Stop Including Thomas!

[NewArena]

In every Artest trade please. Geoff Petrie and the rest of the organization really needs to get it in their thick heads that Kenny will be impossible to move no matter who he is packaged with. His contract is expiring in two years anyway so i think the whole "OMG we have to trade kenny" thing is completely overblown. Is there anyway we can throw in SAR? Especially since he might retire, and that could persuade a team to take him knowing his money comes off the books if that indeed happens.

 

[nbrans]

I know we've all grown absurdly used to the whole Kenny Thomas is untradeable thing out of sheer habit, but three years later here we are and... it's actually within the realm of possibility that he could be traded. And that's becuase his deal is not that long anymore. It ends after next season, when a lot of people want to have expiring contracts. So there's a reason his name has been cropping up in semi-credible ways.

 

[Kingfanpaul]

I disagree. I think you gotta get rid of Thomas and I really feel like there is a team out there that will be willing to take him. It may have to wait until the trade deadline, I bet there will be a contender looking to put them over the top. I really hope it is not dragged out that long but I don't mind waiting till then if we get rid of Thomas.

Heck if I was the Lakers i would trade for Artest and Kenny because I think 'a great situation. You only have to have Artest for part of the season so I really doubt he does much during that time. Most likely they would get a ring. If getting Artest gets me a ring I'm gonna do it even if it includes taking the bad contract of Thomas.

 

[PurpleHaze]

The trade deadline is not until next February so a lot can happen up until then. I just hope somehow, someway, Artest and Thomas are both long gone before that date. I'd say there's a 75% chance RonBill is traded before this season starts and 95% chance by Feb. The Thomas situation is harder to lay odds as much as Kings management and fans want someone, anyone to take his sorry contract.

 

[Spike]

I think it also helps/hurts that Artest is paid lower than most. In a sense, we almost have to package someone like KT to get back what is considered "fair value." The Maloofs/Petrie don't want to sell him on the cheap, so someone has to be included, or else he probably would have already been dealt.

Somebody might want to run the numbers to see who else out there has a contract ($) similar to Artest's. I'd be interested, but I'm too lazy to do the legwork.

 

[rhythmless]

In every Artest trade please. Geoff Petrie and the rest of the organization really needs to get it in their thick heads that Kenny will be impossible to move no matter who he is packaged with. His contract is expiring in two years anyway so i think the whole "OMG we have to trade kenny" thing is completely overblown. Is there anyway we can throw in SAR? Especially since he might retire, and that could persuade a team to take him knowing his money comes off the books if that indeed happens.

So its "impossible to move a contract" that is "expiring in two years anyway."

You contradict yourself!

 

[Arby's Roast Beef]

We definitely can get better value in our deals if we didn't have to keep shoving Kenny Thomas into any Artest deal; no team is delusional enough to believe that Thomas can revert back to his '04-'05 form, or even back to '03-'04 in Philly, when he had the audacity to average a double-double. His PER is underwater--trust me, it's hard to average 1.4 ppg in 12 minutes especially for a guy like Thomas--who's not a bad offensive player at all, it's essentially like he's just moping his way around the court and the numbers even indicate that in a strange sort of way. His ghastly contract will have more worth next year as a fat expiring contract; if Kwame Brown can procure a Pau Gasol (sorry bad analogy), then even a player like Thomas can reap some rewards--it's just patience that's necessary. Frankly, it just doesn't look like he can freely attach him to any deal, because we've been spurned every time--tried that with the Mike Bibby deal, now it's not working here. Besides, if we try to attach Artest with Thomas, the opposing team is getting two potential cancers--trades just don't work that way; we have to spread this out individually.

 

[venom_7]

Naw we can move him.

 

[Arby's Roast Beef]

Naw we can move him.

Elaborate. We're talking about a guy here, who went from 14.5 ppg to 9.1 ppg to 5.3 ppg to 1.4 ppg as it stands today. Yes his minutes have precipitously dipped down along with his ppg but the fact that he couldn't even garner those minutes--or even produce in those minutes-is alarming. The guy is clearly on a rapid downhill slope, and that's further punctuated with his horrible attitude, and icing on the cake, his toxic contract. No one's going to touch that. Artest isn't a saint to begin with, so no one's going to touch two guys with horrible attitudes in one fell swoop. I know Douby recently had that intriguing game in summer league, and I think it's easier to piece Douby with Artest if somehow we are forced to up the ante--for example if this situation drags out for too long.

 

[rhythmless]

someone else HAS to be included in many of the trade scenarios that are talked about.

its 2 years. that means you eat one year for artest, and the next its an expiring. its not that bad of a contract NOW. was it when we got it? yes. not now.

