Brenden Nunes: The Sacramento Kings Should Embrace Their Youth

Brenden Nunes: The Sacramento Kings Should Embrace Their Youth

And uh joining me now it’s our guy Sack Town Sports Insider, Sacramento Kings insider. He talks to everyone and anyone and he has conversations that he can’t tell you about. That’s that’s who he is. That’s Brendan Nunees. Brendan, man, always a pleasure to have a conversation with you and and joining the show. No problem. Thanks for having me and appreciate you filling in for today. You know, I I I mentioned uh to you, but for the listeners, my little brother’s graduating high school today. It’s the last one on this side of the family. Actually, I would be lying if I wouldn’t play. It’s a little emotional. Okay. Okay. Now, it’s intriguing. I I graduated over 10 years ago from from from high school. And um here in Sacramento, what like or in the surrounding areas? I obviously I don’t know where, but h how is it? Is it usually is it stadium, outdoor, is it indoor? like how how do graduations tend to go out here and congratulations to any of the graduates, high school, college, promotions from middle school, whatever it is. Yeah, I think it’s a wide variety. I’ve definitely had moments of showing up to Golden One for Kings events, practices, whatever, and seen some graduations there. I’m sure there’s some colleges, I’d imagine that some high schools uh do that as well. But yeah, my little brother here uh same school that his sister went to. They just kind of do it on their football field really. And you know, hopefully be a little warm out there today, but we’ll be all right. fun little and I and I could personally speak to it being from Sacramento. My my high school graduation 1999 was at American River College. My daughter graduated dur unfortunately dur during the whole COVID situation. She graduated at Sutter Health Park. But I mean like like Brendan said, there’s they’re at schools there. I’ve seen many at Golden One Center this week, whether it be High School, Sak State. It it all depends on where where the situation is, where the budget is, and where you can go from there. No, I I know there’s high schools in in the other area as well, you know, the stadium, sometimes in the arena, however, um it ends up working out that way. But again, congratulations to every single one of you taking that next step in your life. Real world is coming up in front of you. Uh just enjoy it. Um, with that being uh said, Brendan, you know, it intrigues me to be in May and kind of sitting around and, you know, we we have to find and figure out ways to talk about the Sacramento Kings as much um as we can. And last time, you know, you and I chatted, we talked about the front office changes and the coaching changes and who’s in and who’s been out and and we dove into all of those things. But as I as I look at the Sacramento Kings, in your eyes, is Demar D Rozan going to be here in October or is Demar De Rozan really closer to his way out? because it just feels like that’s the one guy we’re all talking about in the potential change and I don’t know how much return you get for a guy like Demar De Rozan but what is the situation right now surrounding um D Rozan? Yeah, you know, when they brought him in last off seasonason, it felt like a opportunistic move rather than identifying, oh, this guy fits perfectly with the team. It was, oh, really, we can give up Harrison Barnes in a first. Like, we have to do something. Monty McNair, West Wilcox kind of uh stayed stagnant with the roster there for a little while. So, you see them go out and make a move for a guy that’s going to be a future fall h future future gez hall of famer. Um, obviously, but there were fit questions at the time, and I think that we saw those play out throughout last season. and they were middle of the pack in pace and I think you could really feel the difference from when D Rozan was out there verse when he wasn’t. He’s also not the greatest mesh with Demonisonus if we’re functioning as if assuming that this team is going to be ran through him next season, which is still TBD, but I think it makes the most sense to move on from Demar and especially if you are trying to go big fish hunting for a Trey Young, a John Morant. You can take Demar’s 24 almost $25 million next year and then the following year, the last year of his contract, only has 10 million guaranteed out of the 25 and a half, which may be a little bit appealing to some teams if they were just trying to move off from him when that deal comes to a close. But to your point, there’s not much value there. I’d imagine currently I think he’s about fair uh on what he’s on contractually again in that 25 range. But the Kings have so many first round picks available to them, especially after the one just conveyed in this draft to Atlanta that in my mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if we were talking about something with Demar, maybe Devin Carter, and some picks to go and try to make a big swing here. And that kind of sets me in a in a in a weird place because obviously there are some holes to this roster. And Brendan, we like I I’ve heard Allen talk about it, right? I heard you guys talk about it on on the round table as well. And it just