The Harry Giles option conundrum
- Thread starter AMR42700
- Start date
Livinthedream
All-Star
The team told us as much as it deemed necessary to make the point. Combine the late season "thigh bruise" last year with the out of shape and injured comments this year from the team. It implies that Giles was no longer taking the advice of the Kings training staff. Doing his own thing, or not doing what he was supposed to. When he started training camp too sore to play after a couple practices, he had lost the trust of the Kings and they let him know they weren't going to play him and definitely not give him another payday unless he showed he was serious about taking care of his body.
That's the only explanation that makes sense to me. A hand slap to a young player.
Sactown ExPat
Starter
Well, fortunately, he was right to ignore this training staff.
Kingz19
Hall of Famer
Willie actually had one other call for 10 million over 2 years with Charlotte near the very end when it was clear he was going to have to settle. He turned it down for a minimum with GSW thinking he would shine more with the Dubs and get his bag the next offseason(oops).Obviously even less than that would be goodbye Harry. There was a lot of circumstance to Willie as well. He’s not really wrong when he said the Kings didn’t really do him any favors(on top of his idea of his own worth) by making him unrestricted after bigs at his level like Portis, Taj Gibson, or even Jabari Parker got their deals. If he was unrestricted from the jump he would’ve likely ended up with something over 10 million I believe. Hell, the Knicks gave Portis 15. Gibson got 9. Willie would’ve got something.
Harry’s season average is 6-3 but his starting numbers are 10-7-2 and those numbers are trending upwards along with the team and barring injury he’ll continue to start until the end of the season. If he is still trending upwards by the end of the season in production, efficiency, and minutes played WITHOUT injury setbacks(and what if the Kings actually do pull it off and make the playoffs?).I wouldnt be very confident that our 1 year 4 million dollar cap with a logjam of big men returning can be competitive. Especially since this summer for once won’t have a lot of high profile names that need to fall into place before other guys can get signed.
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Yes, but raises are limited to 8%. It's not like we can go $4M/$15M/$15M/$15M.
KingsFanSince85
All-Star
Since when has Willie been considered a defensive shot blocker? When he was drafted?
De’Aaron averaged more blocks that Willie for a good portion of last season.
When Willie was at Kentucky and, maybe, when he first got to SAC for a little while. But it slowed considerably thereafter.
IMO, rim protection has been the most disappointing part of Willie’s game in the NBA. People complained about the rebounding, but he‘d never shown to be anything better than average on that front. Plus, since he was so athletic, fast and long, he was often used to switch and stick with smaller players which often took him out of position for rebounds. And even for rim protection at times.
However, over the years in SAC when he was in positions to block shots, he didn’t do it as well as he had shown previously. I can’t recall who first pointed it out, but it was at some point after he‘d injured his finger/hand that his motivation for blocking shots dropped considerably. He became hesitant to do so.
Unfortunately for his career, shot blocking and switching were his calling cards and he stopped doing the former at an acceptable level.
KainLear
Starter
MJ was great in many things, talent scouting and contracting are definitely not that. With 4 years/56m to Cody Zeller, 5 years/120m to Batum, and then double-down on 3 years/58m to Rozier, that is on top of Biyombo's last year/17m only just coming off after this year. You can certainly make a case that they overestimated Willie with that 10m/2y contract offer, if you ask me.
HebrewHammer
G-League
Could be.
But it will only take one team to “overestimate” Harry.
We need a good starting center . Now granted Holmes has been pretty dang good but we need a good full size center to stop up the middle.
I see Giles as strictly a backup. I like Giles and root for him but he would not start for anyone else unless they have the first and second option going down or traded like we have.
I can see him as a change of pace player when we run.
I see Giles as strictly a backup. I like Giles and root for him but he would not start for anyone else unless they have the first and second option going down or traded like we have.
I can see him as a change of pace player when we run.
TaxMan
Starter
well, if we are really worried about losing him, is it really an overestimate if someone else also sees his potential and gives him a decent offer. It's not like 3 years for 15M total is a huge commitment for most teams. However, to a guy with his injury history might be worth it to grab as much as he can now.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/aroyalpain.com/2020/02/28/sacramento-kings-harry-giles-miss/amp/
It’s actually embarrassing like what the hell could we even use 3.9 million on, no vet that’s worth anything would sign that so why not just pick up the damn option.
There’s 0 chance he’s back here at 3.9mill FO ****ed up we had a better chance sitting him for the year now teams will hunt him down.
It’s actually embarrassing like what the hell could we even use 3.9 million on, no vet that’s worth anything would sign that so why not just pick up the damn option.
