So What FA do you give the max to match our new #2 Pick

#61
Hey hey now.. I still like IT and what he did in Boston. He's a fun player to watch. If there was a way to get him on the cheap I would bring him in. I am not saying we should really pursue him or anything. Just one of those things, if he falls into our lap for cheap, then I wouldn't mind bringing him back.
More chance of him going back to Boston. Ainge might offer him something depending on what the market is doing
 
#62
More chance of him going back to Boston. Ainge might offer him something depending on what the market is doing
Dunno why Boston would be interested in IT, either, with Kyrie set to come back next season and the much younger Terry Rozier breaking out during these playoffs. Thomas is in a tough spot. He's 29 years old, he's coming off a serious hip injury, he's had questions about his attitude crop up in Sacramento, Phoenix, and Cleveland, and the NBA is currently flush with capable PG's. He's certainly not getting a starting job anywhere, and the market's not likely to pay out much for a spark plug scorer who may have lost his spark.
 
#63
Dunno why Boston would be interested in IT, either, with Kyrie set to come back next season and the much younger Terry Rozier breaking out during these playoffs. Thomas is in a tough spot. He's 29 years old, he's coming off a serious hip injury, he's had questions about his attitude crop up in Sacramento, Phoenix, and Cleveland, and the NBA is currently flush with capable PG's. He's certainly not getting a starting job anywhere, and the market's not likely to pay out much for a spark plug scorer who may have lost his spark.
Rozier's resurgence is the biggest piece here. He is more then capable as a starter. Kyrie may very well be expendable in time to come and IT going back to his happy place as spark plug might be an option if he can realize that in his own head.

You are completely right in that he is not a starter. We all know that. Boston's system which is truly showing its strength now, enabled him to be him but that same team more or less is up 2-0 on CLE in the conference finals.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#64
Before the injury, I would agree 100%. Since the injury, I am not so sure especially since he didn't get his MAX money with the Kings. He was pretty shattered when Rudy snapped his achilles and said how its his career.

In normal circumstances DMC would have valued loyalty but thing might have changed. He might never be the same player again and that might be influencing his decision. I certainly would not rule out the Lakers.

On NO, if when don't offer him the max allowable contract, knowing Cuz, he will take that as an insult.
Sorry but I will still respectfully disagree. I still follow DMC as closely as possible and your thought that his core principle (loyalty) has changed is totally without basis in fact. You've got a lot of maybes and mights in there. DMC is not a maybe/might kind of a guy.
 
#66
I don't get the fascination with Hezonja. Please explain it to me.
I'm confused by it, too. I think it may be because some people were excited about his prospects as a rookie and now, three years later, they still believe he has that same potential. I think if they believe that, they haven't watched him much.
 
#67
If we pick Ayton, we need a young SF. If we draft Dončić we need a young, consistent C who can do a bit of everything.

If it is Dončić as looking likely, then I wouldn’t mind it if we got Nurkić. He can pass, rebound, blocks shots, can score and has a bit of nasty to his game which we lack. He doesn’t really stretch the floor but gives us a bit of everything else. It would be a fun team to watch at least.

Interesting thing would be that if we did go with Nurkić, Bogdanović and Dončić, we would have 3 players from Former Yugoslavia.
 
#68
If we pick Ayton, we need a young SF. If we draft Dončić we need a young, consistent C who can do a bit of everything.

If it is Dončić as looking likely, then I wouldn’t mind it if we got Nurkić. He can pass, rebound, blocks shots, can score and has a bit of nasty to his game which we lack. He doesn’t really stretch the floor but gives us a bit of everything else. It would be a fun team to watch at least.

Interesting thing would be that if we did go with Nurkić, Bogdanović and Dončić, we would have 3 players from Former Yugoslavia.
I'd rather see what we have in Giles first. I don't mind Nurkic's game too much but he's a bit of a slow plodder for the modern game. Got exposed a bit during the playoffs defensively. I do like the nasty to his game but we've also heard rumblings that Giles has the same.
 
#70
I hope the Kings make an obvious attempt to offer DMC the max just to see Grant's public meltdown.
Grant is an ass kisser. He will voice his disagreement with the decision not too loudly though. He would still like to keep his job and get paid by the Kings. He was sticking up for Maloofs when everyone was against them.
 
#71
I'd rather see what we have in Giles first. I don't mind Nurkic's game too much but he's a bit of a slow plodder for the modern game. Got exposed a bit during the playoffs defensively. I do like the nasty to his game but we've also heard rumblings that Giles has the same.
If Giles is as good as advertised then even Ayton would not be an ideal pick and Dončić would be a better fit.

We can’t really wait for Giles too much. He is one of many young players on the roster that we are still finding out about. If Giles is as good as advertised (and I do have my doubts given Kings history of hyping up anyone with a pulse) then the big is taken care of full stop!
 
