Should the Kings try to swing a blockbuster trade featuring star center DeMarcus Cousins? If not, how do they improve?
Our NBA Insiders preview Sacramento's 2016-17 season.
1. Fact or fiction: The Kings should trade DeMarcus Cousins.
Amin Elhassan, ESPN Insider: Fiction. The ship has sailed as far as being able to move him, get good assets in return and change the culture in Sacramento. At this point, the Kings might as well hang on to him and see what new head coach Dave Joerger can do.
Jeremias Engelmann, ESPN Insider: There's an argument to be made for the Kings to start entirely from scratch, as they haven't made the postseason for 10 straight seasons and aren't likely to make it this season. The problem is they owe their 2019 first-round pick to the 76ers (among other draft-pick obligations).
Tom Haberstroh, ESPN Insider: Fact. I thought I understood the sheer depth of dysfunction and lack of accountability in the front office under Vivek Ranadive, and then I read the recent Q&As. That only confirmed my fears that Cousins can't flourish in that environment. It's time to start fresh.
Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider: Fiction -- for now. I want to see how things come together under Joerger, for whom I have a lot of respect. It shouldn't take a full season to gauge whether Cousins can anchor a Joerger defense and play in the selfless way his Memphis team did. But Cousins' deal is up after next season, and if it isn't working out, the Kings should move him before the trade deadline and start over.
Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider: Fact. As remarkable a player as Cousins is, the way he interacts with young teammates makes it difficult for them to live up to their potential. It's hard to separate that from scouting mistakes, but the fact that the Kings haven't successfully developed a lottery pick since they drafted Cousins is troubling.
2. What is the biggest issue facing the Kings this season?
Haberstroh: Leadership. The constant turnover and controversy have to be maddening for the players. It starts with the top, where it seems Ranadive doesn't want to be responsible for his organization's turmoil and losses. That feeds into a certain culture of distrust.
Elhassan: Basketball. Offense, defense, playmaking, chemistry, execution. This is a franchise with an insidious form of self-sabotage that has been languishing in ineptitude for a decade. To reduce their biggest issue to something as small as "shooting" is kind of pollyannic.
Doolittle: We like to point out when teams don't have enough shooting, but with the Kings, my gosh. Their top projected forecast for 2-point percentage is Willie Cauley-Stein at No. 84. Tops behind the arc is Omri Casspi at No. 77. Everyone else is ranked 100th or worse both inside and outside the 3-point line. Yikes.
Engelmann: Quality depth at guard. The trio of Ty Lawson, Arron Afflalo and Ben McLemore sports an average real plus-minus (RPM) of -3.3. Lawson was a bit less of a disaster in Indiana than he was in Houston, but he still has long way to go to become an average NBA player again.
Pelton: The combination of their urgency to make the playoffs in their new building and the expiration of the protection of the first-round pick they owe the Chicago Bulls. Sacramento could be stuck in a worst-case position: too good to keep the pick (top-10 protected) but not good enough to make the playoffs.
3. What is the biggest source of hope for the Kings this season?
Haberstroh: Joerger is a good, young coach who understands defensive principles in today's NBA. Marc Gasol and Cousins share a physique and tempo. But I'm worried Joerger won't get the support he needs to thrive. The previous five coaches didn't.
Engelmann: The Kings' key players have essentially reached their ceiling, except for 23-year-old Willie Cauley-Stein. If he can improve more than the standard aging curve would suggest, the Kings might have some success with a modern version of the twin towers.
Doolittle: With Joerger on board and Cauley-Stein having a season under his belt, the foundation is there to build a defensive identity playing similar to the way Cousins preferred under Michael Malone. Having Matt Barnes around to help instill a tough identity doesn't hurt, either.
Elhassan: There have been changes, such as a new coaching staff and front-office members. Add the natural growth of Cousins, a maturation that comes from entering his seventh season and coming off an Olympic experience around more successful peers, and it might be enough to push this organization to start creaking in the right direction.
Pelton: Depth. At every position other than point guard, the Kings have three or more rotation-caliber options. Dave Joerger is going to have a hard time keeping players happy, but he'll have plenty of flexibility, and the depth should help Sacramento survive minor injuries without much of a hit.
4. Cousins aside, what trade would make the most sense for the Kings?
Elhassan: With Gay expressing his desire to continue his career elsewhere (and threatening to opt out at season's end if he isn't moved), it would make sense to explore the trade market for him, preferably for some wing shooting or stretch big help.
Doolittle: Let's assume the Kings eventually find a long-term answer at shooting guard -- as in, a bona fide wing who can really shoot. Maybe that even turns out to be Ben McLemore. Given their direction under Joerger, I love Ricky Rubio for this team. The Kings need passers, and Rubio would fit right in with their new defensive identity.
Haberstroh: They desperately need a reliable point guard. Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe could be the guy. I'm not sure the Heat have the pieces to contend this season, so they might have to cut bait and rebuild. The Suns don't need both Brandon Knight and Bledsoe. A deal centered around Cousins and Rudy Gay could move the Kings in the right direction.
Engelmann: Definitely trade Rudy Gay because I would not hold on to a player who is saying he plans to leave the team next offseason. In a best-case scenario, the Kings can flip Gay to new 76ers GM Bryan Colangelo, who already dealt for Gay once, in his Raptor days. Maybe the Kings can even get their 2019 pick back from Philly.
Pelton: If the Kings can get value for Gay from a team that expects to re-sign him -- or a team such as the Miami Heat that places higher value on having an expiring contract -- that makes sense at this point, particularly if that trade can help them add another quality option at point guard. A package centered around Gay and Goran Dragic could work for both sides, though I would suggest the Kings offer less than Tom Haberstroh had Sacramento giving up in the Miami 5-on-5.
5. What's your take on the state of the Kings' franchise?
Haberstroh: It's a mess. It's impossible to build a strong infrastructure with a litany of partial owners and constant turnover on the sideline and upstairs. I hope for Cousins' sake that the Kings move him to a professional organization that values stability and accountability.
Elhassan: Disastrous, but to blame it on a coach, player or even the general manager would be irresponsible. While they all might play a part in the dysfunction, the circus atmosphere that surrounds the team comes from the very top. It comes from an owner who has mismanaged the franchise from the beginning of his tenure and continues to deny responsibility for any of the mishaps, going as far as to try to place blame on the outgoing basketball staff from his first week on the job. If you can't admit you're part of the problem -- not even a slice of it -- how can you expect anything to change?
Engelmann: I agree with Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton, who ranked the Kings 30th (last) in their Future Power Rankings. I don't have very high hopes for the franchise, as long as Vlade Divac is the GM, as he seems to be stumbling from one puzzling move to another.
Doolittle: Cautiously optimistic. The George Karl experiment was ill-advised. Asking a Hall of Fame coach to cater to Cousins' whims was a no-win situation, and expecting that roster to fit Karl's style was even worse. Joerger is a much better fit, and there is talent to work with here.
Pelton: Management appears more stable than at any point since Sacramento fired Michael Malone, and the Kings improved the front office and coaching staff this summer. Still, ownership mandate seems to have the Kings trying to win now, without the base of young talent necessary to compete in the Western Conference.