The "laughingstock" label can change fairly quickly.
If you haven't noticed the talk of the agents of the potential lottery players this year, then you may have missed the memo, a lot of the agents have spoken very well of the Kings as landing spots for their prized rookies.
I think the kings have shed a lot of "dis-functionality" and "laughingstock " label since the DMC trade and Scott perry hiring.
I think things can turn rather quickly to the Kings being viewed as a "young and upcoming team" after this summer draft and summer league.
The talk of the agents is because their kids would get minutes in Sacramento. Its not because we are all of a sudden the prime destination for the draftees.
Scott Perry is a great hire and in reality all the managers that were quoted that they would let their clients work out for the Kings have a pre-existing relationship with Scott (i.e BJ Armstrong has known him since high school)
The laughing stock and dis-functional franchise label is still well and truly there and it is not something that will be shed any time soon. Again it is another thing to "attract" a draftee and yet another to attract an "upper level free agent".
Rebuilds are not a quick thing unless you can sign a superstar free agents. It doesn't work like that for the small market franchise. Noah's contract is an albatross and I pause about it too but the bottom line is:
- Kings will not be a good team for
at least 3 season. Even the best of rebuilds take 4-5 years
- Kings will still need to use the cap space to get to the salary cap floor and that will be tough given the projected number of kids on the roster
- Kings have gone for the full blown rebuild so it is about accumulation of assets and
long term planning
- Kings don't have a lot of assets and its complicated even further by that unprotected 1st round pick in 2019 going to Philadelphia
While ideally, the contracts you take on are attached to useful players that can play for you, it is often not the case. The only time when Kings are able to attract top free agents (and I don't mean superstars) it when they turn into contenders.
In the mean time for Kings to get there, they will need to:
- Draft exceptionally well
- Develop their youngsters really well. This is more difficult in a full blown rebuild where young players tend to get playing time regardless of readiness
- Use their cap space to create more assets that turn into young players (see how Philadelphia used cap space to get a pick swap out of us and a pick with no protection in 2019)
- Trade very well with your long term goal in mind.
- Hope like crazy that you are lucky enough to draft a
genuine franchise level player (i.e. not lower tier "franchise" players like Gordon Hayward who is a very good player but just not a franchise level player)
Once you get your franchise level guy, and you are ready to contend or you are already a contender,
then you go free agent shopping for upper echelon free agents that will push you closer to the goal. In the mean time, it is about putting yourself in a position to have the ability to make those moves when the time is right.
I would absolutely LOVE it if the Kings walk away from the draft with Fultz and out of free agency with Otto Porter Jr. but I am realistic enough to know the chances of that are very very slim.