The trading of Domantas Sabonis.

[admira1]

I get the appeal of a tear down and rebuild but I think people should also prepare themselves for some rough years if that happens. Everyone points to the Thunder as the gold standard but they didn’t make it past the first round until SGA’s fifth season and he is one of the best players on the planet. That’s in most cases best case scenerio. 4 or 5 years is an awful long time to wait for stability given our history, and that’s only if the rebuild works.

We haven't even given our CURRENT version of the team this much time...

you keep saying that. Why don’t you ask those of us who are?

I would much rather watch Carter, Keon, LaRavia and Murray play and watch them develop and know we had the potential of a top 5 pick coming than what we are seeing today.

with the former we have hope. With this team hope has died.

That's not hope, it is giving up before we actually know what we have. We had a coaching change and major roster upheaval mid-season. So every time we get a big name in FA or trade (LOL) they all get 2 years to prove themselves before calling for a rebuild again? This forum and the Kings subreddit are apparently where hope goes to die.

 

[Tetsujin]

We haven't even given our CURRENT version of the team this much time...



That's not hope, it is giving up before we actually know what we have. We had a coaching change and major roster upheaval mid-season. So every time we get a big name in FA or trade (LOL) they all get 2 years to prove themselves before calling for a rebuild again? This forum and the Kings subreddit are apparently where hope goes to die.

Kings fans were calling De’Aaron Fox a bust because Joerger refused to start him instead of George Hill for most of his rookie season lol

 

[sactowndog]

We haven't even given our CURRENT version of the team this much time...



That's not hope, it is giving up before we actually know what we have. We had a coaching change and major roster upheaval mid-season. So every time we get a big name in FA or trade (LOL) they all get 2 years to prove themselves before calling for a rebuild again? This forum and the Kings subreddit are apparently where hope goes to die.

its almost like the Zach Deebo combination is a mystery we need to explore.

 

[admira1]

its almost like the Zach Deebo combination is a mystery we need to explore.

We've averaged a top 6 pick for the last 10 years. In the last few of those years, we actually have a competitive team, and you all just want to blow that up and CONTINUE those lotto picks until we eventually land the next after we already squandered the one chance we DID get?

Again, we just had a major coaching change and roster overhaul. Regardless what happens the rest of this season, I'd much rather watch the current version give it a full go with an actual offseason together, coaching staff changes, maybe even some lineup tweaks or even an actual off season of free agency etc. before I'm ok with just blowing this team up. The fact that you guys are so willing to quickly give up is honestly baffling to me.

But I guess I'll just end with I respectfully disagree with you wholeheartedly. I think I'll leave the doom and gloom of these forums to you lot for a bit. Have fun, see you next season.

 

[sactowndog]

We've averaged a top 6 pick for the last 10 years. In the last few of those years, we actually have a competitive team, and you all just want to blow that up and CONTINUE those lotto picks until we eventually land the next after we already squandered the one chance we DID get?

Again, we just had a major coaching change and roster overhaul. Regardless what happens the rest of this season, I'd much rather watch the current version give it a full go with an actual offseason together, coaching staff changes, maybe even some lineup tweaks or even an actual off season of free agency etc. before I'm ok with just blowing this team up. The fact that you guys are so willing to quickly give up is honestly baffling to me.

But I guess I'll just end with I respectfully disagree with you wholeheartedly. I think I'll leave the doom and gloom of these forums to you lot for a bit. Have fun, see you next season.

Doom and gloom aside…..

I am merely repeating Sam’s point that we have years of data how a Zach Deebo led team will complete. To say we need another year of data after we have multiple years of data seems not well grounded in the evidence.

whether you are happy with the current state of the team is a different discussion.

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1905693984514773382

 

[whitechocolate]

Firing Mike Brown was a huge mistake. Without stability there is no direction.

 

[captain bill]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1905693984514773382

https://twitter.com/statuses/1905707852234432856

CD lending some weight to this. Franchise is truly back to garbage mode

 

[SacTownKid]

Firing Mike Brown was a huge mistake. Without stability there is no direction.

Sorry, it's like the beam team PO year is getting a little too much credit and build for Browns impact, we watched this season, Mike Brown's tenure was a dumpster fire at the end. Flat out. The only stability we've seen is once Christie took over.

 

[SacTownKid]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1905707852234432856

CD lending some weight to this. Franchise is truly back to garbage mode

I don't get this "direction" thing. What does he want them to trade the future for win now pieces? Nah, no thanks, it could be the best thing to move him TBH. Domas is a great player, but I still can't think of a team with a big like him that's done anything spectacular. The only comp is Jokic and clearly there is a difference there. And that said, Jokic might end up like Dirk where he was lucky to get one. We'll see. You can kind of get the vibes of a player because Fox wore the same thing on his face. When the games were going good? All good. When they were bad, no resistance, just tuned out. Domas has kind of been doing that this season.