 

[Kingzrool]

I am on board with GP. The only reason to let Ron go for nothing would be if you can dump KT. Otherwise, Ron is more valuable as King because of his low salary in a contract year. Trade if you can get equal or better value or if you can throw in KT. Noone is going to offer equal or better value, hence the necessary inclusion of KT.

 

[Entity]

I keep seeing post speaking of SAR retiring. Is he not in shape? Is he not going to be able to play this year? Is this really something that may happen.

 

[kennadog]

I keep seeing post speaking of SAR retiring. Is he not in shape? Is he not going to be able to play this year? Is this really something that may happen.

If you look in the Kings Links at the top, you'll see a Bee article speculating on the possibility and Rahim's thoughts on it. The knee's the kicker. It may or may not allow him to get back to game form.

 

[fnordius]

Having Thomas is just like having a debt, because he's of no use to any team. You can pay him the $16M yourself, or you can trade him away and lose out on $16M worth of value you might otherwise have been able to get in that trade. I think it would be stupid to insist that KT must be trade filler, because that will kill many otherwise attractive trades, and what we'd get back would, relatively speaking, totally suck. Still, some possible trade might exist where KT would be the perfect piece of filler, like if we really wanted a guy who was badly overpaid and on a short contract. Then it could make sense.

I don't think Geoff should be rigid about doing it one way or the other. We're going to pay the same heavy penalty no matter what we do with him, so we might as well just do our best and see how the trade market plays out.

 

[kingsfan101]

Having Thomas is just like having a debt, because he's of no use to any team. You can pay him the $16M yourself, or you can trade him away and lose out on $16M worth of value you might otherwise have been able to get in that trade. I think it would be stupid to insist that KT must be trade filler, because that will kill many otherwise attractive trades, and what we'd get back would, relatively speaking, totally suck. Still, some possible trade might exist where KT would be the perfect piece of filler, like if we really wanted a guy who was badly overpaid and on a short contract. Then it could make sense.

I don't think Geoff should be rigid about doing it one way or the other. We're going to pay the same heavy penalty no matter what we do with him, so we might as well just do our best and see how the trade market plays out.

I'm probably repeating myself too often on this, but I think we are getting way too eager for something, specifically Artest trade, to happen. As fans desperate for some action during TDOS, and with Artest shooting his mouth off, it is quite understandable. However, the trade deadline is seven months away. Artest is an expiring contract, and of no use to us as a rebuilding team, or as a part of our future. If he becomes too much of a nuisance or distraction, it shall be better to just sit his *** on the bench.

If we get some offer that makes sense, insisting on KT to be part of the deal would indeed be wrong. Artest, for his talent, makes too little money. Of course, given his history, we are never going to get equal value in return. But, we don't need to replace his expiring with some other expiring. Unless we get some pick/prospect, the "price" some other team should pay for him should be to pick one year of KT's contract.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

honestly, as long as thomas isnt playing he isnt hurting us all that much, we wont contend until his contract is up anyways so if we can get a substancially(sp?) better deal by not including him we should do it.

 

[DocHolliday]

Stop Including Thomas!

No.

 

[Warhawk]

No.

Thank you.

 

[bajaden]

I know that people are impatient for something to happen. I find myself constantly checking through out the day, in hope that I'll see that Artest has been traded. But, there's a lot of time between now and the beginning of the season, and it would be stupid for Petrie to blink now.

If you have something that people want, you have to be patient. They're going to try and get what they want, for as cheap as they can. They're going to low ball us. The best thing the Kings can do, is not have a knee jerk reaction to any of it. In reality, whats the hurry? I mean, other than our desires for a fast resolution, there's no need to take a bad deal.

Our own personal feeling aside, Artest is a very good basketball player. I could be wrong, but I don't think that the decision to move him, has anything to do with Artest's own version of reality. I think the decision was based on what type of team Petrie wants, and Artest doesn't fit. That doesn't mean he doesn't fit on another team.

My personal dream trade, which would never happen, would be for Artest to somehow end up on the Celtics. I would just love the irony of Artest, the player the Lakers wanted, to help defend Pierce in the playoffs, ending up on the Celtics defending Kobe.

Hey, it might even benefit the Kings in making a trade with the Lakers to start a rumor that were considering a deal with the Celtics. Oh well, I can dream, can't I?

 

[NewArena]

So its "impossible to move a contract" that is "expiring in two years anyway."

You contradict yourself!

No i said its impossible for now Because other teams would rather have EXPIRINGS right now, as opposed to a two year deal worth 16 million. And im also saying we might as well just be patient because his contract falls in line with the "2007 Plan". So its not a contradiction, i just didnt elaborate.

 

[NewArena]

No.

Ok but until you guys realize that we are hurting ourselves and oppurtunities by trying to throw him in all the time. How does insisting on him being traded help us?

