Give the Kings some credit — at least they’re consistent.
Just when it looked like the franchise was on the upswing, the team has produced another disastrous season. Despite all the lottery picks dotting the Kings’ roster, they’re destined to miss the postseason party for the 16th consecutive season.
The latest dumpster fire is raging out of control. They’ve lost five straight and 10 of their last 12 games, including a 53-point thrashing by the Celtics on Tuesday, to drop 14 games below .500.
A coaching change from Luke Walton to Alvin Gentry backfired, as the team only got worse after it let Walton go.
Not surprisingly, Sacramento has been involved in more trade rumors than any other team. The latest one floated around is that the Lakers might have some interest in Buddy Hield.
The Kings have seemingly been trying to trade Hield virtually since he signed an extension that runs through the 2023/24 season. It was also reported on Friday that they’ve pulled out of the Ben Simmons sweepstakes due to Philadelphia’s overwhelming demands.
The Kings were reportedly considering offering Tyrese Haliburton, Hield, Harrison Barnes, and two future first-round picks in exchange for Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Matisse Thybulle. Another report later indicated the Kings want to build their roster around Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox and weren’t interested in taking back Harris in a Simmons deal.
The Kings have also reportedly told Fox he wasn’t going anywhere, though that could be just posturing at this point. They’ve also been linked to other hot names on the trade market, such as Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner and Jerami Grant.
In any case, it’s hard to imagine the Kings not doing something significant in the next two weeks.
That leads us to our question of the day: What players should the Kings target prior to the trade deadline? And which players do they need to shed to turn their fortunes around?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
The needs to trade all the vets and tank are Mitchell and Hailburtin. IMO
The Kings need to make trades to upgrade the roster. Tanking for them hasn’t seemed to work the last 16 years
No, that’s the problem. They haven’t been truly tanking. They are continually try to make a competitive team, but end up getting nowhere. They win just enough games to be out of the top 5 picks. They’re in basketball purgatory. They need to make a decision and stick with it
We haven’t tried to tank. We’ve just sucked.
Trueblue is right, the goal of tanking is to get that top pick, and at worst settling for 2 or 3. That’s where you find the actual superstars that are the top talent of the league on a more regular basis. Kings haven’t quite lost enough to get those picks unfortunately, and that’s exactly what they’re needing right now.
Haliburton and Mitchell should be the desired backcourt. Holmes is a respectable center – you could stay with him or reboot there in the draft. Everyone else should be fair game for discussion.
Bagley and Thompson have expiring contracts, so it might be an opportunity to get involved as a 3rd team in a deal and get some draft picks. Barnes, Hield and Fox should also be on the block, but if value isn’t there, they can hold onto them and reinvestigate the market during the offseason.
the kings have some good players but it shows how many teams out there refuses to trade valuable players. I am still surprised 76ers can’t work out something for Simmons but that is the 76ers GM fault. They should put Fox on the trading only because if they move him it will free up enough money to sign a big star player.
Sign a big star? In Sacramento? Good one.
You think a NBA player who can get a big fat contract cares if its Sacramento? If they can get a max contract many will take it.
If he has a max or near-max offer elsewhere? Yeah they do. There’s a reason why the Kings are the only major sports franchise in Sacramento.
News flash: People who make a lot of money don’t like to be taxed on that money. There is a trade off that involves opportunity. This would be why teams like the Kings and up until recently the Clippers have struggled to bring in top tier talent. Clippers benefited from having a core that could compete for a title with the addition of big stars. The Kings can’t, haven’t, and won’t be able to say the same thing. If those two teams weren’t enough for you, I encourage you to look into the last 20 years in Golden State’s history…
@arc89
Wiggins is the most efficient of 10 all-star starters
offense
3-point field goal ranking
Wiggins 41.2%
Curry 37.7%
Young 37.5%
Durant 37.2%
It’s not close.
defensive field goal (the lower the better)
Wiggins 41.8%
Rudy Gobert 42.3%
Giannis 42.7%
There is a reason Wiggins is a starter.
Media
players
fans
Not really apropos of the subject here, but you’re correct. The piling on Wiggins is dumb. He has definitely had an all-star starter type of season. I’d have gone with Gobert myself, but Wiggins would have been #2.
So even the Wiggans fan would not have chosen Wiggans.
Sullivan keep showing your mental status by bringing up Wiggans out of the blue and relating your limited grasp of stats.
Significant? It would be next to impossible for them to do anything significant (at least as to their fortunes) without moving Fox or TH (which they’ve said they won’t do), or putting their own 1st rounders in play without much protection (which they shouldn’t do). They have other trade assets, and their FO should manage them (its their job), but nothing that results from a trade of them is likely to move the needle.
I want to make all Kings available.
I can only accept top tier players.
