Jerry Reynolds, Kings Legend – Sacramento Kings Nearing the Trade Deadline

Jerry Reynolds, Kings Legend – Sacramento Kings Nearing the Trade Deadline

Welcome back into the Insiders I am James ham joining me today is Kings Legend Jerry Reynolds Jerry what’s going on well James not much just glad to be with you obviously uh enjoy your work you know I’ve certainly been a fan of yours for a while you know have driving

Down talking Hoops uh like we did for for a couple of years uh so hey just uh keep doing what you do I’m missing our stops at Wendy’s for chile yeah that was uh that was kind of one of the highlights you know actually for me going to anything and getting away from

San Francisco as a highlight I I agree 100% yeah I certainly I don’t even want to drive my car down there anymore after last you know over my experience there going to NBC and having like door kicked in and weird stuff happen all the time um we had some crazy stuff happen last

Night in the NBA like not Kings related but I think it speaks to a slightly larger thing that’s going on right now in the league and that’s we had Joel embiid go for 70 70 and 18 and then we had Carl Anthony towns go for 62 in a

Loss is there just no defense being played at all Jerry because that’s what it feels like well you know there there’s not much and and I’m not sure you’re allowed to play defense that’s also part of it you know all the breaks go to the offensive players you know

Where you know you know guys can drive into Defenders and and they create the contact and they get the foul you know poor Defenders can stand there and go straight up and maybe if they twitch a little bit or move an arm forward slightly it’s a foul on them and that’s

Ridiculous of course yeah it’s uh just studying the history of the game I’d always say you know just when I grew up and was watching it a lot a young person in the 60s and 70s it was very similar to this except there was a three-point

Shot but it was all offense and and you had those exaggerated numbers you know guy’s getting 50 rebounds and and this that and other because there’s a lot of rebounds to get and high scores and then you know by the early by the 80s and 90s

Defense you know got a lot more physical they took away a lot of things that offensive players could do and so you’re you know to win if you got 100 points you’re probably going to win and now we’re back I think to where you’re starting to see the exaggerated stats a

Little bit yeah I would agree I mean last year the Sacramento Kings were incredible offensively they set the record for offensive rating at like 11 18.6 there’s now like six teams above that um this season and and so that tells you that either the Kings figured something out in the league and

Everybody copied them or more teams are now not playing defense and to me like it’s weird that we were talking about it the Kings defense this year versus last year defensive rating they’re almost identical it’s like 116 last year they’re 25th this year they’re 17 and it

Speaks to a larger Trend in the league of the hyperfocus on offense you know led by guys like Joel embid but also guys like Tyrese Alberton who is just playing out of his mind in Indiana setting up everybody but with a team that plays very little defense and just

Is hyperfocused on the offensive end like do you think you can still win in this league being just a defensive minded co uh defensive minded team no no I don’t I mean I think you know and and of course I never have I mean I think

Defense is always back in the 80s 90s is more important probably is now but uh I’ve always said that if you look up you know in the rafters of the Arenas you’ll see a scoreboard they don’t call it a defensive board and and inevitably the team with the most points

On that board always wins So Def defense means you don’t have to score as much but you still have to score more and so offense is my mind is always more important and and just just what it is but uh I mean I mean I think it is especially in

Today’s league if you can’t go out and get 120 you you probably aren’t going to be competing for much most nights and and then of course I think you even take it a step further you really got to have that one guy on any Contender that can

Average close to 30 you know and that so that’s some differences there and and uh you know it’s uh I enjoy the game but but I think too to your earlier point I think one of the reasons teams are scoring more is and I think they have taken a page from Golden State

Sacramento is that shooting the three in transition tough shot to guard if you if you want to throw it ahead and push it up and and shoot a shoot threes in transition it’s hard to get to those guys and and so and and of course guys

Making them you know I mean it’s been a number of years now to where young guys coming up through the ranks I mean they focus on the three-point shot so that’s become such a staple to in my mind too too too much of one but still uh you

Know every team almost plays the same you know Push It Up In transition shoot to three go into the screen and roll or draw draw and kick you know pretty much every night every team is it strange to you as a a guy who coached where you’re