 

[sactownfan]

Moving Thomas with Artest is top priority right now... Petrie isn't going to just make a trade for the sake of getting rid of Artest right this sec... Petrie has got his poker face on and is playing hardball, letting all the teams interested in Artest bid against each other... but more likely free agency isn't close to being over... once the rest of the semi-big name players figure out where their going then the Artest topic will really start to heat up, and so will the offers...

I think its safe to say Petrie will move Artest in what will be a good deal for us... with or without Thomas being inculded... I think they want and will move Artest...

all GOOD gm's in this league would handle this the same way... you got to at least try to move Thomas... and hold on to that hope for as long as you can... in the end though they do what they can if they get a good 2nd option... and im sure that will come along...

we saw last year there are alot of teams that are in win now situations and they will get desperate in due time... even if Petrie holds out to the feb trade deadline i have to believe that Artest will keep it together enough to get a good trade, this is the most critical time for his future pay day and since money is so important to him... i believe he will calm down and pull it together as well as Artest can...

so once more i fully believe in Petrie and think he's working his magic right now and is just playing the game...

 

[Vlade4GM]

Any team taking Thomas is complete fantasy IMO, it won't happen and it's a waste of time even discussing it.

 

[jon e]

Any team taking Thomas is complete fantasy IMO, it won't happen and it's a waste of time even discussing it.

putting myself in the shoes of any playoff team from last years fans, i would do it in a heart beat. theyre thinking what can we do to help us win a championship now, dont worry about 2 years from now. but us being fans of a rebuilding team are thinking what can help us start rebuilding now. cos were stuck until this thing goes away or expires

 

[Vlade4GM]

putting myself in the shoes of any playoff team from last years fans, i would do it in a heart beat. theyre thinking what can we do to help us win a championship now, dont worry about 2 years from now. but us being fans of a rebuilding team are thinking what can help us start rebuilding now. cos were stuck until this thing goes away or expires

I understand the concept of winning now, but so far there is absolutely no indication that any team is willing to accept Thomas' deal. So far I think it's fairly certain that neither Miami nor LA are willing to take on Thomas, and Dallas isn't even offering Howard for Artest at this point. It's not happening.

 

[DocHolliday]

Ok but until you guys realize that we are hurting ourselves and oppurtunities by trying to throw him in all the time. How does insisting on him being traded help us?

The lakers will do the deal and take Thomas, we just have to wait it out. Kenny if anything is a good defender and he can rebound. That will be his role like Turiaf. If the Lakers do not counter on the offer on the table for Turiaf we're good, and the deal will be done. The Kings just have to wait it out.

Oh, and please don't correct me if I spelled Turiaf's name wrong. I'm not sured how it's spelled and I really don't care. Thanks.

 

[tyrant]

talks have gotten a lilttle better over the past few years. before it was "kenny thomas will die a king".

 

[bajaden]

I understand the concept of winning now, but so far there is absolutely no indication that any team is willing to accept Thomas' deal. So far I think it's fairly certain that neither Miami nor LA are willing to take on Thomas, and Dallas isn't even offering Howard for Artest at this point. It's not happening.

Vlade, come down to Mexico. You can stay at my place. We have three bedrooms, no problem. I'll take you out to the venders and teach you how to negotiate. You can get what you want, but you don't make a quick deal. Rule number one is you never believe what they say, no matter how convincing they are. Some of these guys could be GM's when it comes to making deals. Some of my best deals have been made when I've told them I'm no longer interested in what they have to say and leave.

My point is, its way to early to say what someone will or won't do. You may end up being right in the end, but you've got to try and do whats in the best interest of your team. We don't even know what position Petrie's dealing from. He may already have an offer on the table that takes Thomas, but doesn't get what else he wants in the deal. But if so, he's then dealing from a position of power.

I honestly didn't expect anything to happen until after midnight tonight. The Lakers have until then to decide what to do about Turiaf. If they pass on him, it will be interesting to see what they do next.

 

[NewMonkey]

The lakers will do the deal and take Thomas, we just have to wait it out. Kenny if anything is a good defender and he can rebound. That will be his role like Turiaf. If the Lakers do not counter on the offer on the table for Turiaf we're good, and the deal will be done. The Kings just have to wait it out.

Oh, and please don't correct me if I spelled Turiaf's name wrong. I'm not sured how it's spelled and I really don't care. Thanks.

Turiaf is actually a French word. It translates to English as A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G.

 

[kennadog]

Turiaf is actually a French word. It translates to English as A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G.

LOL!

We also have absolutely no indication that all 29 teams would reject KT as part of a deal. All we know is that it is rumored that some teams have rejected a deal like that so far. What teams will settle for in a trade has surprised me more than once.