Looking At the Way the Kings Are Currently Built – July 2: The Insiders + D-Lo & KC
Good morning, Chatty House.
Hi, everyone. Good morning.
Uh, Warren, you up in here at 8:57.
Got the belt today. Congratulations to Warren.
Hello, Tino Lee. Scooter Whezy.
Lotus and Johnny in the building. Uh, Will Z is here.
Wait,
Coach Molly. Hi. Do we have actually have something to talk about? Yeah, I’m with you, Scooter. What is that? What is Kenneth Williams talking about? And Chris show like what exactly do you mean by making moves? Just just wondering. Are we missing some? Did we miss something major?
I don’t think so. Just gonna go through and look. Maybe a quick Google search. Good morning everybody. Good morning Russ Dog, Lotus Prime, Mark Scooter, Casey Tucker, Bryce Good morning, Weezy.
Good morning, guy. We’re just What? Okay. If you’re tweeting about Tobias Harris or messaging about Tobias Harris, what are you talking about?
Yeah. Or we just are we just throwing out random stuff? Hi, Charlie.
Oh,
got more stuff for us. More stuff.
Is it about to buy us ours? Is this spam? I feel like I’m being spammed this morning by Charlie.
Hey, I’m gonna turn off the mics to say something to you and and I guess to to you as well about non basketball things. Okay. All right. And we’re back. Um, like when we go live, if you if you uh follow the channel, if you subscribe to the the King’s Beat, you get notified that we go live. Yep. This is exactly what just happened, Johnny G.
Mhm. I was here for that right there.
So concerned with whether or not he could All right, since we did a little pre-show mound visit, uh James there, I’m Kyle Joe Brazil behind the glass. We’re the insiders. We’re sponsored by Jiffy Lube and we’re hanging out with you till noon. So, I if if you’re listening to this program on the radio, 13:20 a.m. or 98.5 FM HD2, or if you’re on the free Odyssey app, uh download the Odyssey app today. Search ESPN 1320, favorite the station, and when you open up the app, we’ll be right there. You can listen to us anywhere in the world. This won’t make sense to you because when we go to break, there’s commercials that play on the video side. YouTube.com/espn 1320 and twitch.tv/ ESPN1320. Good morning, everybody. Uh everybody watching, everybody in the chatty house. We appreciate you. Make sure to subscribe, hit the little notification bell so you get notified when we go live every day at 9:56ish a.m. Uh, and please like the video as well while you’re here. So, we don’t go to breaks on the video side. We just kind of talk to to the chatty house and people in the stream and sometimes we kind of continue the conversation or we talk about something uh completely off the beaten path, right? Mhm.
So, we do what’s called a mound visit, and that’s where we’ll turn the mics off and discuss something just James and I that nobody can hear.
We’re trying to keep uh everybody out of the loop. It’s what we’re doing.
999 times out of a thousand.
Yep.
It is something office related like, “Hey, do we have to go to that meeting?” Or, “Hey, did you do your time sheet yet?” Or, “Hey, did you get this email from someone?”
Or, “Hey, did you see John in sales dumbass outfit today?” I’m joking. We love John. I just wanted to mess with him. Um Um No, so it’s it’s usually something like that and and so I did one before the show and it’s always dangerous this time of year because you’re James Ham of the Kings Beat the Kingsbeat.com subscribe today. So when there’s a mound visit, people assume you’re telling me something that is not public about the Kings.
They do. Everyone assumes that.
I bet that’s happened in the two almost two full years we’ve been doing this program. the one year and 10 months we’ve been doing this program, I think that’s probably happened twice, maybe three times
where you’ve been like, “Cut the mics. I got to tell you a Kings thing.”
Oh, yeah.
It is always us
doing something. And so the people were people were were in the chat. I was saying, “Hey, pre-show mountain visit. What the heck?” I was saying that John Hollinger, who is on the Zack Low podcast, uh there was a video that came up on Twitter. I was saying that John Hollinger looks like John Dickinson mixed with JK Simmons. That’s amazing.
That’s what I was saying. I could have just said that on the stream, I guess.
Okay.
But anyways, it’s funny.
That’s that’s the extent. If you want to know the silly things we say to each other with the mics off, it’s that
I’ll say this, John Hollinger like in Sacramento because he he is like taking
well despised
barbs at the Kings like throughout the course of the last maybe 15 years, 10 years, right?
He is one of the nicest people ever.
Yes.
Like every time I’ve ever ran into John, he’s always so nice. He always says hello. He’s just a downto-earth, very like kind of introverted, quiet guy, but very, very nice. Um, he just can be, you know, like widely despised here in Sacramento for his takes.
Well, okay. I don’t want to get into a John Hollinger thing. We got kings to talk about. And I want to remind everybody that you can now listen to the ESPN 1320. Uh, this is a thing that I was given today by Charlie. He’s like, “Hey, like make sure to do this.” It’s pretty rare that Charlie is like, “You got to do this.”
Yeah. So, if everybody could help us out and do whatever this thing says that I haven’t read yet. I’m reading this live for the first time. You can now listen to the ESPN 1320 Insiders and DLO and KC on the Odyssey iHeart Radio and TuneIn apps. Wow.
So, maybe you’re an iHeart app person.
Yeah.
Or a TuneIn app person. You can listen to us live there as well. Uh, also the James Hammond Commson Show and the DLO and Casey Show are now available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Uh the James Hammond Commads and Joe is this program. We just couldn’t call it the insiders for legal reasons. Anyways, the Sacramento Kings free agency James Hammond comats and Joe Brazil’s over there. I saw so so DLO and Casey yesterday got got into a discussion about the idea of tanking and should the Kings tank
and Kenny’s entire argument is it’s not the only way to build a team. That’s not the the it’s the the there’s not one path to a championship and he cited that Nicolola Joic was a was a second round pick. Jiannismpo was a 16th pick. Jay Gildus Alexander was 11. You’ve got a guy like Steph Curry who was seven.
You drafted Tyrese Hallebertton at 12.
You that happened. That’s also a thing that happened. So, so look, no, it’s I I don’t I don’t disagree with with Kenny that it’s not the the only way that the Kings are ever going to be good is if they bottom out and become the Wizards for a couple of years. I I I I totally agree with them. But on the other hand, I don’t I think it is unavoidable that the Sacramento Kings, if they’re going to ascend and get back on a winning track, I don’t think they can do it from from at the combine, they do your your standing vertical and then your max vertical.
Standing vertical is you stand there two feet flat on the floor and you jump. Your max vertical is you get a run up couple of steps and then jump.
Two step jump.
I think the Kings cannot from a standing position from where they are today get back into the top threeish in the West or consistently a top team in the West, a top six team in the West on a consistent basis. I think they need to back up a little.
Yeah. I don’t think it necessarily needs to be tanking because when you say tanking to me that says tear it down to the studs. We’re winning 14 games next year. That’s tanking to me.
Mhm.
I think the Kings it is it is to me unavoidable that at some point they’re going to need to get off Demon Sabonis contract. They’re going to need to get off Zack Lavine’s contract in my opinion. They’re going to need to get off of Demard Rosen’s contract and that will in inescapably lead to a step back. And I’ve decided I’m going to call it a rewind instead of a rebuild.
Mhm. Because I don’t think you need to do the whole tear it all the way down. But I do think that at some point there’s going to be a logical step backward to get to get moving the right direction again. No, I I’m with you 100%. Like look, I I I think it’s really complicated to blow this thing up
that Yes.
And you know, I talk about it all the time like blowing it up like if you if you decide to blow it up like just the financial ramifications of being horrific again are are very tough.
Okay.
But they’re already there.
I don’t but that that doesn’t con concern me. Like I know it’s the reality of the situation, but my my bigger thing with like I don’t care about the Kings and ticket prices and why they do this and why they do that. Like that doesn’t matter to me.
I think the financial aspect of it is I don’t think the Kings could right now take say, “Hey League, Zack Lavine is available. Just give us anything. Give us we’ll do a second round pick swap.” and he like there would have to be matching salary. You’re then taking on the player. It just I don’t know that the deals are out there for them this year.
Mhm.
Um
we do have breaking news. Oh, okay.
Mike Mike Brown has been named the head coach of the New York Knicks. Hey, congratulations to Mike Brown. Former former Sacramento Kings head coach. Mike Brown.
Kings legend Mike Brown.
Good. Good for Mike Brown. Okay, go ahead.
Back in the head coaching ranks. All right. Salute. Um maybe those deals just aren’t out there. But I I think that it that at some point um and I and this is again this is where I get a little bit stuck because let’s just say you do want to like hey at all cost you got to get rid of Zack Leavine
just at if that’s what somebody said. I’m not saying that but if that’s what someone said I don’t I think there’s just simply getting off the contracts isn’t going to be enough. You have to be getting something back for it, right? You have to be getting something of value back.
Yes.
To to facilitate this this retool or rebuild or rewind or whatever you’re calling it. Like there has to be something of value in there. Preferably draft picks. But if you can get a a rotation player back, a young rotation player, maybe like a player who’s a Cam Whitmore type who’s just stuck on a bench and like just isn’t isn’t gonna find his can you can you find a way to facilitate a move that gives you assets that you feel good better about 2026 and beyond. So it defeats the purpose if you’re just like, “Yeah, hey, we’ll give you Domas. Will you give us two seconds and whatever kind of bloated salary?” Yeah. you want like that doesn’t that doesn’t help. You can’t just do it just to do it. There there has to be the move has to be in service of something.
Okay. So, I’m going to say this and this is tough. Like I I understand your premise and I agree. If it comes to Domos, you have got to get value back.
Mhm.
If it comes to Zack Lavine or it comes to Demar De Rozan, I I disagree. I I think at those points, yeah, you want to get as much back as possible because that’s about building stuff. But the fact is that that’s just not going to work. Like these this this group of players like maybe we’ll be proven wrong. Maybe that adding Dennis Rutder and and Drew Eubanks is going to change everything and this is now a 50- win team.
Hey, I’m going to say that we’re
I’m going to say it with my whole chest. They’re not They’re not Yeah. So So I’m going to get back to the point though. The point is you made a an egregious error an egregious error when you traded dear Fox and took back the contract of uh of Zack.
I would agree. Right. But here’s how I because you know we like to use like odd comparisons here. Right.
Sure.
We we always talk about like franchise building blocks and I still believe that Demonus Sabonis is a franchise building block for almost any team he goes to. He leads the league in rebounding. He averaged almost 20 points a game. between six and eight assists a game. He’s still a top 20 player in the NBA in my opinion. I I think he’s still a tremendous player. Um but he was the other guy standing next to Darren Fox holding up like the franchise. Those were your cornerstones of
the of the franchise, right? when you took out one of those cornerstones. I now look at this as you know like if you were to trade Demon Sabonis today and I don’t know what you’re going to get back but if you were to trade him if you can find a place for him because like look he makes a lot of money there. It’s not every team can build their team around him. Not every team is going to build their team around him after the draft and the first couple of days of free agency,
right?
But if you were to take out that leg of this table, I’m going to almost guarantee you this. This is not a table with four legs. It’s a table with two legs that’s screwed into the wall on the back edge,
right?
But it’s not really screwed in. So, as soon as you take away one of those front legs, the whole thing will just fall.
And that is classic dilemma.
If you want to be a 25 win team,
you just trade Domos. That’s that’s the easy answer. You trade Domos. And then this becomes worse than just a collection of misfit toys. Mhm.
It becomes like completely scattered.
Sure. Which is what we saw last year.
Like you took out Darren Fox and this thing just looked
like disorganized and a mess. And and I don’t put it on the coaching staff or anyone else. There’s nothing you can do. You take away your best player, a guy that you literally for seven and a half years called the head of the snake. You lpped off the head of the snake and you didn’t replace it with another head of the snake. Snake.
Yeah. And to be honest with you, you just signed Dennis Shruder and like
I have some new thoughts on that. I’ve done some thinking.
It’s Yeah, that we’ll get there.
Yeah, we’ll get there. But like if you’re going to bring in a player who has played for is on his 10th team in 13 seasons and people are like, “Oh, well, he’s played for four teams in the last in the last 12 months.” It’s like, okay, all right, the seventh team in in uh 13 seasons. It doesn’t change the calculus. No,
he’s not the head of the snake. He’s a player, a rotational player for
Yeah. Yeah.
for the last 10 teams he’s played for, the last nine teams he’s played for. He’s a rotational player.
He’s a good player,
but that he’s not a franchise cornerstone guy that you build your your offense around. He’s not that guy.
So, like, how do you move forward? And like I think it’s a really it’s a complicated situation.
So, I was going through I was I was listening back to some of our show yesterday. I was listening to DLO and Casey yesterday and then I was I was following along as as Kenny was, you know, going back and forth with people on Twitter today because I really wanted to try and get my arms around the the extent of the of the of the discussion.
I didn’t want to say arguments because
I I I don’t think there’s necessarily a right and wrong here. Um I think it’s just everybody is rowing the same direction. Um everybody wants the Kings to be good. There’s just some disagreements about how to how to best make them good, right? Everything comes down to this. Whether you think they should tank, whether you’re upset that Scott Perry didn’t blow everything up this year, whether you’re upset that Scott Perry didn’t make a move to try and build around this core, whether you’re cool with a with a with a wasted year. People keep saying gap year. I think that’s too nice. I’m calling it a wasted year. If you’re cool with just a wasted year in 2526, that’s fine. No matter what, the end result and the answer to how do the Kings get good again? How do the Kings get back on a postseason track? It’s the draft. You have to hit on draft picks.
Mhm.
That is the very bottom line to all of this. Whether you’re tanking or whether you’re trying to win this year and and being cool with picking sometime in the in the late lottery or or shortly after, you have to hit on a draft pick. and not hit on a draft pick like, “Oh, hey, that’s a rotation guy. That helps. That’s that is immensely helpful.” Finding Keegan Murray in the draft is immensely helpful, but you need to find Giannis. You need to find Shay Gilis Alexander. You need to find a a a Anthony Edwards. Even I would take a Trey Young at this point. You need to find that perennial all-star allpro uh AllNBA caliber player via the draft. That is whether you think they’re tanking or should be or shouldn’t be or if this is a g that is what all of this comes down to. The future of the Sacramento Kings doesn’t ride on on expiring contracts of Zack Lavine and Demon Sabonis. It doesn’t ride on Dennis Shruder. It doesn’t ride on Malik Monk. It doesn’t ride on Keegan Murray. It rides on whether the Kings and Scott Perry can find quality players in the draft and a superstar in the draft.
Yes, that’s what all of this comes down to.
I agree 100%. All right, show’s over. Should just drafted Luca.
Well, all right. I didn’t Okay, see that was him. That was him. I didn’t do that. Thank you, Joe.
Appreciate you. Okay, we got to step aside. We got to pay bills on the radio side. We’ll We’ll do that. Malik Monk has also been a massive topic of conversation. How do we think this ends? We’ll talk about Malik Monk next. That’s James Ham. I’m comats and Joe Brazil’s over there. We’re the insider sponsored by Jify Lube and we’re hanging out with you till noon on ESPN 1320, Sacramento Sports Leader. Ah, dang. We forgot to talk about Drew Eubanks. Hey, if I told you one of these players had a moment this year, like where we came in the day after a game and went, “Hey, all right. Is it Dario Sar or Drew Eubanks?” Um, it’s Dario Sar.
Yeah, I think it is. But like a lot. I just, you know, up until the moment you said that, I completely forgot that they had also acquired Dario. Hell yeah. And it should tell you everything you need to know that I have to look at my notes to remember Drew Eubank’s name. Boy, Drew Eubanks. Oh, I’ve got a good one here. Drew Eubanks. Hang on. Hang on. We’re gonna get there. Let me get the right name. Drew Eubanks is the Miles Plumbley of Zack Collins’s. Not even Mason Plumbley. Not even a good Plumbley. There’s a third Plumbley, brother. Uh there’s Miles, there’s Mason, and uh it’s it’s uh Hang on. Don’t tell me. Oh, it’s like Ryder or
No, it’s it’s Oh. Oh, no. Yeah, I got it. It’s Marshall. Marshall.
Marshall.
I knew it was a college.
The dress for less version of a plum.
Damn.
Well, Marshalls.
Shout out to Marshalls, dude. We love Marshalls. Uh, there’s nothing one of my one of my my wife and I’s favorite little like silly little day dates. Uh, also on this, the Dario Sarge Kings jersey is going to go crazy at Coachella 2030. Um, but one of my wife and I’s favorite little like day dates where we just kind of go out and run errands is hit the coffee shop, grab a little coffee, and then head over to the this uh this shopping center in Brentwood that has a Ross directly across from a TJ Maxx directly next door to a HomeGoods. Oh my god, it’s just the best. spend two hours walking around Ross, TJ Maxx, and HomeGoods
with like a you come home with like a giant bag of clothes for like $38.
Dude, clothes. Got a cat bed. Got a new garbage can for the upstairs bathroom.
A cat, you know,
new cat. Yeah. A cat. Yeah.
Dug a cat out. It had some new fall decorations.
So, I grew up um yard sailing and also going to like thrift stores. Oh, yeah. Or antique stores. Yeah.
So, even when I was young, my mom let me and my brother, we would have like a couple of bucks.
When we went to like an antique store, we both have sets of dishes that we collected. And so I have like these square um dark dark green depression glass, like a full full entire set of dishes that I collected as a kid going to thrift shops. And you like go in, it’d be like 10 cents for a cup. You I would look everywhere for my green dishes and I might find like two pieces and then I’d be all excited and my mom would give me like a quarter and I’d go and bite my dishes. That’s awesome.
That’s funny. Uh what was
it’s funny now I have an aversion to uh I will go to a yard sale but I will never have my own yard sale. Oh dude it’s such it’s so much work. No I just I don’t want because you know you open your house and people are like hey how much you want for that? It’s like it’s not it doesn’t have a tag on. It’s not for sale. Well it here though leave. You go on an IKEA date and then have to fight later. Now back to The Insiders with James Ham and Kyle Madson, brought to you by Jiffy Lube on ESPN 1320. Nothing ruins you. Nothing ruins a fun day at IKEA with your significant other. You have a nice time going through there. Nothing ruins that like building IKEA furniture.
Oh.
Oh, you just have the best day. You find the new dresser you want like, “Oh, it’s going to look so cute. We got this net. We got a mirror for above the dress. Oh my god, it’s going to Oh, these fake little plants to go on it. We got a little accents. Oh, this is so fun.” And then you’re three steps into building that dresser and you hate each other.
You’re like You’re like, “This is great. I can’t wait to go home and hate you. Yeah, thousand%. Here, have some meatballs.
Exactly.
So, I’m different. Like, I I’m a builder, so putting together a Kia stuff like I like I can do.
Sure.
There’s nothing worse to me than going to a Kia and pushing around that stupid cart that doesn’t that all four wheels move all day long. It’s the worst.
Oh, it’s my favorite thing.
It It is literally the worst.
You just got to Tokyo drift around corners.
Yes.
Oh, it’s the best. But then if you load some stuff in it, then all of a sudden it gets heavy and now it’s all squirly on you and you know then you turn around and your your wife has gone around a corner and you don’t know which corner and then she’s gone and you’re like
it’s Narnia, dude.
You’re lost in you’re lost in the IKEA by yourself.
Yeah,
I love IKEA.
We have such a we have such a great time. All right, that’s James Ham. I’m Kyle Matson and Joe Brazil is with us. You can hit us on the Elro talk on 91169320. 91169091320. Malik Monk’s name has come up a lot over the last couple of days. It has
starting I should say the last couple of weeks because it started with these weird trade rumors with Toronto and there was Emanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett talks and oh Malik Monk was was involved in the in the Pascal Seyakum talks and maybe Toronto wants it but then Toronto lets go of Messiahi and so okay it seems like that’s kind of dead but then we hear that Dennis Shruder won the signin trade and it’s going to involve Malik Monk and this and that. So, it looks like now that it’s no signing trade. At least it looks like it might still be that.
Okay.
But it looks now like there’s not going to be a signin trade. So, Malik Monk on the roster. He is not currently involved in any active trade rumors. How do we think this ends? Do does and let me let me I guess clarify. Do we think that Malik Monk is getting traded before the deadline? Do we think he plays out his contract with Sacramento? Does he do they revisit trades next year? How do how does Malik Monk’s tenure in Sacramento end?
I I think this is um it’s probably the most confusing like transaction that I’ve I’ve seen happen with the Kings. Uh like look, Malik Monk wanted to be a starter. They made him a starter. That was a mistake. And you know, at the end of the season, they tried to rectify that by going back to the bench and all that stuff.
Mhm. But last time I checked, like everyone in Sacramento loves Malik Monk. Everyone thinks that Malik Monk is the heart and the soul of the team. When Malik Monk gets injured, your team goes downhill quickly. when Malik Monk moved into the starting lineup and you didn’t have that pop off the bench, the team struggled. Like Malik Monk is an extremely valuable player and and not only that, but Malik Monk gets paid what he gets paid because he is without a doubt the best sixman in the league.
I wouldn’t say without a doubt. He’s up there though. I
I just
I don’t want to get into an argument about sixman, but he’s very very good.
It’s fine. The The reason why he wasn’t in the races here is cuz he started too many games.
Yeah. Yeah. the reason he didn’t win this year was just garbage. Like whatever happened there that was just weird and awkward and garbage, right?
Like for me,
he’s still the same player that he was before and like maybe you’ve got to work around it, but this whole thing that that he’s not worth anything on the open market. Like everyone knows in Sacramento you got to pay a premium, right? So, you know, Demar De Rozan, the reason why he signed in Sacramento is because the Kings paid him more money than he was going to get elsewhere. The reason why Vince Carter came to Sacramento a few years ago, the reason why Zack uh Zack Randolph came to Sacramento a few years ago is because the Kings paid him more than anyone else was going to pay him. Trevor Arza, uh, Marco Bellanelli.
I was messing with my with my uh microphone here. Did you say Dennis Rutder? Uh, and that is exactly Dennis Rutder just got tra just went to Sacramento because no one else was going to pay him 14 million bucks a year
or what amounts to 15 whatever it’s going to be.
Um, like look, you pay a premium when you’re the Sacramento Kings and that’s because of dysfunction. It’s because of stacks and stacks and stacks of losses.
It’s it’s because the the franchise is known as a place that you’re probably if you go there, you’re risking that be the last place you ever play as an NBA player. Mhm.
You want to like get depressed? I could sit here and tell you uh the list of names that I can pull off the top of my head that this was their last NBA stop because that’s what Sacramento is for a lot of players. So like the problem is when you have to overpay as a Sacramento Kings franchise to get a player, you’ve now overpaid for a player
and then other teams on the market
don’t want to take that player because you overpaid for that player because you were the Sacramento Kings.
Mhm. So, it’s this perpetual cycle that kind of consumes itself. Malik Monk is an excellent player. He he would be in the rotation, I would say, on uh 29 other teams.
Yeah,
he’s an excellent player.
Mhm.
But I I don’t get this whole like over the last 48 hours how all of a sudden Malik Monk is on pariah that the Kings can’t get rid of and all this stuff. Did he get overpaid? Yeah, he gets overpaid. Like maybe he did get overpaid a little bit. He’s overpaid as a six-man. He’s, I believe, outside of what Nas Ree just signed, probably the highest paid sixman in the league. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s not extremely good at what he does.
And you have to build a team that makes sense for everybody. And I get why they might need to move him to get better. But if I’m listing the Sacramento Kings that need to go, he’s not number one or number two on the list.
He might not even be number four or number five on the list.
I think I’d agree. The the question, and I say question because I don’t know the answer. The question for me is, does Scott Perry believe that? Because Malik Monk’s name being in all these rumors really makes it seem like the Kings were eager to to like sending sending Malik Monk out to get Dennis Shruder.
Yeah. Sounds insane. And I and again, I know they didn’t, but that’s wild. Well, yeah, but they probably would have. I mean, when you hear
which which to me signals that that the new front office and we’ve we’ve said it with with Jake Loravia and and there was another there was another person. Oh, Jonas Valentunis that they just
traded for Dario Sarich uh and and $5 million in in Cap room. Mhm.
I that signals to me that Malik Monk was on the list of people that Scott Perry went, “Okay, this guy is not part of what we’re building here.”
Oh, yeah. I totally agree.
And and I think that’s where this comes from. So, this idea that this player who is as good as Malik Monk is, and I and I agree with you, he is awesome. There are so many teams who would get better with him as their six-man. And I think there are a lot of teams that could just use his scoring off the bench. I I think it’s it’s I don’t know if it’s a reflection of of Malik as a as a player necessarily, but it’s not easy to take what is he 17 million
18
18. It’s not just easy to just fit in an $18 million contract.
Well, it’s an $18 million contract that is a bonus player. Mhm.
You know, like that’s that’s what a six-man is. It’s it’s the the six starter. Yeah.
Right. So, it’s a bonus player. you you have to have the other players in order to usually capitalize on the fact that you have one of these guys.
But again, like look at the the history of the six-man and how valuable they are and how, you know, can you find a cheaper six-man? Sure. Like could Russell Westbrook walk in the door and be a decent six-man for a year or two? Okay. But he’s not going to be the same dynamic player uh that that Malik Monk has been for this team. And he’s not going to mean the other things to this team. And so like look there whatever happened here where Malik Monk got on the outside looking in. I’m not sure what happened.
Sure.
But I I think we’re we’re also heading towards a point where it’s very possible that Malik Monk is a player who’s left standing.
And so my other problem about this is it’s not just about like personalities and all that stuff.
This is about play style. Like again we say that Malik Monk can fit on 29 other teams. It’s because you just put him in the game and he goes crazy and and explodes and does his thing and then he goes and he sits back down,
right? Where Demanis Sabonis might work for eight teams,
right?
Dear D Roza might work for five teams,
Zack Lavine might work for, you know, six, seven teams.
Like everybody in the league would like to have a player like Malik Monk. Now again, at the price that you have him at, that’s going to be the issue. Mhm.
But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s like a highly impactful player that can play with anybody in any style at any time. Is he going to be a defensive stopper? Absolutely not.
Yeah. But outside of that, that’s where I just get kind of lost with this because, you know, again, you’re you’re the team was willing to trade him for Dennis Rutder, who is again on his 10th team in 13 years. And you know, again, no one else is paying Dennis Ruder $14 million a year either.
Mhm.
But on top of that, he’s a little bit better defensive player. Malik Monk is is like in my mind a better NBA player.
Let me ask you this because I think this is this is less about Malik Monk specifically and more about the idea of the of the six-man because you said that you say that we’ve seen how valuable the six man can be. My brain immediately went to Jordan Clarkson. What’s Jordan Clarkson ever won? Then you go, “Well, Lou Williams.” Lou Williams was on some great teams, though.
Yeah. But I I don’t Who was
Okay, I’ll just say like Bobby Jackson. They They didn’t win the title, but Bobby Jackson was a sixman of the year.
He was He was very very good. Uh Naz Reed obviously jumps out as a as a you know quoteunquote sixman uh who won a six-man because of his contributions as a starter which was weird. Um I don’t I don’t I don’t know that teams view him as that valuable like the Knicks just signed Jordan Clarkson for whatever because he was a free agent. I don’t think think the Knicks were going to clamor to go trade from Malik Monk. And that’s where I I think if
Well, yeah, but we’re looking at a 33year-old Jordan Clarkson. I mean, Jordan Clarkson’s made a lot of money in his career.
Yeah, no doubt. I just I don’t I I don’t I guess my my question for you is like where where’s the market then? If the Kings have decided we need to trade this guy, and if he’s that valuable, then why aren’t their teams out there going to acquire him?
Well, why is he still here? No, that’s that’s part of the problem, right? And I would say there are a lot of reasons. Uh but like the aprons are playing like a huge role in what’s happening.
Just awful, by the way, that those exist. It’s awful. But but it’s also one of the reasons why seven different championships and seven seven different teams winning championships in seven straight years.
Like that’s part of it. Have the aprons been around that long? Uh well, I don’t think it’s all of the aprons, but teams were preparing for the aprons.
Yeah. No, they’ve been around for a few years and like people are they’re afraid of them and they’re they’re making moves, but like look, you have to have the right roster in order to have a player like this.
Yeah.
Right. Yeah. And so I I you should be a winning team. That’s why I keep saying that Malik Monk makes sense on a winning team. Winning teams have nice things. They have extra things like a Malik Monk. Um but like look at this point I’m just very confused by the way that this thing has been derailed because I watched the Sacramento Kings play last year and I never I I did not think that Malik Monk was the answer at the point guard position
and that was a problem. Um, I think starting alongside Dear Fox was a bit clunky as well,
but I didn’t feel like Dear that that Malik Monk was the reason why the Sacramento Kings weren’t very good last year. No.
No.
I I
I think they had plenty of other reasons why they weren’t very good.
Maybe this is semantics, but in a roundabout way, you could what you just said say, “Yeah, because they had to have him as a starting point guard, they weren’t very good.”
Yeah.
But that’s a roster problem. That that to me isn’t a isn’t
of course
you can’t miscast a guy and then go that’s his fault.
No, that that doesn’t play to me. 91691320 91691320. Would love uh to to have you hop in on the conversation on the Oak Kia talk line. Let’s get out to TC. You know we love a trade idea
and TC’s got one. What’s up TC?
That’s my guy Hammer Kyle. So hey I’m I’m being serious with this one bro. like that’s my dog and all we talking about Malik Monk as he’s a conversation right but I’m doing that in a heartbeat for that signing trade for Kaminga I know you might feel a different way Kyle but
it’s in my opinion James it’s a win-win for both reasons right Monk can help Curry out you get that scoring punch he’s just that he’s a he’s a
he can help the Warriors out also Kaminga can help the Kings out with that young wing he’ll figure it out once we get here right you can do the signing trade him and Keegan can run the three and four it’s a Win-win, bro. And I’m I’m taking a shot. Like, so if I’m trading, I’m taking a shot on Kinda like that, dog. In my opinion, I think that’s the way to go. Thanks, DC. I don’t Here’s my I don’t I don’t in a vacuum, I don’t hate the Jonathan Kaminga idea. I don’t I I like I said, I am of the belief that if you want to maximize what you’re getting, then you need to just build around him. He needs to just be your guy. and you’re going the gamble we’re taking here is that he is going to be a 1A uh first team AllNNBA type of guy and this is the swing we’re going to take. It’s a massive gamble, but I understand the the the logic behind it. I I don’t think Yeah, hey, you can plug him in and he’ll fit into this this free flowing offensive system. I don’t I the Warriors have tried that for four years and it hasn’t worked. He wants more than that. He wants to be more than that on the basketball court.
And so I think if you’re going to take that gamble, you need to lean all the way in. The other the other couple things with with Kaminga because I know Sam A was talking about this on on another station today, but he the the Kaminga King smoke kind of keeps just lingering, just keeps kind of hanging around. I’m interested to see before I give my uh say with my chest yes or no.
I need to know what Kuminga’s deal looks like. Yeah,
because at 25 to 30 million a year, how confident are you that you can make him your bonafide 1A by next year? That that would be that would be a question. Um, and
I need to see a way in which he’s a bonafide number two or bonafide number three before I can start thinking he’s going to be a bonafide number one. So, okay. And that’s and again that’s that is where there’s there’s nuance here because I’m with you. Can you fit into this this specific role? So far it’s been a no because that’s been his problem with Golden State. It’s why Golden State is uh wary of paying him despite his immense talent that we saw in the playoffs. When Steph Curry went down, they turned to Kaminga and they said, “You’re the guy.” And he went and scored 30 a night or 25 a night, whatever, whatever it was. He was he was really good. But that was as the focal point. He was the guy. And so for me, I’m with you. But I think any team that’s trading for him has to be able to has to be willing to gamble and go, “Okay, we don’t know if he can be a two or three. We’re just going to bet on him to be the dude.”
Yeah.
We’re going to get him the ball on offense and get out of the way. We’re going to surround him with shooters. We’re going to surround him with good defenders. We’re going to hope to maximize the talent that way. I don’t know that the Kings are ready to do that, but if they want to, I like I said, I I understand the the logic behind it. It’s a significant risk and and the the money aspect of this for Kaminga, not for the Kings and for the Warriors is what complicates this because of that baseear compensation because his money is going to reach a certain number is very likely to reach a certain number where the Warriors would only be able to take like 50 or 60% back in the deal. So you have to have room to bring Kaminga in because you’re not sending out a matching salary.
Of course.
So
yeah, it’s tough. Like look uh like Kaminga is is an intriguing talent.
Mhm.
But
without question,
but that’s what he is. He’s just intriguing. He has yet to take his uh his incredible potential and turn it into productivity on a consistent basis.
On a consistent basis is the key word there.
Yeah. Uh the Kaminga stuff I don’t think is going away. So, we’ll keep talking about it as long as it’s there. Uh, we got to step aside on the radio side before Drew starts yelling at us. I I um have a salary cap question for you.
Uh, but I’ve also been doing some thinking on the Dennis Shruder stuff and I think I like it less today than I did yesterday and I’ll tell you why next. That’s James. I’m Kyle Madson. He’s Joe Brazil. We’re the insiders sponsored by Jiffy Lube. This is ESPN 1320 Sacramento Sports Center while on the phone. That’s such a gangster move by Joe. Hey, is that our guy? Oh, okay. Is Is it?
No.
Oh, okay. Shout out to Mike Brown.