Not calling any plays because the game is so fast now yeah that like there’s already like if you’re going to call a play there’s already like three plays that have already happened like there’s are what you’re talking about the transition the transition three I mean you can literally see a team grab a

Rebound hit an outlet pass hit a guy in who’s already run to the Corner who’s already released it and there’s 21 seconds on the clock as he’s firing yeah there’s no time to like all of your coaching has to be done well before the game and has to like it’s just an

Identity that you have in a game as opposed to you know again like calling specific playsets or things it might actually impact the game like in in the middle of the action yeah no that I think that’s that’s a terrific point you know I said last year I thought I would

Never see a team being efficient offensively after made baskets oh yeah I always said you that shouldn’t be possible because you know they’ve got four guys on offense you got one guy taking it out and you got five Defenders running back but the Kings did a marvelous job doing that now having said

That I think teams are on to him a little bit they’ve taken some of that away the kings are playing in the half court more this year than they did last year seems just the eye test and you know scouting is scouting I’ve always said the NBA team Scout they they have

Actually some bright people that that do that and I think you know trying to take away a few things that that teams where I sank last year just caught people by surprise a little bit uh but you know the other thing I I think going back a

Little bit to old school and whether you degree or not but I am convinced I have been convinced for a while I’m more convinced today that in crunch time you need need some set plays and some some some real structure because for a couple of reasons uh I think the game gets more

Physical the refs kind of swallow the whistles a little bit and and so you need to be able to get the guys shots that need to get shots uh and I think you know you you see that’s how I think down the stretch of games where there’s

Kings or another team how leads are lost because you’re not you know you’re you’re really not getting in into anything particular and they’re taking you out of your free flowing game is what I’d say gotcha and and I think you see it and you see it in the playoffs oh because

The game’s more physical it it gets harder to get shots in the you know kind of a free flowing uh freelance style and so you know in my mind but it you know I love I love the way they play and I think that’s that’s more fun game to

Watch but I still think just the old school in me thinks boy when that last four or five minutes you better have three or four things need plays that you know you can run to get key guys the ball in certain positions yeah that’s

Not like the four flood yeah so and I I agree and I think what we’ve seen from Mike Brown is they are peppering in some different things this year we we’ve seen like the horn set with de Fox um I’ve seen teams blow up the horn set because

They know what’s coming yeah uh which I think is interesting but he his speed quickness to get around the front group is crazy um you know we have seen them like Focus uh switch and do a pick pick and roll heavy system like in crunch

Time and so that’s where I do think that they have that it’s just that you might need to switch into that mode a little earlier some games and I think that that’s what we’ve kind of seen them let go of the Rope a couple of times and

Also you’re either blowing out teams or you’re getting blown out most of the season so it’s really tough to worry about what set you’re going to be in in the full quarter when you know it’s a 25-point game one way or the other yeah

And to I I think you know one of the things that been a positive and maybe even hurt him a little bit in the sense that fox has been so terrific in fourth quarters of just creating by himself you know and and the other guys just

Stepping aside and you know this year I think teams here again are a little more prepared for that and so you know in my mind is well maybe uh you know maybe you still should try to run more stuff through domas uh as opposed to just having him

You know kind of step aside and and fox go go win the game for us kind of thing because I mean as good as he is and he’s terrific young player still one of the best but it’s it’s when the other team knows that’s what you’re going to do it

Gets tougher no it does and I think that like the way that this team is evolving is so different than what we saw last year uh we’ll dive into that when we come back after the break uh we got tons to talk about we got Jerry Reynolds here

In studio which is always a treat um we’re going to keep diving into not only what’s happening with the Kings on the court but Jerry has all this expertise uh as as a GM as a coach uh how how do you approach a player that you know is

Going to get traded and he knows he’s going to get traded but you still need him to play for another 10 games so uh we’ll have all of that next uh we are the Insiders here on ESPN 1320 see you in just a minute all right that’s a good that’s a great

Question yeah because I’ve been there yeah true I know you have that’s why I’m excited to talk about it yeah you know it’s uh I mean a lot of guys are different I was just told told the truth you know if they’d come to me and say am

