While Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox is clearly locked in as the team’s starter at that position, the identity of his backcourt cohort is a bit up in the air. James Ham of The Kings Beat takes stock of the team’s options at shooting guard.
Ham identifies 6’7″ sharpshooter Kevin Huerter, acquired in a trade with the Hawks over the summer, as the option that makes the most sense fit-wise, but notes that free agent signing Malik Monk could get significant consideration as well. Inconsistent wing Terence Davis should get some run in the rotation, while Ham also examines the upside of young swingmen Sam Merrill and Keon Ellis.
There’s more out of California:
- Shooting guard Jerome Robinson faces an uphill battle when it comes to making the Warriors‘ regular season roster. C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle details how the 25-year-old will need to prove his mettle in training camp. In his 2021/22 campaign with Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, the former lottery pick recorded averages of 20.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 3.8 APG in 22 games. Holmes writes that the team may be prioritizing a point guard or more size with the final one or two spots on its standard 15-man roster.
- The Warriors seem fully capable of mounting a solid title defense this season, HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan opines in a fresh season preview. Gozlan posits that Golden State’s excellent two-way play and deep roster of veterans, mixed with some intriguing youth, should make the team a formidable threat in the Western Conference.,
- On a recent episode of his podcast The Hoop Collective, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that the Lakers were never involved in three-team trade talks between the Jazz and Knicks in a potential trade to send Donovan Mitchell to New York. The three-time All-Star was eventually dealt to the Cavaliers instead in a two-team deal. Windhorst adds that the Lakers appear to think that there is no deal for $47MM+ point guard Russell Westbrook, even with their tantalizing 2027 and 2029 first-round picks included, that will significantly upgrade their roster.
There’s just no point in trading Westbrook anymore. Save the cap space for Irving in the off-season and keep the picks. There’s just no trade scenario that makes the lakers title contenders this year. Turner, Hield, bogdanovich or whomever else from the jazz or pacers won’t move the needle and will just clog up cap space next year.
If Westbrook is not traded,
How do you compare Kings to Lakers?
Who is the worst team in CA?
Man, you’ve got to trade away all future picks
Buddy, politely, stop. The Lakers have Lebron and AD. So long as those guys are on the roster, they will be better than the Kings. Keegan looks like a hit but this roster is not what you think it is. Sabonis is not who you think he is. Fox is not.. well he probably is who you think he is. The drought will hit 20 seasons. Let’s just stop now. I beg you.
Kyrie Irving can’t be signed for the cap room the Lakers currently have available in summer 2023. They’d have to do a sign and trade with Brooklyn and go into the tax.
Again. Who cares. Time to move on.
How do you figure?
Lakers have 4 players under contract next year for 90 mil.
Salary cap will be 130 + next year.
I think it’ll go to Hueter cause of his shooting ability and the benefit that could have while having Fox and Sabonis on the floor trying to score in the paint.
This kings roster has a bunch of talent but it’s about all over the place really. I think Malik Monk was a great pick up especially considering how he’s played with Fox in college. I though Keegan Murray was a great choice in the draft but as a whole the roster doesn’t seem to fit that well. There’s a huge obvious hole on defence and a lack of consistent outside shooting and it’s hard to win games without either of these things.
With Fox and Sabonis this kinda looks like the ceiling for this team. Good but just an awkward fit which doesn’t really work together.
Really doubt they make a trade before the season starts but wouldn’t be surprised if they made a drastic change before the deadline or in the offseason.
Hard to see how they would go about getting better or rebuilding with what they have aswell. Foxs value after another meh season would probably be at an all time low. Sabonis holds value but they just traded a fair bit to get him they won’t want to lose him.
An outside the box idea but say the lakers don’t move off Russ which is growing more and more likely. The kings suck once again.
Russ,Nunn and 2 first round picks for Fox and Barnes???
Kings say we want the 55mil scoring contracts and plan to rebuild quickly. Build around Murray and Sabonis and already have Hueter and Monk locked in at SG. Picks and money to spend….
Notable FA’s, Dlo, Wiggins, LeVert, Oubre, Deandre Hunter, Coby White, Cam Reddish, Cam Johnson, Tyler Herro and Jordan Poole.
Try a 1 year rebuild and line up something like
Mitchell Hueter Hunter (FA) Murray Sabonis
White (FA) Monk Whitmore (draft) Lyles Holmes
Sounds kinda crazy cause right now on paper they look a decent team but I don’t see it working and I think another non playoff season for Fox sees him out the door. Defence would be a lot better with Mitchell and Hunter.
Lakers deceive to stick with Russ and it doesn’t work they say hey Russ wasn’t working for us and we have managed to get a young point guard that will hopefully help us win more games and it’s also about of planning for the future after LeBron. Harrison Barnes would also be a great addition for trying to win now. Try turn the season around
this is too long you know I can’t read
Totally Understand hahah
So all that trade talk about a 3 way was pure lies. Face it Westbrook is not getting traded and if you hear a rumor he will be traded its just for click bait.
It’s been interesting tracking the Lakers media this summer. They and the fans bought into everything, including the three-way. It was amazing hearing hours of speculation on the “fit” of Kyrie, Myles Turner, Bogdanovich. They even dreamed of adding Joe Harris and Seth Curry. Or they thought maybe some nice young talent from San Antonio might be coming. It’s just amazing what the imagination can do.
@johns you know it’s not the “Laker” media that is doing the speculating. As a fan I find it amusing seeing nationwide NBA journalists using the Lakers as a way to get more likes.
@implant humm…ESPN, Disney Sports, is based in Los Angeles, the home Stephanie A, and all her other Worshippers, like Skip Bayless, are based in Los Angeles.
I blame the media too. Most lakers fans know Westbrook is going nowhere.
Most people are aware that no team is interested in trading for Russ because he is way too overpaid for a player with a lot of flaws.
Kings are a 100 piece puzzle….
and those pieces fit 5 different puzzles, not 1
@jumpshot Nice way to be vague and tell us what you have no idea what you are talking about. What are you talking about?
Good to know that Davion Mitchell has no future in Sacramento lol.
@phillyballer. What do you have against Davion Mitchell? He is not mentioned once in the article. What is you problem.