Hell yeah, man. Man, there’s so many so many crazy things going on. Yeah, it’s I you know,
I don’t even like But you know what? Hey, FNA. Yeah. Do we have an update on red panda yet?
I haven’t I have not seen one. Anybody got a Red Panda update? It was honestly the the video of Red Panda falling was like when Optimus Prime died.
Oh,
spoiler alert. Those of you not up on the 80s Transformers. Yeah.
But yeah, just it was like I saw photos of like reactions and I saw the photo of her sitting on the ground.
Mhm. And no way. Like what? She must have tripped walking out there. But yeah, she fell off the unicycle.
Yeah.
What? That’s brutal.
That’s a halftime performance. Goat. The goat. Halftime performer. And she just just missed.
Nobody’s perfect. Everyone has their off days.
Oh man. Right.
I hope she’s back. I I hope her her injuries are not too serious and she’s back soon. I think we fall we all fall off the unicycle every once in a while, right? Word.
Yeah, totally. Yeah. Now, do dog guy. The Here’s here’s the thing. This is how I know Red Panda is the goat. We know Red Panda’s name. We’re calling the other person that one dude with the dog. What’s What’s the the dude who stacks chairs? the great um I can’t remember. See?
Yeah. But he’s spectacular. Hey, do you have the remote right there?
Yeah.
I was looking for this earlier.
I was going to see if we could find the ace. Uh must be nice, Joe. Sick brag. You’ve got it on in there. I’m learning how to work YouTube TV on the fly. I feel like a grand.
There it is. Just go down. Go down one.
Louise. Oh, is it changing your TV? Oh, you can see.
No, it’s not changing my TV, but it is changing the TV behind you. Oh,
I saw
I think uh I I was reading that Denzel Clark tried to grab a home run again and instead hit the wall and ended up being inside the park home run because of it. That’s why it’s two to two at this point.
Brutal.
That field is is uh the lighting is horrible. It’s
really bad. It is. You can tell it’s a spring training field.
Yeah,
it is not. Oh my god. Bye ball.
God, that was You guys must be ahead of me.
Oh, sorry. Hey, this guy is about to hit the holy hell out of this [ __ ]
Diaz,
watch this. Yeah. Uh, no. There’s a slider outside.
Why are they panning the K something?
Are we behind you?
Where? Where are you at right now? What? It’s four to two.
Bottom of the sixth. Oh, yeah. No, you guys are ahead. He’s about to hit this ball very far, I think.
Yeah, he’s about to smoke it off the scoreboard. Oh, nope.
He hung that. Oh, he you know how hard he hit that? He bat flipped on a pitch or on a line drive that never got more than like 10 feet off the ground. God, that was tattooed. Holy Christ.
You guys are way ahead of me. He’s still hitting. Yandi Diaz.
Yeah, it’s 3-2 right now. Oh, here we go. Are they showing?
This has got to be it. Are you looking at the reflection?
Yes. Oh, okay.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah. Get off me, ball. Uh, it is a spring training stadium, not a minor league field. Although spring training parks and minor league parks are largely similar Now back to the insiders with James Ham and Kyle Madson, brought to you by Jiffy Lube on ESPN 1320. A’s ahead four to two. Excuse me. Down four to2.
Down four2.
Down four to two. I blame us because we put the game on.
I know. Yeah, that’s our bad. I have a quick A’s thing and it relates to the A’s specifically and Sacramento.
Okay, so bear with me for for two seconds before we get back into the into the into the Kings and their off seasonason and what lies ahead for them in the in the Scott Perry era. I’m looking at this article from the Guardian, which I have not read yet to be to be 100% transparent. I haven’t read this article. The headline, it’s by David Langal, and the headline is debacle in the desert. Will the athletics $1.75 billion stadium on the Vegas strip ever be built? The subhead, it’s been over two years since the A’s were awarded public funding for their new ballpark. But despite last month’s quote unquote groundbreaking, its completion is anything but certain. Yeah. So, those of those of you hoping for the Sacramento scoop and score on the A’s, there’s hope despite the groundbreaking ceremony that took place. Well, that and I mean, I’ve heard the stadium went up to two billion.
Yeah. because of tariffs and steel costs.
And it might even go up to 2.5 billion. And the the Fiser family has committed 1.5 billion and then they have like $345 million in um in like state money, but then like where are they coming up with the rest of the money?
Yeah.
Yeah. Because it feels like if there were going to be investors in Vegas, they’d have gotten that money already.
Mhm.
And now John Fischer has sold the or selling the San Jose earthquakes. Okay.
So, think that’s where where but yeah.
Yeah.
So, those like I said very very it’s very much worth
keeping an eye on VA’s situation in Vegas because if you came from the future if you came from July 2026, let’s say July 2027.
Mhm.
And you said, “Yeah, hey, uh, shovels never really got in the ground in Vegas.” And the A’s wound up just playing at Sutter Health Park until 2035 because baseball couldn’t figure it out.
Boy, that would be weird if it was that long.
Yeah. I Yeah, I wouldn’t. But
I mean, I’ve heard like most like the most recent update most people think it’ll at least be five years in sack.
Yeah. the the the other thing, and again, I haven’t read this Guardian art article all the way, but it does sound like Major League Baseball is going to do is going to bend over backwards to make sure John Fischer doesn’t mess this up.
Yeah. Okay.
But yeah,
just worth keeping an eye on.
Yeah, I mean, keeping an eye on
someone who covered bad owners uh in Sacramento and the Malofuse. Um
covered Yeah,
that was mean. I shouldn’t have said that. Yeah. Anyways, uh the Sacramento Kings, that’s James Ham. I’m Commods and Joe Brazil is here. We’re the insiders. We’re sponsored by Jify Lube. Hey, here’s an interesting thing. I saw heard missed heard and then went and looked up. ESPN’s reporting that the salary cap is supposed to only go up 7% next year and not 10.
Yeah, that’s weird. So, we were all operating under the idea that the TV deal, the new TV deal, we talked about the cap smoothing, right? 10% every year instead of a cap spike and then it comes down 10% every year. Well, it turns out that was just kind of a concocted thing. The league never came out and said that. The league never said we’re going to do 10% raises every year. No,
that was just kind of the guess. Well, now it turns out that the 2026 2027 salary cap is only going to go up 7%. And this becomes a problem because teams have been building contracts based on 10% raises. So players are getting 8% raises
when they sign with their own team. Yep.
When they sign with their own team, that deal is X amount in 2025. In 2026, it is X plus 8%.
Mhm.
And then the following year it is Y + 8%. Right. Okay. Do you think that anything the Kings are doing right now has to do with that? That anything that any move they’re making or not making has to do with the fact that the salary cap is not going to go up at the rate they said it would or at the rate they thought it would? I don’t think so. Uh again, you know, like someone asked in the chat like, “Hey, the Kings just signed um uh Dennis Rder. Do they still have their midle?” the the Kings don’t have their midle that they they used that to sign Dennis Shruder um without any question that’s how they acquired him.
Um yeah, I I don’t think so because I mean it could be the reason why you’re looking to move off of a guy like Malik Monk who has three years left on his deal.
Um but the Kings are really primed to not just next offseason but the offseason after that to be like free of all of this stuff. And so I get the question, but uh like I think it’s a surprise. Like I I don’t understand that the league just signed these massive massive contracts like the television money. Like the players union is going to be like, “Hey, where’s the money going? We’re confused because not only it was established that it was a 10% bump, right, that it was going to go up a maximum of 10%.”
Right. Right. But also when the season gets done, if the the basketball related income, the BARRI, uh isn’t distributed the right way, which is I think 5149, 51 players, 49 uh ownersh.
If it’s not, there’s supposed to be an inound account with a whole bunch of money that is then redistributed back to the players, right? So that’s why they’re saying this smoothing basically it’s so they’re going the percent was supposed to be 10% and then if there was a bunch of overrun it goes into a giant bank account and then every team gets a giant check to redistribute back to its players. So I don’t know how that can’t be the case because the television deal is massive. They they send multiple deals. So we’re going to have to like I’m confused. I’m confused. I’m sure there will be additional reporting on it. It was just that was such a weird thing to see that all of a sudden it’s like oh no just 7% in 26 27. So that’ll be on top of all the aprons on top of uh everything on top of teams dealing with injuries and trying to get off of contracts or find new paths for their team. the salary cap only going up 7% I think could could have a substantial impact in the way this season this trade deadline and next offseason go.
Yeah, I think the one other thing I would add to it is um Oh, my brain went sideways.
Does this Can I Can I Does this also potentially impact a Keegan Murray extension?
That’s exactly where I was going. It’s just going to make Keegan Murray’s extension less. Like if he were to get max money, I don’t think he’s getting max money.
Um who knows like right we saw we saw Jabari Smith Junior got it was like 122 million or whatever.
Um it’s possible that Keegan gets like 122 or 125.
Uh Keith Smith is out of 140 like projected for a while. Um but the maximum money he can get I think is like 165 or something.
Uh maybe 170. That probably just went down. Um just but again 3% off the cap and then it would be based on percentage of the cap and all that stuff.
All right. I just like I said I I heard that and anything cap related, anything financial.
Mhm.
I I
just go ahead and send it to my desk.
Yeah, that’s that’s kind of what I did here. Yeah. Yeah. So, there’s also like I think that the impact of what’s happening right now on this team, the fact that you just signed Dennis Shruder and you still have Malik Monk.
Mhm.
Um like if you walk into the season, that’s your one-two punch at the point guard spot. Actually, I don’t think that’s a horrible thing. Um and then you’ve got Zack Lavine and you got Kon Ellis and then you get to the small forward spot, you got Demar Rose and you got uh Deonus Sabonis. I I just I think again Keegan Murray is guy gonna be one of the guys who’s impacted greatly by all of what’s happened so far in this off seasonason. Yeah.
Um because you added more scores, not less.
Great. uh you did not add another player who’s a 6’8 except for Drew Eubanks and uh and Dario Sarich like even you know even Meek
uh Clifford you know he’s
66
66 so like Keegan Murray is like hey
we might have to ask you to play all the defense one more year it’s like okay wait what we’ll pay you but we might ask you to do something that you’re probably not going to it’s not going to help you on the Dennis Shruder front. This is probably a longer conversation than than what we have in this segment. Man, that D’Angelo Russell deal two years and 13 million taxpayer mid-level for the Mavs. And then you look at Tyus Jones, one year, seven. Trey Jones, 3 years, 24. Trey man, three years 24. Kobe White makes 12 million. TJ McConnell makes 11.2. Pton Pritchard makes seven and a half. This is annual. Why the hell is Dennis Shruder being paid $14 million a year? Would you?
So he would sign Sacramento. What? Then make it 10 and you’d still be overpaying him. Then he might have gone back to Detroit. Fine. Then go get Trey Jones and Trey Man. I would way rather have the two younger guys at a combined 16 million a year. Pay them 10 a year if you have to.
We don’t make the news, Kyle.
I don’t We just
What?
We just report it. I I’m with you. I’m with you.
He’s gonna Dude, I just I was low-key in on the Dennis Shruder thing. Like, yeah, okay. I get that. I get they need a guy to run to kind of run everything. They got to need a guy to organize everything. All right. Hey, 14 million’s his market. All right. So be it. There’s no way 14 million was his market. Yeah. Wow.
And if you were just looking for a guy
almost 32. Yeah.
I hate it now. All right.
What a whatever. All right. I might hate this more later. Um, if the current roster stands, if the Kings current roster stands, which player stands to lose the most? We’ll talk about that to open the second hour. Plus, your phone calls on the Okia talk line at 9169-1320. 91691320. He’s James Ham. Joe Brazil’s over there. I’m Kyle Madson. We’re the insiders. Jify Loop. I’m the president. They sponsor the show. This is ESPN 1320, Sacramento Sports. H yeah, I I don’t know what to make of the contract. I don’t I like it is what it is at this point. So, I I really want to know
for a point guard. Yeah. I I really want to know what that last year looks like. Yeah. I’m just saying 15 just on an average annual value basis.
Yeah. It’s it’s a 14.1 million starting starting salary. Um, now I will say this, the deal isn’t done until the 6th. I mean, the deal is done, but the deal is not done. So, there is a possibility that the Kings actually make a trade with Detroit, even if it’s nothing going to Detroit, like the future uh draft rights to, you know, some random player that we’ve never heard of that the Kings have draft rights to, right?
Mhm.
If the Kings were to trade Shruder into the Kevin Herder trade exception
Mhm. and allow for a sign-in trade with Detroit. It would hardcap the Kings, but they’re not getting there anyways, but it would retain their mid-level exception, and the mid-level exception is more valuable than a trade exception. Trade exception expires um right around the deadline.
Um and it’s higher, but a player has to fit into that.
Sure.
Where the midlevel, number one, can be broken up into multiple pieces. Number two, um it can be for up to four years. who can either sign or trade for a player with it. It’s just a more versatile exception than a trade exception.
Also, I I totally disagree that Daniel Gaffford getting 20 is overpaying for Daniel Gaffford. Again, it’s about the markets. It’s what it’s not Jared Allen makes 20. I Zubat makes 19 and a half. Wendo Carter 19 and a half. Yakob Purle 19 and a half. Um, people keep asking what are the odds that that the Kings kick can make it. I don’t know.
I mean, I I keep hearing that they’re in it. And I I I also keep hearing that the Warriors really want no part of it, but you know, what are you going to have to give up to get him? And will they take back Malik Monk? or were they like more in line with, hey, we’d much rather have Yonas Valentunis expiring contract and Devin Carter?
I I don’t think this is necessarily like up to the Kings in terms of like what are the odds they get him. Yeah,
it’s going to depend on a what he gets paid, b what other like there’s there’s been several teams reported in the kind of in the mix and monitoring the situation. Mhm.
If and maybe the Kings do want to go out and go, “Yeah, hey, we’ll sign you to this offer sheet, but I don’t think they can.”
Once you send uh Well, they don’t have any money now,
right? Hour number two. That’s James Ham. I’m Kyle Madson. Joe Brazil behind the glass. We’re the insiders hanging out with you till noon. Sponsored by Jiffy Lube. And then we’ll hand it off to DLO and KC. And those guys will take you up to 4:00. Uh just a reminder, short week this week. No show Friday on 4th of July. We will have baseball for you though.
Oh, 11:30 a.m. coverage begins. Little Subway Series action. Yankees and Mets. And then we’ll have game two of that series on Saturday at 12:30. Yankees at Mets right here on ESPN 13:20. That is Sacramento’s sports leader. Another housekeeping note before we dive back into King Stuff. You can now listen to the to ESPN 1320. That’s the insiders in DLO and Casey on the Odyssey. iHeart iHeart Radio, excuse me, iHeart Radio and TuneIn apps. We are everywhere. No excuse not to take us on the go. Whether you’re a YouTube viewer, a Twitch viewer, a radio listener, a podcast listener, download one of those apps so you can listen to us live wherever you are in the world. Preach. All right. I asked you a question.
Actually, I guess technically you asked this question and then I repeated it. Now, I’m going to ask it to you. Let’s assume that the Kings roster just kind of stays where it’s at. There’s no other big move to be made. They sign a couple of kind of fringe rotation free agents and we move. Who stands to lose the most in a scenario where it is Dennis Shruder starting lineup? Dennis Rutder, Zack Lavine, Demart Rosen, Keegan Murray, De Manis, Sabonis. Off the bench, you’ve got Malik Monk and Nick Clifford and Maxim Reno. Keon Ellis.
Keon Ellis. Maybe some Devin Carter.
Well, Devin Carter action.
Maybe some Isaac Jones. Sure. Isaiah Crawford. You forgot. Did you mention Drew Eubanks?
Oh, no. I forget.
Dario Sarich. Oh man. Who stands to lose the most on this on a version of the Kings that is kind of just the same as what we saw last year?
Oh, it’s easily it’s a player who lost the most last year and that’s Keegan Murray. Like I like for me um the Kings have had the fourth pick in the draft a couple of years ago and your climb out of where you were should have been focused on bringing him along with everybody else to make sure that he’s taking the logical steps.
He took it and you know logical step in year two went from 12 points to 15 points. Um and then like I hate saying it this way. It’s almost like he made a mistake by becoming the team’s best defensive player. Um because then he became like their only defensive player until they stumbled upon Keon Ellis.
Mhm.
And so now he gets to defend the most difficult player and run around like a crazy person defending that person.
And you know, one night, again, we’ve talked about this, one night it’s Steph, one night it’s LeBron James, one night the next night it can be Jokic that he’s defending.
And I know that’s great. He’s a versatile defender and all that stuff, but when you draft a player in the top four, your hope is that he will ascend to being either a two-way player or a great offensive player, but an all-star an all-star level player.
No doubt,
you cannot be an all-star level player when your points per game go back from from 15 a game to 12.
That’s just
as a as a wing for sure. Yeah.
Yeah. It’s just not going to happen. Like I Allstars don’t make don’t score 12 points per game. Nope. And so like look, I think that uh that when they decided to bring in Demar de Rozan, uh Keegan was impacted greatly by that and the fact that Demar De Rozan’s still there and now you’re bringing in another scorer and Dennis Shruder.
Um and you’re still going to ask, yeah, is he a pesky defender? Yeah, we’ll call him pesky. That’s fine. Like Dennis Shruder is not an elite lock down like lights out defender. No, he’s a he is a like we’ll pick somebody up 92 feet, might get a steal, jump in a passing lane, he’ll gamble here and there.
Yeah. You’ll get effort.
Yeah. And effort and you know like he’s a he’s a good defender.
Mhm.
Right. But he’s not great. No.
And so like Keegan is still going to get asked to do all these things and like who’s giving up their shots to him? And the answer is nobody. Nobody’s going to say, “Oh, all right. Yeah, Keegan, you can have two of my shots. I’m good.
And someone else goes, “Yeah, I got three more shots for you.” That’s not happening.
So, like for me, he’s the guy who’s probably going to be the one that again, he’ll probably get paid this off season.
Mhm.
But if even if I’m him and his people, I’m a little leery on it. Like, what is my path forward?
Sure.
What is my path to being a major role, a major piece to what’s happening? because like there was all this conversation that Keegan was going to take a step and be the team second or third leading scorer
and it looked like that that’s where he was going in year two and year three like it’s a dramatic step backwards. So um I I would be again if I’m his people I’d be like all right we’ll let this play out one more year.
I would be so much more inclined I saw somebody bring up the name Shane Badier if that’s what Keegan Murray winds up being. If he has Shane Badier’s career Yeah. you’ve had a awesome career, but that works fine when you’re on a team that is going on deep playoff runs and hey, you know what? This team’s just loaded and I’m going to go take a backseat over here. I’m going to be a great defender. I’m going to do the little things. I’m probably more talented than that, but you know what? We’re winning and I’m going to do the things it takes to to affect winning the most. Mhm.
He’s doing that on a team where they’re there’s not much winning to affect and it’s just it’s it’s I don’t I’m going to call it disappointing for lack of a better word because he’s he’s good. Like Keegan Murray is a really really good player. Mhm.
But in relation to what it looked like his ceiling was after year one and then he goes into year two at the California Classic and he just looks like a man amongst boys. He’s he’s uh his frame is filled out. He found some athleticism that didn’t look to be fully there in year one. It just oh man, he’s ready to take this massive leap and then nope. And then last year, nope. And so, while yes, he’s he’s really good. He’s he has a ton of value on an NBA roster, it’s short of what kind of I I think the ceiling that that we all saw for him was. And the fact of the matter is he’s not 20 years old.
No. Or 21 years old. He turns 25 this year.
Yes,
he turns 25. So, you’re in a situation where, hey, you know what? You’re kind of running up to your ceiling and your room for growth as a player. You’re you’re lowering every year that Keegan Murray stands in the corner while Demard Roa and Zack Lavine do all the primary scoring and ball handling. That brings his ceiling down another run.
Yeah.
And then another one. And then another one. And I I I I think I I I think I agree with you that he stands to lose the most because it’s just very clear. This is not a knock on him as a player. I think it’s just kind of where Keegan is as a as a as a as a person and with his fit on this team. He’s not going to be the player that’s like, “F this. I’m going to break structure. I’m going to I’m going to go demand the ball uh a after a made basket. I’m going to go demand the ball and I’m just going to go do this myself. He’s not.
Mhm.
And so I think what you’re seeing is not him becoming a bad player. I don’t think it’s him becoming worse. I think it’s his ceiling coming down and his role from what we thought it was to hey what it is realistically changing. And I don’t think that’s there’s a path to him getting back on a all-star track on this roster.
Oh no. At his current construction. And like my point would be this. You know what the most that uh Shane Badier ever made in a season? Uh 7.4 million.
Mhm. He made 56 million for his career. Like I don’t hate the player comp.
Mhm. Um because Shane Badier was an excellent defender and super super
versatile. I just didn’t want I didn’t want to seem like, hey, you’re Shane Badier, you stink.
That that was what I was trying to get across.
Yeah. Yeah. No, no, but the the problem is that Keegan’s going to get paid this summer most likely to be like a $25 million player at least. Mhm. And so how do you rectify that situation that you know a $25 million player that might score 12 points a game and he’s scoring 12 points a game not because of himself. He’s scoring 12 points a game because you’re limiting him to that.
Mhm.
And that’s not what players typically make that score 12 points per game,
right?
And so I I mean it’s tough. Like I I really think Keegan uh is in sort of a a bind here. he’s in a weird spot with the Kings and you know we keep seeing his three-point percentage drop. We see these things that you know that he’s not taking the the necessary steps forward but I also I don’t feel like it’s his fault. I feel like it’s circumstantial and and that’s that’s tough but you know
the per 100 stuff is tells the story. Keegan’s rookie year. 15.7. This is per 100 possessions.
15.7 field goal attempts, 10.1 three-point attempts per 100.
That’s a really, really nice track for a rookie. The next year, 18.3 field goal attempts per 100. Uh the three-pointers came down a little bit, 9.6. But hey, you’ll take the the additional two-point attempts. typically, you know, that means more creation, um, getting getting smarter and more effective at at cutting, maybe getting some steals and getting some runouts. So, yeah. Okay, good with that. Three-point volume down some, but overall field goal attempts up. The the notion was in 24-25, Keegan Murray would take this lead and take this ascent and become the number two or number three scorer on this team. And instead, 15.4 field goal attempts per 100 possessions, career low, 8.43 four three-point attempts per 100 possessions. A career low. That’s not changing.
Yeah. Like I’m going to pull out like Scout here in the in the chat says, “Who’s limiting him?” It’s a bad take by me. Who’s limiting him? His teammates are limiting him. His his entire organization is limiting him. What do you mean? Like when you bring in a guy who averages 17 shots per game to replace a guy who averaged nine shots per game, who who loses the eight shots, right?
It’s basic math.
Yes, it’s easy. Yeah. Unfortunately, it’s him.
Look, and here’s and here’s the deal. You can blame Keegan for not going, “Hey, give me the ball.” You can blame him for that. But to me, and this is where the argument just to let’s bring Jonathan Kaminga back in. This is where the Jonathan Kaminga Warriors, Steve Kerr, whose fault is it? This is kind of where this gets.
Mhm.
At some point, you have to go, hey, we value Keegan very highly. We think Keegan is a piece of this core going forward. How can we maximize Keegan Murray, the player? Okay, we know he’s not going to demand the ball. We know he’s not that type of personality. We know he’s not that play style. So, how can we ensure that he’s getting shots up? How can we ensure that he is uh getting the runway to become that player? Adding Demar De Rozan, adding Zack Lavine, not doing it. And so, if you want to blame him for not being the guy who’s going to be like, “Give me the damn ball. I’m shooting it 20 times to hell with your offense. I’m the ISO guy now.” That’s you can’t you you can’t do that. Well, I’d even like like further your point here. the Keegan Murray versus Jonathan Kaminga deal, right? Kaminga, the Warriors don’t want him because that’s who he is. He’s a guy that’s just me me and won’t listen and won’t go play the defense that they want him to play and won’t learn the basic play sets to make them solid defensively when he’s in the game. Mhm.
You got another guy who is doing all that,
but because he’s not vocal, because he’s not screaming and yelling at everybody, but who are you going to scream and yell at? Like again, your point guard’s De’Arren Fox, he’s shooting 20 times a game. They replace him, but you know, you got a six-man and Malik Monk who’s shooting 13 times a game. You got a center that everybody wants to shoot more, who’s shooting 12 or 13 times a game to demonst. Yeah,
it like realistically you swapped out a small forward that was shooting 8.9 shots per game and I I don’t know what the final tally was on Demar De Rozan. Um but I’m going to guess that it’s much higher. Uh yeah. Look at that. It’s 17. Oh,
17.
Almost exactly double.
Yeah, exactly. So So again, it’s just tough. Like I want to say, oh yeah, he’s got to work more off the dribble or he’s he is not put in that position by the team to do that.
I don’t I I I watched this closely last year.
I can’t off the top of my head come up with a pattern or a bunch of plays where cuz Keegan does put the ball on the deck. Guy hard close out. He’ll put the and he will get to the rack.
Yep.
It’s not like he’s sitting there and getting all these opportunities and passing them up. It happened a couple times. Catching the corner and all of a sudden he’s swinging. It’s like, “Brother, you need to just put that out.”
But it’s not like that was happening four, five, six times a game.
No, it’s once or twice. But it stands out. It does when he doesn’t pull the trigger on a three and you’re like, “What are you doing?”
Right. But it’s not But that does not explain the steep drop off in shots.
Yeah.
It’s way easier to look at the math the way you did. And if you’re Keegan, you’re a 23-year-old, 24y old who grew up watching Demard Rosen be awesome at basketball. He’s on your team now. You’re expecting that guy to go to hell with you. It’s my turn. Mhm.
That’s just not real. That’s not a realistic thing.
Well, that and like look, you brought I’ve said this a million times. It’s not that Demar Rosen’s doing anything wrong.
No, he’s the same exact player he has been every other stop in his career.
Every other time.
So that’s where like you have to expect a player to be exactly who he is. And I especially when they’re they’ve been in the league 16 years
when but when a kid has been in the league three years and he’s trying to make his way and you realistically take away a ton of opportunity. You took him from the potential to be the year before he was the third option.
Mhm.
You made him the fourth option and then when you put Malik Monk in the starting lineup, he became the fifth option. So, I don’t want to hear that it’s Keegan Murray’s fault for not being aggressive enough when he’s a fifth option. That’s it. Like, what’s he supposed to do? Fifth options don’t get 14 or 15 shots per game.
Yep.
They get that once every month.
Yeah.
Like, okay. And then they do it and you go, “Hey, why doesn’t they do that more?” And it’s like, “Well, because there’s a Hall of Famer and Zack Lavine and
Well, because somebody took a night off and he got to go out there and shoot the ball more.” I don’t know. It’s interesting.
All right, we got to step aside just for a moment. Where are the Kings in the West after all this? Where do the Kings currently reside? We’ll talk about that and we might look at some of the the quote unquote best available free agents left. Uh the list is a little bit grim. We’ll get to that as well. But where do the Kings currently stand in the Western Conference? We’ll talk about that. That’s James Ham. Kyle Madson. He’s Joe Brazil. We’re the Insider. Sponsored by Jiffy Luban. SPN 1320 Sacramento Sports. Sorry if I jumped all over your take, Scout, but like the math of it just you’re a team who’s trying to develop a young player and have him become one of your stars. Mhm.
You don’t just detour for an entire season with something that doesn’t make any sense at all. Like absolutely no sense at all. I will guarantee you this. It there’s no way we can we can argue about it or not, but the Sacramento Kings would have won more than 40 games last season if they still had Harrison Barnes on the roster. That’s kind of interesting.
They would have been a better defensive team. They would have been a better three-point shooting team. They would have had Keegan and Murray develop, but that’s not what happened. Um, I’m trying to O, bad look for Kee there. Um, I’m trying to find I wish there was an easier way to do this. I do the other the other part of this is I think there’s an element of Keegan isn’t aggressive enough at times. I definitely agree.
Mhm.
I’ve been saying that for for two years now. It’s been a worry for me. Like maybe he’s just not that. I don’t think the Kings helped the situation by bringing in Demar Roen and by inserting Malik Monk into the starting lineup and by trading for Zack Leavine. No,
I don’t think they made it I don’t think they made it easier. And I think that’s kind of my point.
Yeah.
Is Yeah. Keegan’s not that dude who’s going to be like, I’m taking 25 shots tonight to hell with you. We also we didn’t even talk about the difference between how many shots per game Kevin Herurder took even in the good season versus what Zack Lavine 8.8 Eight. Well, no. No. Now back to The Insiders with James Ham and Kyle Madson, brought to you by Jiffy Lube on ESPN 1320.
Yeah, it’s us. James over there, Kyle here, Joe Brazil there. We’re the insiders hanging out with you till noon. I want to pick up the Keegan Murray conversation because we kind of continued it through the break on the on the YouTube side.
Uh and then and then I want to talk about where the Kings currently stand in the West. I I do think as with all things when arguments happen you exist or when discussions happen things exist in black and white. In reality there’s a pretty substantial gray area that almost all things exist in. And with this Keegan Murray thing, I will concede. While I do think that the Kings made a mistake in adding a player like Demard Rozan and then trading for a player like Zack Lavine, um less with Zack Lavine, I’m going to keep Zack Lavine’s name out of this for now. By adding a player like Demard Rosen, I do think they hindered Keegan Murray’s growth a little bit. Yeah. And I think part of the reason that is is what the other argu side of this argument is is that guy is not aggressive enough. That guy does not believe he might he has you have to have immense self-belief to to make it to this level of of sport. So, Keegan Murray knows Keegan Murray’s very, very, very good at basketball, but he’s not going to be one of those players who’s like, I’m the next Michael Jordan and I’m going to go show everybody on a nightly basis. No, he’s he’s going to be more passive. He’s going to make the right pass. Um, he’s going to pass up shots. Uh, sometimes frustratingly so. And so, I do think that that’s true. I agree with that argument that he needs to be more aggressive. On the other hand, I don’t think that additional aggressiveness makes up for everything lost by inserting Demard Rosen into the equation. A a player with Demard Ro I shouldn’t even say Demard Roen specifically because it’s not him. A player with Demard Rosen’s style, play style, I think further hindered or further exacerbated the issues that left Keegan Murray with something to be desired on the offensive end. Yeah. I I mean like look, we could go through like a long list of players that if you would have moved this player into, you know, signed this player or made this trade to get this type of player,
how it could have been different. But like the guy that that stands out, let’s just Cam Johnson is a guy that everybody in Sacramento thought was going to land in Sacramento and and the Kings were never able to get the deal done.
There was even last offseason, there was a push to get him before they signed Demar De Rozan
in in his best season.
Mhm.
Which was last year, uh Cam Johnson shot 13 shots per game, four less. You take those four shots, you give them to Keegan Murray, and Keegan Murray is at least Cam Johnson. Like that’s where he would be. And it’s just this it’s one move and then and again you compound these moves again. You take Malik Monk there’s and put him in the starting lineup and a bunch more shots go that way, you know, over Kevin Herurder. Like he takes more shots than Kevin Herder. Then you replace that with Zack Lavine and all a sudden more shots going to Zack
Lavine. Like when you take a player who is supposed to be probably your your third option growing towards potentially being a second option, a second offensive option like Keegan was uh coming out a year two and you make him your fifth option. I don’t care how aggressive you are, he’s still the fifth option.
Mhm.
Like that it’s not it’s not like he had some opportunity to go grab the ball, bring it up the court, create for himself. It’s not like they kept calling play after play after play for him to go get more shots. They just didn’t.
I I I get it. I’m I’m going to now argue against myself here. Here’s what needs to stop. We have Keegan Murray opening night last year, 17 field goal attempts, 10 three-point attempts. We got on air the next day and went, “There he is. There’s Keegan.” And I think this is where people on the on the other side of this, I know there’s a lot of you in the chatty house, so let me argue your position here. Argue for your position here. The next night, 11. The next night after that, nine. Uh, we’ve got in here a 10, 11, a 7, 11, 6, 9, 11, 11, 9. I just got to the end of November.
Mhm. That is way too many nights where the 10 and 11 nights I’ll take as okay like there’s there’s some that the De’ar Fox scores 60 and has 35 shots. Okay, you’re not going to get a ton of ton of shots up. There are too many nights in here where you’ve got one for nine, four for nine, three for five in 25 minutes, three for nine in 27 minutes, three for nine in 28 minutes, two for seven in 28 minutes, two for eight in 36 minutes. Those can’t happen. That to me is not roster related. That to me is where, okay, maybe he’s not getting the shots.
Mhm.
But I know Keegan Murray is touching the ball more often than that. I know Keegan Murray can create more than seven or eight or nine shots. The singledigit field goal attempt games, they’re going to happen in the league. They happen way too often to for me to put, and again, this is where I’m I’m living in the gray area. It doesn’t all go on Demar De Rozan or Dear Fox or Zack Lavine or whoever it is there. There are too many nights where he just doesn’t where we go, what did Keegan took eight shots in the first quarter and finished with 10.
Yep.
Like what the dude though that is to me those are the nights that are on Keegan. I think season long when you start looking at the dip in field goal attempts it’s like okay that’s roster but on those there’s just too many nights where he’s aggressive coming out and then oh nope went away. No, I get that. But again, I’m gonna keep saying opportunity, opportunity, opportunity. Like I there are certain nights where of course he’s gonna have more opportunity because somebody’s hurt
where whether it’s Dear Fox or Taman Sabonis or Demard Rosen steps off the court for a game.
