Kings land point guard Dennis Schröder, front court depth early in free agency

Kings land point guard Dennis Schröder, front court depth early in free agency

Welcome into the Kingspeed podcast. I am James Hammy, Kings Insider for ESPN 1320 and the Kings Beat. Joining me today, Sean Cunningham from KC3. Uh we’re hoping that Brendan Nunees joins us at some point.
Some of us are Oh, some of us are. At least one of us is hoping that Brennan uh joins us at some point. Um he’s uh he’s been at work. He’s trying to uh scramble and get to a uh a spot where he can do a pod. Um he ended up with uh free tickets to see Post Malone in San Francisco last night this No, last night he was already there. Yeah. And uh didn’t seem to lob a text or a phone call to his concert pal Sean and uh
that’s okay. That’s fine. All right.
I I’ll remember it.
No big deal. Yep. No big deal.
Uh no big deal. Sean Shawn never forgets. I did see the seats by the way though and it’s like not to say that I’m like a concert snob although I kind of am a little bit but
um I would expect free giveaways and again I don’t know how they how we ended up with the tickets but I’m assuming they were some sort of prize. I don’t know. I I who who knows? I haven’t asked him but I thought they’d be a little bit closer than that. I got some tickets uh I think to Pearl Jam uh from work and they were literally last row second deck and I’m like yeah I’m not doing that.
That’s not Do you ever did you ever win like a prize from a radio station when you were a kid like be the ninth caller or whatever and
do any of that when you were younger? Well, I guess you couldn’t. You had to be 18 or older. years ago, I won something from actually it was from Whitey Gleason and Mark Kriedler um on the Rise guys on ESPN 1320 years ago. Um I won a Joe Montana autographed lithograph and a frame which is just gorgeous. Like it’s huge. Um I ended up giving it away a long time ago but uh yeah that gorgeous. Well, no, no, I didn’t have a spot for it and I it was before we bought this house and I just didn’t have a spot for it and um I gave it to my one of my bosses. Uh
now I’m kind of regretting that because it would look spectacular in my bar now.
Maybe I’ll call him. Hey, do you
Hey, can I have that back? Yeah.
Yeah, give it back.
I’m sure he’d be okay with that. You can put on one of your main boats. Like, I’m sure you could just nail it to the wall. I can’t I don’t have a wall on one of my boats, Sean. Dumb ass.
Dumb ass. We are not doing a live show today. Uh it’s just because we got too many things going on. Uh radio at uh from 10:00 to noon. Uh radio from 3:00 to 4. Uh like just too many things going on for me. Sean, you got a day off here. Um but let’s kind of recap the last couple of days. What’s happened in Sacramento Kings land? Um we of course went through the draft. Everyone knows uh that the Kings were able to to land Nick Clifford and Maxine Rainol. Uh they also signed Dylan Cardwell. Uh and what do we say? Is Eac Nois. Uh that was the other uh addition. Um I’m sure there’s going to be plenty more here in the coming days as we get closer to summer league and we start to see some of this play out. I do know on Thursday morning the Kings are having a um introductory press conference for uh the two main rookies. Um and and we’re also hearing already Maxim Rol uh already signed a three-year contract. The first two years are are um completely uh guaranteed which is slightly different. Uh and that of that is of course from our friend Michael Scoto uh put that out today that that deal is done. I’m sure Nick Clifford’s contract is just around the corner as well. Uh that’s just kind of like regular business here. Um and then on top of that, we had uh the let’s see, we have the Jonas Valentunis trade that happened uh that he went to Denver in exchange for Daario Sarich. Uh, and then the Kings went out and signed Drew Eubanks uh to I think it’s a one-year deal. And then they also at this point they’ve inked uh Dennis Shruder to a three-year 45 million million deal. I think we’re still waiting to hear uh how much of the
will inc because everything Yeah, you can’t say
officially everything happens on uh the 6th. So, we can’t actually have a press conference or formally announce that these guys have been signed until the 6th. Uh, which is what, Sunday? Um, yeah. Uh, Sean, let’s start with the the Shruder news. U, number one, do you have anything other than the final year is is, uh, not fully guaranteed. Uh, yeah, I don’t know what the figure is. I’m told it’s minimal. Um, uh, I’m also I believe and and look, there’s still several days before they can put pen to paper. So, this this signing could with Dennis Shruder could change a little bit, but to my understanding, it’s going to be very front-loaded. Um, and look, I mean, like, say what you will about Dennis Shruder, full mid-level, all that stuff. Like, um, we kind of set the table for this. like if you couldn’t ultimately get that type of quality point guard that that you need, you need to get a very reliable stop gap. And I I would make the argument that you got that you have a professional point guard who’s very competitive and I think Scott Perry wants somebody who is going to be defensive oriented at that position. Um, so whether or not you think he’s a starter or a backup, I would just say if he’s if he’s your backup, you’re a really you’re probably a really good team because that means you have someone playing in front of him that’s that’s pretty solid. If he’s your starter, you know, what does that look like? I think he played awful with with the Warriors. I think he was really good with the Pistons, and I think he was hot and cold when he was with the Nets. So, he’s been wellraveled. That’s that’s Kings will be his 10th team in his 13 NBA seasons. But at 31 years old, um he’s still a very very competitive type of player. He can get a little streaky. Um but I think average NBA fans know who he is. And I think when you’re surrounded by what looks to be this team, look, they’re nowhere near done and a lot can change between now and training camp, but let’s just say everything stays as is and you add another, you know, whatever piece here and there, but for the most part, your your squad is basically back. you know, your one through six now is kind of set. Um, in that regard, to me, you kind of become a different version of well, and especially if they end up with Russell Westbrook. If if that happens as well, I think you end up with a team that kind of takes on the misfit Island of Misfit toys because you have a you have a a bunch of guys that kind of fly in the face of what a lot of teams are trying to put together and this one just kind of steers a little harder maybe into um NBA teams of old where you’ve got scorers around you, some mid-range um guys that get in the paint, kind of find different ways to to contribute and you just kind of steer hard into that as opposed to spreading everything around the three-point line and and and relying on that so much. So, that’s not to paint a