The "2 Year Plan" to add four high caliber players

[Hallama]

Here's a sample plan of how the Kings could have four quality players at the start of the 2010 season (yes, next season will be tough again):

Player #1: 2009 Lottery - hopefully Griffin or Rubio

Player #2: Feb 2010 trade deadline: Using KTs expiring contract, (hopefully) unused cap space, plus one young player/future draft pick, the Kings will be able to land a player like Amare or another high profile player who has demanded a trade or the team needs to save $. Toronto may deal Bosh if they don't think they can resign him, but same would be true for the Kings.

Player #3: 2010 Lotto - possibly top 5 again, and a shot at a guy like John Wall

Player #4: 2010 Free agency - Hopefully with the above moves, Kings can land a high caliber free agent. Not LeBron or Wade caliber (unrealistic), but Joe Johnson or someone on his level.

So, best case scenario if everything goes perfect:

Blake Griffin, Amare Stoudemire, John Wall, Joe Johnson

 

[HighTopKicks]

Here's a sample plan of how the Kings could have four quality players at the start of the 2010 season (yes, next season will be tough again):

Player #1: 2009 Lottery - hopefully Griffin or Rubio

Player #2: Feb 2010 trade deadline: Using KTs expiring contract, (hopefully) unused cap space, plus one young player/future draft pick, the Kings will be able to land a player like Amare or another high profile player who has demanded a trade or the team needs to save $. Toronto may deal Bosh if they don't think they can resign him, but same would be true for the Kings.

Player #3: 2010 Lotto - possibly top 5 again, and a shot at a guy like John Wall

Player #4: 2010 Free agency - Hopefully with the above moves, Kings can land a high caliber free agent. Not LeBron or Wade caliber (unrealistic), but Joe Johnson or someone on his level.

So, best case scenario if everything goes perfect:

Blake Griffin, Amare Stoudemire, John Wall, Joe Johnson

If you use K9's contract at the trade deadline then we will have no expiring and no cap space for the 2010 FA market. It's trade deadline or Free Agency but not both. Amare & Griffin are a duplication especially with JT still here. Plus do you really thing we would get a top 5 pick in the 2010 draft with Amare & Griffin on the team, so how would we possibly get Wall? Who might be entering the 09 draft anyways.

1)Figure top 4 in 09 draft.

2)K9's expiring & an additional $4M in cap space at the trade deadline. Or $12M in cap space for the FA market in 2010.

3)And a 6-10 draft pick in 2010.

3 players not 4

 

[Hallama]

If you use K9's contract at the trade deadline then we will have no expiring and no cap space for the 2010 FA market. It's trade deadline or Free Agency but not both. Amare & Griffin are a duplication especially with JT still here. Plus do you really thing we would get a top 5 pick in the 2010 draft with Amare & Griffin on the team, so how would we possibly get Wall? Who might be entering the 09 draft anyways.

3)And a 6-10 draft pick in 2010.

3 players not 4

If the Kings don't do anything stupid (unlikely) like resigning McCants or Diogu, I think there still might be enough $ under the cap in 2010. If you add up the expiring contracts of KT + Greene that is around $9 million that you will have to add back to the 2010 salary, which the Kings have only $30 million committed. Also add their first rounders from this season (approx 6-7 million) plus roster fluff they are looking at around upper 40 million in salary.

Plus Mikki Moore's 2 million owed plus whatever young player it will take to complete a trade (Thompson?) will also be off the books.

Regarding a high pick in 2010, it may be wishful thinking to get the #1, but in my scenario the trade happens near the deadline so it is only from March onward you'd have a guy like Amare.

Don't take it too seriously, I'm just saying there is a best case scenario where luck, hard work, planning, resisting signing crappy average players, and money can land the Kings some talent within two years. Hey, I'd even be happy with three new players in that time that had star potential.

 

[vikinginferno]

One problem: Griffin and Amare play the same positon and are very similar players.

 

[Hallama]

One problem: Griffin and Amare play the same positon and are very similar players.

from my post: Kings will be able to land a player like Amare or another high profile player who has demanded a trade or the team needs to save $.

Just saying that almost every year a star player is available around the trade deadline for a variety of reasons. I brought up Amare because he was very close to being traded, but the team couldn't get the right deal. The Kings will have most of the tools necessary for a trade like that: expirings, draft picks, young players, even a little cap room to absorb.

Gasol, Iverson, Ray Allen (from Mil to Sea)...it is possible.

 

[HighTopKicks]

If the Kings don't do anything stupid (unlikely) like resigning McCants or Diogu, I think there still might be enough $ under the cap in 2010. If you add up the expiring contracts of KT + Greene that is around $9 million that you will have to add back to the 2010 salary, which the Kings have only $30 million committed. Also add their first rounders from this season (approx 6-7 million) plus roster fluff they are looking at around upper 40 million in salary.

Plus Mikki Moore's 2 million owed plus whatever young player it will take to complete a trade (Thompson?) will also be off the books.