Like there are going to be games where yeah, he he doesn’t get a bigger opportunity, but there are also nights where he was incredible in the first half
and his teammates didn’t look for him. They did not find him. they did not set him up for additional shots.
And you’re just sitting there thinking like, what in the world? And then you go back and you look at those games and you’re like, huh, look at that. One guy had 10 field goal attempts in the third quarter because he wasn’t getting his and he came out of halftime and went and got his.
Sure.
And you’re like, okay. And then not only that, I I’ll bring this might sound like a small number, but the difference between not only 17 field field goal attempts, but 5.7 free throw attempts. Mhm.
Because a game is about possessions, how many possessions there are versus a guy who averaged nine shot 8.9 not only field goal attempts, but 2.4 free throw attempts. you’re losing one little possession, two possession, eight possessions from and that’s just one player.
Mhm.
And so that’s where to me it’s just like we were hoping that there would be a moment during the season where it balanced where you started to pass the torch over.
Never happened. In fact, it got worse as the season went on.
And and again, I I don’t blame Demar De Rozan for being who he is. I’m blaming the situation. Like both guys like it was situational like Demar like hey I I can still shoot 17 times a game. All right, I’m in.
Yeah, of course.
Yeah. Like why not? If you’re Demar like hey look if that if you guys are just going to let me have the ball every time like why not?
But like that last season like the offense was broken. Everything was broken. And that’s why like look if you’re going to have a flow offense then everybody has to play a flow offense. Not everybody except for one guy.
Sure.
And because what happens is that one guy messes with the flow. Yeah.
And the and then the whole thing doesn’t work. And so I feel like that’s what we saw more than anything else last season.
Let me get to why did this page change? Hang on. I want to just to get off Demard Rosen’s back a little bit. Demard Rosen missed uh November 15, 16, and 18. Minnesota, Utah, Atlanta. That was when De’Arren Fox went crazy.
Mhm.
Uh had the had the huge game in the OT loss against Minnesota. Had another huge night against Utah the next night. Uh and then Atlanta a couple days later. Keegan Murray in those games. Had 15 shots in the overtime game against Minnesota with no Demar Rosen. Six in a four-point win against Utah.
How many points did Dear Fox score?
That was the He had 50.
Yeah.
What? 50 something. Okay. No, but but I I’m I’m there. I’m with you. 30 shots. He had 49 30 shots for for De’ar Fox that night. Trey Lyles started figured out a way to get nine shots up. Kevin Herder got 14 shots up. Jordan Mclofflin got five shots in 22 minutes.
Yeah. One less shot than
Murray played 39 minutes and had six field goal attempts.
Yep.
That that is where I fall off of the Well, it’s roster construction wagon. That is where like brother You got to figure it out.
Yeah.
If you can’t figure it out in a certain in a in a starting lineup, you’re Keegan Freaking Murray, the number four pick, the guy who is part of the core. You’re going to be that dude. You’re going to get paid. And you’ve got Jordan Mclofflin. Alex Lenn had five shots. Trey L. Let’s be honest, Alex Lynn missed his own shot at least three of those times, got the rebound, and put it back up.
Uh, he was four for five.
Okay, I’m wrong. It’s all Keegan’s fault. I I
Thank you. There it is. Come on.
There it is. It’s all Keegan’s fault that Dearon Fox took 30 shots in a game.
No, it’s not. It’s But it’s not It’s not the 30 that I’m worried about.
Yeah.
It’s that there were 53 other shots and Keegan in 39 minutes took six.
Yep. That’s where I have a really hard time going, “Well, Demar didn’t even play.” That’s where Zack Leavine wasn’t on the team yet.
No.
Darren Fox took 30. But that that is where I am like, bro, you have to figure out a way on nights like that to to be that dude to be the number two option.
Mhm. No, I get it.
Didn’t even play. Doug McDermott took more shots than Keegan Murray.
Yeah.
The hell is that?
I I get it. But you know, the other
on the other side now.
The other side of that coin, just so you know, uh their star player, Lori Markin, scored 25 points that night. He took eight shots. And he took eight shots because Keegan Murray was all over him and would not let him get loose.
No, totally. And that this is not a question about like because it if if Keegan Murray can only play one side of the floor, that’s what we’re talking about. It’s like, okay, cool. Now you’re Shane Badier, which is well short of the expectation for him.
There are there are players who who are very good defenders who also score points
or put shots up at least. So, I I do think I think part of it is roster construction for sure. Uh but I also think that there’s at least some blame. You can pick the percentage. Yep.
Laid it at Keegan Murray’s feet on those nights where the opportunities are there and for whatever freaking reason he doesn’t take advantage.
Yeah.
And that’s that’s I think where where the frustration kind of sets in.
No, I get it. I get it. I I just like for me it’s a young player and and you’re supposed to foster growth in young players, not styy them.
I agree. That’s James. I’m Kyle. Joe Brazil behind the glass. I think Jesse Topia behind the glass as well. Jesse here. Hey, shout out to Jess. We’re the insider sponsored by Jiffy Lube here on ESPN 1320. This is Sacramento Sports Leader. Okay. Um let’s push our power rankings to
tomorrow.
Tomorrow.
Okay.
Because I want to really dig into that. Okay. Uh because I I think there’s some some interesting conversations to be had about what the West looks like. I wanted to get to the best available free agents because this could change literally any second and it might have changed and we just missed it. But this is part of the reason why yesterday I was a little bit incredulous about the Yonas Valenud. Gez, here we go. Fix that in post. 3, two, and one. Uh the Jonas Valenuna salary dump is ostensibly what trading a $10 million player for a $5 million player is.
Mhm. And you mentioned well it gives you $10 million to work with under the luxury tax.
It’s probably less because of bonus money but yeah but still it gave you money to work with and even if you didn’t have that 5 million then you probably would be really close.
Yeah.
To to the luxury tax. You’re the free agent. Well, I want to push point guards for a second. Re agent shooting guards. Don’t think the Kings are going after any of these guys. This is according to Keith Smith’s spot track. So, if you want to quibble with the positions, I’m just reading Keith’s list.
Cool.
Quentyn Grimes, restricted free agent. Not going to go get him. He’s going back to Bill. Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets, restricted free agent. Love him. Would be so psyched if the Kings got him, but they don’t need him. They have 10 players like him. Dante Exom and Dean Anthony Melton who’s coming off an ACL tear and has had trouble staying healthy his entire career. At small forward, Amir Coffee, Cody Martin, Jabari Walker, Tory Craig, and Lamar Stevens. Power forward Jonathan Kaminga’s restricted Chris Buchet, Trey Lyles, Precious Precious Aua, and Bull. And then it’s center alor, DeAndre Moagner, Jackson Hayes, and Isaiah Jackson. This is why yesterday on the whole yeah you want to free up salary like for what?
Yeah I is Cody Martin like air coffee
like look I I think that that again the reason why the Kings were hearing names of every king known to man being mentioned as part of potential trades but specifically guys like uh like Malik Monk
Mhm. is so you can actually try to improve your roster in other ways.
Like this roster is still completely unbalanced. And I don’t necessarily think that that’s Malik Monk’s fault at this point, but you’re trying to find ways to balance the roster somehow.
And when you look at this list, it it’s just uninspiring. Like I think Kings fans would be super excited they got air coffee and that just speaks to where the Kings are right now. like that and he’s not going to be the difference between you winning, you know, 38 and 42 games. The significance of the of an Amir Coffee signing would be, oh, they recognize that they need more players like that. Cool.
It’s not moving the needle for me. Let’s talk point guards where Josh Giddy is a restricted free agent, Chris Paul is still available. Where are things at with Russell Westbrook and Malcolm Brogden? because it really felt like the Kings were lining this thing up where okay, it’s going to be Dennis Shruder and then bang, it’s going to be also Russell Westbrook or also Malcolm Brogden. They’re having Zoom calls. This thing’s going to happen. They’re going to have this veteran back court. Here we go. It seems like all of that has died out entirely. Yeah, I think their plan, their hope was to move Monk uh and and hopefully for Shrutder to free up some money
and and have those contracts sort of cross-cancel each other and then open up that other backup point guard spot. Yeah,
they don’t have the other spot now. And that’s the problem. They they don’t really I mean, if Malik Monk, if you haven’t been able to move him at this point, he’s your backup point guard. there is no reason to go sign a Russell Westbrook or or a Malcolm Brogden or anyone else. Like you already have the guy. Um you just were hoping to get a much cheaper version. So then you had another like 14 or 15 million to go chase somebody else. Mhm.
Again, if if you would have been able to pull off the the Malik Monk for Dennis Shruder and like personally I don’t love that. I don’t like that at all to be honest with you. But if you were able to do that,
Mhm.
not only would you have retained your mid-level exception at at 14 million bucks, but you also would have shaved another 4.5 million off your salary.
And so it would have given you this huge runway like upwards of 25 million bucks to go out and shop for better players
uh using something like the trade exception from Kevin Herder, using something like your mid-level exception. So it would have opened the ability to go do other things. I get I I understand why you might trade Malik Monk in that situation just for financial reasons, but I also think like there are other players on this roster. Maybe they can’t trade. Maybe there isn’t any market for player X, player Y.
Maybe people like realistically are waiting to see what happens with Jonathan Kaminga before they make a decision on whether,
you know, a guy like Demard Rosen might be available or not. Because I mean, what do you think this looks like if somehow the Kings are able, let’s just do a hypothetical here. If they’re able to do a sign-in trade with the Golden State Warriors and bring in Jonathan Kaminga for Malik Monk, who are your starters? Who’s your starting power for your your starting forwards? Um, man.
Um, yeah.
Yikes. So, are we helping or we hurting King Murray? Okay, now maybe we’re getting Oh, look at the A’s. Uh maybe we’re reaching again. All of this is lining up with uh Hey, would the Kings be better if Demar Rosen came off the bench?
Oh, okay.
I know we can’t we can’t have that conversation because he’s all game off the bench. Yeah, no, I got it. But that’s the logical move there
is if you trade Malik Monk for Jonathan Kaminga, Jonathan Kaminga is now your starting three or four, however, however, uh Demard Rozan replaces Malik Monk as your six-man. Mhm.
And now you have a dynamite score coming into the game off the bench. That’s the answer.
Okay.
But I don’t know.
I’m going to let Kyle call Dear and tell him. He’s going to go, “Who’s this?” I’m going to go, “Hey, this is Kyle Madson from ESPN 1320.” And he’s going to go, “How’d you get this number?”
“How’d you get this number?” Like, “I don’t know, man, but hey, you’re coming off the bench, FYI. Buckle up.” Whoever I know Demar Rosen doesn’t listen to this program, but if anybody who knows him does and they send him clips or whatever, he’s going to punch me in the nose. You see me if you see me face down on the on the floor at a Kings game, you’ll know what happened.
You’ll know what happened.
Got knocked out by Demar Rosen.
Yeah. Yeah.
Uh that’s James. I’m Kyle. He’s Joe. We’re the insider. Sponsored by Jiffy Lube. The handoff coming up next with Damen Barling as we lead up to DLO and Casey at noon right here on ESPN 13:20 at Sacramento Sports Center. Oh. Oh, I have to go to the bathroom so bad, but I want to watch this bat.
Okay, so
we’re going to live. We’re going to li I don’t even know if this is legal what we’re about to do, but uh 65 ball game. Base is jacked. Two outs. Nick Curts at the plate.
Ninth inning.
01 pitch.
A’s down.
That’s a change up down.
Base is juiced. Curts took a big swing on that first one.
Yeah, he did. He was
Yep. Try to end that thing.
Well, not end it, but take a lead. Oh,
that’s true. Oh.
Oh my goodness. He took a hack. Little cutter in on the hands.
Yeah, just missed the barrel. Sorry, Joe and Jesse. We’re way ahead of you guys.
No, I saw this coming and I fast forwarded and now we are good together.
Oh, good, good, good, good, good. I didn’t know you were you were rewound. Oh, time out. Boy,
are we going to
This is fun.
Oh, I might even if we can. I just needed to hit a tank or something here and I will Time to run to the restroom.
What do we got? What do we got? What do you got in your bag?
One, two, pitch. I was like, that’s a good take.
That’s a really good take.
Yeah, I just struck out watching that.
I did, dude. I’m I’m a righty, but same pitch on the opposite side. Oh, I’m I’m whiffing at that. I think you go change up down here. I think you called it.
I did. He fouled it off.
Look at that.
Now I’m elevating a fast ball like I was
about to say he’s probably
come back with it
high and outside.
He might try and go back to the change up and bury one in the dirt,
but I I’m I’m now bring Yeah, actually because he might be looking for that fast ball now.
Yeah, this is killing me. He broke a bat. I need this pitch to be the end of the abat so I can have to go so bad. All right, here we go. Payoff pitch. Oh, missed inside. Went back to the cutter.
Three and two.
Oh, bases checked. 3-2.
A walk. A walk in the tying run. Two outs.
The runners will be moving.
Oh, that’s true. Muny waits on deck. Who’s got He has a home run on the day.
Hands at the belt. I shouldn’t do this. This is definitely illegal. Oh, he went with the change up down.
Oh, and his ball four.
Son of a All right. Here we go. Now Kyle’s got to run. Wow.
He’s got two minutes, you know. This is funny. Oh, that’s funny. Waterfall, swimming pools. Yep. Drip, drip, drip. Uh, what’s going on? You know, I I think it’s funny, too. Like, um, like I I want to see what Keegan actually looks like as as a ball handler. And you know, I he’s he’s a guy who works extremely hard and who does care and I’m sure he’s gotten better and better and better, right? But you have a guy like Nick Clifford who goes back to college and they give him the opportunity to become who they thought he could be. You know, they put the ball in his hands, they taught him, they worked with him on getting to the free throw line. They do all all of these things where he looks like a completely player from a different player from his fourth to his fifth season at the college level. And I and I honestly think that Keegan could have could have had some of the similar like improvements in his game, but it’s just not in the cards for him for whatever reason. Um, the A’s are I I gotta be they are more interesting but not in a good way to be honest. Like the Giants can be like super boring. But the A’s they’re interesting because you never know what kind of little league error they’re going to make that cost him a game or when some guy is going to come out of the bullpen and just give up five runs in in like three minutes and you’re like, “What in the world just happened?” Oh. Shooty looks not happy. The Shooty just in a hoodie.
Yeah. Are they at the little tiny tables? I don’t understand what’s happening. These Oh. Oh, yeah. They are the tiny tables. I don’t understand. Now, back to The Insiders with James Ham and Kyle Madson, brought to you by Jiffy Lube on ESPN 1320. That’s James. I’m Kyle. He’s Joe. No show Friday this week. It’s 4th of July.
Yep.
Then you’re off next week. I’m off.
You’re heading to Cabo. You’re celebrating with the hat.
Cabo. Can’t I cannot wait to go to Cabo.
I’m so jealous. It’s all right. Joe and I will hold it down. It’ll be fine. Um Chris Ooa. There it is. Aston the chatty house at youtube.com ESPN1320. If you’d like to join the program, you can jump in there. Uh Damian Barling will join us for the handoff here shortly. Uh he said, “Whenever Mike Brown’s press conference is, do you think anyone will ask what happened with the Kings?” 100%. Yeah.
There will be at least one, probably four questions about Mike Brown’s time with Kings.
Yeah.
And I think you’re going to get probably pretty diplomatic answers from Mike. I don’t I don’t expect him to say anything.
Uh like, “What do you mean I’m still getting paid $ 8.5 million a year from them?” Like, “What do you mean?” there. You might get a veiled comment here and there, but I don’t think you’re going to he’s like, “I got screwed out of a job.” No,
you’re not going to get anything like that.
No,
he’s going to be very diplomatic about it.
No, I mean, if anything, he’ll say, uh, you know, that he believes you got to stay the course. Like, there are going to be ups and downs in the season. There going to be ups and downs with a franchise, but
the the people who value stability
uh and stick with a plan are the ones that usually reap the benefits.
I hope Mike’s listening and I hope he wrote that down. All right,
it’s the right answer. It’s a good answer.
I I may have covered uh 10 different head coaches in Sacramento. You may have done this exact press conference a whole bunch of times.
Yeah. Yeah.
Very good.
Yeah. I could probably just sit up there and tell you what they’re going to say.
Very good.
Yeah. In in for Mike Brown. Uh, James Ham,
go to the pen.
Gonna be a proxy.
Give me the righty.
Go to the pen.
Gonna give you the answers you were going to give. You go ahead and take this one, James. Like, all right.
Yeah. Uh,
I’ve been through it before.
Want to remind everybody you can now listen to the insiders and Casey on ESPN 1320 on the Odyssey app, the iHeart Radio app, and the TuneIn app. No excuse to miss anything.
Nope.
You got the podcast available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. It’s the James Ham and Kyle Madson show. It’s DLO and Casey. So even if you do miss something, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and you can go back and listen. So whether you watch on YouTube, whether you listen on the radio or whether you listen on an app, uh we are available in all of those places. And
you know what’s amazing right now?
You know what’s amazing about the iHeart app?
What’s that?
It works. Out of town burn.
Yeah. It’s not trash that shuts down every five minutes. I won’t say which one of those apps you named is trash, but one of them is trash. As someone who listens to it every single day, I’ve used iHeart the last two days. Didn’t have to reset it. Didn’t have to close the app, start over. Didn’t have to shut my phone down to get it to work. Like, you want to listen to the insiders and dealing with Casey uninterrupted. Use the iHeart app. It works. That should be their slogan. The iHeart app. It works. Functional. Anything else about apps before we talk about the Kings?
I mean, appetizers. Buffalo wings are a solid appetizer.
Is that Do you Are you a Buffalo wing guy?
Uh, no. I was going to say that would be shocking.
No. No. Like,
you’re a Buffalo cauliflower guy. I’ve been known to I did make you a Buffalo chickpea dip once. That is fire. Fire.
Many, many years ago. That was I think those were nonus years. Oh,
if I if I recall correctly. But yeah, that’s that’s one of my favorites.
Buffalo season. That sounds good. Oh, it’s it’s terrific. Yeah, it’s fantastic.
Yeah, it’s really good.
It’s a winner.
If you order an appetizer at a place, what do you order?
Depends on where we are, man. Um Q1227. Um they’ve got lobster bites that are phenomenal.
Um we were at Scott Seafood. We live different lives.
They had a uh like Chili’s Triple Dippers Fire.
They had like a an AI nacho. Oh yeah, that’s good.
Oh my god.
So I love a good seared AI app. Yeah, I love that. I love ceviche.
Yeah. Oh yeah,
those are both both winners. Both winners.
There’s a restaurant in Brentwood called uh I can’t even uh what the hell? Doesn’t matter. There’s a restaurant in Brentwood. Uh they have an appetizer. It’s just the one restaurant we have. They have an appetizer called a crab tower.
Okay.
And it’s like a I don’t even know what’s in it.
Mhm. But it is literally like a tower of crab and other mixins
with chips on top and around the sides. I don’t even like seafood and I rock with the crab tower. Delicious. Okay.
I could bring in maybe I’ll bring in ceviche one day. Ceviche and guacamole and fresh salsa. I’ll just
I’m a seafood guy now. Like I’m I’m a big
I love that for you.
Yeah, I’m a big I’m a big seafood fan.
Okay.
I’m not going to be productive the rest of this show because I cannot for the life of me think of what the hell that restaurant’s name is.
Oh. And it’s really annoying. Well,
there’s very easy ways to find out.
Yeah, we have the technology. Yeah. Um
maybe the iHeart app has it.
GTS. What are Do you think the Kings are kind of done here? Like there’s not this kind of big move we’ve been waiting on.
A big move? No, I don’t believe there’s a big move.
It’s just going to be
I think I think they’re No. Do I think they’re done? No. Do I think a big move is ahead? No.
Is the Russell Westbrook thing still on the table? I don’t know. I um I don’t know. I I I put that on I thought a lot of it was kind of centered around what they were doing with Detroit. It’s to to to me and I could absolutely be wrong after the Duncan Robinson deal yesterday. There’s no there’s no upcoming there’s no continued negotiations. There’s no idea of Malik and Detroit. they went with Duncan Robinson and that’s it. So, it’s like, okay,
I don’t know how you pull off the Russell Westbrook thing and and maybe fill out this roster a little bit more without a deal being done. Like, the Sacramento Kings have to find a deal. They have to find someone to trade with, be it for Devin Carter, be it for Malik Monk. Like,
entering the season with the roster they currently have is it’s a little it’s a little sketchy at best. I do feel like the Russell Westbrook thing is still on the table. Obviously, Russell Westbrook is still very much a free agent. Uh, but they’ve got they’ve got I I I think something has to be done before that deal gets done.
Well, yeah, because they have like two point guards that both play a lot,
right? They’re going to now have too many point guards. They have a lot of guards as a whole. Well, who’s this who’s the second one?
I mean, Malik’s going to play your backup. Oh. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well, I mean, like
I just feel like that’s the deal you have to make. Like I would love to see them move Devin Carter. I don’t know that they can. I’m not against seeing if Deon Carter has anything um to I I don’t know. Maybe maybe he can blossom somewhere. I I I don’t know. KC said he saw it at the end of the year. I didn’t. But I kind of went in I was already really agitated that he was drafted because he was hurt and like everybody knew he was hurt. Like
James knew he was hurt and it was like what Wait a minute. What are we doing? Right. Like
that’s a luxury pick.
Yeah, that’s not We don’t Bro, do you know where you’re at? Like this is Sacramento. Those are not luxuries that are afforded to the Kings.
And so I I think I took Plus I don’t think he can dress. So I think I took a little bit of my frustration out on him and maybe that was unwarranted. So when he he started to show signs, it was like, okay, okay. But in the end, when the season was over, I was like, man, whatever. I’m not buying it. whatever. But full off season, training camp, healthy.
All right.
He’s gonna play in summer league, which was
first shouldn’t even be questionable. He should have played in the goddamn California Classic.
Yeah. Even if you had to march his ass out there to play one-on-one with somebody at the Golden One Center. Do it.
Yeah. Hey, I don’t need a coach. It’s fine. Just let me do this.
Carter running. Yeah. Like, yeah. No. Okay. Everybody show up at 11 and watch Devin Carter practice. It’s fine. He needs to run. Um, yeah, man. I I just just on the Russell Westbrook, Malcolm Brogden front, whatever. I was in on the Dennis Shruder thing initially because I went, Dennis Rder, not a bad player. You get him in it. But then I see D’Angelo Russell signing for six and a half million. And then you go look and you see all these point guards that make like less than $10 million a year
and Russell Westbrook is gonna get less than that for sure. Yeah. Malcolm Brogden’s probably going to get less than that. I’m like, why are you
why was Dennis Shruder it?
Was it just a panic of we need to get a guy, let’s make sure to get him. Oh my god, what does he want? Okay, the full mid-level. Sure.
And now we’re sitting here and going I way rather would have had Russell Westbrook for five, $6 million, however much he’s going to make.
Yeah.
For a year than tie up Dennis Shruder for two years.
I would have rather had Russell Westbrook, too. I think
I mean
I think the idea Yes. Thank you. Uh Dennis obviously I think Dennis the plan with Dennis Shruder is two years. I also think at least of the names that you mentioned and and maybe Russ too at this current state I I don’t know like whatever my opinion is is going to be jaded anyways.
I think Dennis is better than all of them. So is he twice as good as all of them like in terms of finance? That’s what I’m saying. I like I I get it. But um the answer is no. He’s not.
Is he twice it? No, he’s not twice as good of them, but I do think he’s the best of the bunch.
I agree.
Um
Yeah.
So, yeah, I I’m not sure. I I don’t I don’t know why why it was 145 million. Um but I’m fine with the acquisition. Like, I’m perfectly fine with Dennis Rud, the player. I just had really wrapped my brain around a few more things happening, small things. Uh and none of them have happened.
You mean and I’m getting
Drew Eubanks and Dar on social media for it. What? Drew Eubanks didn’t move the needle for you.
Didn’t
they didn’t move the needle?
Didn’t No, I don’t I don’t even understand the Valenunis trade. I guess it was to free up money.
Yeah.
I don’t I didn’t understand it.
I mean,
I don’t get it. Like,
yeah, because when you take into consideration bonus money for Sabonis and a couple other contracts,
they really have no cap space left.
Lamar Stevens isn’t going to sign himself. You know
who? Yeah. Great.
Anyways, do Lamar Stevens on a 80s sitcom? Maybe.
No, that was the guy. That was the dynamite guy, wasn’t it?
Oh, Johnny Walker.
Johnny Walker.
That’s Isn’t that rum? We’ve lost our mind.
Or is that or bourbon?
Johnny Whiskey. Okay. I was going to get it right at some point. Yeah.
Uh Jimmy Walker, I believe, is the name we were looking for.
That’s it. There we go. That’s it. End the show. That was the Jay Walker. We were Okay. Do and Casey Joe, please to help us drink water.
Drink water. Be nice to people. All right, chatty gang. Appreciate you guys. Uh, good show today. We’ll talk tomorrow. You did you did all that stuff already. There we go. Oh, is it just you? What’s up, Jesse? What’s up, guys? What’s up, Chatty House? Yeah. What is that? What hat is that? That Sax City?
No, man. This a uh this a this a collab with with Phenom Sacramento, Ohio, man.
And uh Yeah. Shout out Sai Phenom and and Daniel Lou. This is This is the the best hat I have. This hat is crazy. The detail. Look at on the inside, man. This is like silk, bro. This is crazy.
That’s rich people stuff.
They got a zipper on the hat. The ultimate needle mover in
That’s the wrong button. No, I got you. I’m I’mma hit the right button this time. Y’all ready? In three,
two. Young as hell. Yeah. Yeah. We got them screaming dowo. We got them screaming, “Do we your number one spy?” We your number one spot for some sports. Huh? Got the city going crazy when we work. Huh? We top two, but we ain’t two. We in first. Huh? And when you need the real, we search. Huh? D. We your number one spot.
Let’s go, baby. Let’s let it ride one more time. What’s good? We welcome you in here to the Wednesday, July 2nd edition of dealing with KC. I’m Damian Balling. One more time,
the ultimate needle mover in God bone himself.
He’s Kenny Carowway.
Yes, sir. Acknowledge me.
And we are live
from the worst slums of South.
What are you doing with him?
He rides with us, man. That’s what we’re doing. What are you doing with them?
We appreciate you
so much for being with us. So much news has broken over the last 24 hours. That’s not true. Actually,
I I thought you saw something that I didn’t see.
I mean, there was news. It wasn’t related. This is more for Casey, I guess, cuz this has been his take. But the Shams the Cody Rhodess of all this right here. Oh, wait. Wait a minute.
They gave him They gave him They gave him the ball to run with it. He It’s been kind of a
man It’s a lot better when Rose was here. It’s a lot better when Roman Roman Rojanowski was here.
You’re not wrong. Roman Wjinowski. Wow. Roman Wanowski is spectacular. Goodness gracious. Shams is Kevin Owens. Oh man.
Is he Cesaro?
No, no, no, no, no. I don’t even want to name someone Cesaro. Be disrespectful.
Yeah, that is tough.
Oh, tough. Tough. Tough.
I mean, it all
there was news this morning. Well,
it just didn’t pertain to basketball.
No, not at all.
And if you’ve been listening,
it wasn’t news. Well, we Well, we could deal with we could deal with that later.
Yeah,
cuz I’m not the type of person to say I told you so.
I am.
It was kind of I am.
I want to say it was clear as day, but
it was
there was red flags.
It was clear the second it started.
Well, to me to me it happened. We’ll get We’re there. We’re there.
The second they said RICO charge, it’s like there’s no there’s no goddamn way. There is no way you’re going to be able to prove a conspiracy. The the the the whole thing fell apart for me personally, not saying I knew it was going to happen, but red flags were raised, is when they offered a plea days before the trial started.
Yeah. And his I said you offer and his inter his attorney emphatically said no.
Yeah. It’s And this is why this is bad.
This is bad for them.
The prosecution went on for weeks.
The defense went on for days. The reason the defense went on for days is cuz there’s nothing to defend. Let’s see what we’ve established. Diddy’s an ass. He’s a freak. He’s a horrible human being. And he’s violent. Great. Which one of those four things did I name is a charge? Domestic violence wasn’t a charge. Mhm. Y’all try to put a re y’all tried to prove conspiracy on the basis of baby oil orders. Like man,
they got way too thirsty.
Was such a catastrophic failure by the federal government and the prosecution. They got thirsty. Just as you said, they got thirsty and started reaching. Didn’t have it. And I think they knew as this trial was going on, they’re cooked.
They proved nothing other than Sean Combmes sucks as a human being.
Again, that’s not something they send you to jail for. No, them boys.
And poor
offer that plea. I said, “Oh,
poor Cassie.” Cassie went on went on uh the stand for like three days and had to relive the nightmare of that relationship with that man. All for what? absolutely nothing. Oh, I I feel so bad for her. I feel bad for for some of those other people that that that testified. And I was That man is leaving jail with all of his money. And if you think he’s just going to go away,
I know
you do not understand this man’s mentality. His first step into the spotlight, people died. The very first thing he did as an entrepreneur, people died. He didn’t tuck him. He didn’t He didn’t curl up in a bald and go away. He was fired from Arista by Andre Harrell. Didn’t curl up in a Why? Why was he fired? Because he was violent and hotheaded. He didn’t curl up in a ball and go away. He is not going away. Well, he ain’t going away. But I’ll also say this. anybody anybody he got anything on. We gonna find out
because I promise he he is going to and I’m not saying it like in a positive way. I’m just saying he going to remember everybody that walked away from him during this moment. And if he got something on you, this thing ain’t over. This thing is not over. Uh whe whether he says it personally or it gets out somehow,
anybody that walked away that didn’t that didn’t defend him that he’s going to remember that he’s he’s an evil guy. He is
he’s an evil guy. This is exactly what he’s going to do.
Yeah, he is an absolute
He’s a evil vengeful guy. So after all of this, did he or did he not order the murder of Tupac Shakur? Um, from everything that I he may have ordered it, but the actual killing of it, from everything I heard is I don’t I haven’t found the connection to Puff yet. Well, the connection to Puff is the guy who’s on trial. That’s the connection to Puff. It’s just whether you believe him or not. He said for years that Shawn ordered the hit.
Yeah, he I think he ordered the hit, but when he actually got killed, I’ll put it to you like this. If he doesn’t stomp out Orlando Anderson, you think he gets killed that night?
I don’t.
And that’s that’s my point.
Yeah, I don’t
like the the hit may have been out there,
but what actually happened was not the hit? I don’t believe
but that’s that’s where I’ve had trouble connect. It’s clear that this dude, I forgot his name. um the one who’s on trial knows Shawn
and he is very well connected. So, it’s just a coincidence he was there. I mean, it’s a Tyson fight in Vegas. Like, that is a hot spot for, you know, the rich and powerful of gangs. But, still, I I I don’t know. TPD, thank thank you.
I I agree. Um, man seems like an awful interesting coincidence, but I
I’m with you that that that scene in the lobby doesn’t happen. I don’t know that that happens to
P. And I think that’s that’s what end up getting him murdered that night. But that also doesn’t mean the hit wasn’t out.
You know what I’m saying? So that’s that’s man blew up kid Cuy’s car in in his driveway when he knew people were there because they wanted people to see it. He’s a maniac, bro. He is an absolute maniac. Maniac. And like and like I said, and I’m not I’m not saying it in a in a uh happy way. I’m just I just I don’t trust this dude. Mhm.
And anybody that didn’t show support to him during this moment or turn their back on him, I think he’s going to remember that.
And if he’s got something to make their life a living hell,
I think he’ll use it. It’s it’s it’s gross. It’s awful. It’s just flat out awful. But if you listen to us here occasionally, if you listen to KSFM, we’ve been saying for weeks, this is not this is not working. The prosecution missed. The federal government missed. They got a a a a a trial in front of a jury that they were not equipped to have. Just an absolute failure by the federal government. And now everybody knows, you said this perfectly, he’s a maniac. Now everyone knows it. And he’s free. He There’s no charge for blowing up Kid Cuy’s car. There’s no charge for beating Cassy’s ass in the lobby of a or or in the in the hallway of a hotel room. No charges for that. But we all know he’s capable of doing it. We all know he’s done it and now he’s a free man.
The crazy thing
or is going to be a free man. I don’t know what’s going to happen with the the two most minimal charges with short. I I don’t I imagine it’s time served.
It’s up it’s up to 10 years.
There’s no way. Ain’t no way.
Maybe maybe another year or two cuz he’s only
because you know what they’re going to do? They’re going to ask what is the what is the the standard for this? What is the standard for this for someone not named Shawn Colmes? And they’re going to go with that.
And once they do, I don’t it’s not going to be 10 years. They’re not going to throw the book at him, so to speak. It’s not going to be 10 years. My gut feeling is it’s time served. Incredible. The the other uh thing about um about it with Sean is he’s got all his money still or a lot of his money. That’s it.
But you’d be crazy to work with that man. He’s a pariah. He’s a pariah. Like I don’t know how he continues to make money and it may not matter but like this thought that Diddy’s home and you know it’s just going like you’d be crazy to be seen in public with that man.
Yeah.
If you’ve got if you’re anybody but if you got anything to lose like if you’re some of his rap friends or you know people in the industry you’d be crazy to be with Diddy right now.