picture of saying that the Kings want this type of roster balance. I think ultimately they don’t. But, I think with the way the market is right now for a lot of teams and and I I’m sticking up a little bit here for the previous regime and and Monty McNair, you know, there’s a reason why they were as patient as they were. Um, and I think you’re getting a little bit of a taste of that. you still have a lot of very tradable pieces. You still have a lot of movable pieces, but to be able to do so and get better, that’s the trick. And that’s why you hear so many people saying blow it up and start over. Um, and that’s just not something they’re willing to do. So, because they’re going down this path, uh, they have to try to find any means necessary to improve. And the West is getting better. Um, and uh, I don’t know that the Kings are making the type of moves that that fans and media are going to love uh, right away, but I do think that the table is still set for them to be able to do something significant. And even if it doesn’t happen in the summer to where they’re able to they have all their they have you just have to make the right move. And when you do it, um, that really is is the is the question. When and for who and and when do you go put all your eggs in um, in that basket? But here’s what’s kind of shaping out. And there are there are moves that I like, but I think also just from a competitive basketball standpoint, um, they’re rather similar to what you’ve seen now. You just have a maybe a true point guard. Okay. So, lot to take on there. I mean, I I think having a true point guard is one thing. Having a true starting level point guard is a whole another thing. Yep.
Um, and I don’t know that Dennis Shruder is really a starting level point guard. Um, you know, again, 10 teams in 13 seasons. I don’t know why that is. Uh, I’ve never met Dennis Rutder. I haven’t talked to Dennis Rutder. Um, but that’s a lot of teams in a short amount of time. And people will say, well, he played, this is his fourth team in a year. It’s like, okay, still six teams in 12 years is still a lot of teams. James, think of it this way, too. I mean, he played he was three three teams last year, two year the year before. The Kings represent his 10th team. So half of those actually Yeah. half of those are were from the last two years alone. Yeah. Yeah. So look um I don’t hate the signing. Um you know there were a lot of rumors uh the night before the deal actually became um I mean it’s not like guaranteed the deal hasn’t like actually been signed yet but uh there were rumors the night before that the Kings might be swapping Malik Monk uh in a signin trade for Dennis Shruder. that did not happen. Um I don’t that will not happen. It does not look like especially after they went out and signed Duncan Robinson uh to a sign and trade deal with Miami. Um so I’m guessing that that kind of has fizzled out. That doesn’t mean that the Shruder deal won’t be packaged into some other larger deal. Um because there are still a couple of days here before they’ve got to finalize everything and so you can still work through these things. Uh, but overall, I mean, like if this is your major free agent signing and realistically your major move uh during the off seasonason, I think Kings fans uh should be in for a long season. And,
you know, that’s not to say that they’re going to be the worst team in the NBA, but um certainly when you look at the Western Conference, um it it’s pretty bleak, especially with some of the teams around them getting much better. And you know, teams like Houston went out and got much better. teams like Denver went out and got much better and you know the Kings uh to be honest with you they they haven’t truly in my in my mind uh improved at this point especially uh you know when some of the core pieces didn’t fit well together already and you haven’t adjusted that. you haven’t made any sort of allowance for the fact that you had a team that went into that finished last season that just didn’t work well together that didn’t uh like function as a group together. So I I think it’s a tall task to think that you know without making substantive changes that all of a sudden a guy like Dennis Shruder or or Nick Clifford are going to walk in the door and change everything. That to me that just isn’t going to happen. Uh
the things I think you’re most uh excited about here so far even if you get Shruder it’s like okay you get your point guard he does check some boxes. I mean this is a like I said you’re if you’re trying to if you’re Scott Perry and you’re trying to put together a roster that’s going to have players that ideally are these two-way players that that are factors on both ends of the floor. It’s not a bad one to have. Now again I’m the guy and James you and I agree if you’re going to do anything of note you need to have a top level point guard. you need to have a top 15 point guard in the league. Um, he’s not. So, but that doesn’t mean I mean there’s still a lot of offseason left. There’s still a lot of uh you can go into the season and not have one of those. You can acquire one at the deadline. You can again this is not a complete it’s never a complete product. It’s it’s what steps are you making to get that? And I would argue that if you’re but in my mind, if you’re going to take the steps of not rebuilding, you have to do a swing for the fences move to land you one of those, however you define top point guards to do so. And with respect, I I think if you were to ask Scott Perry, is Dennis Shruder a top 15 point guard in the league? He’d tell you no. Um, but again, it’s it’s a table setter. I think everybody understands that. The the other thing, too, we can go back to Malik Mug thing for a minute. like yeah there was a lot of chatter and I think that’ll continue. I think, you know, I think it’s very possible Malik Monk is on a different team next year, but I um am beginning. I mean, I’ve never really thought that that would be the case. And part of that is because I still think I mean, much like you see with the market and and some of the things that people have said out there, like he’s kind of a he he’s kind of a bargain for what you do with the Kings as opposed to what he would do with other teams and the money that he makes. More to the point, like the Detroit thing never made sense to me. And I say that knowing that my Malik Beasley is involved in a uh gambling ring oper. Set that aside. Okay. Moving Dennis Moving off of Dennis Shruder. Obviously, you still have Jaylen Jaden Ivy’s coming off of an injury. You have Kade Cunningham as your point guard. Um you just signed Caris Levert. $29 million for Carris Levert who was a big- time big-time scorer. You don’t need Malik Monk at that money at 18 per the what I thought was going to happen and you know what I thought was going to happen if if if Dennis Rder and the Kings were going to ultimately become partners with Detroit. I thought it was going to involve the trade exception and I thought that’s how they would land uh Dennis Shruder.