There’s 0 chance he’s back here at 3.9mill FO ****ed up we had a better chance sitting him for the year now teams will hunt him down.
Kings_of_California
Starter
Yep. He's outperforming any chance at a return. Lots of talk on here about some sort of handshake agreement with the Kings. But money talks and no amount of handshakes is going to stop him from signing for much more than the Kings can offer. What a wasted opportunity.
Worst FO.
The handshake talk is stupid, so the FO declines his option so they can handshake to what pay him more? Why would you give up control of such a young prospect I’m bamboozled
I had just read this on royalpain, its quite the critique to say worse of a blunder than the 2018 draft. Anyways this is going to be another interesting offseason with several of our most promising players not locked up for next season. Fortunately we are getting a good idea of how well players like Bazemore, Holmes. Len, Giles.... fit with the team instead of signing random vets for too much that don't work out.
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Kings_of_California
Starter
It's crazy because Yogi Ferrell is making over $3M this year. They're telling me Giles isn't valued slightly more than Yogi? I mean come on. Your 3rd string PG is worth that much but your rising, talented prospect isn't worth about $800K more than him?
And then you have Cory Joseph making $12M. Giles isn't worth 1/3rd the amount of Cory Joseph?
Harry's knees look pretty dang good to me. So unless they blow out before the season is over, this is looking like a bad, bad decision.
I can only hope he gets Willie Cauley-Stein'd and gets less offers than expected. But honestly I like Harry and I wouldn't wish that on him.
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
If you have any plans of retaining a young player you declined an option on, you never showcase them in a contract year. I guess injuries made it rough but right now Giles is actually eating into Buddy/Bogdans minutes by playing big which is just all kind of cluster F'd since it's starting to cause problems elsewhere.
The Effort Police
Starter
It's not nearly as damaging as the 2018 draft. Giles may miraculously stick around or he may go to another team and just be a reserve. But I think in terms of the sheer stupidity of the thought processes and conclusions they drew when making this decision it might be worse.
L'Optimisme
Bench
Harry Giles is, and always has been, the kind of young prospect that good teams take chances on. I thought that's what we were doing with him. And now, that's performing EXACTLY AS EVERYONE EXPECTED in the scenario where there is no major re-injury... he's even more likely to get a nice little contract from teams like the Nuggets, Lakers, Raptors, etc.
He'll get something like 2-3 years for 10-15M, with an outside chance at a bidding war between two well capitalized teams, so maybe like 3/20. There's absolutely no reason to not to expect that could happen, and in fact every single observable reason to do so. The excuse of "knees" is less and less plausible with each passing month.
This was an absolutely mindless decision, at best, and deliberate sabotage at worst (which we've seen before in this org).
Livinthedream
All-Star
This is the kind of thing that shows there is no true plan. Kind of like when Marvin and Fox went down early in the season and their backups play a totally different style, so you have to change the offense. You have to maintain some level of continuity, even through injuries. We keep restarting the season with each injury.
If Vlade had his young players development as a priority, he wouldn't have brought in Dedmon or Holmes. Marvin and Giles would have been getting their game experience with no pressure to outperform vets. Look at the difference in Giles when he doesn't have to look over his shoulder.
SLAB
Hall of Famer
@L’Optimisme and @Livinthedream spittin’ truths.
Well, so is everyone else. They just happened to be the last two I read.
Well, so is everyone else. They just happened to be the last two I read.
Signing the stupid extension makes too much sense that not signing it leads me to believe this didn't happen in a vacuum. I simply refuse to get worked up over it until Harry signs with another team for $10 more than we could offer. At which point I'll grab my pitchfork too.
SLAB
Hall of Famer
More truth. I’m just enjoying the ride until if/when it happens.
ockingsfan
Starter
I sure hope you are right. If Giles leaves this summer, I think that will cost Vlade his job.
SLAB
Hall of Famer
So... it’s a win / win?
ockingsfan
Starter
*when he leaves
chief bromden
Starter
Damn bro, what a downer.
SLAB
Hall of Famer
That would be a lose (lose HG) / win (new GM).
Either extreme has a win is what I meant.
Potential Win 1; Henry stays, we all celebrate.
Potential Win 2; Henry leaves, but Vlade gets fired. We’re crushed, but we still have reason to celebrate.
It’s just being realistic man sorry ass Mario Hezonja was in the same situation and got a 1 year 6mill contract to leave Orlando. But for some phantom reason Giles won’t get more than 3.5mill smh
