Sacramento Kings 2038-39 Preseason Presser

[NOLa.]

Hello and happy Friday to all my fellow GMs out there! It’s time yet again for another preseason media presser with the Sacramento Kings. It’s been a wild ride since we were last here, so let’s go in order that we typically do things: look back at last season, offseason transactions, and expectations going forward.

So last season during our presser we made it known we were tired of losing and we were ready to make the playoffs. There was one answer to a question from that presser that is hilarious looking back when asked about where I felt the team would finish last season:

“Realistically somewhere in the bottom third of the conference and hopefully fighting the Pacers, Lakers, and Nuggets for positioning in the division. The goal this season is to win 41 games. The team made strides last season in the 2nd half and I think it's obtainable.”

Little did I know how wrong I was at the time. Yes, I was somewhere in the bottom third, but we were fighting for position with the Atlanta Hawks. My thoughts going into the season was we were coming off an improvement of a 28 win season that we finished very strong in the season before, and we were able to bring in Miguel Thomas and Pugh to a team with youngsters that had another good TC result.

Well the season started off on the wrong foot. Miguel got hurt, Pugh got hurt, other players got hurt, and we struggled each and every sim. We saw that things weren’t going according to plan so we pulled the trigger to make trades to keep our young core intact and cap space open going into the offseason. We would finish with 17 wins and yet another bitterly disappointing season. All we knew was that we were ready to make a big move in the upcoming offseason. We had the assets and felt GMs would come crawling for a package I could offer.

The draft lotto was kind to me with the #3 pick and I thought “This is it, this is when GMs come crawling.” But it didn’t happen, no negotiation I was in felt right like this would make my team much better. We said screw it and made the pick for #3, good old Montoya.

RFA was non-eventful, I got Ferguson Olney.

After RFA I was able to strike a deal with Spurs GM Eazy and sent out Dorian Whitley and Montoya for Jonathan Lewis, who I’ve loved as a player and playmaker for a few seasons now. He can score, pass, rebound, and defend. He definitely fit the bill of a true star at the age of 26 who I felt could pair well with Hayes as he begins to fill out.

UFA was pretty uneventful as well, only was able to pick up a few role players in the front court such as Quattlebaum and Souza.

Training camp went surprisingly very well. No one got boosted but no one died either! Hayes had a terrific camp as did Lynch. Plott, Only, and Addington had solid camps and got better and should see an increase in their role on the team.

[MexicanMamba]

Though you cleared out some of your top assets to grab Lewis and Sanchez last season, of the young guys you have left, do you prefer now letting them finish their internal growth or are you ready to pull the trigger on another big deal to speed up the process further ?

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[NOLa.]

Though you cleared out some of your top assets to grab Lewis and Sanchez last season, of the young guys you have left, do you prefer now letting them finish their internal growth or are you ready to pull the trigger on another big deal to speed up the process further ?

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Killian Hayes isn't up for discussion. To get me to think about moving him would have to be an offer that shocks me (in a good way).

I would love to package the other guys I have left to make another move and I'm currently doing my best to scope out a move that works. I could legitimately use a PF or C, but it's hard to find someone that makes sense as most of these guys have the same build. For now Addington, Quattlebaum, and Souza will have to make due but if I can get a package together to get a big upgrade I would do it in an instant.

[MexicanMamba]

"Killian Hayes isn't up for discussion. To get me to think about moving him would have to be an offer that shocks me (in a good way)"

When I asked this question, his name didn't even come to mind in regards to trades cause I just put him with Lewis as the core ha

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[greepleairport]

With your dynamite back court, where do you think the kings finish this year? Are you back in the playoffs?


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[K-100]

You are starting the transition from tanking to pushing for the playoffs just as we are about to reset the divisions/conference alignment. Now that you are escaping the seven layers of hell that was the Johnson Division, who would you want to compete against if you could choose your division?