#72
Well when he was given a chance in Orlando he looked like a good player. He’s young and plays the right way which is non ball dominate, good shooter, good passer, and can work in pick and rolls

Kid is 22 and showed promise and take my chances on him over JJ
Yeah I think we sign Hezonja though I haven’t completely given up on Jackson. He is really long and still has potential as a catch and shoot 3 and D wing.

I found an interesting fact on Jackson.
Left Corner 3 = 41.9%
Right Corner 3 = 31.3%
Above Break 3 = 26.9%.

He clearly has work to do to extend his range. But if he could extend beyond the break I think he becomes a much better shooter.
 
#73
If Giles is as good as advertised then even Ayton would not be an ideal pick and Dončić would be a better fit.

We can’t really wait for Giles too much. He is one of many young players on the roster that we are still finding out about. If Giles is as good as advertised (and I do have my doubts given Kings history of hyping up anyone with a pulse) then the big is taken care of full stop!
I’m not so sure. Ayton and Giles might do okay as Ayton thinks of himself as a stretch 4 in a 4 out and Giles is such a good passer in a high/low he could feed Ayton in the post.

But the best fit on the team if you went pure fit could well be JJJ or Porter. I hope Vlade takes a good look at JJJ as we have a history of regretting passing on sons of NBA players: Curry, Thompson.
 
#74
If Giles is as good as advertised then even Ayton would not be an ideal pick and Dončić would be a better fit.

We can’t really wait for Giles too much. He is one of many young players on the roster that we are still finding out about. If Giles is as good as advertised (and I do have my doubts given Kings history of hyping up anyone with a pulse) then the big is taken care of full stop!
Giles/Ayton can play together since Ayton has a jumpshot Both have athleticism to guard PF/C and Ayton woildvtake the C. Ayton is actually a better fit next to giles than Bagley who is a PF
 
#75
I was on Twitter and Kings account linked to Instagram of Shumpert working out, his trainer said "he will bring incredible value to Kings this year". All but confirms he will opt in, which was a given.
 
#78
I’m not so sure. Ayton and Giles might do okay as Ayton thinks of himself as a stretch 4 in a 4 out and Giles is such a good passer in a high/low he could feed Ayton in the post.

But the best fit on the team if you went pure fit could well be JJJ or Porter. I hope Vlade takes a good look at JJJ as we have a history of regretting passing on sons of NBA players: Curry, Thompson.
Well said sir!
 
#79
Nownhis only value will be mentoring the young guys cause he’s getting no minutes
If he is healthy he is a useful wing defender(severely lacking on roster) who can hit spot up three moderately well. Surely on a contract year he should have all the motivation to perform. Temple opting in would make both of them extremely redundant though.
 

hrdboild

Hall of Famer
#80
If he is healthy he is a useful wing defender(severely lacking on roster) who can hit spot up three moderately well. Surely on a contract year he should have all the motivation to perform. Temple opting in would make both of them extremely redundant though.
I would expect that one of them gets traded if both opt in. Especially if we end up with a wing in the draft.
 
#83
I'm probably the minority, but I hope he plays. He'd be our temporary solution at SF, and I think he passes up JJ and GT at the SF rotation.
I'd rather concentrate on trying to develop JJ. They aren't going to win this year anyway so I don't see the point in taking minutes away from Justin. Even if he doesn't pan out its no harm no foul.
 
#84
Sorry but I will still respectfully disagree. I still follow DMC as closely as possible and your thought that his core principle (loyalty) has changed is totally without basis in fact. You've got a lot of maybes and mights in there. DMC is not a maybe/might kind of a guy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nb...h-pelicans-‘i’m-very-open-to-that’/ar-AAxz3gP
Louisiana.

"Still, Cousins says he would gladly return to New Orleans. Speaking to The Undefeated, Cousins maintained that he was going to look out for himself but that he did not hold any grudges, and he would be happy to be a Pelican.

Via The Undefeated:
Are you open to re-signing with New Orleans if the deal is right?
Oh yeah, for sure. This is my first time in free agency, but I’ve been around this business long enough. I know how things work. I’m not out here trying to hold a grudge or anything like that. I’m going to make the best decision for me, and I believe teams are going to do the same thing.​
The “grudge” part is the most interesting part to me. Why would Cousins hold a grudge against the Pelicans? Or is this a reference to the fact the Kings have significant cap space this summer?"

So does this quote put Big Cuz as a "Maybe" Guy?

but just to be clear it would be a terrible Idea for the Kings to bring him back
 
#85
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/demarcus-cousins-on-re-signing-with-pelicans-‘i’m-very-open-to-that’/ar-AAxz3gP
Louisiana.

"Still, Cousins says he would gladly return to New Orleans. Speaking to The Undefeated, Cousins maintained that he was going to look out for himself but that he did not hold any grudges, and he would be happy to be a Pelican.

