Sixers just fleeced the Kings

[ArmourAll]

I get just looking at what they gave up, you could think that. But JT is nothing special, Landry is always hurt, and Nik might get better but I was never a fan of the pick and don't think losing him is a big deal. The Kings are trying to build a competitive team around Cousins right now and they had no chance of doing that with those bad contracts and a lotto pick in 2018. Will it work? I guess we'll have to wait and see on who they sign and how they do in 2015-2016. It's either this or trade the face of the franchise now and rebuild again, and there would be people saying that's a stupid move too.

I think this trade has more to do with building a team around Cousins for now than worrying about the future. Whether or not I agree with the reasoning of the Kings front office, this move will create cap to sign a player to help in the present. I believe that Demarcus Cousins will see that the front office really does see his value and believe that they can build a playoff team around him. And if Cousins knows the Kings can surround him with enough talent to make the players he will be more likely to stay in Sacramento for the long term. The Kings are a much better team with Boogie than with a couple minor role players and a top 10 protected draft pick.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Maybe now is a great time to offer Sacre and Kelly for Cousins...

 

[Bolts]

I think this trade has more to do with building a team around Cousins for now than worrying about the future. Whether or not I agree with the reasoning of the Kings front office, this move will create cap to sign a player to help in the present. I believe that Demarcus Cousins will see that the front office really does see his value and believe that they can build a playoff team around him. And if Cousins knows the Kings can surround him with enough talent to make the players he will be more likely to stay in Sacramento for the long term. The Kings are a much better team with Boogie than with a couple minor role players and a top 10 protected draft pick.

Exactly, the Kings want to show Cousins they want to win now and are willing to trade a future 1st rd pick and a former lottery pick to do so. It might not work, but the alternative is to trade him and rebuild again. I'm happy to see them put in the effort to be a competitive team no matter the end result.

 

[Bolts]

Maybe now is a great time to offer Sacre and Kelly for Cousins...

Throw in Nick Young and you got yourself a deal.

 

[Retroram52]

I'd do that deal.

 

[HammerDown]

"Dear Lord above, I thank you that I was not born a Sacramento Queens fan."

 

[Retroram52]

 

[Robotech]

What can you expect from a team whose owner believes that cherry-picking is a viable strategy in the NBA?

 

[Retroram52]

What a flippin' perpetual train wreck they are.

 

[Bolts]

Seems like at this point no matter what the Kings do, most people will criticize it and say how shitty the franchise is.

 

[lakersrule]

Seems like at this point no matter what the Kings do, most people will criticize it and say how shitty the franchise is.

I thought the was the current Lakers situation?

 

[Bolts]

I thought the was the current Lakers situation?

Could be both, but for the Lakers I think that's more because they're not normally a shitty team so people love to criticize their moves and make fun of them when they suck(I know I do).
For the Kings, it's always damned if you do damned if you don't.

 

[ericd7633]

Seems like at this point no matter what the Kings do, most people will criticize it and say how shitty the franchise is.

People are criticizing it because they didn't really need to do it. Getting just Rondo won't make them a playoff contender. They basically signed an older Stauskas and gave him like 4 mil more per season. They were too far away from the playoffs to start salary dumping looking to sign free agents. It was just flawed thinking from the start. Honestly the franchise would have been better off trading Cousins. They're going nowhere with him as it is. The kings could have had Randle, Russell, McLemore, Stauskas, and WCS as young assets. They could have grown with that for the next year, cut Thompson after next year, than Landry is off the books the following season and they have tons of cap space and young assets to try and get two stars. What's the harm in waiting 2 more years at the potential of having something really special?

 

[Bolts]

People are criticizing it because they didn't really need to do it. Getting just Rondo won't make them a playoff contender. They basically signed an older Stauskas and gave him like 4 mil more per season. They were too far away from the playoffs to start salary dumping looking to sign free agents. It was just flawed thinking from the start. Honestly the franchise would have been better off trading Cousins. They're going nowhere with him as it is. The kings could have had Randle, Russell, McLemore, Stauskas, and WCS as young assets. They could have grown with that for the next year, cut Thompson after next year, than Landry is off the books the following season and they have tons of cap space and young assets to try and get two stars. What's the harm in waiting 2 more years at the potential of having something really special?

I don't think Rondo and Marco will be the end of their Free Agency, they still need to add a big(Koufos maybe) and hopefully bring back Casspi. A starting lineup of Rondo/Ben/Rudy/WCS/Boogie and bench of DC/Marco/Casspi/Moreland/Koufos isn't bad. I like that team a LOT better than what I've seen in recent years. Is it a playoff team? idk, I wouldn't pick them to make it right now but things can change and opportunities can come up. They decided to keep their star and try to make room to build a team that has a chance of making the playoffs and if they can add a solid big and Casspi I'd say they have done that.

Obviously they could have traded Cousins, but even then people would criticize them saying "How can you trade one of the(if not the) best centers in the league and rebuild again? This team will never be good because they can't keep their top players and nobody wants to go there."

 

[ericd7633]

I don't think Rondo and Marco will be the end of their Free Agency, they still need to add a big(Koufos maybe) and hopefully bring back Casspi. A starting lineup of Rondo/Ben/Rudy/WCS/Boogie and bench of DC/Marco/Casspi/Moreland/Koufos isn't bad. I like that team a LOT better than what I've seen in recent years. Is it a playoff team? idk, I wouldn't pick them to make it right now but things can change and opportunities can come up. They decided to keep their star and try to make room to build a team that has a chance of making the playoffs and if they can add a solid big and Casspi I'd say they have done that.

Obviously they could have traded Cousins, but even then people would criticize them saying "How can you trade one of the(if not the) best centers in the league and rebuild again? This team will never be good because they can't keep their top players and nobody wants to go there."