The people who will be with him are the lesser thans. You know what I mean? Not that like you know who uh what’s your boy’s name? The Drake podcaster. What’s his name? The one who was on the live stream all of the time. What’s academics? I could see academics doing something with him.
Uh he could do an interview.
But no one cared. But like he could do an interview. He’s not going into a What I mean is he’s not going into a partnership with
to like make money with him and stuff like like he ain’t doing that. No, you’d be crazy to do that. Sean fooled so many of us into believing a lot of these and and this is why this is one of the best things that came out of out of this is Sean exposed a lot of these media partnerships, these uh not media, these uh entertainer partnerships. Like they had people convinced Sarak was a blackowned company because Sean was the face of it that is owned by some alcohol distributor in Europe. And now I’m like, okay, so this little that’s not LeBron’s. That’s not Snoops. That’s not E4. They just slap a black face on it and like, “Yo, look, we’re black on brand.” Like, “No, you’re not.” And that’s one Sean exposed all of that because the second this happened, I I forgot the name of the company. I was I was reading about them yesterday, but the people who own SRAK, they’re like, “No, this is over. This is over here. No, no, no. Here’s your here’s your portion. You’re out, dog. This thing is over. Over.” Same thing with the tequila spots. It’s We knew we would get to this at some point. Didn’t didn’t mean for it to be the start of the show. So, we’ll reset. Uh that was the breaking news this morning. Of course, it had nothing to do uh with the Sacramento Kings is absolutely no news related to the Sacramento Kings has dropped. And it appears free agency is just over.
Well, Sacramento Kings news adjacent dropped a little while ago. Nick’s got a head coach. I have a question. I have a question. It’s regarding that. We’ll get to it when we get back. We’re just getting started. We’re with you for the next four hours. It’s DO and Casey. We’re brought to you by Sky River Casino on Sacramento Sports Leader, ESPN 1320. I want to give my people um proper love down there for this this hat collaboration, man. Uh talked to my man Hong. Talked to my man Kenny.
Talked about they they connected with uh Daniel Lou. I guess he’s a hat designer. This hat I talked about a little earlier. This hat is the most detailed hat I’ve ever owned. This is crazy. So, you got the Phenom logo there. Uh, Dreams Don’t Sleep, the 916 in the back. I mean, the inside, the material is crazy. The silk silk on the inside. They have they have zippers on the inside. It’s hard to get to it and show, but they got zipper pockets on the inside of this hat. It’s crazy. There’s only a hundred of them made. They went on sale. They’re going on sale tomorrow. Tomorrow morning at Phenom. Sacramento hat down in Doco. Um, shout out to my dogs, man. They did they did a they did a thing with this hat right here. And hopefully they have some more in the future. But go check it out, man. Only 100 made, man. Go cop that. I had to get me one. Had to when they told me about it. Uh, this is uh I was going to say it’s not for the radio, but every time I say that it ends up y’all be like, “Why? Whoa. How did you not
Whose voice is that?”
Oh, man. How did y’all not have that?
Whose voice is that?
It’s the combination of both of you guys.
That’s what the combination of me and Jesse sound like.
Run that back one more time.
Yeah. Do that again.
Oh man. Hey, what? This guy. I see it. I think that this guy was you dam. So I I’ll say it on the radio even though I don’t know about this one. Not that it’s bad. I just don’t know if it’s radio. But I’ll say I’mma listen to my guys. I didn’t listen to them. Look at Scott Perry. I didn’t listen to them when um in the back of my mind they were saying no take the picture with Patrick Willis. I didn’t listen to him then. So, I’mma listen to him now. It’s a good point, Kyo. Did a little dick by Talon there. Baby. Oh, you see we’re getting college basketball back. I did. I did. I want them I want them to handle it the right way. EA hasn’t done basketball in a while though, so I need them to
Well, they did NBA Live. They revived that for a couple years, but that was trash. Do not bring back NBA Live, by the way. Just leave that to whoever. I didn’t play those games.
I don’t need those. See, I I’d be much more comfortable. I mean, it’s going to be dope either way cuz college basketball’s back. But I’d be much more comfortable if 2K was doing it because last time they tried basketball, it was it was a disaster by EA Sports. That’s not their bag. But I’ll be I’ll be first in line either way. I’ll be I’ll be getting it either way.
Go get my money.
Mhm. Nah, bro. Stop. Stop. Stop. Oldie, stop. Stop. Hey, look. I got love for Zach. That’s what I thought it was.
Nah, man. I got love for Sakai, the old Metro League. You know what it is. Shout out to him. Um, but it’s CKM all day. You know what I mean? CKM all day. Did we get the bail back yet? Does anybody know if we got the bail back? We lost the bail my senior year and I don’t know if we’ve ever gotten it back. We need That’s I’ll put $5 into recruiting to to get the bail back. I just found an article. Okay, let’s see. 11 bids went in for those WNBA expansion franchises that were announced a couple of days ago. Mhm.
Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia are getting the bids. Let’s see if we can count all of these up real quick. Um, of the rejected bids, Houston was one of them.
That’s bad job by out of the WNBA. That’s disrespectful.
Charlotte was one of them.
That’s ridiculous.
Both of those teams were backed by the NBA owners.
Of course, St. Lewis, Kansas City, Austin, Nashville, Miami, and Denver were the six others.
We have hit the stage where Sacramento doesn’t even present anymore. We’ve said this time and time again, and I will say it one last time. They are never coming back. The Sacramento Monarchs are never coming back for The Sacramento Monarchs are never coming back unless two things happen. The league expands to, you know, upwards of 20 4 to 28 franchises and VC is gone. I think I think part of this is absolutely VC ran. If it boils down, we’re looking at, we looked at it so often as the Bay Area versus Sacramento. I don’t think it was. I think it was Joe Lake and VC Ronda. I think the Bay Area played a part in it. Warriors fans, all that. Like, no, they could support this. Obviously, Kings fans are very passionate, but if you if if you if you wash that and it’s Lakeup versus VC, Leakup is going to win.
I think VC loses most conversations with other NBA owners. I don’t know who’s behind St. Louis, Austin, Nashville, Miami, some of those other groups, but with 11 bids presented, three accepted, none of them being Sacramento. Sacramento not even being involved in the process,
Monarchs are never coming back,
which is which is interesting. Um, and I know we’re paid by VC and all this other stuff according to others or whatever. Um, but in all seriousness, like what I wonder what VC has done so bad that they don’t want anything to do with him. Obviously, the Kings haven’t won. And that’s one component of it. We say this all the time. That seems to be VC’s only weak spot. when you talk about what he’s had a hand in building and the vision that he had um in downtown and the arena and things surrounding it and in collabing with people around it. Hugely successful. Hugely.
But that stuff is already built though. Like it’s built so it doesn’t have anything to do with the W franchise coming in. Like the the the groundwork is that’s already been laid.
Yeah. You’re essentially all you’re talking about now is the basketball portion. You know what I mean? Like like it’s all everything you just named is it’s it’s a great characteristic of a VC ran. It’s people for for they they won’t look at it, but that’s absolutely on his resume. But when it comes to adding a WNBA franchise, it doesn’t need to be.
It’s already there. M
he established that with the Kings acquisition and the Golden One Center being built. It’s like great, got that. But we’re we’re asking you to like we talk about the Sacramento Kings being good being a long time ago. It It’s not as far, but the Monarchs were a long ass time ago. And I I don’t know how many of those fans season ticket holders are still in the area. I don’t know how many of those fan season ticket holders are still with us. I don’t know many how many of those fan season ticket holders still love the league. Like we’re talking fam. I think we’re talking 15 years in November. Wow.
Maybe 2008. Maybe 16 years in November.
Wow. That’s a long time ago. Reese wasn’t born.
No. No. Yeah. That’s That’s a while ago. But and I I’m not I’m not disputing what you’re saying or arguing with you, but like now they care about wins and losses. I thought they care about money and money is being made here in Sacramento.
Maybe the belief is he’s not the guy to lead the charge. I don’t know. I’m just I’m just trying to figure out how you could ignore such a valuable fan base. Like I lived it. I was here for it. I was here for it. Not just, you know, like I was here from it from jump. And I saw it like this this this Monarchs team went to the Western Conference Finals like four or five years in a row. They went to the NBA finals uh WNBA finals two years in a row. They won an NBA championship in 2005. Went right back in 2006. Should have won that one. the Maloos and and uh um John Wisnick got in a pissing contest because Whiz was the lowest paid general manager slashcoach or general manager plus coach in the league. And he was like, “Yo, yo, we we just went to back-to-back final. You need to pay me the the rate of what Mike Tbo gets in Connecticut, what these other guys get.” And the Maloos flat out said, “No.” So Whiz said, “F it then. I’ll be the general manager. I’m not going to do both if you’re not going to pay me to do both. I’ll be the general manager and I’ll go find a coach. He found Jenny Buick. Jenny Buick obviously did some great things in Indiana, but as the head coach of the the the Sacramento Monarchs, each year they got further and further away from Whiz the lower they got. In their last year, he fired Jenny Buick. They were preparing, I think, to draft second in what was the Tina Charles draft. And that Thanksgiving get a call from the president of basketball ops saying it’s gone. Just like that. They wanted to end it immediately that day. They called the league and said we’re done. We’re out. And the league was like what? When? Now? Today. And they were like no. Like I’m begging you. We have we have people who will keep this team alive. We’re begging you. give us time to find owners. Those jackasses said, “Okay, you’ve got two weeks.” They said, “You got two.” And and in some sort of like drama on the USA network said, “You’ve got two weeks.” And hung up on the league. Imagine trying to sell a professional sports franchise in two weeks. Man, they they they’re almost on Ron Burkel status, bro. Don’t come through here. We were at the uh
we were at the All-Star game in Orlando and I had never met Kevin Johnson before. Kevin Johnson walks over, sits at the table, doesn’t say hi, doesn’t say how you doing, looks right at Karen and go, we had people who would have bought the team. We we we could have kept the team. And she just looked at him like, what do you want me to say? Like they they left they left all of us.
That’s just a tragedy. an absolute tragedy. The the the thing with VC and if you if you’re the the WNBA and you just don’t trust VC, don’t like VC, sure, like do what you got to do for your league. I’m not here to to to cape for the guy. But like I said, you look at Sacramento and compared to all these other cities and it’s it’s a plus and a minus, you’ve got the Kings are one of the highest average tickets per game, right? Wasn’t that one of I think James always talks about that
ticket
like just like the ticket like to get in the building is one of the highest in the league. Okay.
Um
I forgot what the average was or whatever but it was I think it might have been
hundred plus dollars
on average to get into the league.
Money’s being made with a team that isn’t even good. Money being made.
Average ticket price um was one says 153 for the game. 153 might have been 2024.
That’s offensive.
Come on man.
That is freaking offensive. 53. It It is, but like if I’m looking at a league, I’m like, “Yo, the demand is crazy here and this team ain’t even good.” The other aspect,
see how that goes this year.
We will see. But the other aspect of it is
you’re the only game in town. You going to You going to the Bay Area, which is understandable. They got enough to handle it. You down the street from and they’re doing a great job. Like shoot Lakeup and that and that that organization is doing a terrific job. Fantastic job. Historically, you’re going to be going up against the Giants right down the street. You go to Cleveland, you’re dealing with the Guardians. You go to Philly, you’re dealing with the Phillies. And then when football season starts, you’re dealing with the Eagles. Um where else?
I feel like hockey runs year round, so you could throw in the Flyers. I don’t know that that’s true, but it always feels like hockey is on.
Detroit, you’re going to have to deal with um the Tigers and then eventually the Lions when that season starts and Michigan football. Now you’re dealing with college sports in those areas as well. So, if I’m looking if I’m presenting an argument to the WNBA, yo, did you you’re turning your back on one of the few places that you could go that you’d have damn near 100% at the very least, let’s just say 85% of the market share because I want to show respect to the Republic and the A’s while they’re here. But the summer is yours.
Mhm.
And you’re willingly turning that down. Like I said, if you just don’t trust VC or don’t like VC, that’s a whole another story. But when you talk about the average ticket prices of a Kings game and then you got 100% damn near the market share in the summer for for your product, that’s somewhere that I don’t know if they have anywhere else in the league. They got Connecticut, but Connecticut ain’t going to be there too much longer. I think they’ll go to Boston. That’s just my prediction. Portland, I guess we’ll get we’ll have that, but everywhere else you got to share the summer with somebody else. So, man, learning more about this, uh, Bill Hasslam, uh, brother of Jimmy Hasslam, the owner of the Cleveland Browns, uh, and I guess the former governor of Tennessee, was behind the Nashville bid. Uh, his group included Candace Parker and Pton Manning.
Um, wow.
Yeah.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
We talked earlier about
the Toronto tempo.
That is awful.
That is terrible.
That is
Come on, guys.
That’s just garbage. do better.
I’m trying to find out who was behind the I’m sorry. I’m I’m like in this rabbit hole. I because I’m I’m seeing this article for the first time. I’m I’m trying to see who was behind the behind the Austin bid. Austin would have been a good spot, too. I think I So I I
Austin would have been a good spot.
I think if you Man, you could I think you could have done something special. I I don’t Jesse Tapia. I don’t understand why we’re doing Cleveland again.
Well, neither did Sophie Cunningham.
It was a Yeah, I saw that. That was Sophie. Leave Sophie alone.
Sophie, she look like she more worried about vibes than anything else. I mean, in salute, but
she’s right. By the way,
Cleveland doesn’t like you. I think you could have done something special with like a Austin and Charlotte, a Nashville and Austin. Like, you could have done Hey, look. We’re We’re trying something different here. It worked in Unkusville. And I don’t I don’t know why. I mean, that’s the Moheaggan Sun tribe.
They can’t be losing money, right?
So, I’m not I’m not sure what has gone south with that organization, but you know, I’m a big proponent of them going to Charlotte. I think that would be a great spot.
Um, and then Houston, if they wanted it, I mean, come on, man. Show some respect to the league, you know, and and Houston did support.
And that’s for TA like,
yeah, show show some show some respect. Um, but Sophie saying that while playing for Indiana was interesting.
Yeah. No, it did. Sophie said, uh, no one wants to go to Cleveland again. It’s just like, are what is she your second cousin? Like, what is Sophie to you? Cuz y’all y’all y’all talking exactly the same about Cleveland?
Someone who knows Cleveland. Of course she wanted Miami.
Well, of course she does. Yes, of course Sophie does. She probably wants another team in LA. two teams in LA, you know, some something like that. Um, but you talked earlier about the story of uh losing the Monarchs and how they gave him two weeks. Kyle’s right. They should have gave him six weeks. Six weeks was all they needed. Kevin Johnson sat down at that table. He sat down with you and Cara and he said, “Look, we had owners. We’re ready to go. I just needed six weeks. Six weeks was all I needed. Was all I needed.” They would have just gave me the six weeks. We would have kept the monarchs right here in Sacramento. Maloose, they weren’t selling. They needed my help. They needed six weeks. That’s one of my best finds right there. You guys told me, “No, this one’s horrible. It’s horrible.” And look, and look, two months later, blue chipper. Daniel uh 91691320. Daniel, please save me from this nonsense that is taking place. You know what? I’ll save you with a good take here. Hey, regarding uh VC, um uh regardless what you say about the Maloo, I know they spent a lot of money. They weren’t good with their money, but they spent the money. Um and they had the money at the time. Maybe VC just, you know, um uh he’s rich according to all of us, but when it comes to all the owners themselves, he’s he’s at the lower end. Maybe he doesn’t have the money to have to have a WNBA team. Maybe he can’t even get one and spend the money to have it here.
I disagree with that. He just tried to buy a soccer team.
Well, that could be deceitful though. That or that could be misleading. Like I don’t think he showed a bank statement to say like I’m trying to buy like cuz
I mean if I’m being if we’re being like he was out of his price range with that. What I thought
I’m sure. No, he might have been the lead investor in a team. He might have been the, you know, the face of a team that wanted to to like do something.
I don’t know. Daniel might be on to something. You know, the Al Davis effect.
Al Davis or Mark
Mark Davis, excuse me. Might have been Al too, but Mark is is the I’m pretty certain the poorest NFL owner. And amongst the wealthiest of the wealthy, right, they look down on people like you. Well, the the the NBA has changed now, right? Like VC, I don’t think he was like the wealthiest, but he was probably middle of the pack. Now, when you’re getting these these corporations involved throwing out 10 billion.
Mhm.
Yeah. Now you that’s that’s different money now. That’s absolutely different money. But he I mean, and to your point, like you said, he could have been an investor, didn’t show a bank statement, but he’s been involved in the soccer team. He was involved, wasn’t he involved with uh Edmonton, the Oilers or something like that?
I don’t remember, but the the soccer team, he was a minority investor. He did. He tried to do something with I think it was the Ottawa Senators. I think it was the not Edmonton. Uh but he tried to get involved in in in their ownership group. I think he’s laying in the weeds for the A’s. I don’t I don’t know what that looks like if he’s I’m sure he’d be part of a group, but I think he’s I think he’s ready for that when that becomes an if that becomes a possibility. So, and we’re talk, no disrespect, but I think we’re talking the WNBA and not the NBA. I think he’s got enough money to get into the WNBA,
but but that’s the that’s the thing. Sorry, Jesse. I don’t know who these other the St. Louis, the Austin
That’s true. But like Fertitta and that’s what I was thinking. Yeah, he that’s I mean I can’t like what did Houston put together
for hotels? What’s I think Fertitta’s hotels isn’t he?
Um Mickey Erison I think is crucial. Okay, that’s right.
Uh Houston, you got the Rockets or Fert behind. How did what did he face plant his presentation? Like how is that not Look, this is yours to lose. In fact, losing the franchise had nothing to do with you. We’ve told you that story before. It was an angry owner who was pissed at David Stern and said, “Oh, okay. F you. I’m out.” And he left. He he dumped the Rockets because he was pissed off at David Stern over Yao Ming uh uh the the split of Yaoing’s overseas earnings. Not earnings as a player like what Yaoing was doing for the WNBA overseas. Houston wanted in on that action. David Stern said, “No, we’re promoting the NBA.”
And they were adamant like, “Yo is our guy. You need to pay us for this.” David Stern said, “F off.” And so the Rockets owner was like, “Cool, you too. Here’s your comments back and it was done.”
That’s a to me that’s a that’s a really They’re They’re fine. I guess they’ll figure it out. But that’s a bad job by um WNBA commissioner. Is it who? It’s um who’s the commissioner right now for the W?
Kathy Ingle Ingleberg. Yeah. Bad job by her. Houston, one of your landmark franchises.
It might not have been a single person decision. I don’t know that. I’d have to imagine for something this steep there was a a committee, but Well, I don’t Yeah, I’m not The committee for sure, but um didn’t you say Charlotte and Houston were backed by the NBA owners?
Yes. Yeah. I don’t I don’t understand how hu I don’t understand if it was best of seven. I don’t understand how Houston didn’t start the series 3 0,
right?
Look, you just got to win one game,
right?
Like, this is yours. Like we’ve got jerseys that need to go in the rafters. Like that could be your first home game. Tina Thompson, Cheryl Swoops, Cynthia Cooper. Hell, you can even put Don Staley up there if you wanted to.
Yeah. All up in the Raptors game one. that that to me being being fair about the situation that should be rectified before any other city in you know past city in the WNBA even and even even before Sacramento I mean that’s a fourtime WNBA champ your first dynasty they showed super support um in Houston for those teams if they want a team they should be at the front of the line but all this is crazy is I don’t know how Cleveland got back involved. That’s just that’s crazy. And I know you say I I I know you know and you say um and it’s a fact that Detroit did a really good job supporting that team.
Uh I still wouldn’t put them ahead of Houston.
Oh, no. Like this is No, no, no. Cleveland should never be back.
No, Cleveland. They dumped they dumped the Rockers in like two years.
Yeah.
You’re immediately out. I’m not talking to you moving forward, but Detroit, like Detroit, absolutely they deserve this nod. Philly is interesting, but I’m just so fascinated as to what if Houston presented with the backing of the Rockets organization. How did they Yeah, I need to know.
I just don’t I don’t understand.
Need to know. And I will say this,
you don’t have to live in nostalgia, but there isn’t a fan of this league that doesn’t want the comments back.
Right. Right. And
if nothing else to honor those players we just mentioned a minute ago,
facts. And I think I think I don’t want to speak for you. I think you would agree with this. Even however we feel about Cleveland, Philly, I think they’ll all support. I think the turnout will be fantastic everywhere they go. I think the women’s game is is like that. I think those cities have evolved since having them before Detroit. It wasn’t really an issue, but I think Cleveland has evolved. I think they’ll do fine. I think Cleveland will do fine attendance-wise and supporting the team and all this other stuff. I just don’t think they should should have gotten that opportunity before other places.
Yeah,
Portland’s another place like Portland
was gone immediately. I think they will support that team. Yeah, but
and I don’t I think it’ll be perfectly fine. I think the landscape has changed a little bit, which is why they’re able to expand. Looking up at this video, I had the weirdest reaction to Red Panda. I refused to watch the video.
Yeah, I ain’t watched it.
I saw Trista post it cuz Trista’s thing is she’ll put her her threads thing up and then you do the carousel and then she’ll have the attached video. I will not watch the video of Red Panda falling. No sir, not me.
No. So, they just showed Panda on NBA today. I like, uh, uh-uh, I ain’t watching. And I don’t think they showed the video,
but I’m not watching that. Not my job. Get well soon, Rep Panda. Uh, shout out to the big homie Ben. He’s only about 50 minutes late today.
That’s not bad. Well, uh, Kyle and I think Kyle and James were trying to say Jimmy Walker, and they said Johnny Walker, and it was like, “Isn’t Johnny Walker a rum?” And it was like, “No, it’s a bourbon. No, it’s a whiskey. It’s a scotch.” There it is. Johnny Walker. Some sort of
I don’t even know if I’ve had a scotch before. I’m sure I have, but I can’t think of. Isn’t that the thing that you down last time?
Was that I thought that was Brandy.
Hey, Kenny. Hey, Kenny. You sip on this. Don’t Don’t shoot it.
It wasn’t It wasn’t brandy. It was bourbon. Bourbon. Bourbon.
Yeah.
Um Scotch is uh Did you ever have the the Deacon the stuff from Sovereign Brands? Um, I didn’t I actually I have it I haven’t had that bottle.
Okay, that’s scotch.
Okay.
Yeah, that’s a scotch.
The the like bronze one or whatever.
Yeah, with the weird Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
I I haven’t had that. I might try it this weekend.
No, you’re not.
No. No, you’re not. You’re not. No, you might watch The Office, too.
You know what I You know what I did last weekend? Reese um promoted from from sixth grade and uh you know everybody they have a weekend like people are over partying all this other stuff like oh man yeah I was drinking it up I was drinking it up you know we had shots or we had drinks and all this other stuff my version of that last weekend was soda
I drank so much soda just just like four cans a day
Casey like a 10-year-old just
just soda Ah, well, you Hey, you know, you know the We’ve talked about this.
Yep. It’s in the house.
Got to get rid of it some way.
Hey, I took a I took home a 12-pack of Seven Up home the other day. It’s It’s basically gone now.
Wow. It’s so bad. So, I say that to say last week was the soda. This week, you know, maybe I have I have some u scotch.
I’ve lived by that. Uh, well, if it’s in the house, you know, cuz I’d always get it for gatherings and whatever, but now Abby, the 16-year-old, drinks Pepsi,
so it’s in the house, and so I can’t just got to get rid of it. Like, now just like, come on, man.
Come right back.
Just leave it there.
Serious.
Yo, what’s your girl talking about?
Who?
What’s your girl talking about, man?
Who she talking about, man?
Kimberly asking, “Did you guys spill the tea yet?” What’s she talking? I don’t know what she talking about. What she she talking to you?
See, I don’t know. She said you guys don’t know what she’s talking about.
Well, Kimberly’s going to have to fill us in on what the tea is that we’re supposed to. Aren’t you supposed to be working, bro? Like, what are you doing right now?
Is Kim back?
Oh,
back where? Backpack.
That’s what I’m
If she’s backpack, I don’t know if she’s backpack either.
She over.
Tell me.
She’s over. She’s probably somewhere dressing pretzel
probably. Well, no. What she’s probably doing is cleaning up pretzel. or cleaning up after Pretzel. Pretzel just walking around.
Pretzel’s so miserable in these outfits, bro. That’s his He’s rebelling against her. He’s like, “Let me just be. I don’t want to wear this Letterman jacket.”
Saurin says, “Kimberly heard taking shots and instantly started chatting.” That’s funny.
That’s funny. We’ll find out what Kimberly is talking about and what tea needs to be spilled. And Scott, I see you on hold. Scott wants to talk. Scott, don’t hang up. We going to talk. Steel and KC brought to you by Sky River Casino, Sacramento sports leader, ESPN 1320. Bro, what are you talking about? What are you talking about? Kimberly just entered the conversation and like
she’s halfway through a conversation with us. We just started talking about um alcohol and she just pulled up. He might be on the line. I don’t know. I don’t know. Keep it real, G. I got nothing, bro. What is What is that avatar? Hey,
in the gold is crazy.
Hey, what is that avatar, man? Probably Velvet, too. That’s hilarious. Come on, man. Uh, would the Valkyries be the first expansion team in history to make the playoffs? It’s a good question. Man, it’s tough cuz I have names coming to mind like Connecticut was a relocation I think from Orlando. Tulsa stunk. Las Vegas was a relocation. Yeah. Yeah, probably. Almost certainly. Yeah, almost certainly. Uh Jim, yes, he would. He absolutely would. They um They not my team though. They’re not my team. Aces for life. I don’t um you know I don’t appreciate them indirectly blocking anything ever coming back to Sacramento. So I’m even though I know a couple people that work there and those are my people. I’m against the Valkyries basketball success. If one has come back, would there be any issues with the Valkyries using their colors? Oh, yeah, Andy. There’d be massive issues. I just don’t think they’re coming back. Wait, did Kim just disappear?
Yeah, she said you guys want to spill the tea and then left. Oh man. All right. All right, let’s get right to the Elkrove Kia talk line here. Our man Scott has got some questions.
Yes, sir. 916909320. What’s up, Scott? Hey, can you hear me?
Yeah, we got you, brother.
Hey, how’s it going? Yeah, I just had a question cuz um my question is like where’s the evidence that Malik has no trade value? Because I mean I could be wrong but from my perspective it looked like the Kings were going to do a signing trade with Detroit for Monk for Schroeder but it seems to me that the Kings didn’t want to give up Monk. So they instead did a they traded Yonas so that they could sign Schroeder as a free agent. So that signals to me that they aren’t actively trying to trade Monk unless they get a great return.
Can I
seems like maybe they’re trying to keep Monk.
Okay. Can I present you with a with a different option? The the Kings tried to trade Malik in a sign and trade with Detroit. Detroit decided they’d rather go with Duncan Robinson and didn’t. So, the Kings traded Jonas Valenunis to create that space and to get Shruder here and figure everything else out later. Okay, I I see that perspective. But what about the perspective that the kings didn’t want to give up Monk for Shruder because apparently I in my opinion I think Monk is way more valuable. So maybe they halted that and then they they that sparked the trade for Yonas um to clear up cap space so they didn’t have to trade Monk so that they could sign Shruder as a free agent
because the Duncan Robinson trade happened like a day later I think.
Uh is yeah correct. I mean, it happened yesterday, but Yeah. Yeah. Go go go ahead. Stay stay here with us for a minute.
So, Scott, I just want to ask you I just I’m just asking you a question. Why do you think that you Why do you think we’re lying about this? Like, what incentive do we have? What What incentive do we have to like put this out there if this isn’t the things that we’re hearing as well? Well, we all know you’re in VC’s pocket, right?
Sorry, Scott. Go ahead. It just it just seems that um it doesn’t seem like they’re actively trying to trademunk unless they get a great return. Um so I don’t know. I keep hearing on all the different shows that he has no trade value, but I don’t know. For some reason, I kind of disagree with that.
I hope you’re sorry, Scott. I hope you’re right. Um here’s Look, I I feel like we’ve haven’t really sugarcoated the things that we’ve heard. Mhm. We’ll start with last year. We thought there was this big massive robust market for Malik last year. There wasn’t. You can believe what you read on Cowbell Kingdom or whatever. There wasn’t. We There’s at least three people in this building that have intel on the Malik Monk negotiations. I got one of them from everyone’s favorite point guard. So, if you want to challenge us, you can. The market was not there. It was wanting with m with with real money like a real like a like a real serious offer. Not, hey, come play with us. You could really earn grab the brass ring, pal. Like, no. There was one team who said, you know, we can yo, we could we could top Sacramento. Not not not by tens of millions of dollars, but yeah. And it was Detroit. And obviously he he took the Sacramento offer and the interest was minimal. The interest to pay was extremely minimal this year and and this is what I would have asked Scott. What do you what would you do with Malik this year? What do you want? I don’t think DeMar Rozan’s going anywhere. Maybe they pivot back when they realize they can’t move Malik. Maybe they just go, you know, Malik’s younger. Let’s Let’s Let’s You know what? We had this idea. Let’s Let’s skip that. Let’s throw that out the door. Let’s see if we can move tomorrow. I I know I I don’t dislike Zack Lavine. I’m not with the rest of America. I I do not dislike Zack Lavine. I don’t think you can trade him either. I I think there’s difficulties. Like, if you can’t trade $53 million LeBron James for one year,
you probably can’t trade $49 million Zack Lavine for two,
right? And I ask you, what do you do with Malik? You want to run him as a backup point guard? Okay. Do you think that’s where he’s best suited? Is it be a starter or a backup? Do you think he’s best suited in the point guard position? Yes, he did play point guard at times when De’Arren was here. But we’re talking about stretches that lasted minutes, like literal minutes before De’Arren Fox would return and Malik would move to the two or they were on the floor at the same time and maybe it wasn’t a defined one and two, but they’re on the floor at the same time. Whoever gets the ball is running. You want to do that again? I don’t I just I just don’t know what you do with Malik. And for teams that needed shooters and scorers, they went elsewhere. You want to talk about value? Do you think Duncan Robinson is better than Malik Monk? I don’t I don’t know if anybody listening to this does. Detroit did. Detroit thought that. So, I’m not I’m not sure, man.
I I’m I don’t I like I asked Scott, I’ll ask everybody else because this has been a topic for the last two days here on Twitter, all that other stuff. is why why would we want to falsely put out there that Malik Monk doesn’t has low trade value? Like what’s in it for us?
Yeah.
Especially and I know you you like him as well, but come on. I love Malik Monk since he was 18 years old.
Mhm. Why would I want to say anything bad about him or his game? I love his game. I love watching him play. So, yeah. I I I don’t understand why people think we’re lying about this or that like we want to lie like we want to push a narrative.
Yeah. Yeah. Maybe maybe lying and pushing a narrative aren’t the same thing. Um I don’t know, man. It it’s it comes with the territory.
Well, one of the things like I told somebody yesterday that we’re doing is we’re we’re we’re just trying to give information on the things that we hear. So maybe you guys have a better understanding of why why some things might be happening. We don’t I don’t even know. I don’t know why Scott Perry didn’t want Trey Young or might be ready to move on from Malik Monk. I don’t agree with him. I haven’t had a conversation with him for an explain. Even if he did explain it, I’d still say, “Scott, I probably disagree with you. I see it. I understand it. I disagree. I would take a chance on one of those guys.”
But yeah, like I I don’t know why people feel like we we’re getting something out of this. I I think it really centers on if we had real quick. Kyle’s kidding. Kyle’s Kyle’s kidding. Yeah, Kyle’s in the chat. He said, “Everyone knows you guys are Reax Mouthpieces. is this is something and he’s joking about that joking
but it brought something up about you know people talking about interfering and once again not trying to defend nobody just observing and keeping the same energy get out the way do all this other stuff you think Rana Dva wants to get rid of Malik Monk everything that you’ve seen from those two and the interactions that they’ve had at least publicly on the court all this other stuff you think Ronda DV wants to move on from Malik Monk.
My guess would be no.
No, I don’t think so either. But he’s allowing this guy, Scott Perry, his new general manager, to at least right now construct this team the way he sees fit. So that’s I just laugh at that one where VC’s mouth VC don’t want to get rid of Malik Monk.
I imagine he doesn’t. Yeah, I’ I’d imagine. You know what I’m saying? So, I I just
I think I think the um I think we’re we’re catching heat from some Kings fans is because Malik is loved here.
Mhm.
Like, he’s legitimately loved. And if you try and and Malik was stuck in a tough spot last year. He started the season in one position like literally and figuratively. shifted to another one when he became the starter, then had to become the starting point guard when his, you know, his backcourt mate left, and then just kind of found himself in this awkward, oh, by the way, there was a coaching change through all of this. Oh, by the way, a a ball dominant wing came in. So, so many things surrounding what made Malite really, really good, arguably great two years prior have changed. The influx of Zack Lavine and Demard Rosen, different kind of basketball players than were on the the the team during the original Beam Team era. Like, Kevin Herder isn’t that type of player. Like, it’s it’s just a different group. Then you have, haven’t even referenced yet, the emergence of Keon Ellis. Keon Ellis a a like you know kind of hate this term but it is a defensive first type of player and so you you have that you know as as being a part of this. Now you have you know a guy like Doug Christie who’s trying to find his footing as a head coach. Doug Christie who’s trying to earn a full-time job in the league as a head coach and as you pointed out earlier in this week is almost certainly doing it by himself. Jay’s a professional. There’s no doubt about that.