 

[Joshyjosh31]

I don't get this "direction" thing. What does he want them to trade the future for win now pieces? Nah, no thanks, it could be the best thing to move him TBH. Domas is a great player, but I still can't think of a team with a big like him that's done anything spectacular. The only comp is Jokic and clearly there is a difference there. And that said, Jokic might end up like Dirk where he was lucky to get one. We'll see. You can kind of get the vibes of a player because Fox wore the same thing on his face. When the games were going good? All good. When they were bad, no resistance, just tuned out. Domas has kind of been doing that this season.

Jokic probably has two or more championships by now if his next two best players weren’t sorry ass Murray and Gordon let’s be real. That team is playing Westbrook and Deandre Jordan minutes in 2025 they are run worse than us just happened to have a top 10 player of all time.

But Sabonis isn’t half the player Jokic is and that’s the problem wouldn’t mind trading him and it should be for young players and picks

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

I don't get this "direction" thing. What does he want them to trade the future for win now pieces? Nah, no thanks, it could be the best thing to move him TBH. Domas is a great player, but I still can't think of a team with a big like him that's done anything spectacular. The only comp is Jokic and clearly there is a difference there. And that said, Jokic might end up like Dirk where he was lucky to get one. We'll see. You can kind of get the vibes of a player because Fox wore the same thing on his face. When the games were going good? All good. When they were bad, no resistance, just tuned out. Domas has kind of been doing that this season.

I can hardly blame him for wanting a clearly defined direction. For all he knows, Vlade Divac could be the GM again. If he said nothing and just went along for the Ranadive ride, it would be strange at this point in his career

 

[whitechocolate]

Sorry, it's like the beam team PO year is getting a little too much credit and build for Browns impact, we watched this season, Mike Brown's tenure was a dumpster fire at the end. Flat out. The only stability we've seen is once Christie took over.

I disagree completely. 48 wins is great. 46 was good. Maybe you're placing too much emphasis on being 6 games under .500; or on a 7 game winning streak. Maybe some people think injured Fox is the real Fox too. Entering three straight seasons with Trey Lyles as the best player coming off the bench in the front court is inexcusable. Monte does not get credit for a couple good small moves two or three trade deadlines too late. That should have been taken care of; we should still have Brown; and we should still have Fox. What stability from Christie? He's a few games over .500 in a short period, and we are nearing a possible blow up. Don't get me wrong; I want to make the Playoffs this year. I hope the Kings can find a stable identity. I hope Christie is successful. But I see little reason for more optimism today, than during Brown's last days.

 

[SacTownKid]

I can hardly blame him for wanting a clearly defined direction. For all he knows, Vlade Divac could be the GM again. If he said nothing and just went along for the Ranadive ride, it would be strange at this point in his career

And that's totally fine, just if it comes down to a my way or the highway I don't think he's that guy to be calling shots as far as team build. If Fox wasn't he certainly isn't. Not far from it maybe, but the Kings can't afford to risk a quick rebuild kickoff at this point. Certainly don't just dump the guy since he's not in the same Fox situation contractually. The perfect scenario was always play out the season, don't risk doing any major moves that could damage the future unless something like DeMar can bring back better fit pieces since his timeline is not the same as the others, have a full training camp and if by the deadline the team sucks, starting moving the other way. The Kings making all these moves that weren't straight tear it down yet still gave them options to rebuild should be understandable for anyone including him. He doesn't like it? Start dominating. Monte didn't just tank this talent pool once the Beam Team got figured out and started to slide. If Domas is complaining about the franchise trying to potentially save themselves some future hope in their moves then don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

 

[SacTownKid]

I disagree completely. 48 wins is great. 46 was good. Maybe you're placing too much emphasis on being 6 games under .500; or on a 7 game winning streak. Maybe some people think injured Fox is the real Fox too. Entering three straight seasons with Trey Lyles as the best player coming off the bench in the front court is inexcusable. Monte does not get credit for a couple good small moves two or three trade deadlines too late. That should have been taken care of; we should still have Brown; and we should still have Fox. What stability from Christie? He's a few games over .500 in a short period, and we are nearing a possible blow up. Don't get me wrong; I want to make the Playoffs this year. I hope the Kings can find a stable identity. I hope Christie is successful. But I see little reason for more optimism today, than during Brown's last days.

