he was a numbers whiz with limited people skills which is why I said pop psychologist as a tacit acknowledgement that it's not a real diagnosis, just observed traits.

 

[dude12]

Bane just went for a large amount of assets coming back
Orlando feels they are in position to maybe overpay for a player like Bane
Sacramento has got to at least entertain offers on Domas if the result can set this org up for the future.
He’s already wanting to meet with organization on what direction they are going just like Fox.
He’s a Max player for a borderline playin team
While his talents get shiny stats in regular season, I think his upside limits how good this team can be. And before his fan base on here overreacts, none of this is wrong. We are too far away(unless Scott Perry works some magic) but we have some work to do to get this team to a top 4 Western Comference seed

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I'm going to wait to see what Perry does before I process anything about Zach because Peja's recent comments at least in my mind have called everything into question.

 

[The_Jamal]

Personally, I'd rather not play pop psychologist, as I think it's a bit imprudent to go placing people "on the spectrum" without sufficient medical expertise. Monte certainly doesn't strike me as much of a "people person", but then again, Geoff Petrie wasn't, either. GMs today do need to cultivate relationships with player agents in a conscientious way that wasn't as necessary in Petrie's era, so I have no problem dinging Monte for his lack of people skills, but I think we can do that without therapy-speak.

Ultimately, Monte's tenure as GM was a mixed bag. The attempt to trade Bogdan Bogdanovic for Donte DiVincenzo was the right impulse before Milwaukee fouled it up. The trade for Kevin Huerter was a winner until it wasn't. His draft record in the first round was quite good, pulling in the likes of Tyrese Haliburton, Keegan Murray, and Devin Carter. The Davion Mitchell selection was a miss, but no GM gets it right every time. His frivolous treatment of second round draft picks was not ideal from an asset-management standpoint, but snagging Keon Ellis off the undrafted scrap heap was a stroke of genius. I'm of the opinion that trading Haliburton for Sabonis was a really shrewd way to level up amidst ownership's persistent "win now" mandates, though I understand the hemming and hawing amongst Kings fans in 2025. The DeMar DeRozan signing was an inexpensive and interesting "Why not?" experiment, but predictions that it could gum up the gears of the Kings offense were not off-base, and DeRozan was obviously no antidote to the team's defensive woes. Trading De'Aaron Fox for Zach LaVine was definitely suboptimal, but I don't know if I want to attribute this one to Monte, since it smacks of Vivek's lust for shiny objects.

Again, it was a mixed bag, though probably more positive than negative on the whole if you're willing to charitably mark a few of the misses down to Vivek's influence. That's my assessment, but it's not necessarily a ringing endorsement, either, so there was certainly justification for his firing. However, unless you're convinced that Scott Perry is the guy, the Kings would very likely benefit from stability and continuity. They need to land on a GM/coaching partnership that lasts for more than a few seasons and that possesses a clear and unified vision that Vivek commits to supporting. Otherwise the franchise is just going to be stuck in this partial tear-down mode they've been in forever, where they're constantly cycling through GMs, coaches, and second- and third-tier stars.

Yeah, I obviously have been a big Monte bull is whole tenure, but ultimately, he's had 5 years running the ship and 2 straight years of regression after taking the defending champs to 7 games. I'm fairly confident Vivek has had a lot of influence over roster moves, especially this last season, but at some point you sort of just have to point at the "guy in charge" who can actually get fired and find someone new to lead the direction.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Bane just went for a large amount of assets coming back
Orlando feels they are in position to maybe overpay for a player like Bane
Sacramento has got to at least entertain offers on Domas if the result can set this org up for the future.
He’s already wanting to meet with organization on what direction they are going just like Fox.
He’s a Max player for a borderline playin team
While his talents get shiny stats in regular season, I think his upside limits how good this team can be. And before his fan base on here overreacts, none of this is wrong. We are too far away(unless Scott Perry works some magic) but we have some work to do to get this team to a top 4 Western Comference seed

Not to be pedantic but Domas is not on a max deal.

We could trade players like Monk, DDR, Zach (next year) and maybe a few others for picks and lesser players, keep Domas, Keegan, Keon and Carter and be in good position as the picks convey. I think the evidence is out there now that tanking to win the lottery is no longer a winning strategy as much as accumulating as many shots at the dart board and hitting over 50% is. As nice as the one lotto win that OKC has in Chet, he's missed time including his entire rookie year and they never really skipped a beat. They are anchored by mid-lotto picks and other selections that panned out. SGA was picked 11th.