What If This Really Works Out for the Kings?

[Big333223]

The Kings were mocked pretty hard after the Cousins trade and for good reason. But what if it works out? What if Cousins flames out in New Orleans and proves to be a bad teammate that no team ever wins with?

Meanwhile, after the Cousins trade Buddy Hield averaged 15 points on .480/.428/.814 shooting. WCS averaged 13 points, 8 rebounds, a block and a steal. Skal Labissiere averged 11 and 6 on .561/.375/.698 shooting.

The Kings are picking 5th and 10th in the draft which means they'll have a shot at a guy like De'Aaron Fox, Jayson Tatum, or Josh Jackson and then they'll be looking at guys like Frank Ntilikina, Lauri Markkanen, Zach Collins or better if someone slips through the cracks.

Draft smart, lose a lot of games next season, and then take  another shot at the lottery next summer. The Kings are a joke right now but if they have a nice young core and another lottery piece on the way, wouldn't a free agent be smart to take the money and hop on that train as it's coming together in summer '18? Especially if the Kings have a lot of money to spend, which they should.

It'll take some luck (as these things do) but there's a road map here for the Kings to be relevant in the NBA again within a few seasons. They just have to not screw it up act like the Kings.

[TheSundanceKid]

A Boogie trade was always going to bring back a good haul. It can be debated how good this haul is compared to what might have happened in a deal with another team.

What is not debatable is that they would be in a much stronger position had they not made the trade with Philly. Around that time I was really keen on us doing a deal with them that would have involved 2 Brooklyn picks, a price that I think they would accept. They would have had 2 years of multiple top 10 picks, including either Jaylen or Fultz.

If we say it was the 16 + 17 picks and do direct substitution which obviously doesn't fit perfectly they could have had:
Brown, Fultz, Jackson and whoever they pick at 8 in the 16 draft (I think the Suns picked Chriss?)

Basically what I'm saying is even if this is a success, it is still a failure with wider context

[max215]

Ehhh, it could. If they're not stupid, they'll get something really good at #5, but I'm not high on #10 at all, as I see this draft as 8-deep. Say they take Fox, is a core of Fox, WCS, Hield, Skal, etc. really all that compelling?

[oldtype]

It already has, to a degree.  Having two top ten picks in a draft where the elite prospects go eleven-deep is an amazing way to kickstart a rebuild.  Cousins trade will be reevaluated dramatically if they walk away with, say, Tatum and Dennis Smith and they both turn out to be great.

[Jvalin]

''What If This Really Works Out for the Kings?''

Good for them and more importantly good for our Nets 2018 pick.
Let's go Kings!

[action781]

I think if I'm a Kings fan, I'm happier with their present outlook than I was 4 months ago.  So I'd say this has already worked out.

[jambr380]

I think Sacramento finally has the chance to exhale. The Cousins drama was getting to be too much and they finally have chosen a direction that makes sense. For the next several years, they won't be constantly mocked for being unable to surround Cousins with more talent or shown to be a completely incompetent franchise.

All of these young players should give the fan base something new to be excited about. They sucked with Cousins; it will be a lot more acceptable to suck without him.

[jambr380]

Ehhh, it could. If they're not stupid, they'll get something really good at #5, but I'm not high on #10 at all, as I see this draft as 8-deep. Say they take Fox, is a core of Fox, WCS, Hield, Skal, etc. really all that compelling?

By trading Cousins, they solidified themselves as bottom 10 bad and, thus, were able to keep their own pick (was top 10 protected in a previous trade). It may not be super-exciting to have a #10 pick, but it's a lot more exciting than not having their pick at all.

[Smokeeye123]

Only team I hope it works out for is the Nuggets. Those poor fans need something to cheer for.

[Big333223]

It already has, to a degree.  Having two top ten picks in a draft where the elite prospects go eleven-deep is an amazing way to kickstart a rebuild.  Cousins trade will be reevaluated dramatically if they walk away with, say, Tatum and Dennis Smith and they both turn out to be great.

This is what I'm thinking. I'm probably looking at all this a little too rosy because there's still a lot of luck involved but a future lineup of Dennis Smith, Hield, Tatum, Labissiere, and WCS sounds like a solid rotation all around if everyone develops well. And that team next season would lose enough games to get a top 5 pick again, almost assuredly. At that point, they'd have a ton of money to throw at FA's too.

For as great as Demarcus' talent is, I wouldn't be surprised if the Kings were competing for a championship before him.

With the caveat that it could all go badly and it probably will because it's the Kings.

[PhoSita]

If the King draft Fox or Smith at #5 and then Collins or Markkanen at #10, there young core would include:

- Hield
- WCS
- Skal
- Fox
- Markkanen
- Richardson
- Papagiannis

That's not a bad start.


Of course, the real pain there in SAC is that they haven't even made the playoffs in well over a decade now, and it's not clear when that promising group of players will mature to the point that they can challenge for the playoffs.  There's no guarantee that they ever will, or it might be 4-5 seasons even if they do. 

That's a long time considering how long they've already waited.  You could forgive Kings fans if they're not particularly interested in getting excited about the potential of yet another group of young players.

[tarheelsxxiii]

Ehhh, it could. If they're not stupid, they'll get something really good at #5, but I'm not high on #10 at all, as I see this draft as 8-deep. Say they take Fox, is a core of Fox, WCS, Hield, Skal, etc. really all that compelling?

Therein lies the problem.

[Big333223]

If the King draft Fox or Smith at #5 and then Collins or Markkanen at #10, there young core would include:

- Hield
- WCS
- Skal
- Fox
- Markkanen
- Richardson
- Papagiannis

That's not a bad start.


Of course, the real pain there in SAC is that they haven't even made the playoffs in well over a decade now, and it's not clear when that promising group of players will mature to the point that they can challenge for the playoffs.  There's no guarantee that they ever will, or it might be 4-5 seasons even if they do. 

That's a long time considering how long they've already waited.  You could forgive Kings fans if they're not particularly interested in getting excited about the potential of yet another group of young players.

That's a real concern but I think a team with hope doesn't necessarily need to be contending. Young talent and a bright future can go a long way. I bet Denver fans were very happy with their team last year.

On the other hand, I bet Orlando fans were not happy last year with their young squad. So it will be dependent on who those young players are and how they develop. But I think if they show talent and give the fans hope, that'll be good enough for a few years.

[Somebody]

Only team I hope it works out for is the Nuggets. Those poor fans need something to cheer for.

They have a good core...Mudiay+Harris+Murray is a really good guard rotation and they have Jokic. All they need is a Butler type of SF and they're a playoffs contender with the room to grow into a championship team.

[bopna]

Ehhh, it could. If they're not stupid, they'll get something really good at #5, but I'm not high on #10 at all, as I see this draft as 8-deep. Say they take Fox, is a core of Fox, WCS, Hield, Skal, etc. really all that compelling?

Therein lies the problem.

save for Cousins...when was the last time they actually fared well in the draft...uuh...hmmmm ....yup NEVER..

This team always seem to make a mistake on just about any player theyve drafted.