Who are these established vets that we're planning on signing? If history is any indication, the Kings won't be able to sign a starter. Who is the last tried and true playoff caliber player that the Kings signed? Rondo took a 1 year contract with us strictly to build up his value and get a deal elsewhere. Maybe my memory is bad but I feel like you have to go all the way back to Bobby Jackson and Vlade before you run into free agents worth a damn that signed here.
I know taking on Tristan Thompson's contract seems stupid but I'm 99% sure we're going to get to next year and have no one worthwhile to spend the money on. I'd rather take a chance on a talented rookie and just live with an overpaid backup center for a couple years. They'll end up spending the money on someone whether it's a Capela typle player that gets way overpaid for being the 4th best player on a playoff team or an Aaron Gordon type player who more than likely isn't a playoff caliber player anyway.
In the end they're going to have dead money one way or another because that's essentially what nearly all their free agent signings have been for the last 15 years. Just a bunch of wasted money.
I think the general consensus was that George Hill was a great get as a signing
when it happened. I know it didn't work out as planned but it was an overpay for a player nearly everyone thought would be good for this team and praised at the time. Z-Bo as well, to a lesser extent. There are two from last year alone.
I get what you are saying. I see your side. But paying $36 mil just for the
rights to draft someone at #8 who history says has a fair chance of not making it in the NBA and then
paying the salary associated with that pick is not what I would advocate. I'd rather reach and throw a
short term overpay/max contract at someone younger with displayed NBA talent with that kind of money. Let them prove it if they deserve to get that kind of contract again (longer term). But that is $$$ spent on a targeted (somewhat proven) asset, and not a complete shot in the dark at someone who hasn't played at this level.
And don't ask me specifically who because I don't much follow the NBA at large, and specifically not all the players on various teams. This is a statement of philosophy, and not an advocation for any particular player. I'm a Kings fan and I don't have the time or inclination to watch a significant amount of other team's games (except for maybe here and there in the playoffs - and I've seen maybe three of those this year because they were on when I was channel-flipping). That's a question for all you NBA 2K types to debate endlessly (and ad-nauseum) in the Personnel Moves forum. You will notice I don't spend a lot of time in there/contribute much to those conversations.
And I think that is what Vlade has been planning - pick up several players over the past couple years as draft picks to stock up on youth and then pay to fill in the gaps next year when we: don't have a draft pick, have no long-term bad contracts, and have a couple years to see how the younger players are doing.