Well, that’s why it’s not over yet. They can still do that. Yeah, they can still do a signin trade. So, the Kings have two major exceptions here. They have Kevin Herder $16.8 million trade exception and they have their mid-level exception of 14.1 million. They can still do a sign-in trade for the Kevin Herder uh trade exception. And the reason why you do that, it’s a little complicated, but the trade exception is very limited in scope. It can be used to trade for a player that makes less than that amount of money, right? A and it expires right around uh I I think it’s like the trade deadline like whenever Herurder was traded is a day that it expires, right? So again, we always describe these trade exceptions as like a coupon that you can use to go purchase another player and that only have a year and then they dissolve. They they go away. The mid-level exception is separate. Correct.
So the MLE is 14.1 million and it’s more versatile. So, it’s a little bit less than that trade exception, but it can be used to sign multiple players. Uh, it can be used to you can trade into that exception. Um, and uh, so you can use it as a trade ship or you can use it as a a deal to sign a player. Um, but again, it’s it’s just more like versatile and they can again break it up into multiple little pieces if they wanted to. Um but saying that I I don’t know what their plan is uh for either one of these or whether they will use either one of these in in the acquisition here. Um but what either neither of them can be aggregated u which means they can’t be added together. So you don’t have like $30.9 million worth of trade exception here uh worth of exceptions. You have like these smaller exceptions, right? And and I think we’re going to learn too that there’s a good chance that the Valentunis trade for um for Daario Sarich, they probably used the Chris Dwarte trade exception to do that. So they probably traded um
yeah, there’s 5 million.
Yeah. So the difference is too great. Uh so I think what they did is they traded Valenunis for what amounts to a mid-level exception. um and from from the Nuggets and then that will create its own trade exception there for the Kings. So they might have another $10 something million trade exception that they just got for in the Valentunis deal. But the other trade exception they had was a Chris Dwarte trade exception which I think is 5.8 million. Dario Sarich makes 5.4 million. And uh that trade exception ends I think on the 6th. It’s It literally the trade exception for Chriswart the 16 one or the
No, no, no. The Chris Wart $5.8 million.
Yeah. Yeah, I got Yeah, it I think it dissolves on on July 6th or July 7th. So, if you don’t use it, you lose it type deal.
Um, and so I think again, it’s a complicated possibility there, but I’m pretty sure that that’s they use some creative accounting to create another trade exception in that in that deal. Well, yeah. And then just just kind of circling up with Detroit, like it never made to me, Monk never made sense in that regard. And then they end up going after Duncan Robinson moving Simone Font Fontio over there to Miami. So like it it just didn’t make sense to me for I understand why the Kings because of their roster construction and ultimately hoping to get something of you know having to spend money to make money. Um, I understand the fascination with Malik Monk to move him and move off of him, especially when you’re sort of stuck quote unquote with somebody like Zack Lavine. Um, but it just didn’t make sense to me from a Detroit standpoint either.
Yeah. And just to um like there’s a bunch of the reason why it did make sense. I I’ll just explain really quickly. Um because the Kings have like these exceptions and stuff, right? As of right now, I had them coming into with Nick and with uh
No, no, no, no. Sorry, James. It didn’t make sense for Detroit. It makes perfect sense for Sacramento. Yeah. And this is this is why it makes sense for the Kings. I’ll I’ll just explain.
Yeah. No, that part make it definitely makes sense. Yeah. Go ahead. Yeah. So, Nate Clifford and Reo. Uh, and then you add in, I think I did I even included the Keon Ellis thing, which we’ll get to in just a few minutes. Um, the Keon Ellis deal at 2.3 million and Isaac Jones at like 1.8 million. It came out to likeund I think they’re at either 168 or 169 million and dedicated salary. The luxury tax is at 188 million, right? But the Kings also have a couple of um their the bonuses that they have out there for a couple of players including like a $2.5 million bonus for sub bonus. Those count against your luxury tax dollar and so they should be counted basically as part of your whole deal. Um, so it’s complicated, but if the Kings signed Sh uh, Shruder straight up at 14.1 million, the mid-level exception, which it sounds like they might have done, unless Sean said they’re frontloading, maybe they went up to 16.8 million, um, and used the Kevin Herder exception. But, uh, when they, if let’s just say it’s a 14 million, that puts him at 183 million bucks in dedicated salary for this season. You add in the the 2.5 million from Domos and that puts you at 185 million and the luxury tax is 188. So you only have three million to work with. So welcome to Sacramento, Drew Eubanks. You’re the last acquisition of the Sacramento Kings. Uh to you know and while staying under the luxury tax. Um so if you would have been able to swap Monk in that deal, it would have dropped the Kings all the way down to 163 million. save them some. You add in that that bonus money for a bonus puts you 165 166. Now you’re like 22 million under the luxury tax, right? And on top of being 22 million under the luxury tax, you still have your mid-level exception and you still have the Kevin Herder exception. So that’s why it would have made a ton of sense for the Kings to move Malik Monk in that move because then they had all kinds of room to do something else whether it’s trade for a Jonathan Kaminga or or some other trade that we haven’t heard murmurss of yet that might materialize. Does all that make sense, Sean? Yeah, but you and I think it also I mean you still have your I believe you have your bianual, you’ve got your veterans minimum, you have things of that nature as well that are available to you.