I on the trade block I said yeah we’re you know this is what we’re looking to do yeah you know uh you know may not happen so you don’t you don’t until it happens it hasn’t happened yeah but I want to mislead you we’re looking into

Things for you that would benefit us and hopefully benefit you that sort of thing yeah yeah you know and U you know and I always try to remind guys any guys we’ve talked about this before hey you’re you’re playing for us but you’re also playing for the league you know I mean

That’s the reality is that very few players get to play with stay with one team for 15 years just so you got to create you have to have value you know for everyone for everyone yeah no that’s a really good point I mean eventually you know all good things come to an end

And so you you have to keep that in mind the entire time that you know yeah you need to have some sort of value built in uh that you can you know marketable not just for the young players that’s what I think you know you’re watching what’s

Happening in Detroit and I feel for the guys in Detroit because that’s been Sacramento so many times yeah where you just have too many guys that all think that they’re Michael Jordan still they can’t figure it out yeah you got lottery picks you know High lottery picks that

Some of them just aren’t very good yeah which is you know every team has those but lots of them lots of them but uh yeah what do you do yeah I always think it’s funny watching them because I watch them a little bit and Alec Burks may be

Their most consistent player you know a 30 plus year old guy that’s played on every team in the league yeah him and boan and he just like yeah that ought to be a real clue right there yeah I mean it and it’s so tough you feel for Monty

Williams because he took that job because he kept saying no and they just kept paying him more more money more money more money at some point you say o okay all right yeah I guess yeah I mean that it would it got so ridiculous and I

Think at a certain point as a coach you almost owe it to the other coaches in the league to push a salary up that way oh sure sure and you got to look around and say okay what what they gave him like a six year 72 well you know the two

Highest paid coaches in the league have about the two bit worst records oh yeah because pop oh Ian so well I mean is good I mean that’s what shows you with Monty and Pop I mean if you don’t have players in the NBA you don’t win yeah yeah you just

Don’t win I mean Pat Riley had a 17 win season and 18- win season in his career yeah people always said I mean it’s like no when when cbri bear you know you can went go how many win one for the Gipper speeches are going to work yeah no you

Run out of him yeah I mean it’s the same like you’re looking at the NFL the bich you know can bich win without Brady can and Brady showed he could win without belich but same time like it wasn’t just Brady that left yeah it wasn’t just Brady that they were starting and it

Wasn’t that they were starting over with a different Brady they’re starting over with a rookie quarterback they’re starting over with you know a different offensive line and different wide receivers like things go different different coordinators you know all those things are in football M you know

Are very important you know I mean Y and so I think we’re coming back to SEC right 20 seconds okay so I’m glad you’re able to make it in this is so close yeah it’s handy I really yeah NE for me yeah you get here in like eight minutes maybe

Even less yeah yeah yeah yeah straight shot welcome back in to the Insiders I’m James ham joining me Mr Jerry Reynolds Jerry it’s great to see you I I like sitting across from you and like we need to go get coffee more and stuff yeah yes

You’re right yeah so um the Kings the Kings missed out on a couple of guys here in the last couple of weeks uh we saw the Pascal cakam trade um where he’s now in Indiana we saw the ogan noi trade where he’s in New York both of those

Guys seemingly were targets of the Sacramento Kings even the SE yakum deal like from what I know if the Kings wanted to do the deal they could have got that deal done but each of those come with their own pitfalls and so when I know the salary cap when you were a GM

Wasn’t as big a deal but you you were still with the team and with the front office as a salary cap became this monstrous thing just how difficult is it to look at a player like SE yakum 29 Going on 30 but you know that he wants like a fiveyear $250 million extension

And you already have a couple of guys on your team that make a lot of money are going to want to make even more money in dearon Fox when his salary comes up and then you got you know Keegan Murray and you got Malik Monk and like how big of a

Picture do you have to look at when you’re when you’re going into a trade especially when it comes to like a free agent that’s going to want a bunch of money down the road and and just how difficult is that decision to lay it all out there and know what’s going to