kind of goes to me to say, look, make a decision whether you’re in or you’re out. Meaning the Sacramento Kings front office. You got to make a clear decision whether you’re going to continue status quo or you’re going to try to at least figure some things out. It just doesn’t feel like if you package D Rozan with a Devin Carter and picks, isn’t that a slap in the face putting Devin Carter in that trade to the fan base because you decided not to, you know, move the pick. you decided to draft you Dalton, you know, you had some players there that you kind of look back and you why why didn’t we go this way? You haven’t really had a full season of Devin Carter got hurt early. Um, you know, his development. What is your sentiment on that? Because like for me, I would look at it and go, “So you just so you just wasted a first round pick on Devin Carter and depending on how big that splash is. I don’t know if it, you know, I don’t know if it that splash can be big enough for me to change my mind on that.” Yeah. I think, you know, Devin Carter is still very TBD on what he can be in the NBA. Obviously, you don’t get the greatest sample size last year with him missing so much at the beginning of the season, shoulder injury, then you have to go through your rookie adjustments in the middle of the season. So, obviously, we don’t have a great feel for him and what he can provide. But, I think already being a drafted player makes him have either more or less value than some of these picks depending on what organization the Kings may be dealing with. So, I I think it would probably be a scenario where the other team would have to like Devin. Um, but I definitely hear what you’re saying and if the Kings are trying to get this back on track as quick as possible, which is what I expect them to do, then you probably keep the guy that you’ve already drafted compared to the hypothetical picks down the line. So, um, I I just kind of threw him in there because I think he’s one of the actually enticing additional pieces that the Kings can include if they’re trying to compete and be in these conversations with a Trey Young, John Morant. I mean, you’re you have to put the best offer on the table comparatively to what other teams are offering. And that might mean you have to throw Devin Carter in there. Like, and don’t forget like Scott Perry’s not the one that drafted Keegan Murray and he’s going to be extension eligible. He’s a different player when you’re actually paying him whatever somewhere between 20 to 30 million. And you know, I don’t think anything is off the table. Point being, with this new front office. and Devon I think definitely could be included if they were needing to remain competitive with some of these other offers. I mean, you know, we don’t have to go down the Tyrese train already, but we’ve seen them be willing to do it even if it’s a different front office. Yeah, it’s we’re talking to Brendan Nunees, Sacktown Sports Insider, Sacramento Kings insider. And um you know, Brendan, I I I just I’m trying to get the temperature of of Sacramento Kings fans just just a little bit because as I look at this, I I I’ve asked this question multiple times, and it is, do you feel like rebuilding has become this this point of conversation for the sake of it? Because especially in the NBA, Brendan, there’s no guarantees you’ll get out of this in 5 years. There’s no guarantee seven there like, you know, the the Charlotte went out, they got LaMelo Ball, and they’ve been what feels like no matter what, they’ve been stuck um in that realm. There’s other teams out there in the NBA that have been sitting in that, you know, Portland Trailblazers. Where are they going? What’s their future? They’re stuck in some of those things. What is your look at it? because it just doesn’t feel like even if you tear this down, there’s just simply no guarantee that it’s going to work. Now, you retool, maybe things fall your way, some injuries, stuff like that, stuff could happen. But I I just I hear rebuild constantly. And look, I I’ve heard Dave me and Dave have had closed doors conversations, right? Me and Dave have talked about this where he’s on the show and he’s talking about well, you know, tear this apart and we need There’s just there’s no guarantee. There’s not. But the hardest piece of the puzzle here when constructing a team is getting a number one guy. And unfortunately, I think when you’re a small market, the only way to do that is, you know, I used to think the SGA trade was an outlier. I guess now you can say the Tyrese trade. Unfortunately, the Kings were on the wrong side of that, but maybe you can acquire these guys in a trade. I think that’s pretty unlikely and you probably have to do it through the draft. But to your point, you know, we just saw Dallas jump up. Atlanta jumped up the year prior. go back one year when in the WBY draft and San Antonio jumps up. Feel how you won about the lottery. Um, but these new odds have clearly, I guess, been successful with what they wanted to do and evened this out. So, it’s not a guarantee, but I feel like one of the more under spoken aspects of that, you know, if you don’t want to call it tanking or rebuilding, like it is embracing youth, I think, is the idea. And to