I still don't think the signing of Rondo, Marco and Koufos will make the Kings significantly better. I mean is Koufos even an upgrade over Thompson and Landry? Based on their respective careers its basically a wash. And now the Kings have an additional 3 years worth of salary invested in someone that doesn't really upgrade the roster(assuming Thompson would have gotten cut after next year). Marco is an upgrade over Stauskas only because he has more experience and Stauskas is a somewhat unknown at this point. Marco and Stauskas had very similar production their rookie years, so at worst Stauskas is a rotation player just like Marco is, only 8 years younger and about 4 million less expensive. And Rondo is a complete question mark. I actually think he'll be serviceable but if he is he's going to leave after next year, at least IMO.

Do these moves make them better than the Jazz and Pelicans? I don't think it does.

Golden State, Houston, Memphis, San Antonio, and OKC are playoff locks next year. The Clippers and Mavs should still make it. Who's left fighting for the last spot; New Orleans, Portland, Utah and Phoenix. I still think the Kings finish 10th or worse next year.

 

[Bolts]

I still don't think the signing of Rondo, Marco and Koufos will make the Kings significantly better. I mean is Koufos even an upgrade over Thompson and Landry? Based on their respective careers its basically a wash. And now the Kings have an additional 3 years worth of salary invested in someone that doesn't really upgrade the roster(assuming Thompson would have gotten cut after next year). Marco is an upgrade over Stauskas only because he has more experience and Stauskas is a somewhat unknown at this point. Marco and Stauskas had very similar production their rookie years, so at worst Stauskas is a rotation player just like Marco is, only 8 years younger and about 4 million less expensive. And Rondo is a complete question mark. I actually think he'll be serviceable but if he is he's going to leave after next year, at least IMO.

Do these moves make them better than the Jazz and Pelicans? I don't think it does.

Golden State, Houston, Memphis, San Antonio, and OKC are playoff locks next year. The Clippers and Mavs should still make it. Who's left fighting for the last spot; New Orleans, Portland, Utah and Phoenix. I still think the Kings finish 10th or worse next year.

Landry he's definitely better than, can't go by career marks because Landry is now inured and not the same player he was as a Rocket. Thompson is a closer comparison to Koufos, but I'd still give the nod to Koufos. Thompson was a starter for most of his career and Koufos came off the bench more especially recently with Memphis. I'll definitely take WCS/Koufos over Landry/Thompson/Reggie Evans. Marco might just be a more experienced Nik(we'll see how much better he gets) but he is better right now and has championship experience, both things that help the Kings who are trying to win now. Rondo is a definite upgrade over Ray and Sessions who was horrible before going to Washington. He's a question mark, but that's why he only got 1 year because they didn't want a long term commitment if he still plays like Dallas Rondo.
Like I said before, I still wouldn't put them in the top 8 right now because most of those teams are better(Blazers aren't better and I'd say the Suns without LMA are at best even with the Kings). I do think they have potential to be a 7 or 8 seed if things go right for them, but they could also finish 10th or worse like you said.

 

[flyerhawk]

Seems like at this point no matter what the Kings do, most people will criticize it and say how shitty the franchise is.

The trade didn't really get them anything but put them at risk to lose a LOT. They face the risk of losing 2 straight lottery picks. Stauskas at least has potential.

A salary dump when you are, at best, a marginal bubble team makes very little sense.

 

[Bolts]

The trade didn't really get them anything but put them at risk to lose a LOT. They face the risk of losing 2 straight lottery picks. Stauskas at least has potential.

A salary dump when you are, at best, a marginal bubble team makes very little sense.

I'd say the Kings could be a playoff team if things go right, which means at best they are a 7 or 8 seed. And if that happens the move was a definite success. (I'm not saying they make it, but I'm saying they could)
If they have a horrible year they will still keep their pick and probably won't swap because Philly should be worse.
I guess the worse case scenario is they finish 9th or 10th, miss the playoffs, and the Bulls get their pick. But at least they'd be close and hopefully turning around the losing culture of that franchise.

The Kings gave up a potential player in Nik, a potential top 10 protected draft pick, and potential draft swaps to put themselves into a position they haven't been in for close to a decade. I'll take it and if it fails it fails, but nobody will know who won this trade for at least a couple years.

 

[flyerhawk]

The Kings gave up a potential player in Nik, a potential top 10 protected draft pick, and potential draft swaps to put themselves into a position they haven't been in for close to a decade. I'll take it and if it fails it fails, but nobody will know who won this trade for at least a couple years.

I guess. IMO, mortgaging the future in hopes that you might be a marginal playoff bubble team that will, at best, have an early exit from the playoffs, seems shortsighted to me.

Landry and Thompson probably had more value as expiring contracts when they came due.

 

[Bolts]

I guess. IMO, mortgaging the future in hopes that you might be a marginal playoff bubble team that will, at best, have an early exit from the playoffs, seems shortsighted to me.

Landry and Thompson probably had more value as expiring contracts when they came due.

Not sure how they are mortgaging their future with what they gave up.
-a future pick that is top 10 protected
-2 swapped picks that may never be swapped
-a rookie who had a horrible first year and has value because of potential
We don't know if any of those picks or players will turn into stars and make the Kings regret this trade, like I said we won't know how good or bad this trade was for a few years. And of course they wouldn't last long in the playoffs, but getting guys like Boogie, Ben, WCS, and others that playoff experience can only help them get better in the future. They're never gonna be good enough to compete for a title until they get that exposure to the big stage even if it's short lived. Also, making it to the playoffs might give them more of a chance to attract FA's in the future because players won't think of them as a mess of a franchise.