I hear you, but maybe you aren't recognizing what was a clear peak and decline situation as well? I was on here arguing that the very first year at the deadline when the league got far better around the Kings and then Monte ran it back the 2nd year. The reality is teams like that can sink quick once the league figures them out, and that's exactly what happened. It happens all the time. The whole energy was just off. We already know the rumors are that the locker room was fracturing with some wanting him to stay, others not. Let history be the guide this is kind of what happens with Mike Brown. He can bring up a lesser situation but when the gettings good it's good. That's actually the story of almost any coach and as Kings fans we've seen our share. And speaking about injuries because Brown certainly does have that excuse to an extent then Christie gets the same benefit as he's dealt with a ton himself.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

And that's totally fine, just if it comes down to a my way or the highway I don't think he's that guy to be calling shots as far as team build. If Fox wasn't he certainly isn't. Not far from it maybe, but the Kings can't afford to risk a quick rebuild kickoff at this point. Certainly don't just dump the guy since he's not in the same Fox situation contractually. The perfect scenario was always play out the season, don't risk doing any major moves that could damage the future unless something like DeMar can bring back better fit pieces since his timeline is not the same as the others, have a full training camp and if by the deadline the team sucks, starting moving the other way. The Kings making all these moves that weren't straight tear it down yet still gave them options to rebuild should be understandable for anyone including him. He doesn't like it? Start dominating. Monte didn't just tank this talent pool once the Beam Team got figured out and started to slide. If Domas is complaining about the franchise trying to potentially save themselves some future hope in their moves then don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

Maybe he would like to know who the GM and head coach is going to be, before making any further plans. If it's Alvin Gentry and someone other than Doug Christie, he'd probably want to move on

 

[SacTownKid]

Maybe he would like to know who the GM and head coach is going to be, before making any further plans. If it's Alvin Gentry and someone other than Doug Christie, he'd probably want to move on

That's fine as well. I would imagine some of it is moreso about his role in the offense. His first two seasons the system was built around him and this season it's more guard oriented. I'm pretty sure the Kings will have all that sorted out this summer right? This looks to be more than that. This has the same feel as the Fox situation but that might just be because those wounds are so fresh. I guess we'll see. I think the last games are going to have a pretty big say on what happens so his best bet is to ball out and win some freaking games. Haha.

 

[The_Jamal]

I don't blame Domas in the slightest for wanting clarification on the direction of the franchise. He's in his prime, he's All-NBA caliber and the team essentially blew up around him this year with the HC fired, his co-star traded, the assistant GM walking out the door mid-season, the lead assistant walking out the door mid-season. He's got to be thinking "Why the **** do I show up and work my ass off game in and game out, if everything around me is just going crumble?"

 

[kingsboi]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1905693984514773382

don't wait until the deadline. this will happen, its just a matter of when. the sooner the better value the Kings can get in return.

 

[iowamcnabb]

if the team is going to pull the plug and try to rebuild, of course he will want a trade. If we move a few pieces and try to compete I’d imagine he would want to stay.

When the season ends all these King media members better spill the beans on all this chaos. Nothing but cryptic messages from these guys right now. If the don’t come clean they should just shut TFU.

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

Sorry, it's like the beam team PO year is getting a little too much credit and build for Browns impact, we watched this season, Mike Brown's tenure was a dumpster fire at the end. Flat out. The only stability we've seen is once Christie took over.

Now there's as hot of a take as I've ever seen in my entire life...

 

[coolhandluke]

We've averaged a top 6 pick for the last 10 years. In the last few of those years, we actually have a competitive team, and you all just want to blow that up and CONTINUE those lotto picks until we eventually land the next after we already squandered the one chance we DID get?

Again, we just had a major coaching change and roster overhaul. Regardless what happens the rest of this season, I'd much rather watch the current version give it a full go with an actual offseason together, coaching staff changes, maybe even some lineup tweaks or even an actual off season of free agency etc. before I'm ok with just blowing this team up. The fact that you guys are so willing to quickly give up is honestly baffling to me.

Amen. Instant gratification society has ruined everything. People expect instant chemistry with new personnel who haven't played together. People expect magical transformation with an interim coach who is not afforded any resources to flesh out his vision.

It's a miracle that the Kings, despite their unfamiliarity handicap, can be competitive against playoff teams. According to people, if the Kings win and the opponent was missing a starter, the win doesn't count. If the Kings lose when missing a starter (they are crap anyway) or the refs interfere (vs Nuggets, Clippers etc.), the loss counts as an indictment of how much they suck. Irrespective of the game, the Kings always lose. People want Kangz and maybe that's what they deserve after all. Have fun refreshing the tankathon website, folks!

 

[gunks]

if the team is going to pull the plug and try to rebuild, of course he will want a trade. If we move a few pieces and try to compete I’d imagine he would want to stay.

When the season ends all these King media members better spill the beans on all this chaos. Nothing but cryptic messages from these guys right now. If the don’t come clean they should just shut TFU.

+100000

 

[upinsmoke]

Sabonis is a beast but he deserves better, i really would like a return centered around picks. We keep Keon, Carter, Keegan full stop.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

if the team is going to pull the plug and try to rebuild, of course he will want a trade. If we move a few pieces and try to compete I’d imagine he would want to stay.