[JNR]

GWR: Can you give your mindset behind trading Whitley? I know that Lewis is a star, but was getting away from such a young talented prospect difficult?

[NOLa.]

With your dynamite back court, where do you think the kings finish this year? Are you back in the playoffs?


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I completely face planted last season with big talk and little to show for it once the actual season started, so I would like to show the league I learned from those mistakes.

I don’t expect to be back in the playoffs. Adding just one star I think doesn’t make a team a competitor, so a lot rests on Hayes, Lynch, Addington, Plott, and others to step up their game and make a contribution now.


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[false9]

With your dynamite back court, where do you think the kings finish this year? Are you back in the playoffs?


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I completely face planted last season with big talk and little to show for it once the actual season started, so I would like to show the league I learned from those mistakes.

I don’t expect to be back in the playoffs. Adding just one star I think doesn’t make a team a competitor, so a lot rests on Hayes, Lynch, Addington, Plott, and others to step up their game and make a contribution now.


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As a followup- when do you expect to be a title contender?

Also, who's starting?

[NOLa.]

You are starting the transition from tanking to pushing for the playoffs just as we are about to reset the divisions/conference alignment. Now that you are escaping the seven layers of hell that was the Johnson Division, who would you want to compete against if you could choose your division?

I definitely like being in a division that’s competitive as it keeps me engaged when I’m competing. Since I’m hopeful to not keep finishing in the bottom half I would love to be in a division of all top teams at the time. So basically each division winner and me would be sweet.


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[NOLa.]

GWR: Can you give your mindset behind trading Whitley? I know that Lewis is a star, but was getting away from such a young talented prospect difficult?

It wasn’t that difficult because looking at both guys I felt Lewis is the better player in his prime as Whitley was adequate in a couple of areas where Lewis can be considered at least “good” at like defense.

My mindset at the time was that if I was going to make a big move it needed to be this offseason and it needed to be big for me, not just for the other team. Hayes hits RFA next offseason and I had cap space this offseason to make a major signing which was Olney. Lewis is the scoring champion two seasons in a row and isn’t weak at anything and is 26 years old. That was huge for me.


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[NOLa.]

With your dynamite back court, where do you think the kings finish this year? Are you back in the playoffs?


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I completely face planted last season with big talk and little to show for it once the actual season started, so I would like to show the league I learned from those mistakes.

I don’t expect to be back in the playoffs. Adding just one star I think doesn’t make a team a competitor, so a lot rests on Hayes, Lynch, Addington, Plott, and others to step up their game and make a contribution now.


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As a followup- when do you expect to be a title contender?

Also, who's starting?

Whenever some of these players in their late 20s/early 30s start to die that’s been dominating this league for a few seasons now like Sabo, Kidd, Fox, etc.


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[Xist2Inspire]

Random Reporter: Now that you've added Lewis, who's coming off the bench? Hayes, Olney, or Sanchez?

[garbageman]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: Were you expecting the Bucks to decline the max contract that you gave Ferguson Olney? And given that contract, with Jonathan Lewis and Killian Hayes, are you satisfied with Olney as the third guy in your big three?

[NOLa.]

Random Reporter: Now that you've added Lewis, who's coming off the bench? Hayes, Olney, or Sanchez?

I think we are going to start with Olney off the bench as the 6th man to play SF/SG. I’m very fortunate to be in this position and think the below lineup will happen:

SF: Hayes
SG: Lewis
PG: Sanchez

I feel Lewis can play all three of those spots and I know Hayes can play all three, and Don can play both guard positions. I have versatility and if needed I can put Olney at SF and move people around as needed, especially with injuries that can happen.


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[NOLa.]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: Were you expecting the Bucks to decline the max contract that you gave Ferguson Olney? And given that contract, with Jonathan Lewis and Killian Hayes, are you satisfied with Olney as the third guy in your big three?