You do, but they still count against the luxury tax and
and if you’re an average fan, you’re hearing that and I already hear them saying it’s like don’t be afraid of luxury tax.
It’s one thing to say that when you’re a good team
as opposed to, you know, as opposed to where you currently are. So you have to
where you’re a bad team where you are right now. Let’s just
or I would just say toiling with mediocrity at the moment or maybe slightly above like maybe you’re above a 500 team now. Um but I think that’s at best at best like you’re that could be tough. I mean but this isn’t a finished product by any means so it’s unfair to try to you know make that type of uh judgment call.
Yeah, I think we’re going to have to wait and see what happens at the end of this whole thing how it all looks when when the dust settles. Um, but as of today, like I I don’t know that there’s a ton to be overly excited about. I I think we went from um some really good excite excitement with Nick Clifford and to be honest with you, I think the like Dennis Shruder by himself didn’t sound like that’s not the worst thing, but when the the rumor surf surfaced um on Monday night um from Jake Fischer that it was possible that Malik Monk was being shipped out for Dennis Shruder. I think it did put a pretty negative spin on the Shruder signing by itself. Um, and
but it didn’t happen.
No, it didn’t. It didn’t. But as far as like the reaction, the social media reaction, the reaction to the fan base and everything else was negative. Like 98% negative. And I know that’s a small sample and Sean doesn’t believe in social media.
No, but I’d also say it’s understandable because Malik Monk means so much to this fan base. I mean, Malik Monk,
we talk about all the time. He’s the heart and soul of this team.
Um, he’s he he if I think fans will be okay trading Malik Monk so long as you’re getting something of value back and that’s going to be a hard sell when you’re moving Malik Monk for Dennis Shruder simply because you need a point guard and just be like I know these are business decisions. I get it, but that would not have gone over well. And I don’t think that move makes you all that much better, you know, if you’re if you’re swapping one for the other. So the Yeah, fans had every right to be. But again, it’s like shouting to the sky. You’re you’re pissed off about something that didn’t happen. So until waste your energy on it.
No, I I get you. I get you. But I do think it added a negative spin. And then and also like coming out of it there’s been a lot of negativity kind of aimed at Malik and you know we’re starting to hear like reports that he has no trade value at all that no one really wants Malik Monk like like
Malik Monk is a very good player in the NBA and Sean I’ll ask you this. I’ve made my opinion known on this but who’s a better player?
Malik Monk hands down
over Dennis Shruder. Yeah, he’s he’s got much more of a Yeah, absolutely. Um,
now the other the other part of that too is
it’s a little Now I don’t think many people would agree with this, but I’m trying to draw a parallel here when Draymond Green was a free agent. Um, and you know, the Detroit Pistons were enamored with him and and kind of reported as the leaders to try to pay him a boatload of money to pull him from Golden State. If you’re getting Draymond Green to Detroit, a team that was very, very young and trying to rebuild, you’re gonna see a different Draymond Green than what you see at Golden State. Draymond Green only works because he’s surrounded by so much talent. And that’s why Malik Monk is in the perfect situation for Sacramento from last summer. Now, again, the NBA world landscape, it changes very, very quickly. But last summer, Sacramento represented the best situation for M for Malik Monk to play al to play in an uptempo offense, to be a reliable playmaker, but also a scoring guard, whether he’s coming off the bench or he’s starting. And it wasn’t until things got wonky to where all of a sudden you had to rely on a Malik Monk to do things that he’s not really designed to do. I much like Buddy Heield, Luke Walton trying to turn Buddy Heield into a playmaker because he didn’t have he didn’t have a second one is not advantageous for the Kings because Buddy Heield is not a playmaker. So
remember when uh George Carl did that with Marco Bellanelli?
There’s there’s always an example with every coach with every roster they have in trying to develop somebody to become ultimately a better player, but also because they need it. Like it’s just you can find one every single year. These are some of the more egregious ones um that don’t that that take somebody completely away from what they’re known for doing. You don’t go and you know get a guy a first baseman and go, “Hey, let’s try and turn you into second baseman simply because I have a good first baseman already.” Um I know that’s baseball. I know it’s a poor analogy, but the think the thought process is the same. I think even
I don’t know, Sean. I’m I’m watching the the Sacramento A’s play uh Max Muny at third base and he can’t play third base. And I’m watching Tyler Sodestrom in left field and they he can’t play left field and the ball just keeps landing in between the two of them and you keep looking at him and it’s like, hey, I don’t think that’s their position, but go ahead.
No. And you got a team, but at least in that circumstance, you do have a team full of rookies. I mean, there’s a whole bunch of first year players over there. So,
yeah, it Yeah, it’s a little But but I hear your point. And by the way, since we’re on baseball, Giants are just absolutely ass right now. What has happened?
It’s a competition between them and the A’s for who’s worse.
Oh, I mean, they were just in they were like in first place three weeks ago. It was crazy.
The A’s were well over they were over 500 and then lost 20 out of 21. It’s like,
right,
tough pill, tough pill to swallow.
I’ve had to cover a lot of them. Um anyway, just closing the book on Malik Monk. Like, I think fans will be okay with it so long as you’re getting a piece. And I think it was probably healthy for and again you don’t really listen to fans when you go out there and do some of these moves but um the fans do buy your tickets and he’s a guy that puts butts in the seats man. It’s just a tough one. I mean it’s I I like I said I don’t think they’re going to factor that too much in so long as they feel that they can get better. But the roster construction is what it is and you’re going to have to say probably goodbye to some people that you didn’t want to. Obviously Jonas Valenunis is out. Jake Laavia is out. They didn’t they couldn’t prioritize Jake Laravia uh and get that thing across the finish line quick enough because they had to get the Shruder possibility out of the way, free up the money and that’s why that happens right after Jonas Valenunis is moved to Denver. So these things h there’s a there’s a kind of a pecking order and Jake Laavia wasn’t prioritized in that way no matter even though they wanted him so much. And by the way, you know, just look at the tea leaves ping around with Austin Reeves the entire time. I mean, that thing was basically good to go, especially once Dorian Finny Smith uh opted out of his deal. Um, Loravia was a Laker.
