Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee sat down for a Q&A with Geoff Petrie, president of basketball operations for the Kings, and discussed a number of topics. Here are the highlights of the two–part interview:
- Restricted free agent power forward Jason Thompson is "somebody we will definitely give the qualifying offer to and look to re-sign," Petrie says.
- The team will look to make roster changes that add interior defense, three-point shooting and offensive efficiency this summer.
- The draft lottery will help decide how the team allocates its resources with regard to free agents. The Kings currently sit in the fifth slot, with a 7.6% chance of grabbing the No. 1 pick.
- The deepest positions in the draft are power forward and center, Petrie believes, and he says the team will not pick a player from overseas in the first round.
- With the team already about $15MM under the cap and no plans to spend major money in the offseason, Petrie says there's no pressing need to use the amnesty clause.
- It's been hard to assess second-year center Hassan Whiteside, who's been limited to only 19 career NBA games in large part because of injuries. His minimum-salary deal becomes guaranteed for next season if he's not waived by July 15. Petrie said the team will work with him over the summer, so that seems like a sign they'll keep him around.
- Petrie has one year left on his contract, and was noncommittal when asked how much longer he would stay in his position. "I honestly don't think about that," he said. "I think about next year and what we do. Whatever the future holds after that, personally or collectively, I really don't spend much time pondering that."