Via The Undefeated:
Are you open to re-signing with New Orleans if the deal is right?
Oh yeah, for sure. This is my first time in free agency, but I’ve been around this business long enough. I know how things work. I’m not out here trying to hold a grudge or anything like that. I’m going to make the best decision for me, and I believe teams are going to do the same thing.​
The “grudge” part is the most interesting part to me. Why would Cousins hold a grudge against the Pelicans? Or is this a reference to the fact the Kings have significant cap space this summer?"

So does this quote put Big Cuz as a "Maybe" Guy?

but just to be clear it would be a terrible Idea for the Kings to bring him back
I say offer Cousins a one year deal with all of our cap space. Then they can pay him the max next year when they have tons of cap space.
 
#86
I say offer Cousins a one year deal with all of our cap space. Then they can pay him the max next year when they have tons of cap space.
I think it's likely Cousins signs the "2 year max, player option 2nd year deal" that KD and Bron have been signing. Don't see any team committing the 4 years (or Pelicans 5 years) with him coming off the ACL.
 
#87
2 guys I'd really like to take a look at with a reasonable expectation of not just straight ignoring us in FA talks. For arguments sake, we take Doncic in the draft

1. Jusuf Nurkic. I love the idea of him getting the C run with the Fox-Buddy-Bogdan-Doncic potential LU. He's an absolute bruiser around the rim and really controls the paint on the defensive end of the floor. He's a quality rebounder, something we desperately need and he was the biggest reason for Portland's defensive turn-around this season. Basically all the defensive metrics this past year put him as a top 10 defender in the league. He was that good. He's also an excellent passer, something we can never have too much of. I just see him as a massive upgrade to most of our biggest team weaknessess: rebounding and defense.

His biggest issues is he gets foul prone at times and he gets turnover prone at times and he can't shoot. The FTr also dramatically went down from his first 20 game stint with Portland, which is slightly concerning. I do think we see improvement in his offensive efficiency and getting to the line as last year was his first season getting real run and being a feature offensive weapon. His post offense is just gravy to me though honestly; I want the awesome defense, the awesome rebounding and awesome big-man passing. Fits the timeline nicely as he'll be 24 years old at the start of next season.

2. Will Barton. Even with Doncic, I love the idea of bringing in Barton as a 1-3 flex guy off the bench. I think there's plenty of room for minutes with a Fox-Buddy-Bogdan-Doncic-Barton wing core as there's a lot of multi-positional flexibility in the group. But mainly, Barton adds another good playmaker who can create off his own bounce and is an excellent 3pt shooter, both in the catch and shoot and off his own bounce. He and Buddy would be an exciting bench duo to watch and should give us a really nice advantage over other teams bench units.

Probably the bigger negatives here is he isn't a great defender, but he is physically able to guard positions 1-3. He's also not good at getting to the Free Throw line as he gets prone to settling for the jump-shot a little too often for a guy with his offensive ability and handle. Maybe a bit older than we want for our timeline at 27, but he's just hitting his stride and grabbing a good offensive playmaker and scorer entering his prime to help out Fox and Doncic develop only helps us in the long-run in my book.
 
#88
I was on Twitter and Kings account linked to Instagram of Shumpert working out, his trainer said "he will bring incredible value to Kings this year". All but confirms he will opt in, which was a given.
Grosssssssssssss.

His defense has never been the same since his injury with Knicks, and his offense is horrible. He thinks he's Kobe or something and kills ball movement to take some off the dribble contested shot. We already got Temple on the team throwing up brick after brick and Zbo being a black hole. How many ball movement killing veterans do we need for this coach that apparently likes that kind of junk?
 
#89
I would love nothing more than to sign Cousins as a FA if we draft Doncic as is looking likely. Do a more wheeling and dealing to get a reasonable stretch 4 onto the roster and we have a decent team that could make things interesting next year. Maybe not make the play offs but play some fun basketball

C: Cousins / WCS / KK
PF: Stretch 4 - Bjelica?? / Giles / Skal / Randolph??
SF: Doncic / Jackson / Temple
SG: Bogdanovic / Hield / Shumpert
PG: Fox / Mason

Maybe bring back Sampson as an energy 3/4. Other than DMC/Rudy/IT team, this is probably the most talent (might not be developed) that Boogie has had around him in Sacramento. There is passing and shooting from just about every position. There is unselfishness all the way through the team. The team also has some serious growth to come in the coming years too.

Having said that, there is probably more chance of me getting an NBA game than there is of Boogie coming back.
 
#90
I think it's likely Cousins signs the "2 year max, player option 2nd year deal" that KD and Bron have been signing. Don't see any team committing the 4 years (or Pelicans 5 years) with him coming off the ACL.
The Kings don't currently have the cap space to offer him the max, hence my suggestion.