Yeah. So, I think right now the King Kings fans, I mean, there’s a lot of tough pills to swallow. Like, again, Jonas Valentunis is a very good NBA player. He’s a very good I mean, he’s a starting level center that was a backup in Sacramento. Um, and I think we all saw how productive that could be. It didn’t really work as like the two the twin towers thing. Um, but it would have been a really nice luxury to have, but when you’re um like in the situation the Kings are in, having luxury items like a $10 million backup center doesn’t really work. And I’d say the same thing about having
you don’t have a point guard. Having an $18 million backup point guard uh might not be the best use of your of your funds. Um, which is why you might be shopping a guy like Malik Monk right now. Um, but uh like le let’s just get some quick thoughts on Dario Sarich uh who the the Kings acquired and you know maybe a little bit of Jury Eubanks. Um you know because uh like to be honest with you they’re they’re both like fringe NBA players at this point. like I I put them in the same boat as a Doug McDermott, a Jay Crowder, Markel Folultz from last year. I’m not putting them in my rotation unless I absolutely have to. Well, I think what it shows is there’s a having Maxim Renol on the team provides a pathway for him to actually be a be a piece be someone who might be able to play in the coming season. Um I’m not saying reliable rotational piece. I mean, there’s a lot that probably has to happen with his development, but certainly what he’s what he brings to the table um is is can be plugandplay for a lot of teams, especially if you’re not any good and you need to really bring somebody along quickly. I think what you’re looking at is two guys that could even become camp meet in S in Charich and and Eubanks. Uh maybe one makes the team, maybe the other one doesn’t. Um, we’ll see how things work with that. But, um, both, look, the Kings get off some money real easy by going with Charich because JV had another year on his deal. Charich doesn’t. Um, Eubanks is
not a big contract. I I I don’t know this either.
I don’t know this to be true. I don’t I would be surprised if that that one-year deal is fully guaranteed, but I don’t know it to be not true. Uh, I just kind of suspect it may not be true. These are kind of those these are really just bookkeeping moves. Now, look, with respect to both, there are some things that they do nicely. Charich is a is a very talented talented player and a journeyman. His biggest thing is health. He’s very rarely healthy. I would point out, as I did to James the other day through text message, like he was a he was a nice piece for the Warriors. He he played a role for the Warriors, having seen them a lot. Um he
he was but then he wasn’t like in all honesty he was and he fell apart like really quickly.
Yeah. I mean again health right like it comes down to health more times than not for him. They want to play in an up tempo style. Uh he stretches the floor for sure. I’m surprised he only played in 16 games with Denver last year. I thought he would have been more particularly in the playoffs. You heard especially when Denver ran into some of their troubles along the way in some of their series and matchups that Charich would have been an option. people were surprised he wouldn’t go to. My suspicion is he probably wasn’t healthy because it’s basically the theme of his career. So, um, so super super Dario in Sacramento. We’ll see what that looks like. Drew Hubanks on the other hand, like talking to people like brilliant screen setter, very good on the offensive glass. Um, that’s about it. So yeah, that’s
you know, you’re talking about a guy who if he’s your third center, that that could be really good. But much like Charich, he’s well traveled. And so you got Charich, you’ve got Eubanks, and you have Shruder who are guys who’ve all played with a lot of teams. Six, seven, eight. Yeah. Uh the Kings are ninth team.
Yep.
That’s in That’s incredible that between two players, you have 19 different teams they’ve played for. I don’t
when he’s right. And James, what’s crazy is like when he’s I’m not saying you ever think of him at the for the past four years, no one’s probably thought of him as a starting level caliber player,
but like when when he’s right and you see him play, you go, why the hell is this guy,
you know, why is so many people sleep on? And it’s all comes down to health with him. He’s just never truly been healthy. I mean, if you have the stats in front of you, James, I don’t like how many what are the games played for the year after year? What is he averaging in games played?
It’s not great. And it’s also it’s con it’s a little convoluted because he plays for multiple teams a lot of seasons. Uh 16 games last season, 64 the year before with goals.
That’s pretty durable. 64 pretty good.
57. Uh he split between Phoenix and OKC the year before that. Um he missed the entire 2122 season due to injury. And then it’s like 50 668. He had a 13 in there. Uh oh no no that’s he played not 68 and 13. He play played 81 between the the 76ers and T- Wolves. Excuse me.
Bless you. There’s also I mean look there there’s um I I one of the things I’ve always liked about him is his passing ability, but yes, being able to stretch the floor huge, but I mean you’re talking about a guy again just always got something going on. Yeah. And I mean like look, Sar is a career 36% shooter from three. Um he’s also a guy who averages, you know, 1.9 assists per game, 5.3 rebounds in limited minutes. You know, his his best seasons, um you know, he’s in double figure scoring uh around five, six rebounds a game. You know, like there was a point, but again, he doesn’t block any shots. He’s not a defensive genius at all. Um and the other thing I’ll point out is he makes $5.4 million. Um, I would not be completely shocked if the kings wave him at some point and use a stretch provision on him. And basically that would break his his 5.4 into like 1.6 uh like let me see 1 point yeah roughly 1.6 million uh three years in a row. but it would free up three million bucks which might drop the Kings below the luxury tax. Um so if if SAR doesn’t play with the Kings long term, that might be the reason why. Um and also just because they have other they have other things they’re chasing. Um we do have uh breaking news as we’re on we’re doing the pod. Uh Sham’s um DeAndre Aton has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Um wow. Uh, I’m not sure how much money he got. Uh, well, he’ll earn 34 million next season, but uh, not from the Lakers. I don’t know why they phrased it that way. I’m going to guess it’s a league minimum deal. Um, but he already has all of his money coming from the um, the Portland Trailblazers.
