Haven’t seen much of him but not a good sign the Kings didn’t pick up his option. If we were to get a big man I’d want someone who is a significant upgrade over our current crop, otherwise we are just adding more clutter to the position.
What the Kings do or don't do is irrelevant. They are not a trustworthy organization for evaluation of talent.
I disagree. The Kings although historically badly run have been doing a better job in recent times hence their surprise record last year. Whenever a team doesn’t pick up an option on a very cheap contract it’s a warning sign.
I'm not sold on the Kings' evaluation.
2016 Papagiannis (13), Malachi Richardson (22), Skal (28)
2017 Fox (5), Jackson (15)
2018 Bagley (2)
2016 was a disaster of a draft for them. Trading up to get a player that probably would have been available and who is no longer in the league.
They get credit for drafting Fox in 2017. He's a good player. I don't think anyone thought he'd be a superstar at the time--I still don't. Still, they could have drafted Isaac or Frank or Smith Jr. or Monk instead. 3 of those 4 are absolute busts and many scouts thought they were in the same tier as Fox.
2018 is an unmitigated disaster. They could have had Doncic, a possible future MVP candidate. Instead, they drafted a forward scorer without superstar potential due to his size and defensive deficiencies. He's another John Collins--not a bust, but not a great player either. It's not like this hindsight either. At the time, both the Suns and the Kings were lit up for not drafting Doncic.
The trade for Bogdonavic was a good trade. He's a solid NBA wing player. Not an all-star, but a solid player.
The trade for Barnes is fine. Nothing gained or lost, but the decision to sign him to such a huge extension is a big mistake. It limited their ability to offer Hield a big contract. It probably was the exact decision that forced them not to pick up Giles option. With this team, I think I'd rather have Giles on a rookie contract than Barnes on a huge contract.
The problem with this team is now the limited upside. Maybe Fox takes the leap into stardom. He is pretty close. Still, there is definitely a possibility that no current player on the Kings roster ever sees an all-star game. How is that good evaluation?