When the season ends all these King media members better spill the beans on all this chaos. Nothing but cryptic messages from these guys right now. If the don’t come clean they should just shut TFU.

This board is my only source of Kings media so I haven't seen any cryptic messages. Best guess, can anyone try to decipher what they mean?

 

[Tizzy Flip]

This is a tough one. Sabonis is such a great teammate and skilled player, and his intensity and IQ is what you want to see across the team. He’s an elite big man passer and rebounder. But his scoring ability is limited and he doesn’t really draw double teams. You essentially need to surround him with dudes that are amazing without the ball. I just don’t think that’s a sustainable formula to being a consistent top team, and I don’t see too many teams looking for his skillset. Aside from Denver and Houston, all the top teams are guard/forward dominant and their big men are tasked with defense, rebounding, stretching the floor, etc. I hope I’m wrong but if we were to trade him, I don’t think we’ll get a lot of value back.

 

[Srzly]

I don’t know about all of the rumors specifically, but I have heard people implying that there is major drama in the front office, more to the Fox situation than we know, drama with players not being happy, etc.

As it relates to Domas, I’ve heard two things recently:

1. He isn’t happy and he did not get along with MB. He didn’t want him extended. Fox and other players did. Just from interactions this season when Fox was still here and even his first game against SAC, I don’t get the sense Fox and Domas saw eye to eye and the MB situation might have been a factor.

2. Deuce and Mo have made multiple comments recently, some subtly, others not so much, that Domas has been critical of teammates and does a poor job of accepting responsibility.

I’ve actually noticed this the second half of this season where there will be a breakdown defensively where Domas is clearly the player at fault for an open shooter and they hit a shot and Domas yells “Come on guys” as if he doesn’t realize it was completely his fault.

He apparently also has been visibly frustrated with LaVine on the court and even negative when LaVine does something right, like a “finally!” reaction according to one of the stories on D&M’s podcast.

He seems frustrated and it has shown in his play on the court.

 

[dude12]

I don’t know about all of the rumors specifically, but I have heard people implying that there is major drama in the front office, more to the Fox situation than we know, drama with players not being happy, etc.

As it relates to Domas, I’ve heard two things recently:

1. He isn’t happy and he did not get along with MB. He didn’t want him extended. Fox and other players did. Just from interactions this season when Fox was still here and even his first game against SAC, I don’t get the sense Fox and Domas saw eye to eye and the MB situation might have been a factor.

2. Deuce and Mo have made multiple comments recently, some subtly, others not so much, that Domas has been critical of teammates and does a poor job of accepting responsibility.

I’ve actually noticed this the second half of this season where there will be a breakdown defensively where Domas is clearly the player at fault for an open shooter and they hit a shot and Domas yells “Come on guys” as if he doesn’t realize it was completely his fault.

He apparently also has been visibly frustrated with LaVine on the court and even negative when LaVine does something right, like a “finally!” reaction according to one of the stories on D&M’s podcast.

He seems frustrated and it has shown in his play on the court.

I’ve actually seen his reactions to other players and wondered if Domas grates on his teammates nerves.
Yes, he plays hard but I think there’s an issue there that’s just now being shed some light on.
I posted in another thread of him quitting on Brown. I personally have a major problem with it but I’m just a fan. I actually prefer him to be traded.

I know a lot of forum members here soured on Brown which is fine. But across the league there were and are repercussions with the the dismissal. No all-star selection for Domas because of his dislike of Brown. I fully believe that Domas missed out because of his part in the Brown firing. Send Domas packing for assets

 

[SacTownKid]

I’ve actually seen his reactions to other players and wondered if Domas grates on his teammates nerves.
Yes, he plays hard but I think there’s an issue there that’s just now being shed some light on.
I posted in another thread of him quitting on Brown. I personally have a major problem with it but I’m just a fan. I actually prefer him to be traded.

I know a lot of forum members here soured on Brown which is fine. But across the league there were and are repercussions with the the dismissal. No all-star selection for Domas because of his dislike of Brown. I fully believe that Domas missed out because of his part in the Brown firing. Send Domas packing for assets

More like the situation soured on Brown. This happens and when it does trying to patch it back up simply doesn't work unless it's a super powerful coach like Phil Jackson, Pop, Don Nelson, Pat Riley, etc who can personally escort talent in and out of their roster at will. Very few coaches, even if THEY are right, make it out the other side when the players are out. And they were, we've seen it too many times not to know it. Never really saw a coach cast that kind of blame on the players like that though, surefire way to burn it all down. The reality is he probably wanted out as much as anyone so once he got the bag it was all about lighting matches, haha.

 

[Joshyjosh31]

Do you guys think we’d take a chance on the injured Joel Embiid? I don’t see vevik accepting a rebuild and if he sees that name he’s could force the new GM to pull the trigger