I don’t want Tobias Harris contract.
Tobias Harris would probably be the best player on Kings day 1.
Harris would dominate in SAC, just not on a team with Embiid, which SAC will not get.
Nobody could get 5 players better than prime Harris due to salary cap restrictions.
Tobias Harris 3 year $116 million remaining
average $38 million
Simmons 4 year $147 million
average $37 million
How do the Kings sign all star free agents in summer?
Through some sort of voodoo? Blackmail? A trip into an alternate reality? Here is a question for you – how do you manage to add no value to any discussion you join?
hahaha… what all-star free agents want to join the dumpster fire in Sacramento?
That’s a crazy trade. Sixers would never do that. Simmons is the right guy to bring to Sacramento. They are missing the host on this. He brings credibility and a new future. Away from all the media Ben can just concentrate on playing. I think it’s perfect for both sides. He can help bring them back to winning. Unfortunately Moreyon wants too much from Kings. And we all know he really rather Harden.
Kings need a major overhaul. This draft has plenty of bigs. To have two lottery picks in this draft. Will payoff big.
Ben Simmons is a locker room cancer…why anyone would mortgage the farm for this crybaby is beyond me.
Can you explain to me what this means? Can you point out one other player labeled as “locker room cancer” that didn’t have an impact on their team? There are plenty of things to not like about Simmons. I talk about them constantly. This locker room cancer nonsense was made by sports media talking heads when the MJ vs Lebron debate doesnt get as many views as they’d like.
That’s not why his value is so low. He’s just an odd player that doesn’t fit very many places. A 6’11 point guard that can’t shoot, jump shots or free throws, is just peculiar and now you add concerns about his commitment to the sport on top of it. If the Sixers actually were offered a package that included TH, they were damn lucky to get it and should have jumped all over it.
Simmons? Credibilty, pace, defense, winning, size, scoring downhill, things that matter. Shooters can be found. Kings already have several, but, nobody like Simmons.
At least a Simmons debate is relevant to the Kings. A Wiggans debate is not. Maybe in a year or two.
Internet thought
The Lakers are still interested in trading for Hield, however, and have reportedly offered their current best trade asset — Talen Horton-Tucker — as the potential superstar in exchange for the Kings shooting guard.
Talen Horton-Tucker
3 point field goal 24.8% (terrible)
defensive field goal 47.8% (terrible)
Horton Tucker is not deserved to get pay like Ja Morant and Luka Doncic
Same age Same salary
Horton Tucker is not a qualified nba player for now.
Is he the next big thing? We don’t know yet.
Horton Tucker may be the reason Lakers are 9th seed. If he were Ja Morant, …..
He’s not anyone else. Rookie salary contracts are pinned to draft order. Fn child go to bed. I was going to say something until you started in. Time to mute.
Fox, Bagley and Thompson to Houston for Wall, Wood, an unprotected first this year and a pick swap next year. Barnes and a lightly protected first for John Collins. Get rid of Buddy for anything.
Those aren’t bad trade ideas at all. I really like grabbing Wood to go with Holmes in the frontcourt. They could stretch Wall, who’s only got one more year on his contract. Meanwhile the Rockets get a bona fide team leader and PG to start over with. I think the Hawks get better offers for Collins, but not by much. Buddy is worth something, at least a good 2nd rounder and an expiring salary match. They need a whirl of deals to just stir things up, and then get lucky with one draft pick.
Sell/transfer this franchise to Seattle.
Keep dreaming
Should target: Sabonis, Grant, Wood, Porter Jr and D Brooks
Should look to trade Beild immediately while making everyone available besides Haliburton.
My big unrealistic 2k proposal would be:
Kings: Al Horford, JRich, J Grant and KPJ
Celtics: John Wall and 2 seconds (Kings)
Pistons: Christian Wood
Rockets: DeAaron Fox, Buddy Heild and Bagley.
Kings then line up
Haliburton KPJ Grant Barnes and Holmes with a bench of Mitchell JRich Davis and Horford.
Solid defence and multiple scoring options.
Celtics deal Horford and JRich for Wall and picks.
Just a desperation add a point guard/third star move to battle for a playoff spot.
Pistons straight swap Grant for Wood. They then line up Cunningham Hayes Bey Wood Stewart with a bench of Jospeh Diallo Jackson Okynyk Garza. Wood saves them money and gives them another big which they seem to be after.
Lastly Rockets win the jackpot. They deal Walls terrible deal, Wood and KPJ who have both had issues on this team. Fox and Green make a hugely exciting backcourt. Heild and Gordon become big trade targets to dip at the deadline and Bagley is someone they can potentially keep and build with. They then look for a centre most likely
Kings perpetually think they are trading gold chip players, when all they have is fools gold. They need to do whatever it takes to bring in a star.