So, yeah, much like much like Lillard, I mean, Lillard gets stretched uh, which is just a crazy scenario in Milwaukee. 22 million a year for five years.
Well, I mean, again, we’re hearing rumblings like about a departure with Lillard and in and Milwaukee. um especially given the injury, having to keep, you know, Giannis happy, all these things, the lengths that these teams have to go to to try to keep their stars and and and and especially these smaller markets, like that is uh it’s wild because you’re literally I mean, the money that just to bring in Miles Turner, when you factor in Lillard, you’re talking about I mean, Brian Winhorse had a great breakdown of this.
Yeah.
I think he’s talking about like $50 million.
Yeah. Between the two, it’s 50 million for the next four or five years. And then the like no one has ever
the stretch provision I I’m kind of intrigued like Winhorse had the largest stretch provision that they could come up with
um or like they used to allow the the one-time buyout of players. the amnesty.
The amnesty. And I remember I think it was uh Michael Finley getting either 49 million or 59 million to leave and it was because of the salary cap issues and just where where the Dallas Mavericks Mavericks were at the time. Um either way, uh yeah, it’s just absolutely wild. What’s happening?
It would also be odd. I mean, I will say like to your point about, you know, stretching char like that would be interesting. Um, but I also think, you know, you could probably just cut Eubanks going into before the season if need be. Um, depending upon how either one works out. Like a little bit cheaper probably. Um, but I I don’t I haven’t seen the numbers yet.
Yeah, I haven’t seen the numbers. Uh, like look, you could probably cut them both. Um, especially if you can find a shot blocker that you know, long athletic shot blocker. I think that’s the most like kind of like headscratching thing of all is that there are shot blockers, there are length and athleticism guys that are out there. Chris Bucher u you know again I bring up like Kai Jones um who you know clearly has some some off the court issues but uh is a player who was a top tier pick and actually looked pretty solid against the Kings last year when he played for the Mavericks. um shot blocker uh rim runner guy can get up over the rim and and you know like even what the Kings did with their uh with one of their two-way contracts is sort of like Dylan Cardwell u you know but like a more refined better version of Dylan Cardwell u so I I wouldn’t hate to see that from the Kings
um okay we we’ve got to this point where like the Kings really don’t have much cap room like from here on out we’re talking about trades. Um, is there are you learning anything?
Yeah. And I think James to that point like I think people should understand that’s where things were going to be happening the most anyway
was in the trade market. So, um, it was anticipated that this Kings team would be making the bulk of their changes by way of trade. Now, would trades open up cap room to be able to go out and be a player in the market? Potentially, but that’s why we’re staring at these these especially that big Kevin Herder uh trade exception. We’re staring it right in the face. And like there that is that might be outside of a first round pick your most coveted asset on your team
because you can’t really use it. You can’t really use it because that would put you into the aprons and you You said earlier this isn’t a good enough team to be in the aprons for sure.
No, it’s not
like for a second apron. No, I’m not here for that. That just doesn’t make any sense.
I’m talking about I’m talking about for other teams though.
Yeah.
Like other teams should be looking That to me is their biggest like with respect to Malik Monk, with respect to Demar De Rozan, Zack Lavine, any of those players. If you’re a team and you’re looking to shed salary partic like you’re looking at that trade exception like it’s a big bowl of your favorite food whatever it is like yeah I I I think to me and it’s and to me I think that’s the most surprising is is
how that if it if it’s not used in this in this shrudder signing and and I to me that that ends up being the biggest point of uh confusion or puzzlement I’m just surprised it’s still here.
Yeah. Okay, so let’s get to uh the Keon thing real quick. Uh we’re hoping Brennan would hop on. I haven’t seen Brennan yet. Uh we’ll see if he he’s able to jump in and join us here. Uh it’s going to be an abbreviated pod. We’re not going like an hour and 45 like we do sometimes or an hour and 15. I got to get on the radio here in a few minutes. But uh the Keon situation um I know was a gut punch for Keon. Um, and sets me.
Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard.
Um,
huh. That that fl that does not uh I have not heard that. You’ve heard something different than that or you haven’t heard that?
Uh, both, but go ahead.
Okay. Um, well, I mean, like, look, he was hoping to get paid this year
and as of right now, he’s not getting paid this year. he can get a contract extension. Um, but as of right now, um, you know, the Kings have locked him in at like 2.3 million for this season, and that’s a really low salary for him. Um, but, uh, yeah, we’ll have to see what happens. Uh,
you can extend him in February.
No, that’s I I’ve heard that that’s not even the case. They can extend him now.
Um,
yeah, but you get through. My point is there’s no rush to do it as long as you do it. I mean, to me, it’s it’s it’s get your team situated because there are Oh, oh, we have a guest. And you know what? He’s wearing his upside down Giants hat today. I’ll allow it because they’re absolute cheeks. So, we’re talking about Keon Ellis and the the the really the understanding that I think that they already know what potentially is on the table for Keon Ellis. And I think that um that this is pretty much expected. I don’t think that this was something that took them by surprise. Um also knowing that, you know, that they shares the same agent as several players on this team. Um I think it’s it’s pretty well uh known that their intentions are for Keon Ellis.