go back to Keegan Murray, he’s a guy that was really hindered last year. He didn’t get as many touches. you saw a degression offensively really and there was growth as a rebounder, defensive player. But part of this is you could embrace what he is and what he could be and get him more touches, you know, and try to just get the most out of the youth that you do have on this roster, albeit that there’s not many since this is one of the five oldest teams in the NBA. But that would be, I guess, where I would go is try to just get a little bit younger. It doesn’t mean you have to suck and you have to be praying for ping-pong balls in the lottery, but just be younger. You know, you mentioned Portland. Would we have ever have known that Tumani Kamara is that good if he was still on Phoenix? Would he have gotten that much run? Like Denny Ovia took a big jump over there? Um, so I think that there are successful aspects to just embracing your youth and it allows you to try at least to get the most out of the talent that you do have with these guys. I am not comparing the Kings to the the A’s, but the idea here is when you’re going and are in a new arena, new stadium, new whatever, the idea is you need to be competitive to put, you know, people in the seats, you need people to go to the arena that you paid millions, billions of dollars to to put together and to build. That’s where the intrigue comes for me is like are Kings fans ready to experience something that is going to then directly affect potential attendance and revenue streams and all of those things that come with being a potential playoff team as opposed to a potential bottom five team inside the NBA. I won’t let you go Brendan without asking you two questions. one. I know I I’ve asked this to to Ramsay. Three games away from an NBA Finals. Would you think that the Indiana Pacers are going to lift a ban on Tyresese’s dad if if they get in right into the NBA finals? That’s one. And then two, Pacers win game one. Morale in game two for the Knicks. Who knows, you know, 20 or 1-1. that’s going two very different series coming out of that. How how are you seeing that series playing out today and through the weekend? Yeah, I’ll answer your second question first. I I think that Indiana is on a miracle run right now. The fact that they have three ridiculous comebacks. Tyresese Hallebertton already having four gamewinners in the postseason is ridiculous. Or at least shots in the final seconds, maybe not directly gamewinners. Um he’s proven to be really really clutch. Former King point guards are just extremely clutch apparently. Um, but I still think New York is going to make this a series. Um, I I think that they were up big in that game. There was a lot of good things going for them and then they kind of let their foot off the gas. The offense just totally sputtered out and maybe cover the guy that is on fire from three instead of leaving him wide open. Um, I think we’re going to find out a lot tonight about just the fight that the Knicks have in them, but I do think they’re the better team and I kind of think this is just OKC’s uh title to lose at this point. I think the Knicks would put up a much better fight than Indiana. Indiana might get swept or losing five. And again, they’re the miracle team that is just overperforming what everybody expects. So, they could definitely go in there and prove me wrong, but I think OKC has miles ahead of everybody right now. Um, and for Tyrese’s dad, you would hope that, hey, if you make the finals, like, don’t make this guy be in a bar with people. I don’t know if you saw that, but he still has the towel, you know. But I also hear the other side of if it was anybody else, they’re not allowed back in. But it’s not anybody else. It’s this guy’s dad. Um I personally would say let him in there. He’s a he’s a nice guy. We talked to him a handful of times when he was here. Um and I would imagine that he’s learned his lesson having to sit at home for a round or two. Round and a half. Yeah. Yeah. Round and a half. You know, I agree with you. I we Ramsey joked about maybe, you know, put the shades on, put the cap on, you know, go in a suite, sit in there and and just, you know, let it be about your son. If that happens, don’t make it about yourself and your return, you know, that like that’s where I would sit. Brendan, I I appreciate you joining the show, man. Yeah, thanks for having me, man. I will say last thing, I thought it was hilarious when people were talking about Tyrese giving that Pacers fan uh tickets. They’re like, “Well, he has his he has extra tickets. His dad’s not going to the game.” Oh, that’s true. He does. He has extra tickets. Appreciate you, Brendan. Brendan Nunes, sackdownsports.com. Uh, Sacramento Kings Insider are always grateful to have him on. Always grateful to have a conversation with him. And make sure you go read his work on sackdown sports.com.

Jose Gonzalez filling in for The Drive Guys was joined by Brenden Nunes to talk about the Kings getting younger, potential landing spots for Demar, and letting the young guys run!

#nba #sacramentokings #nfl #sanfrancisco49ers #mlb #athletics #sanfranciscogiants #sacramentorepublicfc

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