When Do We Blow It Up?

I think you could (and should hold out) to get Tari or Jabari in that deal. There's no path to either guy starting together and I don't think they're going to have the cash to pay both guys what they're worth. Big fan of Reed too, he's like exactly crafted to succeed in a 2024 NBA offense.

Reed+Tari or Jabari+3 FRP. There's your starting point.
Reed and Jabari plus two picks
 
the weird thing is in the Draymond interview he said he would love to retire a King. He’s not really a lip service kinda guy, he probably meant it. I’d have to think his preference is to at least see what the front office does and see if we turn it around before asking for a trade. I think some fans don’t want a drama and speculation filled rest of the season and would rather pivot now but that’s also coming on the heels of a 4 game losing streak. Let’s say we trade for John Collins or whoever and Devin Carter comes back and for whatever reason that provides the spark we need, a lot of people will fell different.
This is where I’m at just go for broke who cares what you lose we’ll get it back if we trade fox but not trying is asinine.

Derozan, Lyle’s, a first and second
For
Kuzma and Jonas

Huerter, Keon
For
DFS


Fox/McCaughlin
Monk/Carter
Keegan/Doug
DFS/Kuzma
Sabonis/Jonas

We would have a very solid bench and added size
 
Last edited:
I think it's more me holding out hope, since we have seen signs over his career that he can be an effective scorer. There's also a big difference if we clear out all these USG guys since he's basically relegated to the HB role this season after taking a USG leap last year. Like, if you took away Fox/DDR/Huerter/Lyles... who the hell is left to shoot the ball? Monk can only fire that thing so often. I don't think he'd hop right into first option USG, but I think he'd be like 20-21%, which is like a 2nd/3rd option type. If he could be comfortable there and shoot how we expect him to shoot; that's how he fully becomes a foundational piece with his defense.
I think we should try everything our power (without giving up any notable) to get Kris on the team. Maybe that’s what could help unlock Keegan. Kris has already fallen out the rotation for the Blazers
 
If things don’t get better and Fox decides it’s best to move on I would even consider JUST Amen and Reed. Amen could be top 5 in defensive player of the year every season and Reed being a more athletic Mark Price is on the table.

Monk
Devin
Keegan
Amen
Sabonis

That would be super fun to watch this year and then you would likely have a top ten pick plus Reed to develop for next season. If you told me just Amen or Tari and 3 picks it’s tough but Amen is a game changer defensively. A defense first team with Brown would be awesome
 
If things don’t get better and Fox decides it’s best to move on I would even consider JUST Amen and Reed. Amen could be top 5 in defensive player of the year every season and Reed being a more athletic Mark Price is on the table.

Monk
Devin
Keegan
Amen
Sabonis

That would be super fun to watch this year and then you would likely have a top ten pick plus Reed to develop for next season. If you told me just Amen or Tari and 3 picks it’s tough but Amen is a game changer defensively. A defense first team with Brown would be awesome
I like it enough. Houston would be giving up on two young 3 and 4 picks. Not sure the Native son is worth all that.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
True, its just thought provoking. In short time I can easily see us winning that trade with just Reed and Amen in return so curious how Houston would view the proposal.
It’s the old adage of “a star in hand is better than potential future stars”

Sheppard and Amen could both be good. Heck, one day they might even be as good as De’Aaron Fox!
 
We just saw the Knicks give up like a bajillion picks and Bogdonavic for Mikal Bridges.
Yeah, we do this song and dance every time:

"THEY HAVE NO REASON TO PAY UP, FOX WILL JUST LEAVE THE KINGS" and then they pay the price anyway. This is how star hunting works in the NBA; you don't know who or when they're going to be available, but if you want a guy like Fox, you have to take your shot and get him because he's not going to UFA. I can't even remember the last time a guy like Fox was a true UFA. Maybe Bron/Bosh going to the Heat? Especially with the entire NBA pretty well in cap hell.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
Yeah, we do this song and dance every time:

"THEY HAVE NO REASON TO PAY UP, FOX WILL JUST LEAVE THE KINGS" and then they pay the price anyway. This is how star hunting works in the NBA; you don't know who or when they're going to be available, but if you want a guy like Fox, you have to take your shot and get him because he's not going to UFA. I can't even remember the last time a guy like Fox was a true UFA. Maybe Bron/Bosh going to the Heat? Especially with the entire NBA pretty well in cap hell.
I guess the only big example of a star star moving in FA under the current CBA is Paul George but all indications are that no one aside from the Sixers and Clippers really wanted him that bad on account of him being old and washed.
 
