Salary Floor & My attempt to be nice

[swisshh]

Since I've been gloomy and given up on the team, I have felt a little bad about adding to the desperation here.

So I came up with what could happen if the Kings weren't a mess.

In the recent Kings Insider podcast, James Ham and Aaron Bruski went over the weird problem the Kings are going to have next year with roster spots and the salary floor. I'll try to quickly summarize the scenario.

-Rudy opts out
-Darren leaves in FA
-Ty leaves or resigns on a small deal.
-Ben leaves in FA
-Bogdan comes over
-Kings end up with two top 10 picks.
-Afflalo asks to be bought out

The Kings end up with (including Galloway) 9 guys on the roster who are rookies, second year players or third year players on rookie contract sized deals. Plus Tolliver, Temple and Kosta on cheap 7-9 mil per deals. That's 12 roster slots used up and you're struggling to meet the salary floor. You also are terrible on a talent level that squeals tank mode for another year.

The podcast's idea was to throw a ton of money at a guy like Otto Porter since the Wizards will be cap strapped. That's a decent idea, but you're still potentially without a PG and have roster slot issues.

So here's an interesting scenario: Portland decides they need to trade one of CJ or Dame because they are in a horrible salary situation without any upwards mobility. Both CJ and Dame will be max players next season and neither can defend. They both play the same spot.

I am pretty sure the Kings can offer salary relief to Portland plus a young guard prospect on a rookie deal in exchange and still offer max money to Otto Porter.Say Buddy + another prospect or one of the picks for CJ or Dame. Then sign Porter.

Your starting five:

Dame or CJ
Temple
Porter
Skal
WCS or Kosta

That's a watchable team with upwards mobility that is still very young.

 

[ockingsfan]

Since I've been gloomy and given up on the team, I have felt a little bad about adding to the desperation here.

So I came up with what could happen if the Kings weren't a mess.

In the recent Kings Insider podcast, James Ham and Aaron Bruski went over the weird problem the Kings are going to have next year with roster spots and the salary floor. I'll try to quickly summarize the scenario.

-Rudy opts out
-Darren leaves in FA
-Ty leaves or resigns on a small deal.
-Ben leaves in FA
-Bogdan comes over
-Kings end up with two top 10 picks.
-Afflalo asks to be bought out

The Kings end up with (including Galloway) 9 guys on the roster who are rookies, second year players or third year players on rookie contract sized deals. Plus Tolliver, Temple and Kosta on cheap 7-9 mil per deals. That's 12 roster slots used up and you're struggling to meet the salary floor. You also are terrible on a talent level that squeals tank mode for another year.

The podcast's idea was to throw a ton of money at a guy like Otto Porter since the Wizards will be cap strapped. That's a decent idea, but you're still potentially without a PG and have roster slot issues.

So here's an interesting scenario: Portland decides they need to trade one of CJ or Dame because they are in a horrible salary situation without any upwards mobility. Both CJ and Dame will be max players next season and neither can defend. They both play the same spot.

I am pretty sure the Kings can offer salary relief to Portland plus a young guard prospect on a rookie deal in exchange and still offer max money to Otto Porter.Say Buddy + another prospect or one of the picks for CJ or Dame. Then sign Porter.

Your starting five:

Dame or CJ
Temple
Porter
Skal
WCS or Kosta

That's a watchable team with upwards mobility that is still very young.

OR we can take all that cap space and take on some players from teams trying to dump salary to make room to sign top free agents and accumulate some 1st rounds picks and some decent players in the process, ala the 76ers use of cap space.

Some players like Brandon Knight or Greg Monroe may be available in a salary dumps and we may be able to gain some draft picks to take their contracts.

 

[ockingsfan]

The Kings can have up to $58 million in cap space, according to realgm.com.

Washington is over the salary cap. Washington owner is classically cheap in the past.

We could offer Otto porter the max and Washington will have to swallow hard to match, they would be in luxury tax territory.