I wasn’t sure what the Bucks were going to do until the next morning after the results. From earlier talks the prior offseason and just testing the waters it seemed Olney was a part of their future plans which made sense, it’s hard to find a versatile wing with elite level shooting and defense, so I felt it was 50/50 when I won the bid.

Right now he’s part of a bigger core than that. Like you mentioned we have Hayes and Lewis, but we also have Lynch, Addington, and Plott. Perhaps next year we look at packaging a few of these guys and really go in on a smaller core, or even earlier.


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[AngryBanana]

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: With a treasure trove of young talent, what made you choose Whitley as the player to be moved in the Lewis deal? Were you not happy with his development, or was it a situation where he made the most sense for both sides?

[NOLa.]

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: With a treasure trove of young talent, what made you choose Whitley as the player to be moved in the Lewis deal? Were you not happy with his development, or was it a situation where he made the most sense for both sides?

To get a player like Lewis at his age you have to go in strong. Dorian was progressing with solid camps but when an opportunity comes along to get a player like Lewis to pair with Hayes as a tandem to build around for the next 5+ years I had to jump on it.

Hayes has always been the player I want to build around and I was able to train him to round out his game and become the PG of the future. I’ve never had the luxury of trading a young purple potential player for a player like Lewis and still have my #1 player of the future on the roster.


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[IamQuailman]

A source released the following transcript of a conversation with the Bucks GM:

"Just looking at my team I just don’t think I need him [Olney] when I have Hayes/Dorian/Lynch/Montoya who all play the same position"

How does this make Olney feel? You valued Dorian Whitley and Montoya more than you did Olney.. Is this really the way to treat an incoming player? Or is this just a good example of your supposed "Good Faith" negotiation tactics (aka negging)?

[NOLa.]

A source released the following transcript of a conversation with the Bucks GM:

"Just looking at my team I just don’t think I need him [Olney] when I have Hayes/Dorian/Lynch/Montoya who all play the same position"

How does this make Olney feel? You valued Dorian Whitley and Montoya more than you did Olney.. Is this really the way to treat an incoming player? Or is this just a good example of your supposed "Good Faith" negotiation tactics (aka negging)?

Well if we are releasing transcripts, I remember the Bucks GM first asking about Montoya, then Lynch, then Sanchez, then Addington, then Plott. Then the Bucks GM threatened to post in the thread unless I agreed to some S&T.

So the Bucks GM with no intention on matching the contract kept trying to get a young prospect in return with idle threats thrown out. I realized after the Bucks GM moved down to Sanchez that he had no intention on matching and he was trying to milk me out of a prospect. That's not good faith, and neither was the post to decline the contract.

We were also in other discussions to clear up the logjam at the guard/wing spot and we were able to pull out the Lewis trade after RFA, so Dorian and Montoya are gone and Olney is here.

[IamQuailman]

A source released the following transcript of a conversation with the Bucks GM:

"Just looking at my team I just don’t think I need him [Olney] when I have Hayes/Dorian/Lynch/Montoya who all play the same position"

How does this make Olney feel? You valued Dorian Whitley and Montoya more than you did Olney.. Is this really the way to treat an incoming player? Or is this just a good example of your supposed "Good Faith" negotiation tactics (aka negging)?

Well if we are releasing transcripts, I remember the Bucks GM first asking about Montoya, then Lynch, then Sanchez, then Addington, then Plott. Then the Bucks GM threatened to post in the thread unless I agreed to some S&T.

So the Bucks GM with no intention on matching the contract kept trying to get a young prospect in return with idle threats thrown out. I realized after the Bucks GM moved down to Sanchez that he had no intention on matching and he was trying to milk me out of a prospect. That's not good faith, and neither was the post to decline the contract.

We were also in other discussions to clear up the logjam at the guard/wing spot and we were able to pull out the Lewis trade after RFA, so Dorian and Montoya are gone and Olney is here.

If only someone hadn’t misled me to think there would be that chance of a deal for a younger player...

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