He was he was supposed to be fired.
Uh Luke left. Other than Barbosa, I don’t know who else Doug trusted on this staff besides himself.
And Barbosa got hurt,
right? Barbosa was hurt, which is crazy
how he get hurt. That man was hurt ever in Phoenix and he got hurt as a head coach. So I I just I I understand when we’re talking about trading Malik and when you try to and this is this is the difficulty of social media when you try to you hope rationally explain something if you are negative on an idea like if you’re negative on the idea of trading Malik Monk and you read a if you read a tweet that says hey here’s a couple of things about Malik you’re reading in in a in a in a tone that’s combative to you. Like if I go and and look at look at some of the things that I tweeted in the last few days, particularly the stuff uh about Malik Monk. Let me scroll back. I’ve tweeted more in the last four days than I have in the last year. Um let’s see, a couple of things on Malik Monk. Uh we’ve been telling you for weeks he’s likely gone. Detroit was one of the only teams that made a run at him last year. This is how I’m writing it.
His market is dry. That’s how I’m writing it. Someone who does not like Demar De Rozan or Zack Lavine is reading it like this. A couple of things on Malik M. We’ve been telling you for weeks he’s likely gone. You’re reading it like Stephen A. Smith. I guess Detroit was one of the only teams that made a run on him last year. And I’m going to tell you, KC’s market is dry. Don’t nobody want this. Like that’s how you’re reading it if you don’t like it,
right?
And I think that’s what is happening on social media. Malik is loved. But when you look at this roster on paper, I ask you again, just like we asked our man Scott, what do you do? We thought Malik would have trade value. He might not. Hell, this all could be birthed by the fact maybe Demar doesn’t have the value we thought. Jesse,
is there any benching one of the guards and building league’s value up though? Cuz again, I didn’t love the fact that like giving up Monk for Schroeder as far as like all that they got going on. Like, do you maybe just keep someone like Devin Carter on the bench because you can’t move anyone at the at this point? Yeah, probably.
Yeah. What else are you going to do? I mean, as opposed to just offloading Malik.
Unless Unless you skip the idea of signing a second point guard and you’re asking Devin or Malik to do it.
Yeah, that’s what you have to do. Uh
I think Devin would be would be the odd man out. And even and then when you do that though, it look
Deon Eubanks. I believe I believe in Malik, but now to just being realistic, your defense takes a hit and everybody always complaining about defense.
Right. Right.
You don’t have anybody at the front of your defense outside of Keon that can stop somebody. They say Dennis Rutder is a willing defender. I want to watch a little bit more film on him to to get a grasp of of what he can do on a regular basis, but I don’t look at him like Kawawaii or nothing like that. And everybody was complaining last year about defense. I’m a believer that a a good defense starts on the perimeter with your guards. And if you only got one defender out there, that’s going to be a problem. And that’s actually one of the things I feel like Devin can do. Devin can kind of get after it on the defensive end. and you’re going to bench him. Uh, let’s get I know we got people on. I think Nick, hold on. 916991320. Yeah, Nick, appreciate your call, man. What’s up, bro?
Hey, what’s up? Hey, so I love you guys. And one of the reasons I love you is because you’re introspective. You you investigate yourself and you’re looking at how people are taking your message. But I’m just going to tell you that it’s silly season right now. I’m going to flip the script on on all this. It’s the Kings fans that are overvaluing these assets in a in a league where there is no cap space. Like what are you you’re going to be trading$ 18 million of of Monk. You’re going to have to take $18 million back. And people who are getting paid $18 million. You’re going to have to look at it, you know, Monk for X, what kind of value does that team hold with X that they’re already paying $18 million for, right? So, I I just, you know, it’s this is not a league that would lend itself to an easy rebuild. The best thing to do, I think, hold on to these guys until people get injured during the season till people get desperate and they need a shot maker like Leak, they need a shot maker like D Rozan, maybe even Lavine, you know, and people start getting antsy, right? You got title hopes, title aspirations, someone gets hurt, who knows what they’ll give up. But right now there’s no one unless you’re trading with the Nets, no one’s got the cap space. You’re going to have to take money back. So
I think it’s Yeah, I don’t think that this is this is not, you know, people are trying to point fingers at you all saying, “Oh, you’re you know, you’re wrong.” No, you’re not wrong. It’s Kings fans need to get real with what the value of these guys is in this league context. I think it’s
When Nick started the When When Nick started the call with I love you guys, I was expecting the worst second sentence ever. Thought
he’s going to turn,
but you guys are idiots.
Thought he’s going to turn on us.
He He was going to hit us with the KC. No, that’s my man. And then destroy us. Appreciate it.
But he’s he’s 100% spot on. And we talk about
This market is brutal.
Well, it is. And that’s what I try to explain to people on Twitter, on here. We talk about it. Jason Jones talked about it. I think the league is terrified of this the CBA.
Like I think
this is less of an indictment on Malik Monk as a basketball player. Yeah.
As it is more of a representation of what the league is going through right now.
And the league unless they’re 100% sure who they want, what they want, and what where they’re at as a team. They’re not taking no chances. I I was talking to Jesse about the um the Kevin Durant deal.
The Kevin Durant deal. Like it was cool. But look what they got. They got a bunch of second rounders.
Yeah.
Dylan Brooks and Jaylen Green
for Kevin Durant four years ago. That’s Rudy Gobear deal. That’s four or five firstrounded. Like obviously Katie’s in a different market, but still like
market’s a factor, but so is
aid. You couldn’t like you couldn’t get two first rounders.
He’s expiring. Like I I I hear you. I’m not trying to detract from your point. Like, yes. Like, it it’s it’s different. But I think we all knew the Kevin Durant deal wasn’t going to be the Brooklyn deal. No. No. But that’s Kevin.
But seeing that a number of Yeah. Seeing that like you you would think and I I get this is where credit to Raphael Stone really goes is we we talk about teams going, you know, the Desmond Bane in Orlando. Orlando Atlanta Orlando Atlanta Orlando Atlanta Orlando Atlanta Orlando Atlanta Orlando Atlanta Orlando Atlanta Orlando Atlanta Orlando Atlanta Orlando Atlanta Orlando going that’s our guy.
That’s the move we have to make. This was the move Houston had to make and you’re on point. That’s all they had to do.
Okay.
And and and you said okay you said it a number of different times. If a team Desmond Bane Orlando Kevin Durant Houston we those those franchises are saying we are a Kevin Durant away from contending for a championship. We are a Desmond Bane away from contending for a championship. Yes. go get him. No disrespect, this is just the market who is saying they’re a Malik monk away from contending a championship. And that’s and once again, that’s not a knock on on on Malik. It’s the way the league is moving. They It feels like at least they’re if they’re looking at these things like if we’re not a player X away from contending for a championship, we’re not moving on them. Like that’s we’re we’re just we’re not we’re the aprons are too crazy right now.
Yeah. And like I said, it’s not the player. It’s this system that’s that’s in the NBA right now. My opinion.
Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
Hate the system.
Uh let’s see what TC talking about here on the Elgrove Kids Talkline. 91691320. TC, what’s happening?
What’s up with my two brothers?
What’s up, man? How you doing, big dog?
Oh, man. Just vibing. Vibing Jesse in the back. So, look, check it out, bro. I’m I mean hey I get I get it with the CBA the whole money but this if if it’s any legs which it sounded like with Kaminga bro and Monk I’m doing that and I’m signing Kaminga to that contract right whether it’s I’m not I’m not going no higher than 30 for for Kaminga right so it’s either going to be anywhere between 22 I even might even give him that what what was that that Jabari what was that five years going 20 just to make it look good and then the last couple years you can play with just to get him in the building with that talent, bro. At 24, you could you could pull you could pull moves with him at the 34 interchangeable with with Keegan. So, like, if Perry has got his eye on that move, I’m all for it. I know how we get on antsy with Golden State Kings fans, but at this point, bro, I’m not caring. It’s a win-win for both. They need Monk to help Curry out and we need Kaminga. I don’t care about the whole Warrior King stuff at this point. I’m talking about getting talent here in sack. Whether it’s coming from Golden State, whether it’s coming from the Lakers or whoever, bro, just get the talent in here. I’m all in on that Kaminga signing trade. That’s all I got. Yeah, you can be all in, TC. I don’t think it’s real. Like I I know I know I know Sam talked to Dave this morning. Like I I didn’t I don’t even think Sam hinted that that it was like, yeah, like sure he wants to go to Miami. Like there’s other there’s other teams out there. Could Sacramento wind up being a thing? Like, sure. I didn’t take it as, “Yeah, Sacramento is a team to watch.” That’s not how I took it. Maybe I misinterpreted uh Sam’s tone. Maybe I misinterpreted what Sam said, but I I did not take what Sam said as a as a as a nah, man. The Kings, man, they’re really in on this. I didn’t take it that as I don’t even know who’s dictating the Jonathan Kinga market right now, to be honest with you. Is it is it Kaminga? Is it the Warriors? Is it other team? Like I don’t know who is who is really I can’t think of another word besides dictate. So I’ll just say it again. I don’t know who’s dictating his market. I’m not I’m trying to figure out where exact that’s where it came from. Um so it wasn’t it wasn’t Sam. Jake Fischer talked about it again.
Okay. and Jake Fischer. Um they said Sacramento and Sacramento Kings would be interested including Malik Monk in a trade package for Jonathan Kaminga. Sources say that Sacramento meanwhile would be interested in including Malik Monk in any ongoing trade package, but nothing substantial has materialized with the Warriors. So that’s why it started popping back up again because Jake Fischer mentioned it I think in the Substack, the most recent one. Um, yeah. I It doesn’t really fit. It starts to bring up more u more questions for me at least because I I could be I could be off here, but I don’t think it would make sense to have Kaminga and Keegan on the team with how the team is right now. Now, part of that is you got D Rozan still around. We think D Rozan’s going to be here. And one of the things that Kaminga has talked about is wanting to go somewhere where he can start. And there’s no place for him to start. And I’m I’m and and I’m always, you know, my stance. I’ll repeat this again. I’ll always repeat this.
People get caught up on the starter. I’m talking about who finishes. So, even if you say D Rozan can come off the bench and fine, he’s your sixth man, last five minutes of the game, what does that look like? I don’t think D Rozan is going to be on the bench the last five minutes. So, who’s going to be on the bench? Keegan, Kaminga, which Kaminga was upset about. Why do you keep saying D Rozan? Is it Is it like because you’d have the idea of putting Lavine at two, Keegan at three, Kaminga at four?
Yeah. Oh, what do you mean? Like uh like D Ro because I don’t think you’re sending Lavine to
Okay. G got you got about D. Roza needs to be a man. That’s why I kind of bring bring him up.
Um
and I just that’s part of me says part of me would navigate
you can’t have D Rozan Lavine Kaminga Keegan.
Yeah.
You because you’re back to the point guard issue.
Yeah. You got that you got that whole thing. One part of me says if you were able to get Kaminga because while I’m not 100% sold on him as a player, I do think it’s the type of player that a franchise like Sacramento should take a chance on. Maybe you look at it like, all right, Kaminga Keegan, this is a little awkward right now, but it’s only going to be for a year. Dros is going to be gone in a year. then we’ll have a little bit more of a um uh comfortable setting so to speak with how we do the rotations and the and the team and all this other stuff. So that was one way to work through it. But it’s still it’s still a roadblock. Like how do how does Keegan and both Keegan and Kaminga for $25 million plus or somewhere around there. That’s I don’t know if I that’s how I would want would want to spend my money if I was Scott Perry. So then I went to another crazy
like how do you like what we haven’t even gotten to is how you pull that deal off.
Um depending on
the Sorry.
Well, depending on on what Kaminga’s deal looks like if it’s with Malik. Someone said you only have to be and we’ll we’ll figure this out, I’m sure, but somebody said you only have to be $10 million within Kaminga salary. So, say for instance, Kaminga signed for $25 million a year. Malik at 18 does it. You’re close enough.
Um, so financially I I’ I’ve seen enough where people think it would work in a realistic way. Um, but I I I don’t know, man. And I part of me, the crazy part is part of me feels like maybe the best way to use your assets or use the the roster that you have is like maybe you get Kaminga. Maybe you choose between him and Keegan. Maybe you trade Keegan for another piece that you would like and maybe that can net you some some draft capital. And I I don’t know. And I’m not saying that’s what I would do, but I think that’s I feel like that’s something you would have to look at if you did bring Kaminga in. I just don’t know how King and Anne Kamingo work out. Uh, we’ll come back. I, this was weeks ago, had a thought in opinion on Russell Westbrook’s future. I just got confirmation. I was wrong on that.
Uh, as if it’s not already obvious. I’ll share uh what I’m talking about and we’ll talk a little bit more uh about Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroeder, uh what this lineup may look like in one reality that the Sacramento Kings and the Kings fans are going to be facing this year. Plus more of your phone calls. 9169-1320. It’s Dao Mccasece on Sacramento Sports Leader, ESPN 1320. Chill. Chill, bro. This not a Sack High Dragons hat, bro. Shout out to Sakai for No. No.
Casey, big big Sakai fan. Was a beat reporter for Sakai football one time at Sex State.
There you go. really cut those assignments close, having to get quotes and all that. Yep. Mish, I see all your nonsense that you be sending the chatty house. I was at the A’s game with Chatty House and all those guys and all that and Michigan was just flabbergasted that we could see their comments before they delete them.
Oh, that’s hilarious.
We see it all.
Yeah, we uh I didn’t even
the comment said I forgot you know we could do this too. We’ve never really used this. Boom. I didn’t even know um y’all delete comments. We see so we see them all. Do we care that Nick Clifford took Fox’s number? Not like you were going to retire. Not me, dog. Sounds correct. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Sounds sounds right on par.
It’s probably drew down, too. I see you, Lazy. I see you. Lizzy, you in charge. I’ll move it. I’ll move it. I see you, Lazy. My bad. Co, I don’t know what we’re doing. I know uh some stuff on KSFM. We just took Brody off of it. Like Money, More Problems is two verses. Um a lot of the mix show records, we just took him out of it. I don’t know. Uh I don’t expect that to change. y’all y’all do whatever you want with it. Okay? You know, um, real quick, cuz this won’t take long. I said I would say what happened on the air yesterday. I had to go on my way home. I had to stop downtown cuz um,
get your new hat. Well, I had to charge.
Yeah.
To make a car like yours. Yep.
So, I had to charge. Will you stop it? I saw you pulling up today. Don’t do that.
Don’t do that. Um,
so I had to charge and typically
free agency news. Dante XM to Dallas.
Sorry. Go ahead.
Well, I thought you were being mean. Seriously, something happened. That’s where we’re at. Dante Xom to Dallas.
I got so excited right now. Dante X. Is he going back? I never even knew he left.
No. Yeah, he’s back to Dallas.
Where was he before Dallas? Oh, he’s just resigning.
You said Dante XM. I assume he’s still in Utah.
That’s a throwback. Well, he beat the Kings assant one of his four threes in the fourth quarter. Actually, he only had he shot it four times. He made the one.
He hit 47 threes. You can’t tell me otherwise. Um,
but I go downtown. Um, you know, I had a charge. I’m like, “Well, I’ll charge him. Let me pick up the hat real quick.”
And I go down to where I park under the movie theaters
or
exclusive parking. Yep. No, not at all. It’s It’s under yard house, actually. Or maybe this. It doesn’t matter. So, I go down there. Usually it’s What was yesterday? Tuesday. It’s like six o’clock. Like, h should be no problem, man. I can get in here and charge and nothing’s going on. I get into the parking garage, cars everywhere. I’m like, damn, what the hell? Is it a concert going on? It’s crazy. Some some concert must be going on. And then I park. I get up, go get the hat, you know, I go get a cookie from Insomnia. I like to do that every time I go.
Good luck. Good luck.
Now it’s like, well, let me see what’s going on around do. And I just see people, but it’s it’s clearly not a concert. Nothing’s going on in Golden One. I was like, what’s the hell’s going on? I go to that other little spot that I’m not going to mention right now because they ain’t rocking with us. But I walk over there, there is a Love Island watch party that is packed. There was a line to get in. Absolutely packed Love Island watch party. You go to the little, you know, the little champagne bar uh right next to Insomia.
No, not Fizz. On the other side by where Phenom is.
Okay. Packed. Another Love Island watch party. I go on the on the IG at Blue Q. Another Love Island watch party. Downtown was littered with Love Island watch parties last night. I mean, it was You would think that 49ers and Cowboys were playing last night the way the people were out there last night for that damn thing. I can’t believe this. What are they going to do when sports really start playing again? Like, are they going to be like, “Uh, sports, you can wait. Um, we got this Love Island watch party we got to do.” You going to spend money on food, drinks, all that stuff for something you got at home? Technically, we do it. We go watch a sports game.
I haven’t been to a sports bar in a while. Technically, we do it. But look, if you’re if you’re an establishment and you see how this is popping off, new episode of Love Island goes on or the Kings and the Wizards are playing. What you showing on the big screen? What What you showing?
Love Island.
This is crazy. We got to stop this. We got to stop this. No disrespect to Love Island, but they can’t be taking over sports bars now. They got to stop this. Love Island’s really running the world, right? Or this country, I guess, whatever you want to call it, whoever. I don’t know. It’s everywhere. Love Island is fire. Um, I don’t know what’s going on because Katie watches like three episodes without me and then all of a sudden I tune in like, who the hell is that guy? Where did And who’s she? So I I don’t know what’s going on. Does it ever end? Is it?
Apparently not. I think it’s every day.
Apparently goes on forever. It doesn’t air on
Thursday. Said Wednesday and Sunday.
Oh, okay. Wednesday and Sunday. Okay.
Yeah. I’ve lost my TV all week.
It’s It’s fine. That That’s one. Love Island’s Fire. So, that’s fine. Two, I want to salute Jesse Tapia and remind Kenny Carowway, you’re the worst show producer that’s ever lived.
What?
Why is this on the window? No.
No, of course it’s not. I just want to point out you brought that story to the air but didn’t think that shunning Patrick Willis for a picture
was show worthy. He learned he learned from his that was how he started all this.
Dude is scared.
I said I’m I was going to say it during the break.
Say that again.
Yeah, dude. Scared. I can’t remember last time he kept the story for a break. Like now it’s just always on air whether it needs to be or not.
That’s what I’m saying. That’s what I said earlier. I said, “You know what?” Because I remember I was about to say during the break, I was like, “No, I’m listen to the homies. Let me just bring it on air or whatever the case may be.” But yeah, Dco was littered with Love Island watch parties last night.
That’s crazy. That’s That’s cool. The the the LJ Fighter. How often do you go to sports bars? Like I unless, forgive me, unless they’re paying me. I don’t going to a sports bar.
Yeah, I got Sunday tickets. So,
I’m gonna do that for
It’s It’s cool to watch a game in a sports bar every now and then. Uh,
do you remember that time we had a meeting? Oh, maybe it was maybe I had the meeting by myself. Any We had a meeting somewhere. Maybe it was just me. I think it was me and you. It was the night of a Kings game. This was before beam teaming uh Bennett.
That’s And they weren’t airing the Kings game.
No.
Yeah,
it was me, you, and Danny. I’m not playing the Pelicans. We had to ask like, “Hey, could you turn off this nationally televised ESPN game and put, I don’t know, the Sacramento Kings on?”
It’s crazy.
I remember when uh your boy Joe called me to a meeting at Yard House
and he he called me into
I remember when I was with the Green Bay Packers.
Jesus Christ. He called to tell me that he wasn’t going to make me the the brand manager because I we got to a point when Danny left where it was like just let me do this like I’m not going anywhere just let me do it
and it was the night of a Kings game and same thing Lakers and Clippers or something and like hey I know this is weird man I got to work could you put the Sacramento Kings game on TV and the guy looks at me and goes I guess. goes and gets the TV, turns it to the Kings game, then looks at me and goes this. Yeah, [ __ ] that. God. And I And then I’m looking around like, am I the first one to say something?
No, really. I think you were.
I think you were. Things did change after being team one, though. Oh, yeah.
Like last year. They weren’t even good last year. And you go anywhere and the Kings game is on. Yeah,
but that was a regular occurrence.
Before be team one.
Absolutely crazy. just not not showing Kings games at restaurants and bars in Sacramento. Did have fun when we did 49ers Eagles at that place that uh Oasis had rocking. Yeah, Ice Cream Sundays was going crazy. They Well, they might have us back.
Was that Ice Cream Sundays?
It was, but they it was with the original spot.
Okay. Okay. So, we got a new spot. Yeah, that’s why I’m not saying their name. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. But they they uh Nico was like, “Yo, about to get that popping again.” All right. That was Yo, they they came jumping. I said, “Wow.” Shout out Lazy. I see you, big dog. Um, you said we got, is it CJ on the line? You said we got CJ waiting for us. 916909320. What’s up, CJ? What’s happening, fam? How we doing today, y’all?
Good, man. How you doing? Chilling, man. Chilling. I just wanted to say I mean I would we I think I would love the convenience deal but I don’t I agree with you. I don’t think it’s a realistic thing. I think the question that we need to start asking ourselves is how do we unlock Monk like he was in that bean team year? And I think the answer is we got to get Zack Lavine to be more aggressive. And I don’t I don’t know if it was because he was trying to find his way and fitting into the team when he came over, but there was plenty of games when I’m just watching and he’s just standing and he’s acting like he doesn’t know what to do, you know? And I was a big fan when we brought Zack in because it was almost to a degree it was almost like the same player minus some defense. Foxy is a little bit is is significantly better on defense. But if we can get Zack Lavine to be more aggressive, then that’s going to open up the ability for Monk to be on the floor at the same time. I think the problem is is all the attention when Fox left got diverted to Monk and Monk wasn’t able to deal with it. He wasn’t ready for that. U there’s a lot more double teams, there was a lot more traps at the half court. If you can get Zack Lavine unlocked to where every single possession he’s a threat to do something, um I think that changes a lot of things for Monk and it’s going to help his value. But other teams are just watching everything that happened at the back end of last year and they’re like Monk can’t handle the ball. He’s not reliable. He can’t knock down shots. And like I said, that’s not reflective as Monk as a player that was asking him to do too much. But I think we need to start we need to start expecting more out of the out of the Allstars on this team and that’ll help out a lot of things.
But CJ still not going to be a championship contender. CJ, would wouldn’t that require because you didn’t mention Demar once? Like, wouldn’t that require Demar to be gone? Man, Dear is not going to be gone. I mean, I’m not looking at it here. Here, my outlook right now is we’re not going to be a contending team no matter what we do right now.
We need to start building for the future. You know what I mean? So, yeah, it’s great that we want to win ball games, but at the end of the day, like, if they’re not shipping out tomorrow because they’re focusing on building the culture, then we still have to start pushing responsibility on guys that we know are going to be here just because we’re not going to be able to get rid of their contract. We’re not going to be able to get rid of Zach simply because of the contract. So, yeah, I mean, if Demar goes, that changes a lot of things. But I mean, we saw in Chicago, man, when they had a solid point guard, when Lonzo was out there and Demar and and Lavine were playing, bro, they were the number one team in the East until Lonzo went down. Yeah.
N CJ, appreciate you, CJ.
CJ was cooking. CJ, all the calls so far today have been cooking. That CJ CJ, this is something that doesn’t get talked about enough, and we talked about it during the season.
Yeah.
I think the problem with Zack Lavine isn’t that he’s this ball dominant chucker. It’s that he’s not. That’s my issue with Zack Lavine. Shoot the ball. How many times will we come into
And to be clear, we talked about that when he was in Chicago. That didn’t just happen when he got traded to Sacramento. It happened in Chicago. Yeah. Yeah. I I I think CJ was 100% on point with Zack Lavine needing to be more aggressive. Now, this this could be a situation that is just him. Like, people might have been saying this about Zack Lavine his entire career, and now we’re seeing it.
But what was always portrayed uh portrayed to us
of who Zack Lavine was is he was just a shooting guard who just wants to shoot the ball all the time, doesn’t play defense, nothing. That’s actually not accurate at all.
That’s right.
I would love Zack Lavine to shoot the ball a lot more. Yeah. Remember every every time they got an opportunity, Malik Monk and Demar De Rozan would say last year, “Yeah, it’s about time you start shooting the ball.” We keep telling him to shoot, shoot, shoot.
Like, I would love for him to start being uh this this guy that just is a shooting guard that shoots the ball all the time. And CJ’s 100% correct. if he can. One of my one of my issues with Zack
is I can’t trust him because of what I saw is at the end of the season and the passive nature of his game. If if you told me, man, there was just an adjustment period getting here to sack. He had some personal things going on that had his mind off the game a little bit and going into this year, he’s a lot more comfortable. He’s going to be more aggressive on the offensive end. I would say I’d be I would be like proclaiming, “Yo, watch out. Zack is Zach is perfectly fine. He about to cook this year
if I knew his mentality was gonna be a little different.” I don’t know that. Which is why you guys haven’t heard me say much about Zack because people pile on, he’s a bad ball player, all this other stuff, bad contract. If he’s not going to be aggressive, I can’t defend that. I will I will defend the Zack Lavine acquisition, him being on this roster, if I know he’s going to be aggressive. That may be who he is, though. That may be just part of like the Zack Lavine experience. He’s just never going to always be aggressive. And that is a problem. But yeah, I I agree 100% with CJ. It’s one of those things where when you talk about the circumstances of last season, Mike Brown, congratulations, by the way, to the new New York Knicks head coach. I do have a question I want to ask about that. So, we’ll we’ll get to that at at some point, but Mike Brown uh is the new coach for the New York Knicks, but you have the Mike Brown situation, the um impending the Aaron Fox situation. Uh you have the acquisition of Zack Lavine. You have all of these different things. You have the things that Zack Lavine was going through when he got here uh right prior to his trade and of course in the immediate aftermath all the way through the season. Dude never was a never able to settle in here. I think lived at the Sawyer at some hotel the entire time he was here in Sacramento. And I know it’s not like he was here for years, but like February to April is a long time to live in a hotel. Being in a hotel, I don’t care how nice the room is. Being in a hotel for 4 days is difficult for me. being in a hotel for for months again, no matter how nice it is is really, really difficult. Then you start talking about, you know, a wife and a kid and all of that stuff being involved. Like it’s it’s it’s tough. And it’s one of those things where you go, okay, none of those things are a factor this year. Obviously, his wife and kid are still around, but they’re in a far different situation than they were days after, you know, a baby is born,
right? Mike’s got a job. Darren’s got a home. Doesn’t have an extension yet, but he’s got a home. None of those things can be brought up anymore.
So, Zack, you got to work. Malik, if if Malik is still here, no matter what the Sacramento Kings tried to do, no matter what Malik might have going on in his life off the court, bro, you got to play. We can’t keep coming up with these extenduating circumstances, excuses. We got to put those behind us. You got to start fresh. Starts with Doug and trickles down to Demar Domas. If Domas is mad about being here, it’s too goddamn bad. You make $40 million, go be a $40 million player. Go be an allp pro player. Go be an AllNBA player. Be the dude on this team.
I have to imagine, too. It’s got to leave a bad taste in your mouth or it’s like, yeah, nobody in the league wants you guys right now. Like you guys kind of got to build yourselves up a bit. No,
I would. Yeah, I would think so. If you’re not going around pouting and actually take it personal, yeah, that should be something that would be motivating or or want to go out there and um prove your worth or prove people wrong. I agree with you. But who knows? Like I I don’t know. Not everybody has that type of um mentality. You would you I think you’ve said it before. probably far less people in in the pros have that type of mentality than we realize.
I mentioned uh a few minutes ago I want to get back to this the the roster, but I don’t want this to to slip my mind because I said a few minutes ago I had a theory on Russell Westbrook that dates back where we’re July probably it’s probably over a month ago at this point when Russell Westbrook opted out of that 3.2 I think it was essentially a league vet league minimum deal in Denver. I said, “Well, if he wants he I I believe he wants to continue to play basketball. He knows exactly where he’s going to sign.” I was told directly, “Nope, he didn’t. Didn’t want to be in Denver anymore.
Didn’t want to deal with that.” But no, when he opted out, he he was sharp enough to know he had suitors, multiple suitors, but he did not have a particular destination in mind. was also told when we presented the idea of a Russ’s career is winding down. There might be things, you know, you could you you know, maybe Indiana is a thing. You know, maybe Milwaukee is a thing with the loss of Tai and Dame and so on, but bro might just want to be in California. Bro just might maybe not California. Bro just might want to be close to home. And turns out there’s some validity to that and there is interest uh with the Sacramento Kings. Obviously, everybody is aware of that. That’s real. There is there is genuine interest. I’m trying to find out if those conversations have gone anywhere. I’m trying to figure out where those conversations. I can’t. All I can figure out or all I know is my theory on what was going on with Russell Westbrook a month ago was absolutely wrong. He did not have a singular destination that he knew he was going to go to. And right now, there are multiple teams talking to him. And
again, according to Sacramento’s definitely one of them.
That’s not dead because the sign and trade thing didn’t happen with Detroit. That’s not dead because Dennis Schruder is here here. It’s not dead at all. Like those conversations are happening. I’m trying to figure out where they’re at. I can’t, but I’m going to keep trying. Um, but the idea that he had picked out a team just I I I that was a assumption on my part and it was wrong.
Um, what exactly happened at the end of the Denver year? Wasn’t Wasn’t there like the report that people were blaming him in the locker room and then Aaron Gordon?
That was during the playoffs.
During the playoffs. Yeah, that was during that I think it was the OKC series where Ramona, you know, the Ramona coincidence essentially wrote a story on something we talked about that Denver team because one, shout out to the Nuggets and we’ll we’ll try to get to this at some point today. Their biggest issue against Oklahoma City was the lack of depth. They appeared to have fixed that. They’ve done a great job.
Yeah, they have had a, you know, I know Houston has won the off seasonason. Denver has done a hell of a job this off season, but um Ramona, the crux of Ramona’s article was this team might go as Russell Westbrook goes.
If Westbrook is having one of those one of those games, yo, Denver could absolutely beat Oklahoma City. Russell Westbrook is having one of those games. They don’t have the depth to make up for it. They don’t have the guys to make up for it. They just weren’t they just didn’t have enough depth on their roster to run against Oklahoma City. and it and it it didn’t fit the article,
but Ramona wrote about a exchange between Aaron Gordon and Russell Westbrook from a third party perspective and Aaron Gordon without being asked said, “Yo, that’s that’s trash.”
That’s right. He did it after one of the games. Yeah. and he was not asked,
right?
He said that report is complete fabrication. The conversations between myself and Russell Westbrook, myself and anyone in this locker room are between me and everyone in this locker room. I have the utmost respect for Russell Westbrook. And part of the reason we are here in this position is what Russell Westbrook has done. And he shut his time down and walked away. Yeah,
that happened in the playoffs. Russell Westbrook had a fantastic year last year. Uh he was put into a position where I think he was doing good off the bench. He was put into a position where he had to start a bunch of games. That’s where Denver really got rolling. I think Aaron Gordon was out if I remember correctly. Gordon comes back, Russ goes back to the bench and he just continues doing what he did. And yo, they had he had they had a chance to, you know, they had a chance to beat OKC. Couldn’t do it. Ran out of gas. I think they got blown out in game seven if I remember right.
They started off strong and then just got destroyed.
Yeah. Um but what happens next with him, I’m not sure.
Yeah.
I’m not sure. he’s going to play. Like, and there were there were times where, you know, even as the biggest Russell Westbrook fan, I was like, I don’t know where his next stop is. Like, so when he opted out, that’s that’s part of what led me to the belief that, oh, he knows he knows exactly where he’s going. His his his his team, they did their due diligence. It turns out he just didn’t want to be in Denver anymore. He said, “I’m getting out of here.” Um, I got a question. I’ll ask a question. We’ll get into a little bit. Do you think we’ve reached not just with like philosophy and all this other stuff, but the rumors and it being so prevalent that the Kings want to move on from Malik Monk? Are they at a point where you have to move on from Malik Monk?
Absolutely not.
What does that look like for that locker room though? Do you trust like I guess the question would be do you trust
don’t connect actually got traded and had to go back to the team like but does connect you didn’t have to play don’t connect and they didn’t
like if Malik Monk comes back and you’re asking him to play 25 minutes a night are you worried that not that you can’t trust him that’s not the the term I want to use but like where’s his mind going to be where his heart going to be y’all just tried to get rid of me all summer long and now you ask me to play 25 minutes a night and play the right way and buy in to Christie and all this other stuff. You got to be a professional.
So, so I I’ll I’ll go I’ll I’ll go I’ll I’ll go from a different perspective. I’ll go the non Doug Christie Scott Perry’s perspective and I’ll go Malik Monk’s agents perspective. You got to put that behind you cuz if you if you’re in your feelings that’s perfectly fine. You’re one more team away from being a journeyman and you need to establish your value. It doesn’t matter if Dear is here. It doesn’t matter if Zach is here. It doesn’t matter who is here.
You are. If they have a role for you, you have to embrace it. Because when we signed that deal with Sacramento last year, we weren’t just thinking about the next four years. We were thinking about the next seven. Prove yourself to Sacramento. And if that doesn’t work, prove yourself to the rest of the league. But it does you, Malik Monk, the player, no benefit to be in your feelings about what happened this summer. And as is representation, that’s what I’d say. Like we can’t we can’t do anything about it. We were in a position last year. We made our decision. This is where we were going to be. We absolutely thought it was the best position. Obviously, things have changed. Go out there, embrace those changes. Be great. And yo, either you establish yourself here in Sacramento, Dear is gone next year, Zack could be gone next year, you could be an entirely different position with this organization one year from now. And that’s the that’s the other thing about all of this that’s going to require more than 60 seconds. So, we’ll come back. I also want your response about how you’d handle this if you were Malik Monk going into next season.
