The Kings still don't know how to build
Sacramento made a win-now trade that has a low ceiling while decimating its future in the process. That kind of self-destruction is honestly impressive
It’s strange. I should like this deal for the Sacramento Kings based on my traditional thought process.
I believe you have to take the steps to be good before you can be great, that you can’t just go from lottery team to a contender overnight, that simply making the playoffs is a step worth taking for some teams, the Kings amid a 15-year playoff drought certainly being one of them.
I’m not typically big on gambling with the unknown of the future. I’m more interested in investing in what I know. Domtantas Sabonis is a two-time All-Star whose numbers over the last few years group him with names like Giannis and Jokic. Tyrese Haliburton has shown incredible potential in less than two pro seasons, but there’s no way to know if that potential will materialize into stardom until years down the line.
Here’s the thing, though. I don’t like this trade for Sacramento. I think it’s one of the dumber things this franchise has ever done over the last 15 years. Go brush up on your Kings history and you’ll realize that’s saying a lot.
I get it. They desperately want to end a 15-year playoff drought. That’s not a goal we should scoff at. There’s a weight to that much losing I don’t think I can fully comprehend. They’re the but of every joke. The pressure only grows with every playoff-less year. There’s no shame in having that drive your decision-making. TO. AN. EXTENT.
Haliburton isn’t an unused draft pick or a rotation-level youngster. You know, the kind of future assets I’d be fine parting ways with to improve the roster today, similar to what the Chicago Bulls did to bring in Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan.
We might not know for sure what Haliburton’s future holds, but everything he’s done so far has offered a pretty good indication that it’ll turn out fairly well. The sophomore guard is already 11th in assists per game despite having the 11th-lowest usage rate among players averaging more than 30 minutes a night. He can catch and shoot or launch off the dribble.
When he’s been able to run the show unencumbered by the presence of De’Aaron Fox, Haliburton’s averaged 18.3 points, 9.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds a night on relatively efficient .462/.377/.882 shooting splits across 18 such outings.
The future is unpredictable, but I’ll put good money on Haliburton blossoming into a star sooner rather than later. And the Kings traded him. They traded the player that somehow fell into their lap with the 12th pick of the 2020 Draft, and for what?
I like Sabonis as a player. You don’t put up the kind of numbers he does without being super talented. But is he the right fit with the core Sacramento already has in place? I don’t think so.
He’s a plodding slow-footed big man, which means he’s probably best playing center to ensure he remains as close to the rim as possible. Except, he can’t protect the rim, and also the Kings have Richaun Holmes manning the middle after re-signing him to a 4-year, $55 million contract over the summer.
So, power forward then? But what about Harrison Barnes? He can play the 3 and has for most of this season, but his strength and shooting at the PF spot add an extra 8.1 points per 100 possessions for Sacramento’s offense compared to when he’s playing SF.
There’s also the issue of playstyle. A lack of athleticism means Sabonis prefers to operate in the halfcourt. That preference is diametrically opposed to Fox, one of the fastest players in the league, and the Kings as a whole, who rank 8th in pace and 12th in transition frequency.
Both Sabonis and Fox are best with the ball in their hands but also can’t do much without it, doing little off-ball movement while offering virtually no threat beyond the arc.
Building a team around two players whose skill sets don’t seem to complement each other is a bold strategy. Especially when the recently-acquired one also clashes with two other starters.
But, for argument’s sake, let’s say that this experiment works out. What exactly does that look like for this new Kings team? A play-in berth? Maybe a first-round spanking at the hands of Phoenix or Golden State? That’s about as high as my brain can go.
The Kings’ otherwise meh future had the dimmest of flickers thanks to Haliburton. It’s now gone. And in its place is a chance, not even a guarantee, but a CHANCE at short-term relevance. I say relevance and not happiness because Kings fans aren’t dumb enough to derive much joy from a playoff appearance when it comes at the expense of the franchise’s best draft pick in at least the last decade.