Happen five years from now or three years from now well yeah that’s the whole thing you of course you you can’t know three or four years from now and you sign those deals and and uh and I think too I mean basically uh you know

The risk of going having to go in the luxury tax to uh sign you’re you know basically your own free agent once you’ve traded uh it changes things then you’re really locked in and and how much better is he for sure going to make you

Uh you know there’s that risk I mean not saying you know they’re good players you know that yeah but do they actually mean more wins or or just a different guy getting stats there’s there’s always a concern there you know and and uh yeah it’s a

And then you know of course you know in a lot of cases I mean quite honestly probably the third to half of the the owners in the league you know really AR aren’t going to go into luxury tax regardless I know you know the Warriors are paying 186 million in luxury tax

Yeah you and you know that’s not g to go forward very well uh because I mean some point uh you know paying 180 million extra for a team as basically 500 team maybe uh and so so those those are all those concerns and of course I was

Situation for years or we were uh where there wasn’t even a chance to get to the cap which which is another but we’ll talk about that another day but I but I think this ownership obviously they would pay the money if they thought it was worth it I believe that but uh yeah

I I could I can see why they would have done say a SE yakum I like SE yakum a lot as a player I think he have been a good fit but uh I I don’t see him as a $50 million player either I I just don’t

Yeah if he wanted a a fiveyear 150 160 and you’re risking you know that you’re paying a 35y old 34 year old cakam like 35 34 million bucks down the road okay but that’s not what he’s talking about and no as soon as he said max yeah well

Everybody averages over 15 points a game in the NBA now over two years as a max player I think I mean the idea was the max players was the IDS and the yices and guys like that LeBron James and now it’s uh you know pretty much anybody’s

Had maybe made an All-Star team once and and and uh averages in double figures no that’s that’s crazy because uh I know like the kings are attached to other players a guy like uh Zack LaVine yeah right who is making Max money who you know there’s a point where he will make

5050 million bucks and we’re talking about a guy who blew out his knee as a young player we’re talking about a guy who doesn’t isn’t known for playing defense and you know who’s known for his athleticism which eventually with some of these guys especially who have had

Knee injuries goes away and you have to be so cautious with who you are looking at and who how you structure your team and how that will impact things and then whether you can still sign a Malik monk or whether you can extend a Keegan Murray when it’s time for him to get

Paid and so I I think it’s like super complex when you you’re breaking all of it down is there anyone right now that you’re looking at and you’re thinking if I were the Kings this is sort of where I would go I mean we know the the standard

Names that are out there that that may or may not be available and then we also know that there’s another list of names that we haven’t got that are available that teams aren’t telling the that aren’t letting it get out that they’re available but is there someone that

You’re you would go chase if you the Kings well there’s two guys I think I would that there’s some rumors on you don’t know what’s true but but uh herb Jones from the the Pelicans you know I I think he would be a really good fit because of his defense and then maybe

The best fit and and you know he hadn’t done a lot yet he’s a young player but I think you’re the kings are going to have to look more in that direction of finding a guy that really could be a developmental guy I always said as you

Know a few years ago I was really a but big Bobby Portis guy said this they ought to go after this guy and then last year’s Nas Reed and my guy this year is Jaylen Smith from Indiana Oh Lively young guy that uh can make

Threes uh can block shots I mean be a perfect fit with sabonis in my mind and and you know guy like that and might be available because Indiana’s got the added seum and they’ve really got more players than they can play that’s an interesting player I hadn’t thought of

Jayen Smith I mean he played here in Sacramento last week um he actually I’m almost POS he got sick and was throwing up in a trash can right next to their bench like during the game they had two players that had situations in that game Isaiah um Isaiah Jackson got a

Concussion somehow in that game which I don’t even still know how he got a concussion and he’s been out last couple of games but you saw him like like kind of and then leave and came back and got a trainer and went back and he’s been

Out and then uh and then Jaylen Smith I like Jaylen Smith I I liked him coming into the draft he’s one of those guys it had a really really nice three-point shot coming into the draft and then uh but went way too high so expectations kind of killed his early career