Uh, and I I I know we got some more calls. Hang tight. We want to hear from everyone. Buddha, that’s you. Don’t go nowhere. Buddha.
Buddha, what up, boy?
We got you next here. Phone lines are open. 91699 1320 Steel 1 and Casey brought to you by Sky River Casino on Sacramento Sports Leader ESPN 1320. talk about I mean who he is but there’s Not much. And he got a TKO. Hey. Hey. Hey, Brody. Your mic was off. It was so
Oh, man. No. 13th round. Oh, man. Sorry, Michigan. I know. I know that 13th round is your favorite. I just Hey, my bad. I had to put the juice away. Is that the one time I catch it? I have I ask some boys over there if they got any of those um Kobe Air Force ones that just dropped. Which ones dropped? The yellow ones or the white ones? The white ones.
You know better. You know better. Man, there’s a shoot. Leazy. I think it’s right here, bro. I think it’s right here. Or I want to say Indiana, but I think the ask there would be too high. Indiana might be in a really weird spot. I don’t want to see that. What you want to see that for? Don’t want that. They in California, bro.
That boy That boy Westbrook in the Garden. That’ be movie status. Westbrook in the Garden would be crazy when he does something good. Yeah, we know how that movie always ends. Am I right, guys?
The hell? Who asked you about that? I was having a good moment with Russ and the Knicks. What are we talking about, man?
Just saying there’s always good point parts in the movie, but it always just ends in the second round. Uh, securing I I they might be legit. I I don’t I think
I learned my lesson. Uh, they’re legit.
Yeah,
Jake Fischer said it. So, I learned my lesson. No, I mean,
I think they’re I think they’re they’re legit, but I don’t I don’t think the Kings are at the top of the list, are they? What faces? I think they’re I think it’s them and Jake Fisher I thought said there’s nothing substantial yet though.
Yeah, he said the Warriors.
Yeah, with the Kings. Yeah.
Okay. I think Miami would my my guess would be Miami. They could work something out with Miami.
Yeah.
And he could I think that’s where he would go. But I mean this is the third the second time outside of Sam A somebody’s brought up the Kings and Kaminga. Yeah, I was glad for and
uh yeah, I I I don’t mind saying I watched Dave’s clip and I I thought
I just thought there was context to what Sam said.
What are you doing with him? Sam has actually been the least um definitive on that. Like I think Jake Fischer says something, Brett Seagull says something about it. Um, and they’ve been more
That might be true. Why? That might be true. Also, are we retiring hashtag king? I know you guys are legit insiders now, so Well, no, because King Well, hashtag King wasn’t a lie. It was just the most obvious.
It was uh Dennis Rutder plans to be the the point guard here in Sacramento. # king. Yeah, I got I got cute and tweeted that Russell Westbrook gift. I got home. I was like, baby, I think I made a mistake. My my text went crazy. Jill’s like, I’m so happy for you. I was like, whoa, wait. What? I thought it was they said they got some
Oh, do they? Yeah.
Oh, okay. What’s
10 and a half? Uh, let’s shout out let’s shout out Jiren Jackson Jr. who signed a 5year 24 or will sign a 5year $240 million contract gets injured the very next day. Oh man. well, announced he was injured the very next day.
Yeah, I just thought about that, too. I was like, hm, when did that happen?
He announced he let the team know he got hurt. Did you fax over that contract or was he present to sign that?
That man came walking in every step. Oh, ow. Hey. Oh, god. Ow.
No, it’s good. That’s good. Foot looking like Dak Prescott.
Oh, man. Going to sign track. No, no, I’m good. I’m good.
Hey Jiren, why are there tears streaming down your face? I’m just so excited. As everyone says, turftoe, was he running routes with VC? No, he might have been. Ta. He might have been. Well, the other guy is gone. The other guy is gone. So the the quarterback is gone. So maybe maybe Jiren had to get out there.
VC is like like deuce on Father’s Day,
bro. That bro,
he ain’t got nobody
that video. Deuce posters every Father’s Day makes me laugh every single time. Every time. It’s funny when the camera just slow pants to the ball hitting the ground. Oh, and I feel bad for laughing because it is funny.
It’s hilarious.
It’s hella funny.
Look, I grew up without a dad, too. It’s funny. It’ll never not be funny. So great.
Uh, let’s see what Buddha is talking about here on the Elgrove Kid Talkline. 91691320. Budda, what it do, boy?
Yeah. Yo, what’s good, my good brothers? How y’all doing, man?
Good, man. How you doing? You You sound like a little more chipper than usual.
You like what’s up, man?
Like the edible ain’t hit yet.
Oh, yeah. I’m definitely up. You feel me? I’m definitely up. I wanted to say KC, congratulations. Your boys just got DeAndre Aiden, man. Congrats.
Well, they’re not my boys. And I didn’t even see that. Um,
wait, who?
The Lakers. That’s what he I’m assuming that’s what he’s talking about. Those aren’t my boys at all. Stop, Buddha. Stop. That’s not my team.
But no, I called in talk kings, man. Hey, shout out to Scott Perry, man. I see it’s a lot of I don’t know. It’s a lot of mixed feelings going on with his moves and stuff. But I don’t know. I feel like he been hitting. He at least he at least he out there making moves. We had to check on Monty, make sure he was alive a couple times. So
that’s true.
Hey, brother got a post. Keep it moving.
He making draft moves. He got Dennis in here. Dennis he slept on. He got signed yesterday. He was in the gym for real right after that. So like he gonna work. That boy gonna work and he gonna get some of the playmaking that uh Fox left because that’s what really made Monk better when he had a point guard. So I feel like that was the question that CJ asked while ago with um how can you get Monk open up? I feel like you need somebody like Dennis. He he gonna get him right, you know. But um yeah, man. Let’s just keep it positive. And I feel like summer league everything going to go back and we going to be excited. All right, Buddha.
Hey, man.
Appreciate you, boy.
Yeah.
Yeah. Buddha definitely sounded a little bit different.
Everyone seems pretty happy today, it seems. Yeah, he’s just, you know, vibes are up for him.
Maybe he took the Stevia joint instead of the the the was it was it indacica? And maybe maybe he just hit a different strand this time. One of my favorites, man. Uh but but what he was speaking about for those that didn’t see that uh Mark Stein tweeted multiple interested teams expect DeAndre Aton to commit to the Los Angeles Lakers after he clears waiverss today at 5:00 p p.m. Eastern Standard Time, which is about 9 minutes from now. Hey, um can we get that Austin breaking glass?
Is it worthy?
Yes. I can tell by the stupid look on your faces. N
is the music. No, it is.
What is it? Sacramento Kings are signed number 42 pick Max.
That’s not It’s breaking news.
They signed them three years. Three years. 5.95 million deal. Typically, I wouldn’t talk about this, but I didn’t get a chance to talk about this guy because I was off the next day. Show up to work. Hey, I’m trying to relax. Trying to
No, I hear No, no, no. I hear you. I hear you.
I’m trying to calm down, not
just jump out the window.
But go ahead.
But I’m like, this Hey, I don’t know how he was number 42.
Yeah,
I don’t know how he was number 42. This dude’s got a bag. Uh, I think it was
See, hey. Okay, you got to be careful.
I know. I know. I know. You got to be put the phone down right now. Jesse, out of the corner of my eye, Jesse, he threw his hand up to get our attention, but he had his phone in his hand, which is our signal for check your phone. And I looked back over and he put his phone down. I was like, “Hey, what is going on over there? Go ahead. Go ahead. Jump in.”
Is there any truth to him like forcing his way to Sacramento? I like you talking about how he fell. I thought I saw that on Twitter and stuff. I heard he I heard he said he wanted to go to Sacramento.
Yeah. Matt. Matt. I I think it was Matt. Someone relayed that to us.
And um but you asked, I don’t know how he got to 42. I know Matt was uh he was one of the ones who mentioned Yeah. One shortcoming he has is on the defensive end.
He can do a lot on the offensive end, but defense it could be a low.
Well, damn. I was going to say he’s Webby’s best friend. I guess that was going to be the Webby stopper for KC, but
Oh, there you go. Workshop that. Seven. What is he? 71.
71. Yeah, they it’s I think it was uh Jonathan Gavone um said it maybe the next day or whatever. He just like in one of his Sports Center hits he was like, “Yo, the Kings look at him as a guy that could possibly be a starter one day and I was like, “Yeah, yeah, hell yeah, he can.” I think he’s the truth. I I look at him his game reminds me of I think I think the guy I’m gonna compare him to has a little bit more of a post game, but I don’t think he shoots as well as as my man Max. He reminds me of Singon. That’s what I see when I see him.
Okay, that’s a bad
You’re doing a great job of not jumping out the window, by the way. No, you’re doing really really good job of not diving head first out of the window here
with Singon references. It also means he’s going to fold in the playoffs. Great.
Great.
Well, look, I remember seeing him in college cuz I like, yo, this dude, cuz
did he play with uh
he didn’t?
He didn’t. Okay. Well, no, I think he did maybe last year. He’s he
it would have been two years ago, right?
Two year maybe. So, okay. I just
I can’t keep track how many teams our boy is on, how many teams Andre is on.
Just trying to just trying to keep up. Uh
at this point, just declare for the draft so I can follow what you’re doing.
But I um I remember seeing Max this year because he he was I just saw his numbers on one game like he’s averaging like at the time like 20 and 10. Like 20 and 10 what the hell? So I kept watching throughout the season and I just liked his game. Liked his game. I forgot about him once the draft time came around or whatever. And I remember we were um we were at Baker Family Wines and we were leaving and it was like the Kings are on the clock. I was like, “Oh, let me see what I get. I wanted Proctor.” And when I saw that, I said, “Oh snap. Oh, that’s a good look.” So then I watched the highlights more and then I watched a couple of games. Hey man, this dude I
I don’t know where he’s going to be at to start his career. I don’t want to say like rookie stardom. I’m not saying that. But
I did have a theory on that. Of course, you weren’t here, so I was talking to myself a lot on Friday. No one was here to talk me out of this with, you know, I obviously didn’t know at the time, but with Valenunis gone, I think there’s a a situation. We certainly saw we saw Domas and Valenunas lineups at at different points, but you know, one thing people have been asking for when you you know, because I I assume I don’t expect Trey L to be back with Sacramento. Um I don’t know that he signed with anybody. I just don’t expect him to be back here. It was always that, you know, we you need someone who can stretch the floor. You need someone who can complement Domas in a very specific way. Now you have potentially a big who can stretch the floor. Like you have a guy you could potentially put at five and pull defenses out and allow Doms to do what he does around the block
100%.
And that’s a very different dynamic than Valenunis had. It’s closer to what Trey had, but you are sacrificing certain things with the Trey Domas uh pairing down there. this I if if it works and he can legitimately be an NBA player. Yeah, you have a you have a you have a new way to open things up for Domas a little bit that he hasn’t had not only did he not have him last year, he hasn’t had that as a Sacramento king, period,
right?
Um feels like one of the perfect guys to go next.
Yeah, I found it I I I found I I I found the thought of that fascinating. I don’t know how realistic it is because we are talking about a second round pick. But one thing that we have been discussing for the better part now of three days is look you you can want a tank, you can want to acquire draft picks or assets as we’ve just dumbed this whole conversation down to. That’s perfectly fine. You have to manage them damn near flawlessly for it to work. Sam Prey prey has managed assets and the returns that he has got from star players like Russell Westbrook and Paul George brilliantly. You could argue flawlessly. Not many have done that. Not many can do that. Maybe you can’t be as good as Sam Prey, but you have to be a hell of a lot better than anyone in this organization has ever been. And you have to hit on second round picks. it especially with this goddamn apron and the salary cap being what they are and the league apparently being scared now
terrified
this is people asked earlier so you know people have been you know challenging us on this Malik Monk thing it might not be a Malik Monk thing right
it might just be a league thing and you outlined that earlier so you have to hit on second round picks sometimes you need to find a guy who can play on your roster who you took in the 30s or in the Sacramento Kings case at 42. You’ve got to find those every once in a while. The Kings landed Keon. We’ll see where that gets them long term, but I know everyone, you know, certainly fans love him. This this this 42 might it could wind up being something for you.
Man, I was super impressed with his game. And another person who has to man it’s not just Scott Perry and the general managers who have to manage that asset correctly. It’s Doug Christie.
Yeah. Yeah.
It’s it’s like Yeah. Like you know one thing Mike was I think Mike the new New York Knicks head coach was terrible at is he just didn’t let guys make mistakes. And it was a constant, you know, all right, you’re out. No, no, no, you’re out for the next four games. All right, man. Like if this if this young man gets in there and and Yeah. Oh, it’s a little rocky, but hey, what always say, hey, just keep working. We’re going to get through this. Keep working. We’ll get through this. Let him let him let him figure it out. Yeah. And I mean, depending on how the season is going and, you know, this may be an opportunity for him to um learn on the job, learn on the fly, man. like I I just I I couldn’t after I like kind of dove into to his game a little bit more and watched uh more of his game. I was just like, man, how’s this dude here at 42? That’s crazy.
That’s crazy cuz he I’m not saying he looked like a a number one picker, but he looked like a firstrounder,
you know, and I know the knock is defense or whatever, but
figure that out later. Get get help defenders around him for what he’s able to do at that size on the offensive end. So, that was a that was a great pick. That was a great pick. I didn’t It was a pick I didn’t know I I needed
cuz I was like, “Oh, Proctor’s available. Go get you a point guard.” All this other stuff,
man. I saw he came up uh as the guy they selected. I said, “Oh, oh, I didn’t know he was still around.”
Yeah. Great job. Great job. I can’t wait. Can’t wait to see these guys in summer league, too, and see what that looks like.
Yeah. Yeah.
Apparently, um, Max, Nick, and Devin will be playing in summer league. Yeah, Deon needs to.
He does. Does that Does that say anything to you about the team, the direction, the possibility of him moving on or not moving on?
No, I don’t think so either.
Trade him in Vegas if you want to. You You’re going to put uh you’re gonna have Devin at uh what’s the what’s the dam in in Nevada?
Is it Hoover Dam? You going to leave at the Hoover Dam? First of all, what the hell is Devin Carter doing at the Hoover Dam? Fair or foul? We I’m just looking I’m looking at my at my timeline and I was looking for Lakers news because it’s 202. I wondered if DeAndre Aton had signed.
Um, Bronny James being asked about LeBron James future. Fair foul.
Uh, yeah, that’s fair. He’s on the team.
Yeah, I was going to say teammates probably getting asked anyways, but
people making a big deal because LeBron wore a welcome home hat today. Like golf doesn’t mean anything.
LeBron trying to get out of there, bro. Well, why? Cuz they ain’t gonna be no championship contender.
Yeah, I’m sorry. You can’t sell me. Hey, LeBron, we got DeAndre Aton. We’re ready.
We got uh we got uh Lorravia who LeBron went out of there so bad.
Is Oh man, that’s a I don’t like this view of Brian Winhurst at all.
That’s like the 10th time you’ve said that since the show started.
Is this how he does his podcast? This is terrible. Come on, Wendy. to be fair to him, they it seems like they made them uh start using video.
Well, it feels like Wendy’s on a webcam and he’s just like, “Hey, look, is he closer now, man? Goodness.”
Brian Windhorse versus his camera has been one of the best fight,
man. And look, Wendy’s getting his ass beat. Like, if this was boxing, they’d have to they’d have to stop the fight. Somebody gonna have to step in. Throw in the towel.
Throw in the towel, man. Getting Apollo Creed and Rocky four right here. Brian Wes. Gosh dang it, man. Gosh dang it. Um, so he was talking about the uh Maxine. Maxine getting some run next year would be so valuable for this basketball team because there is one unfortunate reality that the Sacramento Kings are facing that the Sacramento Kings fans are facing that Sacramento Kings fans are really frustrated by. They’re not the Warriors. This team’s old. Lavine is 30. Dear’s 35. Keegan’s 24, Domasa is 29, Shruder’s 31. That’s probably your starting lineup, and that is for the most part, that’s a old basketball team. Again, I think there’s guys on the, you know, especially if the Al Horford signing winds up happening. You got a guy who’s 38, 36. Yeah.
3 How old was Jimmy? 37.
Yeah. That’s old to me.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It’s It’s old. It’s It’s older. I mean, the Kings got to be up there.
The Kings. So, because the 30s and the And 28 to 30 is I want to I don’t want to call the prime, but 28 to 30 is like maybe it’s the end of your prime,
right? Yeah.
That 32.
Okay.
32. So, like 28 to 32 is like the end of your prime. Mhm.
Um, so I I think they’re an older team for sure. I don’t know if I classify them as old though. So we’ll we’ll draw young. They’re just like kind of a a a mid tier age.
We’ll draw a distinction between old and older. No, I’m saying I’m not trying to be funny. Like I’m serious. They’re
Well, there a distinction between old and warriors.
Okay. All right. They’re not Warriors, but yeah, they’re they’re they’re an older team.
Kobe Bryant won his MVP at 28 years old. What did we say? The the the end was 32. Kobe was 25.3 uh points per game. 32 years old.
Kings had a top four as far as like I guess oldest average age in the league last year. I’d assume that’s still pretty high this year.
It’s got to be. Yeah, it might be older with, you know, the addition of Dennis Shruder.
And if and if you add Russell Westbrook, it’s going to be even older. Yeah.
Wonder what Russ’s prime ages were. I feel like Demar, even though he doesn’t get recognition for it, he’s just been the same.
He has since he stepped into the league. It feels like at least.
Yeah. A little a little a little switch for Russ. Uh he he was 32. He was in Washington,
but he averaged a triple double that year. I think that was the year he broke Oscar Robinson’s all time. No, what was the record? Oh, was the triple double record. All time triple double record. Um, is it unfair to say that like the real team building begins after the season? What do you mean?
Like I look at this roster full of players or whatever. Like they’re trying to unload Malik Monk it seems. And Zack Lavine, it seems once he’s got a year or less on his deal, you’ll be able to move off of him. Like there’s just like tomorrow we’ll be 36 37 next. There’s just
Oh, you’re saying next year?
Like like Yeah. Like after after this season that comes up like like that’s when they’ll really start building on this team. I I can’t look at this brows right now be like, “Yep, there’s a future here beyond even a season or two.” So, that’s the other uncomfortable reality that I think the Sacramento Kings are facing is like I I know we joked about a new team phrase, but survive and figure it out. Like, I would rather I yo, make the playoffs. I don’t care that you don’t have a future past this year. I don’t care that a whole bunch of things will be in flux when Demar’s contract becomes partially guaranteed. When Zack Lavine enters uh the final year of his deal, when Keon Ellis, you’ve you’ve you’ve hit the point of what’s happening here with Keon Ellis, uh should it should it get that far. Um where are you at with Keegan Murray at that at that time? Is is Domos cranky? like what where like I none of that matters. Figure that out next year. The fact is if you’re a if you’re a rebuild person, a tank person, all that, you can’t do that this year. You just can’t. It’s not realistic. If you are in the tanking crowd, it is far more realistic for it to happen next season. It’s completely unrealistic for it to happen this season. Just as much as oh making the playoffs, losing in the first round, I don’t care. Do that. You’re not a contender. This Sacramento Kings team is not a contender. They’re not a contender this year. They’re not going to be a contender next year. They might not be a contender for a while. So, just make the playoffs this year and survive and figure it out. Just figure it out later.
Let me let me ask you guys this. Do you think that I know there there’s always the um people are upset about Lavine and getting him back and all this other stuff and him being on the roster. Do you think that would have been the case regardless just cuz Fox wanted it out? What would have been the case?
They would have been in this situation like whether they traded for Lavine or not.
Yeah.
No.
No, I don’t think so. I think the
I think Lavine is a big reason for it.
Yeah. How how wouldn’t they be though? Because this this how this how I’m looking at. Sorry to cut you off. Fox was the franchise. Yeah.
He was like he might not have been good enough to take but that was the franchise.
You weren’t getting the franchise back.
Mhm.
So you were going to be in a perpetual state or at least for a year of survive and figure it out until we find that next guy. Yeah, but like the Lvo kind of just handcuffed. He was like, “Yeah, we’re stuck with him till like we can’t trade him rather than if you traded Fox for a lesser deal with like some players and picks or whatever.” Like you have more um to work with.
But with the with the league how it is, you you’re not doing nothing. Like you’re not you’re not sign you’re not getting somebody. You’re not getting somebody that that’s how the league
Yeah. You’re not doing it in year one. You’re not doing it year one, but like you’re opening up flexibility. Like you you can’t do anything right here with Zack Lavine or whatever in this spot because like Zack Leavine’s contract is here. Like it’s just about having flexibility whether you can or not.
I understand the flexibility but not but my point though nothing was going to happen anyway whether you have flexibility or not. Like nothing was going to happen this summer whether you had Lavine or not. Say you just took Deon Vel and Kell Johnson and and you had money.
But why not?
Cuz there’s nobody available. What? You gonna get KD? You gonna get Giannis?
Yeah, maybe.
No, LeBron. I would have took Johnson and Michelle over Lev.
I feel like
that’s cool. I’m not saying you’re wrong,
but the state that this franchise is in where
this ain’t the summer, you figure it out next summer would have been the same. Yeah, the availability of players might have been the same. Um, you might might have been a little bit more comfortable in how you could maneuver it.
It’ll make you feel better, but where you’re at, what’s wrong with feeling good?
Nothing. Nothing.
He just wants to be sad all the time.
Yeah. Like, come on, man.
The It would have made you feel better, but your situation would have been the same. Like, you ain’t going to get nothing done this year in this off seasonason. I don’t believe
you. No, you you might be right. This is This is one of the strangest starts to an offseason I can remember. Well, because even trading Lavine is still going to be difficult, too. Like, you still have like a you’re less and all that, but it’s not like Lavine is a soughtafter player around the league or anything like that. So, it’s like
even then, like, yeah, sure, you weren’t able to do something this year, but it’s still going to be tough trying to move Lavine, I feel.
Uh, Stephen McBride asked, uh, would the Kings have been better off tanking the last 15 games and keeping their first round pick this past season? Uh, no, not in my opinion. Yeah, I don’t I’m not
I wanted that Herder trade over cuz it remember Stephen, it just would have hung over the franchise for another year. Um I think the fact that it’s over and they still got in the first round with minimal cost, got a player that by all accounts Scott Perry’s really high on. Obviously he traded back into the draft to get him. Um I’ I’d rather have that.
Yeah. And that’s I’d rather have that.
And I’m not even here to say somebody’s right or wrong about that. I’m just my preference like you name. I just wanted that to be done with.
Get that get that put put the Monty McNair era behind you.
Yeah instead of having that stupid ass trade. Hey um on my uh iPad real quick before we go to break.
And by the way, everyone was moving out of the top 10. Once you got past the top 10, everybody was
Yeah, there were 20 trades or uh there were 10 trades over the next 20 picks. Go ahead. Yeah. Um, on my iPad, I just pulled up like a random YouTube video. Um, and it’s like the greatest moments in NFL playoff history. It’s like a 25minute video because there’s like no sports on right now. I just need something on like how you do at the office at the house and stuff like that. Um, and the the play, we’re about 14 minutes in. The play that they just showed was Tony Romo fumbling the snap on the field goal.
Oh, no. Was it? That was against the Seahawks, right? Let me let me triple tap to about 30 seconds ago.
Oh, wait. You were a Cowboys fan. Wait, Dan, where you going? You were a Cowboys fan at that time, weren’t you?
Look, Dave, it’s right here. Look, look, bro. Look, look. There he is.
And then the camera pants to Jessica Simpson.
There he is. We’ll be back. They might not be. Who knows? All right, man. You guys can hear me now. Let’s try 13th round now. Let’s try it now. Let’s try it now. That wasn’t very nice, by the way.
13th round, Jermaine, man. Kenny Carway. Shout out to the dope ones. Shout out to Jordan Bran. Shout out to my people over at Phenom. You see what it is, man. Shout out to my man Daniel Lou as well. Um, I was going to talk about Jake Paul and Chavez Jr., but there’s not much to talk about. I mean, Jake Paul, he he got um ranked, I think, by the WBA. He’s like number 14th. He was talking about uh fighting Zudo and you know that’s fine. We’ll we’ll get to that when it when when we need to. We don’t we don’t need to talk about Jake Paul. But I do want to talk about Deontay Wilder because he fought on Friday night. Got a TKO I believe in the seventh or eighth round. Um where it was a bad stoppage but it was pretty much a matter of time. Deontay was about to destroy this guy. Um yeah, good stoppage. I’m fine with it. But watching the fight, it had me wondering, can Deontay Wilder win the heavyweight title of the world again? Can he be a heavyweight champion again? I know Usyk is facing Dubois and we’ll see how that goes in a couple weeks. Um, and I watch Deontay fight and his problems are still his problems. He’s just has no defense. So, you go up against somebody like Usyk and he’ll probably just pick him apart, you know, but damn, Deontay wins this fight on Friday, gets another fight, you know, maybe in six months. Feels like he’s in line for a title shot. And if he were to be in line for a title shot, he’s still Deontay Wilder. He still has the power in the right hand. Would he be able to do the unthinkable and win the heavyweight championship of the world once again? I think he’s got a shot. I wouldn’t predict it. I think he’s got a shot. The other thing somebody asked was, “Do we still want to see Deontay Wilder versus Anthony Joshua?” That’s emphatically hell yes. Yes. That fight gets scheduled today. Sign me up. I’m ordering the pay-per-view. Parties at my house. Yes, we still want to see that fight. That fight has history. Has history. I’d love to see it. But I don’t know. Am I crazy? Am I bugging? Can Deontay Wilder in this heavyweight setting once again be heavyweight champion of the world? You tell me, man. It’s Kayen Carowway. 13th round.
Uh NBA guru, how are you getting Cooper flag when the team that got Cooper flag beat you in the playin? Wait, what did the NBA guru say?
You wouldn’t want Cooper flag. Like, what are you guys saying? Come on, guys. We would have had a better chance at Flag, man. How can you tell me a good pick isn’t worth it? Who? Why do people always do this? Nobody even said that. Go back to this Tony Romo play. [ __ ] Hurts my feelings.
Poor Tony. He shouldn’t even
sat there on the ground too with his like, “Oh no, let me run for it.”
Tony’s like the saddest quarterback of all time.
Poor Tony. But he he said, you know, he was a precursor to LeBron. He said,
“I don’t care that much.” Well, my life is still great.
He did. Well, let’s all find out together. What’s Stanley talking about here on the Elgrove Kia Talkline? 916909 1320. What’s up, Stanley? Yeah. I just hope I made I hope I made KC real happy. Tell them, Stanley. Stanley, tell them.
Wait, Stanley, where were you when that happened? Like, can you take us back in time when when Tony Romo fumbled the the field goal? was watching. I was I was at home watching the television. What do you think I was? Yeah. What do you think he was doing? What was your What was your thoughts? Like, take us into that moment. Like, what were you thinking at the time?
I was crushed. I was crushed. That’s tough, bro.
What do you expect? Hey, what do you expect for somebody to be in a moment of failure? What do you expect for someone to be?
Yeah. Yeah. Kenny,
I’m just trying to go back to the moment, man. I’m just trying to figure out what it was like.
You know what I’m wondering? Why don’t you tell me what it was like when somebody stuck your shot when you when you thought you were going to score? Huh?
Yeah.
That did.
Yeah. Well, when did that happen, Stanley? Ain’t nobody blocked my shot. I got long arms. I had the Iverson. Ain’t nobody blocked my shot when that happened. Yeah. I’m sure no one ever had.
No, I’m a good shot. I take uh I have good shot selection. I don’t take bad shots and I have long arms. I know how to get it over to outstretch uh defenders.
Me and his family don’t believe you. Yeah. And if he I I I believe that I want to sell him a piece of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Yeah. I’m with Stanley, man.
Oh, Stanley, hold on. I’m back. I’m back now. Now he tried to run after he fumbled the ball. I thought he was getting in there, man. That was crazy.
I’mma disconnect your iPad from Wi-Fi. Appreciate you, Stanley. Hey, funniest part is I slid Stanley’s pot down or whatever, but after Kenny said that last part, I saw his little audio thing go back up. He was still yelling out Stanley. He’s Hall of Famer, man. Hall of Fame.
He is Hall of Famer. And I’m glad I’m glad we got him
cuz you know he was he was a free agent. He was a free agent and he was
glad he came over here.
Oh, you should have did the Jerry Jones impression too.
Oh, no. He would have he would have tracked down the address. You would have started listening to Whitey if you did that. You’re so screwed when Jerry buys the station. By KFM and fire y’all. I don’t I don’t mean to do this. I’m This is the last time I’ll do this. Um because that video is still on. Not that moment, but the the whole video.
All right, pal.
Yo, how crazy. We We tal about it like a circus and all this other stuff.
Gonna bring up the Zeke Elliot play next.
Oh, well,
now that was funny, though.
That was
Zeke Elliott play was funny. They had him at center with no other offensive line.
Stupid play. That was wild.
Imagine. I’m sorry. You I’m You want me to do what? All right.
All right. Said hut and then get obliterated. Said hut
gets destroyed. Um that T-Bo play was crazy. The TB touchdown pass. Yeah. considering everything that
Debo Mania running wild and for him to make that play. I think
I think that was one Steelers. Yeah, I think that was one of those situations where like
the Steelers might have had like 11 or 12 wins, but because Denver won the division, they had to go to Denver. Denver had no business winning that game. And
Denver had no business winning about half of the games they won that season.
That was that was a wild time. I was kind of dis like just completely disgusted by having to deal with it every day. But T-Bo Mania was crazy.
I remember the Dolphins played him that season. They were like 15-0 with like four minutes left. Denver somehow put Yeah, Denver somehow puts up two touchdowns, goes to overtime and they win. Like what the hell just happened? He’s kneeling after the game again.
That was ridic. Wasn’t that like his first start or something like that?
It might have been it was something like that. But I I just I have no clue what just happened. You just you just reminded me you just reminded me of how great the internet was when cap started taking a knee and then them T-Bo memes would hit and go, “This is the only kneeling I do.” All right. Whatever. Oh yeah, T-Bo Mano is crazy, man. Those those those people posting those Tim TBO kneels are the ones who are in line at Raies right now buying all the buying a $400 bag of fireworks for America.
Oh, did you see that video? That was crazy. That was insane.
Yo, that was that firework factory exploding was crazy.
I thought like the initial start of it was like, “Oh yeah, this is pretty crazy.” Like the were on fire, whatever. And it’s like, “Oh, no. This is what they wanted me to watch.”
Yeah, that was crazy. I think Shawn posted it. Sean Cunningham posted it and it like Sean does Shawn does not waste tweets.
So when he posts something, I’m going to watch it.
And yeah, that was that was crazy,
man. I hope um I hope there’s nobody around
cuz that was
Oh god. I hope there’s no one near that thing. That was crazy. What What they say, Jesse?
I said hopefully they evacuated that place already.
Yeah, that was
I mean cuz the whole place was on fire already. Like it was already done with, man. Okay,
shout out Chris in the chat house, too. Like T-Mo Mania was a thing, but then they ran into the Patriots. Yeah, that was belt ass right there. That was that was that was sad
cuz people started to believe after this. They were like, “Yo, this thing is real.” Patriots beat the brakes off the And then TB then T went on the Jets punt team after that.
Oh man. Oh man.
Then you als Yeah. Then you also have T-Bo and the Mets and Oh man, that’s terrible, man. They uh West Westside Kings fan said seven people still unaccounted for.
There were people in that building when that happened.
I hope not, man. Jesus.
Oh my god. I hope that’s not true for And you see the
uh shout out to Sean Cunningham and and KC for this one. But yeah,
Yolo County,
it just looks just looks tough. Oh, doesn’t look like a good situation. And then all of a sudden Wow.
Look at look at look at look at the look at the fireworks show too. Yeah. The fireworks start just going crazy. Man,
that was terrible. That was terrible, man. Yeah. So, I I I hadn’t seen anything. I hope that, you know, people got out of there, but they’re saying, you know, maybe people didn’t. So, prayers up to
to anybody, man. Like, that’s that’s just awful. That is awful.
Um, man.
Nah. Anybody know where that is? The yellow account like
for those Esper Espiran or something?
I’m not here tomorrow. So, we got to run this today cuz this is our Fourth of July.
Bang up. Bang up T. Terry. Who? Oh Lord. Lord Jesus. Oh Lord. Oh, what do I what you doing? Tyler, every time you know we got to run it one more time. One more time. Fourth of July warning here. Don’t beat Terry.
Please don’t.
Bag up. Bag up.
Bag up. Put Terry. Put it first. Oh lord. Lower. Oh lord. Oh, what the reverse? New York accent. Car comes through this way.
Oh man. was having a good old time with it.
Oh man, I gotta see. I gotta play that. I don’t know that I’ll be able to find it. I saw it on Tik Tok. We were talking about this on KSFM the other day. Don’t trip in front of
Don’t do that.
Black people. Don’t do that cuz I’m definitely
Hold on. Let me see if I can find the exact video I was watching.