Yeah. Brennan, welcome into the show. Brennan Nunees has joined us um from day
the Kings Post podcast. Yeah, hectic day.
Um what are you hearing on the Keon front? Because I’ve heard that Keon wasn’t too happy about the way this thing played out.
Yeah, I mean I don’t think that they appreciate having to play on a salary lower than the value that he’s producing on the floor. Um you know, and I think his side would have rather gotten the money right now. Um but it makes sense from the Kings perspective. I think Sean was the one that was constantly saying you don’t want to go into restricted free agency. Um James, you had pointed out Brooklyn, the main team with money out there. There’s the Jordy Fernandez um connection there. If he was offered a Bruce Brown sort of deal, that puts the Kings in a rough situation here. Um so you have the opportunity to extend him down the line. And I think that can still very much mend whatever hard feelings Keon and his agent have right now if you treat him what he views to be fair down the line. Or the other part is I I think that he’s a pretty good piece that could be included in a deal if there was something that was fitting. You know, Scott Perry’s trying to figure out the top of this roster and how to rework it. And if you need a really nice sweetener that might even be downplaying what Keon is, then this season I I think he does function as that.
Interesting. Um, yeah. I mean, it’s it’s very uh possible that the Kings are happy with the situation and Keon Ellis’s people aren’t happy with the situation. Both things can exist at the the same exact time. Um, also like there’s there’s rumors out there that he can’t sign an extension till February 9th. Um, that’s not what I’ve read about this. And then uh Keith Smith from Sporra said that that’s not the case that they can extend him at any time as well. Um it just he won’t get more money this year. Uh which it’s still going to be 2.3 this year. Yeah. Yeah. No matter what he they don’t have enough money to renegotiate and extend his contract. So it is what it is. That’s it. Like I said, it’s the Gabe it’s the Gabe Vincent contract. It’s what happens when you go from G-League to two-way to it’s it sets the table and it’s it gives the player an opportunity when it’s undrafted. And that’s why I’m talking about like the Kings know that this is a success story for them. You know, this is somebody that homegrown. They found this talent. They he’s become a a very prized piece. Does a lot of stuff in the NBA that teams would find valuable. There’d be a bevy of teams signing up to to to land a guy like him. Now, is it a $20 million a year deal? I don’t wouldn’t I wouldn’t expect that. But to that argument, it’s like it still favors the team so often in these situations. Uh particularly if the team if the player is able to make tremendous strides. So team still has a lot of control. His agency knows that. Keon knows that. And let’s just be honest, it’s not going to affect the way Keon Ellis plays.
No. No, I don’t think so. Um okay. Uh we’re we’re getting low on time here. Um I I don’t know what’s next. I don’t know what’s next. We’re hearing uh the Kings are still uh intrigued by Jonathan Kaminga. Um that right there would be one of the most complicated trades in the history of trades if it were to come to fruition. Um just because the Kings are like already up against the luxury tax. Um and the way it works with him is very strange. um because he’s playing out the final because he he played out all four years of his rookie scale, he would be a base year compensation player. Uh so like I I think you can make it work where he would you could trade him at like 26 million to the Kings for Malik Monk. Um but still the Kings don’t have that six million bucks sitting around to to buffer in between. Um, what do you guys what are your thoughts on the possibility of the Kings swinging for the fences with a player like uh Jonathan Kuminga? I think we’ve talked about it before. I’m not the biggest Jonathan Kuminga guy. Um, but I do think this King is desperately lacking just avenues of internal development and young guys that could lead towards something larger in the future. And you know, Malik Monk is a guy that helps you a lot right now, I would say. Um, but what are the Kings really building towards in the immediate? I I think that this is a respectable but maybe not quite competitive team if you want to um, you know, thinly slice the difference there between the two. But I I think that Kuminga does offer you some upside. And if it was a case where we’re talking Malik for for Kuminga, I I I think I’ve managed to talk myself into the idea of it. But in my mind, the idea is taking a chance on Kuminga, meaning that you probably need to give him a little bit more reps. And I don’t think the current roster as constructed is going to be able to afford him that. So, I it’s a weird situation to be in where I see, you know, needing to get a little bit more future help and potential internal growth, but how are you going to optimize that? You’re not even currently doing that with Keegan in my mind. Amen to that, Brendan.
Yeah. There’s not much more I’d add on that. I mean, we talked about our feelings on Kaminga. I just feel like the best avenue for him in in any of the situations is Chicago. Like I don’t think I just don’t think the Kings make much sense for Jonathan Kaminga in his in in the role that he wants to he wants to have being some sort of um um kind of heavy um a a heavy piece in a in a starting five being really kind of the face of a franchise. I think that’s what he wants and I think he has a better avenue to do that in a place like Chicago. Um I don’t even really totally see that in Miami. That’s why I don’t think that would necessarily happen. But look, everyone is going to look at that player and say there’s more to give there than what you’ve currently seen and he can be a piece. And I think everyone will look all these other teams will always look at a player and say we can get more out of it or we can have we can do this. He may not have this. Let’s get him around our people. We can change my all these things. um that that and that may be very true in his in his case, but I feel like we all know the type of player that Jonathan Kaminga wants to be and I think they’re going to do everything in their power to position him to be that type of player at his next stop in the league, wherever that may.
Yeah. Yeah. My biggest concern is kind of what you guys are saying here. Um, and it brought it brought us to like this question earlier on the insiders like what if you do trade Malik Monk for Jonathan Kaminga? Who are your starting forwards? Who are your starting forwards?
Yeah. Who starts?
I mean, you’d probably go I mean, depending upon what you’re getting rid of,
meaning it’s key.
If you’re getting rid of Malik Monk,
right?
Are you benching Demard Rosen? Are you benching John Kaminga or are you benching Keegan Murray?