Especially when you look at him as a number 10 pick and Tyrese hton is two picks later and just think what the uh the Phoenix Suns would look right now with Tyrese hton alongside you know Devin Booker and and Kevin Durant and all those guys I mean you could see how

That especially if he could have been an understudy behind Chris Paul at the time that’s what it would have been you know how would the Warriors looked instead of James wisman no that’s true that’s true uh yeah that no but you would still have Clay like thinking that he’s still clay

And so who would play and all that stuff so yeah I mean I agree with you uh but that’s an interesting name so so Jaylen Smith uh we talked about this a little bit on the way to the break and I love herb Jones as well I just don’t think

That I me they’re trying to improve their team MH and I don’t think that there’s a match where the Kings can actually get in on a trade for for herb yeah I’d be surprised too don’t get me wrong I mean I think you know herb I

Didn’t Trey Murphy I like a lot yeah differently because he’s such a he’s shot maker long long Wing that can really really is going to make shots they they’ve done a nice job of finding those guys they have they really have and yeah and I think that Willie Green’s

Done a really nice job coached them up you know it’s their only issues have always been injuries yeah you know keeping Ingram and Zion on the floor valent chunis yeah CJ I mean they if they ever can keep together for 30 straight games I I mean they could be

About as good as anybody no that’s true I mean I think the Kings have seen it all season long so whatever it is that they’ve got the Kings don’t have and and that’s again if you’re the Pelicans I have a hard time believing that they’re going to trade with a team like the

Kings who is in the same conference who is around the same level of play and then if you make the mistake and give them the piece that they were missing then you’re gonna pay for it you know the last thing you want if you’re them

Is to have to play herb Jones in a first round or a second round Series yeah and I don’t even know who they’re missing you know what I mean yeah yeah I I I wouldn’t have a clue necessarily what piece they’re looking for I mean to me

It’s like anything you you you you identify guys that you think would fit you and then make a run at them and and and the worst they can do is say no y then you say well thank you very much we’ll we’ll call some next call you know

You just you know you can’t get your feeling it’s not like trying to uh get a date when you’re in junior high school you know you don’t get your feelings hurt you just move on you just move on um you bring up okay so the kings are in

This weird situation where I think we all can see their needs but in your opinion what is their biggest need what is it that again not maybe a player but a player type that you would be going all in on or really trying to chase whether it’s

At this deadline or this summer well there’s I think there’s two uh you know if you could get one of the a type a wing that can guard a couple of positions a long athletic Wing guard twos and threes let’s say and then a a a power guy that could guard fours and

Fives an athletic guy preferably one that could stretch the floor as well so I think there’s two things there and mean you know if you could just address one uh in at the trade deadline that’d be terrific I don’t think it’s Poss and then maybe somehow get the other one

Addressed in the off season as as well as keep you know your your core that you want to keep yeah okay um all right we’re going to continue this discussion after the break uh when we come back we’re we’re going to look into sort of

The Dynamics of of what it takes to add Talent during the during the season and how much disruptive like sort of force that can be within a locker room and with the team so uh we’re the Insiders here on ESPN 1320 brought to you by Jiffy Lube we’ll be back in just a

Minute cool yeah that’s but like you point out the dynamic the whole thing I mean chemistry is not automatic that a better player makes you better you know no I mean you know you think so but I mean it’s like Jeremy Grant or or seum even I

Mean they’re high usage guys yeah now in my opinion probably kozma I mean if in fact you know basically the and that’s where the coach comes in says hey this is this is you know you’re gonna play this way you know you don’t get to be

The number one option uh and they and they buy in yeah which they should but you don’t know you know yeah I I think that that’s always the biggest problem you know especially like I I’ve never been a super big Kyle kosma guy um I I

Liked him coming out of college so I liked him then but then you know I think for a little while he kind of he like the basketball lifestyle became more important than the game yeah I’m with you there I I you know the guy’s talented there’s no doubt but yeah but I

Think I’m just not convinced you could ever convince him to be a hardworking fourth or fifth guy yeah which is what he kind of needs to be you know I’m same way about Zack LaVine I you know he could work here you know I could see where it could work but