The main problem being, I can see better teams offering him the max too.

Maybe the better option is try and get a first round pick and taking on a salary dump contract from Washington so they can re-sign porter?

 

[ovrush]

I don't think any FA signs an offer sheet with us even if we overpay. Someone else will overpay as well for Porter so I think that's a pipe dream.

The Blazers do need to dump money but they won't give up either of their big 2 in order to do that. The more likely scenario is for the kings to take on bad players on bad contracts for draft picks.

Ezeli
Turner
Mahinmi

Those types might get you a pick and close to the cap floor

 

[Kingsfan23]

Porter is staying with Washington or many other teams will be after him

The Portland trade may not be there

Taking on bad contracts for picks is an option

 

[upinsmoke]

If BK wants out of B. Lopez's contract we could work something out where they take Afflalo and Ben and they send us Q. Acy and a 2nd.

 

[ParniValjak]

Kings would be a bunch of dummies if they are not at Porter's front door as soon as the clock ticks over on free agency and take Temple with your while you are at it.

Porter's last two years have seen significant improvement in his game and he is a better player now than what Harrison Barnes was during last year's free agency and he got a max deal. If they do it, Kings will not be the only team that will drop a max deal on Porter this summer. He will have plenty of teams to chose from.

I guess from Kings perspective it would also depend on what the draft pick/s yield at draft time. If the Kings draft say Tatum, then dropping a max on Porter does not really make sense as you are chasing a player that plays the same position as your prized draft pick. I am sure Temple can handle majority of the minutes at SF next year. He has done it for a good part at Washington.

Unless the Kings are going to go with a crapty small ball line up of 2 SF taking up the both forward spots. In that case you better hope that your C is a heck of a rebounder and a defensive anchor.

If the Kings drop a max on anyone this year, it needs to be on a player that is young enough to grow with the young team so has to be someone in the 23-24 age group. Porter fits that and is the best of the RFAs out there.

Having said all that, I highly doubt he even considers the Kings. He might give us some courtesy due to Temple playing here but apart from that.....NEXT! I suspect the fall back option for the Kings will be signing up veterans on a front loaded contracts of taking on bad contracts for draft picks. Hello Brandon Knight?!

 

[swisshh]

The problem with taking on bad contract for picks is you just end up with another version of the same problem the next year and you're eating up roster space again for no reason. You still have to assemble a team in some manner. You just can't have 9 inexperienced players, 3 vets, a bad contract and no PGs.

I just feel that if the Kings commit next to tanking again then you might as well pencil in the next decade as being less than 30 wins. You have to break the cycle at some point.

 

[ovrush]

The problem with taking on bad contract for picks is you just end up with another version of the same problem the next year and you're eating up roster space again for no reason. You still have to assemble a team in some manner. You just can't have 9 inexperienced players, 3 vets, a bad contract and no PGs.

I just feel that if the Kings commit next to tanking again then you might as well pencil in the next decade as being less than 30 wins. You have to break the cycle at some point.

They committed to tanking the day they traded our only star. There's no shortcuts in rebuilding in a city that can't land free agents

At this point it's about acquiring assets to either trade assets for vets to compete immediately or to develop a young core. In any case we're so bereft of assets as a franchise the best case get lucky in the lottery and draft right scenario would have us being bad for at least 2 years. More realistically we're looking at 5-7 if we do it right. Perpetual stink if we continue to be mismanaged.

Porter is an awesome dream. And I'd definitely make the offer. Realistically though we're not getting any quality free agents to come here even overpaying. In regard to Portlands 2 best guys... no serious nba franchise trades established stars for cap space, and we don't have assets to trade for a star and build a winner. Most compete t nba team realize that with the way the cap is built, true stars are the best value to salary in the league so you don't trade those players no matter what.