Regarding a high pick in 2010, it may be wishful thinking to get the #1, but in my scenario the trade happens near the deadline so it is only from March onward you'd have a guy like Amare.

Don't take it too seriously, I'm just saying there is a best case scenario where luck, hard work, planning, resisting signing crappy average players, and money can land the Kings some talent within two years. Hey, I'd even be happy with three new players in that time that had star potential.

Shamsports lists the Kings guaranteed contract in 2010 at $35.5M including the options on Greene, JT & Hawes. With three 1st rounders added to the team before the 2010 FA period, that adds $8M. The $8M includes the 1st & 24th picks in 2009, and the 10th pick in 2010. For a total salary of $43.5M or $14M below the expected 2009 salary cap.

My point is if you use any of the 2010 cap space $14M to acquire someone at the 2009 trade deadline then the money won't be there in 2010. So, one or the other but not both. Trading Donte & JT at the trade deadline adds less than $3M to the total, and might cost more to replace then than that.

Finally, if you spend the $14M on one player that leaves the Kings with a 11 man roster. So, they'll have to go over the cap to reach the 13 man minimum by signing guys to a Vet Minimum. So, considering the economic climate, the FO may not choice to use up the entire cap space on one man. I expect the Kings to move the $8.8M which is K9's contract during the 2009 trade deadline, so that will leave them with little more than the MLE for 2010 if they don't use it all at the trade deadline. Which would mean that they have nothing left for the 2010 FA market.

 

[RiffRaff]

I dont think we have a chance on signing a caliber vet in 2010, we are strictly rebuilding from the ground up, draft players. & develope them, JUST LIKE THE BLAZERS.

 

[Mad D]

we are strictly rebuilding from the ground up, draft players. & develope them, JUST LIKE THE BLAZERS.

Greg Oden and Outlaw were the only players they drafted. They traded for everyone else:

Roy, 6th by Minnesota
Aldridge, 2nd by Chicago
Fernadez, 24th by Phoenix
Bayless, 11th by Indiana
Frye, 8th by New York
Batum, 25th by Houston

etc

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Greg Oden and Outlaw were the only players they drafted. They traded for everyone else:

Roy, 6th by Minnesota
Aldridge, 2nd by Chicago
Fernadez, 24th by Phoenix
Bayless, 11th by Indiana
Frye, 8th by New York
Batum, 25th by Houston

etc

Outside of Frye, all of those players were traded on draft day and have played only for the Blazers. I think that qualifies as "draft players and develop them".

 

[Mad D]

Outside of Frye, all of those players were traded on draft day and have played only for the Blazers. I think that qualifies as "draft players and develop them".

Yes they were draft players but in order to get them the Blazer traded veterans in each trade, something the Kings lack.

I hope if any team is going to be able to draft without the luxury of trading for the picks they actually want and need, it will be the Kings. Especially with the team and city falling off of the NBA map, it's going to be really difficult to attract free quality agents.

I have a feeling what Bricklayer said about Martin being the McGrady in Orlando type trade catalyst to get the team the players they need someday may come true.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Yes they were draft players but in order to get them the Blazer traded veterans in each trade, something the Kings lack.

Not quite.

2006:
#2 pick LaMarcus Aldridge was traded for #4 pick Tyrus Thomas and veteran Viktor Khryapa.

#6 pick Brandon Roy was traded for the rights to #7 pick Randy Foye.

2007:
#24 pick Rudy Fernandez was traded along with veteran James Jones for cash.

2008:
#11 pick Jerryd Bayless was traded along with veteran Ike Diogu for #13 pick Brandon Rush, veteran Jarrett Jack and veteran Josh McRoberts.

#25 pick Nicolas Batum was traded in a three-way deal. The Blazers gave up #27 pick Darrell Arthur and #33 pick Joey Dorsey.

All told only two of those five trades involved the Blazers trading away veterans (where veteran is defined as anybody who has already played in the NBA). In sum total in those trades, they traded away three vets and got three vets back. The three vets they traded away were the highly-sought-after Viktor Khryapa and Josh McRoberts, and the bottom-tier starting PG Jarrett Jack.

Hey, generally these were good trades, but they weren't trading away valuable vets to make them. They traded away junk. That is "drafting players and developing them" in a "ground-up rebuild". I don't understand where the argument is coming from.

 

[Mad D]

Portland Trail Blazers traded Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, 2008 2nd round pick to the Boston Celtics for Randy Foye (the 7th pick in the 2006 draft), PG (and former Trail Blazer) Dan Dickau, and Center Raef LaFrentz. Then they traded for Roy.

I understand where the thought behind the first post that started this was coming from, I was just pointing out how difficult it is going to be and that the team isn't going to do this with their own draft picks alone. It is going to need other parties involved whether it is for draft day players or veterans.

The Kings are already on their way to rebuilding, so there wasn't really an argument about that.