I could see about it a lot of ways it wouldn’t yeah because he’s a ball stopper and and and certainly can put up stats but there’s a reason why he you know they they there’s not much of a market and a lot of it goes back to the

Contract which talked about ear there again was like okay at the time seemed like a good deal now it’s like well Colby white is actually playing better than than he ever did so yeah no and I I mean you bring up the the usage like kozma his usage is

30.6 like he has a usage of a point guard that that to me that’s absolutely and last year is 27.9 even that’s way too high if you go back to you know his La days where he’s around 20 22 that’s fine yeah yeah but he’s not going to get

That opportunity here in Sacramento and and whether he buys in now the one thing I do like about kma is his declining skill contract is spectacular yeah yeah that’s that’s probably the the the one reason you might say we we we could do this he’s a talent upgrade and then you

You’ve got time to convince him of who he’s gonna be yeah and you can also show them you do realize that your salary keeps going down while like some of these other players keep going up and you need to understand that there is a pecking order and like this is who we

Need you to be but you don’t need to you know push it and do and be this guy so no that that I mean that does make you know kind of change the the appeal you know I mean oh yeah you know I always say that’s that’s the bigest problem i’

To have Zack LaVine I’m just not sure and the injuries too he’s been a you know a little bit like a Bradley Beal thing well yeah Bradley’s really good not great but really good when he plays but you know are you going to get 50

Games a year out of him he’s not even eligible right now he’s already lost his eligibility for postseason Awards yeah yeah is it we Jesse and I were discussing this earlier how much time do we have Jesse 30 seconds um the uh embiid embiid has seven games until he’s in well he

Can miss seven more he hits eight what if he’s MVP but can’t be the MVP yeah what if he plays 64 games you know I’m I’m kind of in favor of that though at some point at some point if you’re gonna be MVP you gotta play most of the games

Don’t you or how can you be MV P I think so too I think so too all right I think we’re coming back okay no Kyle this week but we do have Kings Legend Jerry Reynolds in the house Jerry how are you great great we’re

Holding up I I think so I think I can make it now you know I’ve got my second wind the stool’s comfortable yeah we’re ready to roll um you’ve been part of some major major End season trades in the past how hard is it like in in those

Situations where you know you do have some players who don’t want to go who want want nothing more than to be part of a franchise just building something or they like where they’re living or you know they got a girlfriend there or whatever like how hard is it when you uh

When you’re entering this phase of the season and you’re like man i’ I’ve gotta pull this guy aside and and really have this hard discussion with him well it is a difficult thing because you know as a fan you always think well just trade this guy for that guy you don’t see him

As you know they got families they got a place CH places there’s a lot of issues there uh what I what I’ve always done and and I always recall you know different times there’d be rumors out about trades and and so a lot of times

If if it wasn’t anything to it I’d go to guys and say look this isn’t true you know if it if it if there’s ever something that’s true I’ll come to you and tell you uh and then of course there are times when okay there’s the rumors

And stuff I say yes uh you know because maybe a player or his agent will will say what what’s going on here and I say yeah we’re we’re uh you know we are looking into to a deal uh obviously if it’s a deal that’s good for us and we

Hope good for you and your client we we’ll do it that’s that’s our job but uh you know we we’ll keep you informed and and we expect you to keep uh you know privacy about it which is ask an agent to be private is might as well be asking

My wife you know to not say something but uh but throwing doie under the bus right here yeah but uh yeah anyway it uh yeah I just always said I think the you know honesty is the best poliy be truthful you know and just tell guys and remind

Them that it’s very few players get to play with one team their entire career only the greats usually and everybody else has to establish value for the team they’re on and the league they’re in in other words I mean you look at sabonis it’s his third team Harrison Barnes is

Third team Kevin herder’s second team malun Malik Monk’s third team uh that’s that’s the reality yeah of how this league is I think Malik said it the other day he’s like no this isn’t stressful he’s like I was out of the league at one point and you’re like oh

You were that’s interesting interesting like like sort of the reality check of like how your career is usually hanging by a thread until it’s not yeah and I think a lot of guys have you ever had like I know I used to hire and fire people all the time for years work in