I think you’re probably starting Kaminga because you make that move with him as a starter. You’re going to have Keegan uh and I think you’re bringing Demar De Rozan off the bench at that point.
And then you spend a whole season with a fan base debating if it’s wrong or right.
And then I will I will tell you the same thing earlier will play starter minutes. Like both will play starter minutes. I’m gonna let Seawn walk into that locker room and tell Demard Rosen, “Hey, you’re not starting anymore.”
I think I think that’s Here’s the thing, though. I think this is a different Kings team than the one that recruited him to Sacramento. And so given the nature of it and obviously knowing what lies ahead for him, I mean, he’s so far into his career, the tough part is he was brought in to be a contributing factor, a guy to put Sacramento over the top and sustain a playoff run. That didn’t happen. They fire the coach, they trade the player and Darren Fox, and now you’ve been in and then they bring in a guy you were paired with in Chicago that most would say doesn’t work alongside you. Um, to me it’s very much if you’re committing to that, you’ve got two forwards that are more of a part of the King’s future than Demar De Rozan is at that point. So, you have to give them prime opportunity and uh to me, especially being a two-way player that Keegan Murray has become, uh, Demard Rozen comes off the bench and it doesn’t much like Malik Monk before him, it doesn’t matter like it won’t matter. He will play starters minutes. He’ll get all the he’ll get all the burn he opportunity he wants and he’ll get to play this style of ball ball typically that he wants to play.
1187 games played in the NBA. 1175 of those as a starter. The last time he didn’t start, he was a rookie and he didn’t start 12 games as a rookie. All 12 of of his games coming off the bench as a rookie. I don’t buy it. If you’re going to make a Kaminga move, you have to make a corresponding move with Demard Rosen. And I don’t know that they have two massive moves in their bag. Um, all right, we got to wrap this thing up. Uh, I got to go get on the radio. Uh, what do we got for final thoughts,
Brandon? Um, I can give my vague overview of everything since I just missed out a little bit. I’m sure you guys did great. But
I would say um you know my tone has shift a lot shifted a lot recently and I think it’s transitioning from uh the what I think was a really poor ending to last management and just what everything that Scott Perry came into and adjusting to hey this is the reality of what he’s dealing with now which I don’t think he’s been handed great cards. And I think that some of these moves I don’t think there’s any way that they were going to fight being mediocre next season. and you get guys in place that allow you to just be respectful and rekindle a little bit of the value of the top guys while you wait for um just deals that you see as opportune to try and reshape the top of it and you’re not locking yourself into anything long-term with like the Dennis Shruder deal or you’re going getting Drew Eubanks on a short-term deal and I don’t think it’s great that you traded two first for Valenunis and then now you’re losing him for nothing even though it’s two seconds, sorry. Um, and now you’re losing them for nothing, even though it’s different front offices. Um, but for the most part, I I think that a lot of it seems like temporary moves to me with more of a long-term vision. And I I tend to, I guess, be a fan of that. So curious, I guess, uh, cautiously optimistic about the moves going forward, but I’ve been good. I was at Post Malone last night at Oracle. First time at an outdoor venue. Definitely the biggest concert I’ve ever been to. That was a blast.
Awesome. If Sean was clowning me for my seats,
well, I I may have started the podcast by chastising you for not inviting me, but it’s okay. It’s okay.
Uh, my final thoughts are I don’t know. I I might be joining I don’t know. I I uh I know I’m trying to prolong to where James is late for his radio appearance, but I’m not that I’m not that guy. I think I got to go see F1 tonight. I think I’ been putting it off. I was going to wait. Oo,
I think I think it’s drawn me and I think I got to do it. I’m not even an F1 fan. It just looks like a really good movie.
Okay. Uh, my final thoughts. Uh, be safe. Have a great Fourth of July. Enjoy everything. Uh, try to get away from all the Kings news. I don’t know that there’s going to be much more Kings news. There might be, there might not be. Um, but, uh, Sunday’s the 6th. I think that’s the day we’re going to know a lot more about how everything kind of shaped up here. Um, and if we’ve got something crazy and wild, we’ll try to get to you in the next couple of days. Um, I I again am gone next week on vacation. Um, but uh we will carry on the best we can all the way out through the summer. Brennan’s on his way to Las Vegas.
Does that mean Brennan and I do a a Kings a Kings Beat podcast without James?
I don’t believe you guys would. Absolutely.
We could.
I could probably I could probably if there’s something crazy I I could bring my laptop. We could do a podcast.
Crazy
from Cabo. Crazy.
I will be in Cabo. We can do we can do something crazy from Cabo. Um, sweet. All right. Well, thanks thanks for tuning in. Sorry we couldn’t do a longer show. Sorry Brennan was a little bit late to the party. Sorry Sean’s an [ __ ] Uh, all those things. Uh, thanks for tuning in to the Kings Beat podcast, a blue wire podcast brought to you by Underdog. Uh, we’ll see you next week. Uh, so for KC3, Sean Cunningham and Brendan Nunes from the Kings podcast, I’m James Ham, Kings for ESPN 1320 and the Kings Beat. Peace out.

KCRA 3’s Sean Cunningham, Brenden Nunes from the Kings Pulse Podcast and The Kings Beat’s James Ham join forces for coverage of the Sacramento Kings.

Topics include the acquisition of Dennis Schröder and Devin Eubanks in free agency, the addition of Dario Saric in a Jonas Valancuinas swap and the complicated path ahead for the Kings as they balance the need for change with a difficult NBA landscape.

Thanks for joining us on this adventure! Big shoutout to Paul Jinkerson (@paulitition) for creating a new intro and outro for the podcast and to Brenden for creating our new overlay for the podcast.

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