 

[kingjatt]

After the Rondo,Rudy,Cuz big three experiment and trading Cuz for nothing I'm kind of done with trying patchwork rosters and attempting to apply a quick fix, we need superstar prospects and the only way to get them to Sacramento is the draft, leverage your cap space for picks and build for 3-5 years down the road.

Stockpile assets and go after these max restricted guys when we are ready to compete.

Problem is will this FO/Ownership crew be patient with "the process" and can they execute on draft picks and a plan? Hopefully Vivek has learned by now that you can't just be a contender overnight, you need a solid foundation first.

 

[andjel]

After the Rondo,Rudy,Cuz big three experiment and trading Cuz for nothing I'm kind of done with trying patchwork rosters and attempting to apply a quick fix, we need superstar prospects and the only way to get them to Sacramento is the draft, leverage your cap space for picks and build for 3-5 years down the road.

Stockpile assets and go after these max restricted guys when we are ready to compete.

Problem is will this FO/Ownership crew be patient with "the process" and can they execute on draft picks and a plan? Hopefully Vivek has learned by now that you can't just be a contender overnight, you need a solid foundation first.

Just to make sure I follow, do you expect Kings to draft better superstar prospect than Cuz in the next two drafts?
What is your estimate how probable is that to happen?

 

[hrdboild]

Just to make sure I follow, do you expect Kings to draft better superstar prospect than Cuz in the next two drafts?
What is your estimate how probable is that to happen?

Cuz is gone now whether we like it or not. We probably aren't going to draft another star player as good as him. Top 5 players are few and far between. But maybe we can draft 3 players who are very good and build a team which wins more than we were winning with just DeMarcus. If we get 2 top 10 picks this year and a top 5 pick next year we could easily blow it or we could start to build a foundation for success. It just comes down to finding the right players. There's no other way to do it in Sacramento though, it has to be the draft so we damn well better hope they get it right these next 2 years.

 

[kingjatt]

Just to make sure I follow, do you expect Kings to draft better superstar prospect than Cuz in the next two drafts?
What is your estimate how probable is that to happen?

I don't expect anything anymore, just hope for competence. Its more probable to happen than KD opting out and signing with us so I think that is the approach you have to take.

 

[Blob]

Temple was held in high regard by his teammates in WAS, including Porter. That would be lovely if Temple could hold sway over Porter this summer. He can sell him on new arena, opportunity to expand his game, blossom into an all-star and of course "culture" . If Porter does leave WAS I think it will be in a S&T with ownership not wanting to pay max contract and go into luxury tax. That would mean Kings would have give up some young wings and maybe Koufos. I don't see any team signing Porter outright. The Wizards would be likely to match and trade, or match and keep and sort out their salary cap issues thereafter.

 

[The_Jamal]

I actually wouldn't be surprised to see us flip Temple+young guy back to Washington in a Porter S&T. That Mahinmi deal really hampers their cap and they have to worry about the Wall extension after next season. Also, they just dealt for Bojan, who's a RFA too and spent a 1st round pick to get him. Washington pretty much will be over the cap anyway, so it comes down to if they want the depth or keep the better player.

Otto at 22 mil

Or

Temple 8mil
Bojan.. 8mil?
Malachi- 2 mil

They wouldn't have this problem if they didn't blow their load on Mahinmi last year, but hey, this is certainly a spot we can take advantage of.

 

[Glenn]

I actually wouldn't be surprised to see us flip Temple+young guy back to Washington in a Porter S&T. That Mahinmi deal really hampers their cap and they have to worry about the Wall extension after next season. Also, they just dealt for Bojan, who's a RFA too and spent a 1st round pick to get him. Washington pretty much will be over the cap anyway, so it comes down to if they want the depth or keep the better player.

Otto at 22 mil

Or

Temple 8mil
Bojan.. 8mil?
Malachi- 2 mil

They wouldn't have this problem if they didn't blow their load on Mahinmi last year, but hey, this is certainly a spot we can take advantage of.

Can't trade Bojan right away I don't think but I'd love to get Porter somehow.