Retail and like I’ve fired a lot of people and you never know how someone’s GNA like react have you ever had like a very very bad reaction whether it’s emotion or whether it’s like anger or or a player just break down on you in the

Middle of one of these yeah you know on U as far as a waving a player I always remember you know I I don’t know how I got well I yeah at the time I think because I’d taken over for Bill Russell and but he had basically signed the guy

Ben gillery who wasn’t very good player out of out of Georgetown because I think his friendship with John Thompson but then you know BAS basally I just felt I was in a position you know we we got to wave him because he’s not very good and

We’re not very good and we’d like to get somebody at least belongs in the league you know at minimum and so you know I I told him I said we’re gonna have to wave you and and I certainly hope you can get picked up with somebody I didn’t think

That he would which he didn’t and he you know he took it really hard is sad because you know I think he knew that this was that’s the worst part you’re you’re your really taking a guy you know out of a league that that maybe shouldn’t have you know he’s just not

Good enough being it I mean he was lucky to get the opportunity and but but at some point it’s uh you know like I say it’s not little league it’s professional and and uh you you you know have an obligation to try to get the best team

You can yeah and that’s going to hurt some feelings just like uh with players playing who you play is going to hurt some feelings you know that’s the reality yeah have you had as you’re building up to a trade deadline just like you can visibly see someone just is

Not handling it like because I remember here in Sacramento the guy that always comes to my mind is Marcus sorton like Marcus Orton like the two weeks leading up to a trade deadline couldn’t hit a shot as soon as the deadline was over 30 points a game like but you could see the

Stress you could see and he’s not even being mentioned anywhere but you could just see the anxiety of it you can see you know like just the panic and the like not even knowing how to talk not even like not knowing how to express themselves but have that and how have

You seen it impact a team as you’re getting towards the deadline well it does I mean I think read that that that line you know affects all teams because there’s always rumors about every team and certain players and and and you know teammates you know even though they’re not being

Rumored sometimes that’s her best friend you know as you pointed out of Marcus thoron and each situation is a little different like a you know Marcus little buckets as we call him yeah then I mean this was you know Sacramento had been by far the best situation he’d ever been in

Yes and you know it gotten a chance to play a lot it it you know incre increased his value a lot so he knew that and and it’s also true the Kings knew that his value might be higher than it’s ever going to be again and so that

Creates its own Dynamic but yeah it’s a there’s no doubt the this is you know always a relief I think when trade deadline passes for every team now you know that because there’s there’s always certain guys that are involved directly but even the periphery guys is like well

Yeah that’s my buddy I hang out with and he goes to Charlotte well that’s not I can’t hang out with my best buddy again you know type thing I even like I’ve talked about this a little bit here on the show I think there’s a dynamic with

Harrison Barnes and and dearn fox that people just Overlook like dearon Fox that’s been his veteran his whole career basically you know Barnes got traded I I think the back end of his rookie season yeah the the second half of the rookie season right yeah and so you basically

Have had Barnes with you every step of the way but I think Barnes is one of those players who doesn’t just you know teach you how to be a good Pro he’s a he’s a guy who lives a certain way who uh you know interacts with the community

A certain way who presents himself in front of the media a certain way and so you’ve had this whole entire career of having this professional you know Beacon to look up to next to you and they lockers right next to each other I think it it can be like super emotional for a

Player to know like not only is you see the stress that your your buddy’s going through but you’re also feeling it too like the the potential loss and I know you can still be friends you can still pick up a phone you can still FaceTime or whatever but it’s different when

You’re part of a a locker room which is more like a family right yeah and travel and um you know a lot of cases same guys sit next to one another on the plane on the bus you know there’s there’s a real Dynamic there you know I was just even

In the broadcasting part you know I always Gary Gerald and I would set get you know there’s there you know there’s just simp simply a dynamic there that you know that was you know that fit uh and and uh yeah I I mean you make a good

Point about Harrison I think we all forget a little bit you know just his level of professionalism and comfort in the locker room and coachability all those things you know we want different things sometimes on the floor but you couldn’t ask for anything better off the floor and I