I’m laughing. Oh no. Shoot. I can’t find it. It was a Tik Tok video, but it sounded like my man laughing at Terry. And we always say, you gotta if you if you trip, man, you gota you gota start hooping.
Yeah, you gota turn it into start hooping.
You got to turn it into a jump shot or a crossover.
Girl, get a little euro. Hey, I was shooting jump shots all through. I remember one of the things I did in the in the hallways of Mlache uh high school is we’d be walking, you know, down the hallway and you cross paths with somebody and right before I’d hit them with like a Kobe crossover just and they would jump, hey, hey.
Mhm. Thought it was the funniest thing. Just a minute.
We used to grab the overhang and act like we were dunking.
Oh, be careful.
Yeah. N don’t sleep.
Don’t sleep. And then it got to the point where we started setting people up like it’d be like, “Hey, let me Hey,
oh no. I let me holl at you for a second. Hey, you move over. Hey, man. This weekend.” And then one of the homies come through. Ah, that’s always funny. Oh,
every time. every single time. It was funny.
Always funny.
Oh man. Uh we talked about what happened with Shawn Combmes earlier. Uh report out now. Diddy is denied bond while awaiting sentencing in his sex crime case. So he’s going to remain in prison while the judge because I if I I believe the judge determines his sentence and not the jury. So, um, the judge has not yet set a sentencing date, uh, for Combmes. The maximum possible sentence for each of Comb’s two guilty counts is 10 years in prison. So, there’s a variety of different things, uh, that come into play, consecutive, concurrent. Uh, how much of that 10 years will he get? My guess is a minimum minimum minimum. Um, but we’ll see. We’ll see.
Yeah. I I I’d be I’d be shocked if he was in there more than five years.
I’d be shocked if he was in anything close to five years. Like absolutely stunned. Um James Ham coming up in about 30 minutes or so. We talked about this is uh oh man there there’s a couple of these subjects we can save for for for when James gets here but we talked a minute ago like I think everyone is of the belief the Rockets had a tremendous offseason
like they have done a terrific job of securing their talent for years to come and of course the acquisition of Kevin Durant. I’m going to ask you about a couple of teams and I’ll start with the obvious one because we mentioned them earlier because I don’t think much needs to be said. We
Denver had a terrific off season.
They did. They did.
They got beat up by Oklahoma City. I mean, they they they scratched, clawed, and survived to get to game seven before they just completely ran out of everything. But the biggest thing that that team lacked was depth. That is corrected. That has been fixed. Now, of course, you lost Michael Porter Jr. in the process. Russell Westbrook is gone, but you’ve turned that into Cam Johnson. Uh Bruce Brown, obviously, Valenunis is there. Tim Hardaway is there.
You you were able to acquire some really solid players for David Adam’s first full run as the head coach of the Denver Nuggets.
Yeah. Yeah, man. um what they were able to do in um moving on from Michael Porter’s contract, flipping that into a good player like Cam Johnson. I think he’s about the same as Michael Porter Jr. Maybe in a couple areas, one is better than the other, but you got off the contract allowing you to get a guy like Bruce Brown. And then I look at Tim Martway Jr. is a guy that they def they definitely could use and they needed another scoring option that was for the most part consistent. You know, one of the issues with Michael Porter Jr., you just never know what you were going to get. Tim Hardaway Jr. is one of those microwave type players that you can you can I feel like you can rely on for the most part with the offensive impact that he’s going to have on these games. So, you’ve got that guy there. Um, Christian Brown, you know, he continues to get better and better every single year. Maybe you get a a healthier Jamal Murray, that could help. I don’t put them on the Houston OKC level just yet, but they’re inching closer and closer to being a championship contender in the West for me. I really like what they’ve done this off season. Um, it’s been awfully quiet about 90 miles from here.
Well, we’re in Roseville, so it’s a little more than 90 miles. I’m looking at uh Jake Fischer video right here. The Miami Heat, I think, are probably Jonathan Kaminga’s most likely landing spot. Uh, that’s not Golden State. And to my understanding, the Heat are involved in several things as well. So, he might not even necessarily be their top option. One thing that I don’t think we’ve discussed a ton is what if Kaminga is just back in a Warriors uniform.
Yeah, I think that would I don’t know if that would be good for for anybody involved, the Kaminga or the Warriors. I think a fresh start is best for both parties.
Um, but it is a possibility. This is another sign I think of of that market we keep talking about. You know, any other time people would be lining up to take a shot at Jonathan Kaminga, but the repercussions of if that doesn’t make you, you know, a top team immediately might be too great for a lot of teams to even take that chance. Man, it’s crazy, man. What a weird league this has turned into. Yeah, this I mean to the best of my recollection has never happened before where teams are like ah like I mean you could make the argument I don’t I wouldn’t but I think a lot of fans would Kings fans and NBA fans the biggest overpay we might have seen is the Dennis Shruder one
like no one is over hey look hey Tim Hardaway Jun, look, we want you here, but this is what we can offer. This is where we’re at. And I’m sure Tim Hardaway Jr. got that same offer or a similar offer from a lot of different teams.
And that’s probably the case with Tai Jones and a lot of these different point guards. They’re getting same or similar offers across the table.
Yeah. And it is just a I don’t know if this is an anomaly or the future of the NBA, but this free agency period is unlike any one I can remember. Of course, you’ve got the the complete opposite, the, you know, the the infamous Timothy Mozoff signing and and and and the caps going up and we’ve got money to spend uh free agency to this where we’re talking aprons, penalties, loss of drafts, loss of uh mid levels, loss of buyout players. like we’re we’re we are we have literally stepped into a world of the CBA that has never existed before,
right?
And we’re seeing the ramifications of it. Yeah. I I feels like everybody’s super conservative, super scared to make the wrong move. And Jason talked about it yesterday. Jason Jones, the professor, talked about how it’s giving uh these teams and these owners an excuse to to not compete, you know, because oh, don’t don’t want to be on the apron. Don’t want to do that. Like, yeah, I I it’s the one thing Draymond was always right about. This is awful. Yeah, he was really awful.
Yep. And Draymond tried to warn us is the name of my new book. Draymond tried to warn us.
He tried to tell us, but he was right. This is this is a bad situation. And I don’t think it’s changing anytime soon, if ever. Like, if here’s the thing about it. If the owners are okay with it, you think it ever going to change? If they’re okay with uh
if they’re okay with how to lose,
they Jason Jones was right yesterday. They want these aprons. That’s what I’m saying. the Timothy M they they’re they they are undisiplined when it comes to this process and this this is to police them
as much as it is to do anything else. It’s also excuse me it also creates it does legitimately create a more level playing field. We’re seeing that for the first time like they have implemented or they have implemented so many things in the past that haven’t worked. um uh I’m going call them home teams, but your current team being able to offer more money in more years than any other team with the idea of if a small market like Oklahoma City, you know, has, you know, Shay Gildress Alexander, they can offer him more than Los Angeles and New York and Boston and all of the big market big spenders.
Yeah. What we’ve learned in that sense is if someone wants that money, they’re just going to get they’re going to push the trade a year early,
right?
And it got obvious quick, this didn’t work. This just absolutely didn’t work. The aprons, the aprons appear to be working and they worked quickly. And it’s like, yeah, no, you Hey, Joe Leup, uh, James Dolan, whoever, whoever wants to spend on their basketball team, spend. But there will be, and Joe Leup, credit to him, I’ll pay to be an NBA champion. And $200 tax bills, we’re winning an NBA championship. We’re competing for an NBA championship. I’ll take it. But then you get into the $200 tax bill and you can’t sign a buyout player. You also can’t trade and you you know there’s very specific ways that you have to trade. Yeah. You don’t get a mid-level, bro. Oh yeah, you going to do it a couple years in a row. Draft picks, dog. They going to change. And all of a sudden it’s like, okay, wait a minute. I’m not willing to do that. There’s always little ways you can finesse your roster when it’s really expensive with buyout players, with with minimum contract guys, with all of that, with mid-levels, bianuals, all of that different stuff. These aprons and the ramifications of those aprons have absolutely murdered that.
Yeah. And and like I said to the to the question, I don’t think we’re going to go back if the owners are okay with it. I think there might be some
Got to believe they are, too.
Yeah. There might be some some minor tweaks to it, but this feels like it’s going to be the NBA moving forward. Also, we 10 years away. How how far away is the the collective bargain? I bet it might be the NFL.
Yeah, NFL is 10 years away. NBA is is probably like seven or eight. I think um they have an opt out in 28 29 maybe.
Yeah, that’s right. It’s weird how you know exactly the years, but he’s right. Opt out 2829.
Opt out 2829, but it’s supposed to go till 31. Is it a mutual opt out?
I don’t think I They both have the option to.
Yeah. Yeah.
I don’t know. That’s mutual or just like, hey, you can if you want. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Both both the NBA and the NBA players association can opt out of the agreement after the 2829 season. So says artificial intelligence. I mean, that’s That’s a good chunk of time away. So, this is the reality of the likes of the Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles. This is the This is the reality of those teams that have this is what Oklahoma City will be facing.
This is again, credit where credit is due. Draymond said you you’re going to be punished essentially for building your team in house
if you hit on your draft picks. You’re not going to be re be able to resign them all without substantial ramifications.
Right.
That’s what Oklahoma City will be facing.
And when he when he said that um initially, that’s the one part that I I did immediately think that’s unfair. I was like, “Well, if they’re your own guys, you should be able to go over the cap or sign whatever. Like, you you drafted these guys. Like, you should be able to There should be exceptions to
Yeah. Yeah. And like going to get free agents and stuff, that’s different. But
like the Warrior situation, Clay, Dre, Steph, all those guys, like, yeah, they should be able to do what they need to do to retain those guys. But obviously, uh, owners can’t even trust themselves with their own guys. They can’t even trust their trust themselves that way. Um, do you think so?
Aiden did sign with the Lakers, by the way. DeAndre Aiden has joined the Los Angeles Lakers. He’ll play LeBron a couple times a year because LeBron is Get me out of here. Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa. You’ll be gone tomorrow. That will be gone soon, too. Thank you. You
You won’t I bet you can’t figure out how to take that key off of here. I’ll YouTube it. How to remove hotkey from DLO studio. Um, we are kind of like in the weeds of of everything and you know like all not just me and you but this fans like we don’t like it. Do you think in general though this will be good for the league to have
the aprons,
not the aprons so to speak, but the ramific uh NBA champions and the parody aspect of it.
I do think that’s good. I think the likes of Oklahoma City and Indiana being in the finals, I think that’s a good thing.
I don’t and not Indiana and Oklahoma City. I think you need the the dynasties.
Oh, I don’t think you need that at all. The NFL is built off of parody. This ain’t the NFL, though.
No, it’s the NBA. But why is that?
And it’s built off of parody, but there’s always the one team. Whether it’s the Patriots or the Chiefs, there’s always the team. Mhm. And if they can if the NBA can find a way to do that and still have the team that
Is it a team or a player? NFL it’s a team. NBA might be a player. It’s LeBron. Well, wasn’t it? It was Brady. Obviously, Payton was a part of that. Yeah, but it was I I thought it was the Patriots and now it’s the Chiefs. People are People want to see the Chiefs go down. like people were really happy with his past Super Bowl. Um, and part of that is Mahomes, right? It is a player that you can attach to, like you mentioned, Tom Brady was the player that you could attach the Patriots to, but they were just always there. They were the one constant. Other teams were moving around and that’s good, but they were the one constant. If the NBA can find I don’t if it’s OKC, that’s great, too. But if they can find the team that’s always around Wimyama, you know, and have the other moving parts, I think that best case scenario. Best case scenario.
All right, we’ll come back. James Ham will join us at the top of the hour. We’ll talk Kings basketball and NBA free agency with our insider from the insiders here, Steel and KC on Sacramento Sports Leader ESPN 1320. DeAndre and Luca playing together. That is spectacular. No. Uh, please at least admit that Atlanta killed it with their pick. That should have been ours. Wouldn’t that have been beneficial to us? Sure. Yeah. Like, sure. But would they have done that? Would the kings have done that? I don’t know. I mean, it’s it’s presumptive to say just the kings in that spot wind up doing the same exact thing. Different general managers, different philosophies, different ideas, different negotiation tactics. Johnny, do it. You see it? Those LER fans are going to turn on him so fast. Oh, it’s going to be bad.
Yeah, it’s going to be horrible.
It’s going to be bad. Right on, Bryce. Let’s go, man. Good luck. Good luck, baby. Let’s go. Yeah, Gregory, you might be right. You might be right. You might be right. Cody and is it zed? Zade I want to say that wrong. Help me out with that. Uh, looks like said, so I’d say said Zade. Oh, but yeah. Hey, shout out. Help me pronounce that right and I’ll do it on the radio. DLo, you give your dog CBD or anything for the fourth. Nah. Nah, Sprout. Sprout’s okay. Like, Sprout’s pretty chill. Like, she doesn’t like that. Um, she doesn’t like the 4th of July. She doesn’t get overly anxious. Um, I’m going to be out of town, which is the I’ve never left on the 4th of July, but my mom is with her, so she’ll be 10 times happier that my mom is around. But if it’s bad, she just lies under my desk in the studio. Um, and I can just kind of lay with her and she’s she’s fine. Um, I’ve given I gave my I gave Smoothie, who’s not with us anymore, CBD when we had to do long car trips because she would get really antsy. I don’t know if it worked or not, but I wouldn’t tell you not to. I’ll tell you that. Like if if if the pup in the king’s hat has a hard time, man, I definitely try it. Uh, yeah, for sure. Z. Yeah, whatever you need, man. Hit me up. Chris, ask me after the trade deadline. I’ll know for sure.
Mhm.
They’re too hit and miss right now. Yeah, she’s pretty, too. She’ll just run. She’ll just run over, see Scooter, then lay back down. All right, James Ham going to join us coming up here uh at the top of the hour. We’ll talk Sacramento Kings basketball which might just be at a standstill uh right now. Uh at least the free agency portion of this. We’re still seeing some little things happen around the league, but none of them seem to involve Sacramento. No, you’re just your boy. He’s on his way. He had to grab some snacks real quick.
Oh, yeah. No doubt. It’s all good. It’s all good.
Sprinting over right now. That is not a sprint, bro. That is a That is a That is That is a That is a hustle jog. Like, it’s all good, man. It’s all right. It’s like the bell went off and he just realized he wasn’t in uh first period yet.
Five minutes ago, pal. Let’s go. Hey, my man’s had a tough day, man. He’s uh he did the 13th round with no with no sound, so we just had to kind of thought he had a great day.
Lakers signed Aiden. Well,
Mike Brown is a Nick.
Well, we haven’t shout to the Knicks. You know what I’m saying? I don’t know what this Lakers stuff is all about. I believe Monk is still a king for now, I guess.
Yeah, I’m happy about that.
I don’t like that they’re trying to trade
and he’s watching Cowboy highlights.
Well, now I’m on to the best uh playoff moments at Oracle Park.
Okay, very good.
What about the best moments of the last two weeks at Oracle Park? Do they got a video for that?
That’s what we got to do. That’s what we trying to do. That’s what we trying to do.
All right, bro.
Throw it off the backboard for me. I mean,
all right, bro. All right. All right. Bet.
Shout out Jordan Hicks threw a scoreless in the other day.
No, just stop it.
Hit a 100 on the gun three times. I think
it going to have Jordan Hicks. You ain’t going to remember him in two years. Jesse kind of feeling it today.
Great. He’s feeling great. Yeah, it’s great. This is great. Keep it real, G. And yet the Red Sox couldn’t beat us. Yeah, I know. I was there. Um, what was Oh, Mike Brown. I have a question regarding Mike Brown. Okay. I am a Mike Brown fan. I um I’m just stuck on something. Did the Knicks search fall off so much that they went to Mike Brown? Or did the Knicks just look at what happened with Mike Brown in Sacramento as completely inconsequential and more Sacramento nonsense and just hired him?
I think Yeah, I think Mike Brown was their guy. No, he wasn’t.
Yeah, I don’t feel like he was their guy.
He wasn’t their guy. He He was Yeah.
I mean, as far as like the interviews, like his name was there after all the guy that got turned down. I feel like his name was there.
Yeah, that was like nine guys, though.
Well, yeah, that was like Yeah, like that. How serious realistic was that though?
I mean, a lot of it wasn’t, but he wasn’t on the initial odds. I Yeah. I mean,
odds, but I mean, as far as like once they got done getting turned down from everyone else, I was like, “All right,
didn’t they say Barga was the favorite?”
Well, it was Johnny. Oh, the the assistant.
Yeah. It’s not Johnny D.
Johnny Bryant.
Johnny Bryant. He was
We have butchered that man’s name so many times over the last month and a half. Johnny Bryant was the uh original favorite. Um, I do think the Jason Kid thing was real. I think they really wanted him. Uh,
I think they really wanted a lot of these guys. Jason Key. Well, I Okay. Did they really want Billy Donovan? I don’t know. That one was really bizarre to me. The Knicks just got a bunch of coaches paid and contract extensions and all that. I feel from doing all that stuff. Eay got an extension. Billy Donovan got an extension. Yeah. I I I don’t know if I don’t know if Mike Brown was their first choice or like first three choices. Is there a big difference between Mike and Thibs? No. I mean, I I think Mike is a little bit more understanding of using a bench and using guys like one of his
Yeah. But what’s what’s the biggest complaint about or maybe the second biggest complaint about Tom Dipto
is the practice.
The practice. Yeah. Yeah. Like what was the first thing guys like Dear and Malik said when Mike was gone? Man, we got hour practices now, man. We’re in. We ain’t in we’re shootound ain’t going two and a half hours anymore. Like the things that they said without saying Mike Brown’s name after he left were pretty clear. Like they were I think they were more tired of listening to Mike talk than anything else.
And the Knicks have put Mike Brown in a position to where he has to win an NBA championship. Yeah, he has to
he has to do something that he has not done
as a head coach in his career.
He has to go win an NBA championship. And not that Mike can’t. I’m absolutely of the belief Mike can, but you don’t have an option.
No. And especially with the way the Eastern Conference looks like it’s playing out, um the Knicks have to I mean bare minimum have to get to the finals this year if not win it all. But bare minimum you you’ve got to get out of the the Eastern Conference if you’re if you’re Mike Brown. It’s a good It’s a good problem to have though because it means you you’ve got you’ve got good ball players. You got a good
No, you do. You do. But man, expectations are tough. And those level of expectations are really tough.
Mike’s a good coach. I just I I couldn’t I couldn’t figure out if And maybe the maybe the third option is they really like Mike. Mhm.
Like that was their guy. Like Jesse said, maybe maybe they really did like Mike. I was just I just was like, man, did did they just look at Sacramento like Sacramento, give me a break.
I think
and not worry about it.
I think that played a part. I think it definitely played a part, you know, and
will we be alive when this organization is respected? I don’t know.
How much time do you have? I wonder that sometimes. Like I seriously wonder. I mean, it’s not within the next three years. I think we I think we will. We will, guys. We’ll get there. The Giant The Giants, the Kings will um Yeah, they’ll be a perennial playoff team. And it’ll be a team that
Will Ryan be married? No.
Because you’re never going to let her marry, right? That’s right. Of course. Never going to let her date like she’s Got it.
Yeah. No. No. That’s
Let’s try this again. Will Ryan be driving? Can Ryan serve in the military when this when when the Kings become a perennial? Keep in mind Ryan’s two.
Yes.
Will Ryan do that either, but the draft the draft might be back by then. Um, will Ryan be able to buy alcohol before the Kings are a perennial? Yes.
Okay. Yes, she will 20 years later,
man. Yeah, she will. I think um I think it it’s it’s probably difficult to see it right now, but I think the guy that’s in charge of the front office right now will have a lot to do with it. I think he will change the perception and the fortunes of this franchise. I’m still a believer. Don’t always agree with them. Obviously, we’ve talked about that. And I’m talking about Scott Perry for everybody uh not not um catching on, but don’t always agree with early on with how he sees the the game and and bringing in guys and stuff like that. But um I trust him trust his his basketball knowledge. I trust his his team building knowledge. I trust the relationships that he’s built over the last 20 some odd years in this uh in this industry with NBA teams with agents to be able to have Sacramento looked at in a respectable way. So uh I think I think it’ll happen with this group. It’s a bold prediction. this group, this front office group.
Okay, because I was going to say what group,
this ownership, all this other stuff, this this leadership group will be the one that that gets them to respectability. That feels awfully optimistic, man. But I hope you’re right. Um, I mean, the other aspect of it though too, and sorry to cut you off, is and and it’s another way that I go about it is like, like I said, it’ll happen. Like just just because it hasn’t happened with these other guys who aren’t here anymore doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen with the guys, the new group. Th those guys that are that aren’t here anymore might be some of the worst general managers this league has ever seen. Pete Vlatty
Monty
McNair,
they were the bottom of the bottom.
So like now I’m not saying Scott Perry’s the best, but now you’re bringing in somebody that that has been successful in multiple situations. remember Monty’s first off season,
our first few months on the air. Now, in fairness to Monty, who we have relentlessly trashed now for months, it was a very odd off season.
Yeah.
In terms of timing and
I don’t blame
him actually getting the job.
Yeah. I kind of don’t hold that one off against
he he really just kind of put his feet in the pool and hung out in the shallow end and then kind of walked his way down before he really started trying to figure things out.
Um I I don’t think Scott’s taking a like I think Scott wants to take a different approach. I just don’t know that he can. This might wind up being the Hassan Whiteside Glenn Robinson off season.
It It sucks. Like Dennis Rutder is already better than anyone Monty signed his first year.
But he’s in such a difficult spot because of where this team is at contractwise that there might there might only be so much that he could do. I hate to keep bringing this up. Um, please, real quick, put your phone on DND so you don’t get a phone call, but he did have an opportunity that I feel Monty didn’t have and he passed on it when you talk about Trey Young.
Yeah.
Has been reported number of different times that it was there for him. And Scott just wasn’t a fan of having Trey Young as their best guy at that price tag, all that other stuff. So, he’s had an opportunity and he he chose not to and that’s fine, too. You know, maybe he doesn’t feel the timing is right or clearly the player wasn’t right to make that move with with with Trey. Um, but to your point, outside of that moment, that’s probably going to look a little bit like Monty’s first year, I think. Was Herder the second year? I heard it was like the third year. I don’t remember. He didn’t do much of any second year. Okay.
Or what do I have that?
I can’t remember what year it was that he cuz it obviously it so
do happened in the middle of the season.
In the middle of the second year
and then Carter happened the beginning
after that.
Yeah. because he because the way I’m thinking about he had a whole year a whole COVID year with with Luke Walton and then people were throwing up courtside.
Yep. That happened
the second his second year having Luke Walton fires Luke Walton in the middle of the season on Mother’s Day. Um and then uh makes the trade and then the third year
the third year he knocked it out of the park. Man, he did a fantastic job.
I remember where I was. I had run to Game Fit to pick up a a painting from Jay Wada Jackie.
Okay. Yeah.
And I heading back to the car and phone is going crazy and I’m like, “Yo, what is going on?” Look at the phone. Kingsfire, Luke Walton, like, “Oh god, I’m 30 minutes from home, so I’m racing home trying to figure out.”
You hit me up. I think I was in the I know I was in the movies and I
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
I was with the family in in the movies. Yeah. But so, but that third year, he killed it, man. He did a great job. Everything he touched, Monty McNair, that third year was was was gold. Kevin Herder, Keegan Murray was fantastic. Um, even going out and getting guys like Terrence Davis, you know, he found him. He had he had Metsu on the squad. Like, everything worked that third year. Malik Monk was his signing.
Yeah.
You know, everything was
fantastic. Yeah. All right. Well, hopefully this year isn’t that slow. I mean, it’s already not. Dennis R is already better than Hassan Whiteside and Little Dog L Robinson the third. Yeah.
Quan Jeff. Was that a signing or did he inherit that
at the Quan? I don’t I don’t remember.
I can’t remember either. Yeah.
I can’t Did we resign Dcoin Jeff? Yeah, I don’t I don’t remember. We had just made it a thing. We had it on the board. And
Jesse Oh, it’s just not here. Jesse made the observation yesterday with with uh Nasty Boy getting traded. Every time someone gets a nickname, they’re gone.
Hit the Quan. Little magic. M um who was the other one? Freeport. Freeport met too. Yeah was gone.
Yeah. Yeah.
Now Nasty Boy.
No, I just to be clear I didn’t call him that. Welcome in James Ham uh of the insiders. Our insider here also of the Kings. Pete Hammer. It’s awfully quiet, man. Is it over? Is free agency over for the Sacramento Kings? And to be fair to to be fair to the Kings and to be fair to Scott Perry and and BJ Armstrong in this front office, it’s quiet around the league.
Uh DeAndre Aton signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, but it is it is pretty quiet. It’s a for for only being the third day of free agency. It’s it’s it’s awfully quiet. Yeah, I think part of this is due to the aprons and the salary constrictions that have been put on the league and so many teams. Um, you know, either you’re trying to rein it in and fix it or you’re going, “Okay, we’re we’re done. There’s nothing we can do. We’re just going to go way above the apron and see what happens.” Um, so I think we’re in a weird place with the league right now, especially when it came out, what was it today or this morning or last night that the league expects the salary cap to only go up 7% next year as opposed to 10%.
It’s actually pretty substantial when you consider that you give all of your own free agents 8% raises every year. Um, and so you’re actually going to lose value on most of those deals. Um, so yeah, I think this is kind of like the the calm, but I think it’s going to be the calm before the storm because we’re going to know who and what this Kings team is more by Sunday when the moratorum lifts. Um, because they still have time to finagle these whatever it is that they’re going to do or they’re going to try to do into like the Dennis Schruder signing because that that deal isn’t done until this weekend. Um, it’s not it’s not over and done with. So, uh, there is still, you know, potential to maybe use your Kevin Herder, uh, like traded player exception, um, or or use, you know, like your your mid-level in a different way. There’s there’s a lot of things that could happen between now and and Sunday. I’m just not sure that I believe anything is going to happen. Do you look at this front office as kind of being okay with that? you know, they’re they’re okay kind of slow playing this this off season and weren’t necessarily looking to make big splashes or is this inability potentially to to make moves something that may be frustrating them or something they didn’t anticipate? Yeah, I think that they’ve been stymied a little bit here. You know, I I think that there are players on their roster that are not just like like easy easily tradable. Um, there are players on this roster that you would think should be tradable that that other teams just haven’t found the value in. Um, and I think a lot of times in in order to make one of these deals that we’re talking about, you got to just start throwing in the salary cap. I mean, throwing in the draft picks and and I’m not sure that the Kings are willing to do that either at this point because let’s be honest if the season were to start today. Um, is this team better than it was last year? Is it worse than it was last year? Um, like I I think that you’re in a tough spot, especially in a Western Conference where the Houston Rockets just became a like a superstar team. uh the Denver Nuggets like just punched back like nobody’s business and rebuilt a roster in in an incredible way and they just keep adding and everyone’s sitting there going like, “Oh my gosh, look at this.” I when you go into an offseason, you add Cam Johnson and you add, you know, Tim Hardaway Jr. and you add Bruce Brown and you start filling out that that roster again. Maybe you get Russell Westbrook back. like like a lot of these teams loaded up and so far the Kings haven’t made that move to load up. They’ve at least filled a starting level position. I guess you are not a Dennis Shruder fan, are you? I guess. Yeah. It’s not It’s not that I hate Dennis Shruder. It’s that like you talk about the head of the snake and all that stuff and and he’s not that like and that’s not like a knock on him the but you know when you talk about that type of player your your number one guy who’s leading everything like they don’t bounce around the league like Dennis does and you know like whatever whatever the reason this is his 10th team in 13 years so like when you’re trying to establish a culture and build a culture, you know, culture builders like let’s say let’s like Garrett Temple isn’t nearly as good a player as as Dennis Shruder. Dennis Ruder is a good player. I’m not saying he’s not, but there’s a reason why people like Garrett Temple keep getting contracts at age like 39. It’s because they, you know, they when they get somewhere, someone realizes what they are and how much they mean to the value of the franchise without going out on the floor and putting up a bunch of points. And like again, I don’t know why it is that Dennis Shruder doesn’t stick anywhere, but that’s, you know, when when you’re going in and hiring people uh for a job, one of the things you look at on their resume is how long that they’ve been in every stop. So, you got two different kids applying for the same job and they both have three years of employment history, but one of them has worked for one spot for three years and one of them has worked for six different employers in three years. You typically go with the one who’s been in one spot the whole time because there’s something about that person that made them stick around and there’s something about that person that made someone else want to keep them around the entire time and that’s just a reality. Okay. But to be fair, can I say the same thing about Garrett Temple? Well, yeah, at age 39. Yeah, sure. You can say the same thing. But how long does he stay in one spot?
Not very long. Feel like a bunch of one-year deals. Like, and I’m not I love Garrett Temple. I think he he brings great things to the table, but he’s bounced around. Like, why why wouldn’t the Kings just have him here? Garrett?
Yeah. like since he was here the first time. Just keep him here because he is great
and he is room and he is a culture guy. So just keep him here like there. But him going from team to team doesn’t that’s that’s not a knock on him because we know Garrett Temple is great. It’s not necessarily a knock on him just like it shouldn’t necessarily be a knock on Dennis Shruder.
Yeah. But there the reason why if if Dennis if Garrett Temple moves around now, right? So again, after his time in Sacramento, u yeah, sure he’s hopped around, but he played for two years in New Orleans, played for two years in Toronto. Like Garrett Temple doesn’t give you anything on the court. Like Garrett Temple was a good defensive player at one point in his career. He was, you know, all these things. Like Dennis Shruder is still a highly functional NBA player that scores a bunch of points and who dishes out a bunch of assists. So again, it’s rare that you see a player as good as him statistically move from one team to the next to the next to the next. And that’s that’s just, you know, again, it’s for me, I don’t even like put them in the same category like as far as like leadership and stuff like that. We’ll have to see though. Like I I don’t have anything against Dennis Shruder and I to be honest, I haven’t met Dennis Shruder. I don’t hear bad things about Dennis Schruder, but when you look at the the career path for a guy that’s this good to play for 10 different teams, that’s different.
Yeah. But I think part of that is one, he I I don’t want to turn this into something that doesn’t need to be, but like we talked like the Lakers deal I think is a big reason that Dennis has been on so many teams. He found a spot in Los Angeles. He maybe he got some either his his own big head or he got some bad advice from his agent and he didn’t take a a very rich four-year deal that was offered to him. It’s kind of he’s just been kind of chasing ever since. And it’s all like he always he’s always a guy people want. Like there’s never any question could Dennis Shruder have a team or could he be in the league? like he’s a guy that teams want, you know, to come in and he’s he’s he’s serviceable. Uh but he’s also at the stage of his career where once you get to like 28 29, I don’t know that you get th you don’t get those types of deals. Like you don’t get long-term deals. And so it becomes, you know, a two with an option or a team option or just a two and in the second year we’re not where we thought we were. We’re going to move, you know, let’s let’s start, you know, picking this apart. We can move Dennis and him somewhere and do something else. That’s what happened last year. Like I don’t think it really worked for Dennis and Golden State,
but Golden it helped them land Jimmy Butler. So, like it’s it’s it’s something that usually winds up working, but I think that’s a big reason.
Even sorry, even the stop before that in in Brooklyn, like he was
like it wasn’t his fault. They were like, “Ah, like you’re actually doing too good of a job for what we want what we’re trying to do. Like, we got to move on from you.”
Like, that ain’t have nothing to do with Dennis doing something wrong. Not saying that’s what you’re saying, James, but I’m just saying like that that didn’t have anything to do with anything Dennis did wrong. It was not the situation for how good he was.
No, I get that. I just and and I get he’s a stop gap. I get that. But
yeah,
what is your option after the stop gap? Like how long is his stop gap? Because as of right now, you don’t have the dude.
Well, that’s the real question. Yeah, that’s the real question is what’s next? And it’s probably not just for Dennis James. It’s probably what’s next for this entire roster because my my thing James with this group this year has been I don’t I don’t care what like make the playoffs, go to the first round, go to the second round. Everything’s going to be different next year. When Zack Lavine is on an expiring contract and his money coming off the books starts to mean something else. when Demar De Rozan’s uh year is not fully guaranteed. Um you know, you’ve got, you know, the moment of truth with Keon Ellis. We don’t know where the Keegan Murray situation is at. You know, you’re a year further along in in in Domas where there’s so much to me that’s going to change next off season versus this off season. For me, I’m just using the phrase survive and figure it out later because there’s just not much you can do right now in my opinion. No, I mean that might be where they’re at is just survive. Just survive and and hope that it gets better. But again, um you know, you’re looking at a guy I do think Dennis Shruder was the the best point guard available on the free agent market. Like you look around. I don’t think that, you know, he’s twice as good as all these other guys because that’s what he got paid as, which is a bit of a a a concern as well. Um, I do know that there’s that thing out there called the Kings tax that you have to pay. Um, but at the same time, you know, when you got both of Jones, like one of them signed a three-year, eight $24 million deal, one signed a one-year $7 million deal, something like that. Um, you know, D’Angelo Russell signs a two-year $13 million deal. Um, the Kings paid good money. And you know, again, I think my biggest thing is like look, if we’re going to sit here and we’re going to preach culture and what you’re trying to build and all that stuff. Um, this just doesn’t it doesn’t ring that this is the culture piece that you’re bringing in to try to build. What it does say is you’re trying to survive. You’re trying to get somebody who can at least start and man the position while you try to survive. And like look, that’s part of this. You got to find homes for some of these guys. But, you know, I think it’s it’s tough. Uh, like for Kings fans out there, I think it’s it should be tough to look at what they’ve done so far in free agency. Yeah. I think everyone was so excited coming out of the draft because they had made some savvy moves and then you get to free agency and the first thing that happens is nothing. And then the second thing that happens is, oh, we they might trade Malik Monk uh for Dennis Shruder. And the backlash to that was nuts. absolutely crazy by the fan base and then by then by Tuesday morning it’s like hey that’s off the that’s off the table everyone calm down that’s off the table we’re okay we’re okay and it’s like now you’re left with you know $34 million in point guard that I don’t think anyone in Sacramento is sold on and that’s a little bit different too
maybe added to it too
well but and then I asked Kyle this question the other day whose fault is that is Scott Perry, Doug Christie, all these guys did not come in and say, “We about to revamp everything. We about to change everything this offseason. Watch what we do.” They didn’t say that. So,
no, I mean, there are people to blame, Kenny. There are plenty of people to blame. They just either they don’t work here or they’re they get off the hook because you can’t do anything about them being here.