I guess the only big example of a star star moving in FA under the current CBA is Paul George but all indications are that no one aside from the Sixers and Clippers really wanted him that bad on account of him being old and washed.
Also, how many teams would be positioned where the Sixers were to even offer him that deal since they literally had 2 guaranteed contracts when signing him? And it had to be a team he wanted to go to. Like if the Hornets had that offer, he's staying with the Clippers.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
Also the Rockets have like no extra draft capital to work with right now on account of them still owing OKC draft stuff for the Russell Westbrook trade so they sure as hell better give up some combo of Amen/Jabari/Tari/Reed/Whitmore in a hypothetical Fox trade.
fanspo-nba-trade-machine-snap_12-24-2024_8-36-26AM.png
 
Last edited:
Yeah I’m disappointed in Brown/Monte.
  • Why aren’t we playing Keon?
  • Why did we sign Crowder to sit on the bench?
  • Why are our rotations so different from game to game and even half to half?
  • Why have Keegan bulk up, mess with his shot, and then not ever post him up when we have guards on him?
  • We don’t seem to ever target weak links like other teams do to us all the time by switching Kevin or Monk or Doug, etc onto them. Why?
  • Why are we allowing DDR to come in and completely mess with the flow and go iso mode when it isn’t working?
The shot is what it is, posting up is something said by Brown and yeah, still not followed through on. Keegan only shot 35% last season prior to "bulking up", he'll get up there again I'm sure. The question is why the drop. Defense taking too much energy? Teams reading Keegan better on curls and screens? Keegan is a F, SF/PF, really doesn't matter. And BTW, whatever Keegan is doing now is working on the boards. That opened up a whole aspect of his game and one we saw in college. I think the issue moving on is that Keegan needs to be moved off of being the POA defender as much as he is. Keon is more effective at it and Carter should be as well. That way Keegan can save some energy. Keegan having to chase guards around who are far quicker than him is wearing him down.
 
If things don’t get better and Fox decides it’s best to move on I would even consider JUST Amen and Reed. Amen could be top 5 in defensive player of the year every season and Reed being a more athletic Mark Price is on the table.

Monk
Devin
Keegan
Amen
Sabonis

That would be super fun to watch this year and then you would likely have a top ten pick plus Reed to develop for next season. If you told me just Amen or Tari and 3 picks it’s tough but Amen is a game changer defensively. A defense first team with Brown would be awesome
Most reputable podcast are saying Amen ain’t happening including Dlo/KC and I agree. Reed and Jabari is a very good trade with a first added I like Reed’s potential and if he’s surrounded by Carter, Keegan, and Jabari that’s a lot of size and length.
 
Most reputable podcast are saying Amen ain’t happening including Dlo/KC and I agree. Reed and Jabari is a very good trade with a first added I like Reed’s potential and if he’s surrounded by Carter, Keegan, and Jabari that’s a lot of size and length.
that’s up to the Rockets. Fox is a much better player than Amen and still pre-prime. Gotta pay up to get all stars and they have 3 other wings to make up for it
 

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
Was asking if Fox is even that guy with his attitude and not being a killer they were asking why Ja has Memphis always playing elite level basketball when he’s not hurt or suspended. Said maybe the kings should start calling around instead of waiting for klutch to demand out
It's a fair question of why Fox needs to "Hulk up" before he takes over. It's quite annoying knowing he has an extra gear but is happy not to use it.

I really like Fox and hate that we're here but he's sort of the one who has started playing with the safety glass on the eject switch here. It's cliche AF but better to move on a year too early than a year too late. We're at the point where next year is the year.
 
Rockets could trade us amen and Reed and then move Sengun Jalen plus a couple picks to Miami for Bam. Unload jimmy and Miami can do a quick rebuild
Yeah, but then they are completely remaking their team and doing it during their "honeymoon" phase. Super unlikely. Fox is in that classic spot of a franchise needing a specific scenario that the player won't sink like Siakam did.
 
A problem that can come up in a scenario like this is that other teams will know you’re in a tough spot and need to do something, whether that’s trading for yet another significant piece to add to the rotation or selling off your players. They will resist or refuse to give equal value back. It’s hard to get true value back out of your roster like that, sort of a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario. Truth of the matter is, no matter what approach we take, we won’t be in the driver’s seat.
Most likely, idling could do more harm letting Fox walk or something else. Crossing my finger there's another team or two that are as desperate as we are to make a swap.
 
Jabari also would be a very good front court partner for Sabonis
Jabari/Keegan forward pairing would be pretty darn good. Both can guard all types of forwards. Jabari plays a little C. Although both Keegan and Smith seem to continually shoot worse from three than you’d expect so the hope would be that one of them can turn things around.
 
Again, I wouldn’t blow it up just yet.

We have yet to see what a Fox/Sabonis core looks like when you surround them with size, length, athleticism, defense, and shooting. We’ve had shooting around them but we have failed everywhere else.

Go get guys like Jerami Grant, Dorian Finney-Smith, Robert Williams, Larry Nance, Isaiah Stewart, etc. that allow us to build that new style of team around these guys.

If the team fails with size, length, athleticism, defense, and shooting around Fox/Sabonis then blow it up, but it would be a missed opportunity to not even see what that could be with that type of roster construction.
That's where I am, too. I was just disappointed in Monte McNair for not making concrete steps in that direction.
 
Jabari/Keegan forward pairing would be pretty darn good. Both can guard all types of forwards. Jabari plays a little C. Although both Keegan and Smith seem to continually shoot worse from three than you’d expect so the hope would be that one of them can turn things around.
Also Jabari and Keegan would really compliment Sabonis from a defensive standpoint