No, but even then, like, what can you do about the underwhelming start of of of free agency? Nobody promised you like it was going to be this explosion. Nobody said that. Me and Damian have said, I think you mentioned it as well too, James, on the insiders. Hey, like we said this, man a month ago, like how do they change this whole thing? Like don’t be surprised if it looks a little bit more like last year than you guys are anticipating. And that that was just kind of reading the tea leaves like how do you move D Rozan? How do you move Lavine? Can’t move Sabonis. What’s going on with Monk? Keon and Devin. I don’t know what the market is for them now. Like who? You’re not moving Ke Keegan. Where was this grand change supposed to happen? Free agent market is kind of bare. So
across the league.
Across the league.
Yeah.
So yeah, there’s no money. I mean I you I don’t know if you guys caught the Brian Winhorse thing that he said.
He said this this is the single worst restricted free agent climate in the history that he’s ever seen. So like Jonathan Kaminga wants like 30 million a year. There’s no money for him. There are teams that would be like okay we’ll take a flyer but he’s a base year compensation player. So that like really really constricts what you’re doing with him and makes it very very difficult uh to actually make a trade with him. The Kings couldn’t even do a Kaminga deal as it sits right now with, you know, trading Monk for for Kaminga and, you know, him making like 26 to 28 million bucks and you give away Monk. They don’t have any money to do that deal. They would be in the first apron to do that deal. So, that’s where you’re sitting here like like how do you get better? And I I don’t know the answer to how you get better. Um, but I do know that like sometimes you have to be aggressive and you have to be aggressive with your draft picks. You got to be aggressive with all kinds of stuff and but yet at the end of the day, you also have to make a realization whether whether the ownership wants it or not, this team probably has to be blown up before it can move forward. And that’s where we’re at today because if I’m Scott Perry, I’m really ler to give up any of my picks at this point. You give up your picks and you’re a bad team, then you’re a boob. You’re the guy who gave away your picks when you were a bad team. and and that’s just a tough spot to be in. So like I don’t know like again the answer here is to buy a time machine and go back six months and not make the franchise crippling move that you did. Um but even that I don’t know how that would work out in the end either. Yeah, I think that’s a little
I don’t want to talk about him anymore. I hear you. Like I hear you. Let me ask you something, Hammer. There was something I was I was thinking about this morning. What do you think Dom’s trade value is in comparison to De’ar Fox? Is it? Now, obviously, we don’t know what Dear’s trade value would have been. I have a theory, but more or less the same. What do you think Domas’s trade value would be today? Well, I mean, as of like where we’re at today after the draft, after the start of free agency, like it’s tough to move a $45 million contract right now.
Yeah. And that’s just a tough thing. And and even if you did, you’re banking on speculative pieces way down the road. Like you’re talking about next year’s draft pick or the year after or the year after that. and you know, maybe you get three draft picks for him, three first round picks, but they’re going to be spread out over a certain amount of years. So, anything you’re doing right now would, you know, be like it would be extremely difficult. Um, I would have liked to have seen what Dear Fox’s trade value was this summer. And more than that, like not to bellay belabor the same point, but I would have really liked to seen if you could have just got cooler heads to prevail and played out the rest of the season and then adjust accordingly this off season. And if you’ve got to trade Fox, you got to trade Fox. If you’ve got to trade other players, at least you’re not dealing from a position where you don’t have a starting point guard and you have to attack that position like first and foremost because any good team in the league has a has a starting point guard. My theory is it would have been ass.
You don’t think he would have been worth anything?
No. Dear I don’t think the market would have been what people think it is. Like would it have been better than a Zack Lavine trade? Would would it have been better than just an exclusive conversation with San Antonio? Sure, maybe. Would it have been four to five first round picks? I don’t think it would have been for for reasons. He’s a $40 million player, too. And I think there are a lot of executives around the league that see what we have often been frustrated with is, yo, it’s cool you won the clutch player of the year. Why does it look like you took the first three quarters off? Why does it feel like you ease into like 85% of the games? And I I don’t think I’m the I’m I know I’m a hater. I get that. That’s my label. But I don’t think I’m the only one who saw that. In fact, I got it on good authority. I’m not the only one that saw that. So again, I don’t know what his market would have been. I just have a theory. It sure as hell wouldn’t be what a lot of Kings fans think it would have been.
I agree. No, I I mean that’s possible.
You would need you would have needed an Orlando.
You would have needed someone to go, you know what? We need to win a championship, De’Aran Fox. That’s what you would have needed because that would have netted you a massive return.
Fox in one year. Yeah. Right.
B on like a four-year contract,
right?
Like we gonna take what we it
again that eliminates draft picks. That eliminates almost all of your draft picks right We talk we talk about it a lot and I think it’s it is the perfect comparison. You would need somebody to look at Fox the way Toronto looked at Kawhi Leonard,
right?
And I don’t know if that team exists.
I don’t know about that. No, because like look, you’re allowed to sit there like when you have a deal pop up for a player, when you’re in the middle of a transaction, you can actually go to the other team. the team can negotiate with the player and you can figure out whether or not you know whether or not they’ll sign he’d sign an extension there or not. So there is a point where yeah some teams he would say no to but then other teams again if San Antonio was off the table. If San Antonio pulled themselves off the table it would have been a different look. And so that’s where you’re like like so we can’t say it’s just you’re not going to get any of the picks and stuff because it’s a one-year rental. Um, no. I agree there. There’s a good chance San Antonio wouldn’t wanted him. I agree
after landing the two. I mean, help I don’t know this off the top of my He’s extension eligible. Yeah.
Yeah. Now, I get the idea of getting through free agency first before doing that deal. Just saying.
No, he hasn’t got it yet. No, I get I get it. I get it. But again, this summer,
but I’m a hater. you would have had plenty of opportunity to make your case that he could stay with you and make more money than anywhere else. And then you wouldn’t be scrambling for a point guard.
You would be working from a point of just a better a better situation. And that’s where I I would have just waited. And again, how many shooting guards are on this roster right now? And how much money does this team have tied up in shooting guards at this point? So, it’s not easy. A lot. And a lot.
Yeah.
A lot.
Many. Many. Man many many.
Speaking of contract extensions, do you think the Sacramento Kings and Keegan agree to one before the season starts? Um, I hope so. Like I we look at the Jabari Smith Jr. contract, the what was it? 5-year 122. Um, that’s less than 25 million a year. Um I if Keegan got 125 over five years or he got 140 uh that puts him more like around like 28 million a year. Um yeah, I I think that you would have a conversation. Um I do think it’s you know it’s something of note that Keon Keegan and Dennis Shruder all have the same agent. Um, so at least you’re dealing with somebody that you’ve been on the phone with a whole lot lately and at least has a relation a working relationship with you and wants to get something done. Um, but I hate saying this, but if I’m Keegan Murray, I kind of want to know what exactly you’re going to put around me and what my future looks like. The money is one thing, but like being a successful basketball player and being put in a position to succeed is a different thing. And you know, like Keegan has a decision here too. Uh his value can continue to crater over the next like two years while he you know sit sits there and tells the Kings, “No, I don’t want to sign an extension if that were the case.” Um but uh you know, at the end of the day, he’s got to do what’s best for his career as well. and you start a season with the the starting lineup that’s currently in place, he’s a fifth option again. Like if you’re Keegan Murray, are you like, “Yeah, sign me up.” You know, I know Keegan doesn’t show emotion anyways, but you know, if they keep asking you, “Hey, are you excited about this?” And you’re like, “Yes, I’m very excited to be the fifth option and play all the defense for a team another for another season.” I I don’t I don’t know that that’s where I would be if I were Keegan. So, yeah, it’s kind of like a tough spot to be in, but um I think he’ll look at the money and say, I you know, I can’t not take the money.
Yeah, you have to like
you have to take the money.
You sign you sign your rookie extension.
You can [ __ ] and complain later. You sign your rookie extension and and and you you you start working your way to that third contract. that that shouldn’t even be a question uh from a Keegan Murray standpoint. The question from the Sacramento Kings standpoint, that’s different. From a Keegan Murray standpoint, I don’t think it should be uh a question. We’ll come back. We’ll talk more Kings basketball. More of what’s going on uh in free agency. More of what’s not going on in free agency. Uh it’s James Ham, our insider from the insiders with dealing with KC here on Sacramento Sports Leader ESPN 1320. Well, uh, pray for Mojo. That’s how it works. You sign that extension, Kings fans gonna be mad at you in two years. That is absolutely how it works. It never fails.
Never ever fails.
Shout out Buddy Heield, right? Remember when Kenny wanted to sign Buddy to the to the
liime deal after he was in year one of a three-year deal. No, he was
I said if he could play like this, this is how you can get a
He did it once.
Well, he could
He did it one time.
He He couldn’t play.
Casey was ready. I have in all my time, I have never met a player who was so disgruntled the day after signing a massive contract as Buddy Heield. Buddy He could not get over it at all. He was like so infuriated with the contract that he got that he just couldn’t get over it. And like it lasted for a year where he was like anytime you’d ask him anything be like, “Well, my contract sucks.” Like like, “Bro, you got a lot of money. You got a lot of money.” I didn’t get enough. I didn’t get enough. All right. All right, buddy.
Sorry. I was glad he didn’t get more money because to be honest, it would have meant I had to wait longer for him to put on more jewelry. No, shut up. Dooo. Dooo. I am hearing um from one of our friends that I I don’t think Fox can sign an extension until August 3rd.
No. All right. Well, I’ll tone down my hating then. Well, haters going to hate, hate, hate, hate.
Seeing Wave Dame Lillard on the screen is just [ __ ] bizarre.
Words you never thought you would
wave Dame Lillard, man. Wait, I’m confused. Michael, what do you mean? You think he’s higher than the fifth option? The first option is like right now it’s probably Demar De Rozan. Second option, Zack Lavine. Third option, Demon Sabonis. Fourth option is a guy with the ball in his hands, Jenna Shruder. The fifth option in the starting lineup is
not better than any of those guys. Like, so that’s where he should be.
Yeah.
Like he’s not better than any of those guys.
Actually, I’d make the argument he’s better than all but one of them uh at overall, just not as good a score.
No, we ain’t talking about his defense. We talking about offensive option. Like I think uh Draymond better than a lot of people on defense, but he not he the fifth option for a reason. He’s not better than those people on the offensive end.
Yeah.
So like Keegan, we got to stop treating Keegan with kid gloves, bro.
You know, Keegan Murray is to Kenny Carowway what De’arren Fox is to me. Like we talked we talked about this earlier.
No, you know what? You know what’s interesting about Keegan Murray and me is I thought he was perfectly fine this year. I thought the role he played, what he did, his production was perfectly fine. I don’t have the same expectations for Keegan that other people do. Like, oh, he should be averaging 18, 19. No, that’s I don’t see him as that player.
I see him as the player that he is right now. And I think that’s fine. I think that’s a good player. I think that’s somebody you give an extension that you have on your team. I don’t expect him to score 18 19 points a night. I don’t see him that way.
Even if he averaged 15 a night, I think we’d all have a different opinion of him. And to average 15 a night, he needs just a little bit more opportunity. And to be honest with you, he didn’t have opportunity last year.
They need to hit his open shots. He get 15 hit open shots. He getting wide open looks that he bricks. You traded Harrison Barnes, who averaged 8.9 shot attempts per game.
Hang on, Hammer. We’re coming back.
All right. A fiery debate. Starting Keegan Murray. Speculation from the chat is KC is a Keegan Murray hater.
Oh no.
Yeah,
got it all. Yeah,
I’m on here with the
the Dennis Shruder hater and the the Keegan Murray hater and then I’m the Javale McGee and Deamar De Rozan hater.
Oh, your Wait a second, Hammer. Your list of your list of players you hate is wrong. Yeah,
McGee is definitely No player’s name ever discussed James Ham the way Jelle McGee. Every time Jabelle would do something wrong, I was like, “Oh, Hammer gonna go crazy tomorrow.” Hammer. Hammer.
Luckily, it was every game, so I didn’t have to worry about being consistent. Like, he just let it be. Every game you’re like, “Huh, I can’t believe I just saw that.”
God forbid I’m actually in the arena when Jabelle does something wrong because I normally stand in the same spot. James is on the clear opposite end. Javevel does something. I’m just looking looking over to see James’s reaction.
Sean looks at me every time like, “What do you got? What do you got? I know it’s coming. Where is it?” Like,
“Oh, man.”
Yeah.
No. So, no. What What happened during the break was Keegan Murray was brought up and I I explained my thoughts on Keegan Murray. As much as people think that I’m tough on Keegan or I hate Keegan or anything, Keegan Murray did for me personally did perfectly fine last year. I don’t know off the top of my head, but he ended up working to get to like 13 points per game. Shot relatively decent percentages. I thought Keegan was fine last year. I didn’t think he was a problem or anything else like that. I thought everything was fine. where we don’t see eye to eye when I’m talking about myself and James or other Kings fans is their expectations of Keegan are not mine.
They think Keegan can go given the opportunity can go to 18 19 points per game. I don’t see that from him.
I don’t think he’s that type of player. Where he’s at right now is cool. It’s good. It’s something that you need on the squad. But James, you can tell me if I’m wrong, but like you feel like he’s being hindered. I don’t think he’s being hindered. I think this is about who he is. Maybe one or two more points per game, but I don’t see it as if you let him cook and let him be a second option, he gets you that 20 a night. Like that’s not how I view him. Yeah. Like I don’t know what Keon Keegan is going to be as a player. I don’t at this point. But I honestly believe that a big reason why Keegan is where he is today as a player averaging 12 points a game, 12.4 four points per game is about opportunity and like you know again this isn’t every time we get into this discussion it becomes that I hate Demar De Rozan and that’s not the case at all but when when you replace a guy who averages 8.9 shot attempts per game and like 2.4 free throw attempts per game and Harrison Barnes with a guy that averages 17 shot attempts per game and 5.6 free throw attempts per game. Those shots right there came from somewhere. Those eight shots per game. Those are eight opportunities. And then another what, three possessions, maybe four possessions where Demar De Rozan went to the free throw line more than what Harrison Barnes was doing. So those are just possessions. Like if you’re going to give a guy 10 more possessions than the guy he replaced in the starting lineup, then where do those 10 possessions, those 10 shot attempts, those 10 free throws combined, all that stuff, where do they come from? And we got the answer. They come from Keegan Murray. And okay, that it made life tough. You know, I would have liked to have seen the Kings invest in the fourth pick in the draft and let him ascend at naturally as players typically do that are drafted that high. And I think he’s shown an ability to get better defensively. I think he’s shown an ability to improve as a player and improve his body. What we haven’t seen is a production on the court increase. And I think as much as it is Keegan’s fault for not taking one or two extra shots a game, it’s also on his teammates for not trying to bring him along knowing that he is the future of the franchise, one of the future pieces of the franchise that you hope to build around.
Is there any is there any um thought that maybe I mean he is the team’s primary defender often. Is there any thought that maybe what Mike wanted him to do at the start of last season and really perhaps over the last two years in terms of being the team’s best defender being their primary, you know, guarding the primary scorer on the other team? Like it could have that have factored into some of the offensive ws he suffered last year?
Oh, no. Fully. It fully should have it. It does, but it’s also part of the same exact problem. Instead of going out and getting a 3 and D wing, you went out and got a 35-year-old who doesn’t play defense and who shoots 17 times a game. So again, if you want to improve your defensive side of the ball, you don’t just ask Keegan Murray to do more, you bring in defensive-minded players. That’s what you do. And so like it’s an unbalancing of the roster, an unbalancing of shot distribution, and and realistically an unbalancing of defensive assignments that created a climate where a player a young player wasn’t able to fully reach his potential. And Keon Keegan may never reach his potential like and and if he does, it might have to be like a Cam Johnson where he leaves the team that he’s on. he goes to a team where he’s asked to do more and he takes off. And then again, he might always be a player who caps out at 15 points per game. But typically when a player goes from 12 points to 15 points between their first and second season and goes from being like an average defender to near elite defender in year one to year two, they have more to improve and more to give and more to expansion that they can do on their game because they’ve already shown that they’re putting in the work and that they understand how to get better. That’s like to have a player take a step back like Keegan did. Like you can blame him some of it for, you know, his personality and for him being not as vocal and stuff like that, but you also have to look at the circumstance he’s in. And the circumstance that he is was in was a team that was highly successful and then wasn’t successful at all.
And and he’s running around trying to defend three people every game. So, it’s tough. I like Eaggan Murray. I think he had a pretty good season last year. I think he had a pretty good season. I don’t I don’t I could be wrong. I don’t see what others see. Like he’s got this whole another level to reach. There’s reason why. Like I I just don’t see it. Well, and he’s held back.
Like another Well, the held back thing I I have trouble with. But another level like I I do think he could be a little bit better than he is. I don’t know if I’d constitute it as another level. I can absolutely see Keegan as a 17 point per game scorer. I can’t I I don’t you know 20 upwards of 20. I don’t know about that. But could I see him at like 16 and a half and 17 and like living there for year? Yeah, I could absolutely see that. I just I don’t I don’t know why he Maybe it’s what James has said. Maybe it is the acquisition of Demar De Rozan. Maybe it’s the the loss of De’ar Fox. Maybe it’s the acquisition of Zack Lavine. But here’s the tough part, Hammer. Like the the Kings got, you know, extension situations to deal with. And yo, like Deamar’s still here.
Yeah,
Zach is still here.
Um, you know, I don’t I don’t know whether Keegan likes this particular roster. I mean, you you’ve got a change in the head coach. Like, there are a lot of things that are similar to last year. So, sink or swim, dog. Like, you got to find a way to figure this out. Like, if if all of those issues Hammer just laid out are in fact the issues, you’ve got to figure it out. And if you’re going to be what you were, you’re going to have to be a more consistent version
of what you were. Don’t give me a week of scoring 19 and 20, you know, three, four times, you know, a week and then the next week it’s seven.
Like, don’t do the KC. That’s why we have averages thing. Like no, just do that. Like on Demar is you for all of his shortcomings, for all of the reasons that he might not fit with the Sacramento King, he is as consistent as it gets from year to year in his career from game to game within a season.
If Keegan gives me that 134 at that, I think the Sacramento Kings will be in great shape. He just doesn’t.
Yeah.
Or hasn’t. Yeah. And I I’d also say like how many times do we see him like go crazy in the first half and get one shot the second half?
Like either the offense
Well, that’s a question. Either his teammates don’t respect him, uh the other team overly respects him and shifts all their weight onto him, the coaching staff doesn’t put him in a position to succeed, or he just doesn’t he’s not aggressive enough. But I don’t think it’s one of those things. It’s all of them. And that’s where the Kings have to work harder to get him more opportunities because again, he’s a the only like frontline starter that you have that’s under the age of 25 or 26. Like they don’t have another frontline starter that’s young. You should be putting a lot of eggs into this basket. Like you talked about earlier, like we were discussing on the the what if you trade for Kaminga? What if the Kings trade for the K for Kaminga right now? But it’s Malik Monk for Kaminga. Like, who’s your starter? Who are your starting forwards? I I I don’t know. Like,
that’s exactly what I keep getting. I keep getting chirp chirp.
Well, you it like like who’s involved in the trade, right? Like who That’s a big part of
Well, let’s say it’s Monk. Let’s say it’s Monk.
Who’s better right now? Keegan Murray or Jonathan Kaminga?
Keegan.
Who’s better player in my book? Probably Keegan Murray. Yeah,
I didn’t question Keegan. That’s not what I said.
No, that’s I said it’s probably
I said that. I said that. Yeah.
I don’t even know what Jonathan Kaminga fully is as a player, but I’m tantalized by it.
Well, of course you are. But but your the idea would be to starty old,
right? It would be to start a 22-y old and a 25y old. And then you know the next question is who gets to tell Dear. Yeah.
Yeah. I mean like look if that’s the player that they’re hunting and they’re sitting here we keep hearing it. Do you think that’s real? Like is that like is that like obviously it’s real. I I don’t want to question the people who are reporting this.
Is that an intense search by Sacramento or an intense not search an intense uh discussion with Sacramento? It would just take so much. It would be so complicated because of the base year compensation and the fact that the kings don’t have any uh like room between the luxury tax and where they currently sit. That’s why again like if you would have traded monk for um for shruder uh you would have been like roughly like 23 million under the luxury tax. So, if you did make a trade, let’s say you traded uh like Jonas Valenunis and Derek, I mean Devin Carter and a first round pick or something for uh for Kaminga. You could have fit Kaminga without going into the luxury tax or into the apron and all that stuff. It’s complicated.
That’s that’s the frustrating thing with the Valenunis is I thought if and and that’s why I just can’t get over like I don’t think the warrior that the Warriors are interested in Sacramento is because if they did I thought they need a center Valenunis makes a tender unless they’re trying to make a play for Demard Rosen and add 45 more Demar De Rozan uh Damonte Sabonis and add 45 more million to their deal. I don’t imagine Domas and Draymond going really well, but like Valenunis made a lot of sense to me. And so when the Valenunis thing happened, it was like, well, all right, so they’re out on Kaminga. And I guess this is somehow tied to sign dead and Shruder. So the Detroit thing must be off. So this is it.
Yeah.
And Drew Eubanks sounds like a game show host. I think it was Bob Eubanks. But yeah,
is that who it was? Bob Eubanks. It was the newlywed game.
Is that what it was?
I used to love that show.
Well, that’s why Drew Eubanks sounds like a game show host because Bob Eubanks was.
Yeah.
Who hosted Oh, it was Chuck Woolery.
Trying to figure out who hosted Love Connection.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, Chuck Woolery. Have you watched Love Island?
No, I can’t. I can’t do it.
Why?
I can’t do it.
James, come on. Sit down with Mrs. Ham and some popcorn and watch an episode of Love Island. Oh my goodness. I don’t know if I can do it. Little wild. It’s wild, right?
There’s often like there are moments where I’m like, “What am I doing?”
Yes.
What am I doing? Then I realize, “Oh, I’m just sitting here watching Love Island with the rest.” Watch some TV. Just watch
with the rest of America. Just watching Love Island. Just watching entertainment. That’s all it is.
That’s right. That’s right. Anyway, like look, I I we’re not done here, I don’t think. Um, you know, but but look, the Kings definitely have work to do.
Uh, unless they don’t and they just think they’re going to go into this season and and win however many games they win and it is what it is and they get one year closer to some of these contracts being off the books. And maybe that’s what this is about.
So, let me ask both of you guys this question. Would you guys, and I asked the the people too, would you guys want Scott Perry in this front office to do something just to do it? Because I only asked that because there doesn’t seem like there’s a lot that can be done right now. The league is the league. Everybody’s scared to death like we’ve talked about. Like would it just make you feel better for like a kaming getting kaminga is almost like ah let’s just do something to show our aggressiveness like it doesn’t
I I don’t think anyone I don’t
it doesn’t really work right
I don’t think front offices pay well with the except of one exception of one very notable one I don’t think front offices pay a lick of attention to what a fan base think
No I’m I I agree with you but I’m just saying like if they were to do that just if they had the same mindset, well, we can’t just we can’t just be here and not do anything. Let’s do something like would that be beneficial?
No. No. And I No. To to answer your question, no.
But I also don’t think they think that like they don’t.
Look, we can’t move. Like you you if if they do,
we got the wrong front office. Like same. It’s the same thing we said about money and Wes. We’re not asking you to do something just to do something. We’re asking you to do something because your team’s not good enough.
No, sometimes we were asking them to do something.
Well, no, but like it’s because they’re
alive. It’s like you you have problems. You your team’s not good enough. You don’t have X, Y, and Z. Like, go get those pieces.
The point is there’s not What is there to do? The best damn point guard free agent was uh Dennis Schroeder. What is there to do?
I don’t know. But money and west can be brought up on charges for what they did after beam team one.
That’s facts. If somebody can tell me like, nah, this is the free agent move to make. I’m listening. But like Sar going to improve the team, holding on to Valenunis is going to improve the team. I don’t know.
I don’t think there a lot of moves to be made. That’s kind of my right now. Are the Sacramento Kings better right now today than the day that they got blown out at home by the Dallas Mavericks?
Yes. The Hammer has a shocked look on his face.
I I They’re a better team. How much better? I don’t know. They could be one.
Maybe. Maybe they got a point guard.
Okay. Yeah, but here here’s going to be the point that I’m gonna keep going back to. It’s not that they lack talent, it’s that they’re they don’t fit and they still don’t fit. So, like, can they can they win one or two more games? Sure. They could also lose five more games. Like, that’s where you’re at. Like, you added another player who, you know, might fit, but but do you still have players that don’t fit together on this roster? And so, that’s where you’re going to come back to. You know, I I saw someone a few minutes ago, oh, you got to get Sabonis to defend the rim. No, you have you have to get a rim protector. Like Deon Sabonis, yeah, Demon Sabonis can’t go get longer arms in the off season. Like, you know, there there are certain things that you can ask a player to do and there are certain things you can’t. You can’t go out and find a guy who shoots 27% uh from three at the college level and shoots 55% from the free throw line and try to turn him into a 3 and D guy. That’s like a fool’s errand. So like you there are certain things that players can do and they can’t do to get better and like you can only maximize somebody’s like what their skill set is to a certain degree. Hell, they might be better prepared with the full coaching staff.
That’s true. Johnny Cox was here. He’d say if it doesn’t fit, you must am you must acquit.
I think you must amnesty. I wish the amnesty clause still existed. tell you every five years, man. I need to bring it back.
Bring it back.
Yes.
If it doesn’t fit, you must amnesty. And then we would really get to see if a VC run a DV is
Oh, here’s here’s here’s the real question, James. If you could amnesty someone on this roster, who would it be?
Oh, that ain’t no question for James. We know what it is.
For sure. Yeah, for sure it be Zack Le. I’d have a tough conversation with myself about amnesty.
That’s who it would be.
Who Who would it be?
It would be Demar.
That’s who That’s That’s what I thought.
You am Amnesty Dear.
He hates Demar D. Roz exhibit A as to hating Demar. He makes like the fourth less uh amount signs his money.
Fourth contract wide. Why would you That’s like amnesty and Jerome James or Jerome Williams.
Poor Jerome Williams. ain’t bothering nobody. We brought his name up twice in the last few.
Jerome Williams.
He was the first player ever amnesty. It was Jerome Williams.
Oh, really? Junkyard Dog. Yeah. Yeah.
I I uh I met him in Toronto waiting outside with fans uh for the finals up there. Like, hey,
you seem like a great guy.
When did you tell Jacqu M you’re not going to take that from him?
That was a long time ago. Yeah. He was coaching Utah. We can probably go back.
We can probably go back. Oh, no. No. He was coaching Orlando.
Oh, okay.
Yeah. And he smarted off. Yeah. I I think I had uh like a a light I don’t know. It was like a fuchsia tie. He’s like, “Oh, I I didn’t know like media wears uh we’re allowed to wear purple ties to support their team.” And I just said, “Yeah, no. I did it because you played for the Utah Jazz forever.” And like like whatever. shot gone. Yeah, I popped right back off long time ago.
Casey wants the amnesty doas so bad.
No, it would be I would I would I would have to sit down and think about Domas or Zack. Yeah, but Zack I mean like look, Zach is still going to go out there and like you can get frustrated with him and he’s not a great defensive player and stuff like that, but he’s still like a year from now you might be able to move him. And I guess you could say the same about Demar too right now. But if you were trying to improve today, like I would have a tough time just because I I think you could move off of that contract and and actually open up some space to go get something get a player that might help you. Like if if you could move one of those contracts, you’d have enough to to like use $16.8 million of a of a Kevin Hurder trade exception and throw in a first round pick and get a really good player from from somebody. When does that exception expire?
February.
It’s a year.
Although Although I wouldn’t be shocked if the Kings use it in the Dennis Rutder trade.
Like if they actually
Well, no, it’s not a trade yet, but if they use that in a sign-in trade, then it would reset the date on on the actual value of the the trade exception. It would drop down a little bit. I actually think there’s a possibility they could have created another trade exception in the Jonas Valentuna’s trade as well because I I think Denver the only thing they had was a mid-level exception and the Kings had uh the Chris Dwarte exception that that Sar would fit into and I think they traded basically a player for a player in exceptions and that’s how they accomplished that. And so when you do that, you send out a $10.4 million player and you don’t take anything back, it creates a trade exception. And so there’s a possibility they could actually create another trade exception there. They last for a year from their date.
Literally just give me a headache. Hey.
Yeah, it’s complicated. Before we go, I got a text message um for you to
to chill out on Fox. came from.
Someone is texting you, Mrs. F. Mama Fox. No. No, man. Don’t do that.
She said, “Say it on air.” She had a LOL. She had LOL.
Don’t do that. Don’t do that. Don’t.
She had a LOL with it.
Shout out Mama Fox for always being there. We love you eternally. I’m gonna tell Here’s a shoot. You want to shoot? Mama Fox, you’re my favorite. You are my favorite by far. Love you to no end. Oh man, good luck. Good luck in San Antonio with the contract. Um, all right. Well, day three just quietly comes to an end. Well, I I mean an end for us.
Chams is on fraud watch. Oh, come on. James said Sunday, though. James said might be some work on Sunday. Yeah. So the new league year starts Sunday or it starts Monday?
No, the uh the new league year started July 1st, but the moratorum lifts on on June uh July 6th.
Oh, my mistake. So and then that’s when every like everything we’ve read about deals are officially signed final. Okay.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And that’s why like you don’t have the team like giving a thumbs up that they actually acquired this player for that this like signed this player for this amount of money because the trade’s not done. the the the signing is not done until it’s done until it’s official on on the 6th. So
scam Shirania, man.
Did you see everybody earlier fell for the the fake Micah Breen retirement from
Yeah, I saw some I didn’t I didn’t see it. I saw people fell for it.
Ramona and uh and Mark Spears, they all fell for it.
Oh, come on.
Well, we have to go. Jesse’s making us end our show to Insiders begins tomorrow at 10 a.m. here on Sacramento Sports Leader ESPN 1320. I’m a gant. That didn’t sound too good.
It’s not good. Nothing’s good. All right.
Mark Spears and Ramona Shelurn got on that tweet.
That’s tough. And then she had to correct Mark Spears right afterwards after she got got. It’s not great. Oh boy. Uh, good luck, Will. Two eye patches, baby. Let’s go, Will. Let’s get you two eye patches, buddy.
Chill with the Bamos Dodgers. Stop.
Shout out Otani. Hit his 30th home run the other day. That kid up in Seattle is raking.
Wow. Raleigh.
Yeah,
I’m going to I’m going to a Mariners game, believe it or not.
Oh, big Mariners fan.
I am big big Mariners Pirates guy, I guess. Oh,
want to see him on Friday.
That is a super non-disrict game.
Say Paul SK pitched yesterday, too.
Oh, wait. What? What’ you say? What day?
He pushed on a double header. He puts the first the first game of a double header.
Tomorrow. What’s tomorrow? No, no, not tomorrow.
He might get Friday. No, it’s probably Saturday, huh?
Yeah, probably Saturday.
Probably Saturday. All right, man. We got to go. We love y’all. Appreciate y’all as always.
Thank you for watching. Please subscribe and hit the thumbs up.
0:00 Stream starts
3:30 The Insiders
21:00 break
25:00 Where do the Kings go now with Malik Monk?
43:55 break
51:00 Salary cap note in the NBA
1:00:00 break
1:04:00 Who on the Kings could struggle with this current roster makeup?
1:20:00 break
1:25:00 Keegan Murray’s place on this team
1:34:00 free agent options for the Kings
1:43:00 break
1:47:00 The Handoff with D-Lo
1:58:30 The Insiders ends
2:03:30 D-Lo & KC
2:16:55 break
2:22:00 WNBA Expansion
2:46:55 break
2:51:30 Malik Monk’s trade value
3:16:55 break
3:21:30 Love Island taking over the world
3:28:00 calls from listeners on Kings
3:46:55 break
3:52:00 Kings signed Maxime Raynaud
4:07:30 This is an old basketball team
4:16:55 break
4:21:00 looking around the NBA
4:46:55 break
5:03:00 James Ham
5:29:40 break
5:34:00 More Ham
5:58:30 See you guys tomorrow
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