Always I’ve always called him you know the kind of the 2020 version of of Eddie Johnson who was a for the older fans would remember Eddie a Pros Pro CL guy you know just you know just everybody respected you know on your team and you know had all those same things you know

Good player that coachable locker room Pro uh you know really mentored young guys now is a really good broadcaster and great broadcaster yeah yeah we have breaking news it just happened uh Adrien Griffin was just fired as the Buc head coach surprising well I’ll say this

There was no reason to hire fire the guy they fired that was one of the Mike buen holder all he did was they had the best record in the League last year they lost the playoffs because their star deao was hurt Miss I mean it’s like good grief

And he’d won a championship for you after not winning yeah for many many many for many many many years decades that’s you know it’s kind of a set of new owners is basically you know yeah kind of like good grief guys take a step step back and don’t you know don’t do

What somebody that uh writes into the paper tells you to do it’s interesting too because um like we’re shifting gears here just a little bit just to to talk about this as it’s happening they have the second best record in the Eastern Conference yeah it’s this wasn’t about

Wins and losses this was about personalities behind the scenes and we saw that early on I mean Terry STS quit like right away like was not comfortable with what was happening yeah yeah I think this puts a a really really good team in the strange spot yeah you wonder

I mean I I can’t imagine that happened uh without aeta kmo being on board oh yeah well you did just get him his money so yeah he’s there no matter what yeah no I mean but I mean with Giannis I mean obviously the franchise player and one

Of you know the best if not best player in the world I mean he’s among them yeah so you know I can’t imagine any franchise doing something like that without uh you know at least knowing it would be accepted by their star if not approved yeah okay we’re gonna go back

To King talk here uh one of those broad questions right um if you’re the Kings right now and I think we kind of know where they are like they’re probably better than a seven seat uh they’re probably more like a four five6 still and they’ll probably figure out their

Way along along the way now they could collapse and you know we never know for sure but when you’re approaching this trade deadline I think we all can understand that it doesn’t matter how good they’re playing there’s still probably an ingredient or two missing from them being a true Contender so how

Do you approach a deadline like this where you know that you’re a piece away or or two but that piece could be big and you know that by going in making that trade again the kings are about to rout on a seven game Road Trip leading up to February 5th right uh well

February 7th they get back to play the day before the trade trade deadline they play Detroit so you know that if you make a gigantic trade right here you could totally upset the balance of the team you could drop six games on the road trip because you don’t have players

And players are moving in and out like chaos like how do you manage all of that and realistically I think the biggest question is how do you manage knowing that in order to get to here you might need to take a step back to here but you need one of those those substantial

Pieces that changes who you are well that that that’s it in the nutshell I mean I will say this probably the best time to do something like if you want to China change is while they’re on a big road trip uh you know I think the front

Office has more time more time to really focus on that uh I I’d go back to the trade uh Kings made years ago uh when for ped sto yakovich for Ron our test uh in the middle of the Year Kings were really struggling ped was starting to

Have back problems you know wasn’t quite the same pager and obviously Ron had had his issues in uh Indiana but it was a trade that was made and and certainly there wasn’t any guarantee how was going to work as it turned out it made you know saved the

Season and team was a playoff team when at the time was made they clearly weren’t and uh of course I would go back to another point is the reason kind of worked besides Ron being a really good player and good with his teammates uh Rick Adelman you know and there again I

Think that’s where the head coach really has an impact you know because they’re the ones that’s gotta kind of oversee fitting it in yeah and getting it right you know utilizing that new guy correctly and uh and so you know and some coaches are way better than others

At it you know and I always thought like I say now you know Rick was bringing him into somewhat of a certainly stable organization but but uh but I thought Rick Edelman deserved a lot of credit just like I think Mike Brown would be very good in that sort of thing okay

That’s that’s an interesting thought because you you just don’t know how it’s going to work out and I think when you’re when you’re a team that’s trying to get to a completely different level than your own on there’s going to be risk and reward and everything um when

You’re a part of a front office what is what is that like with the the coach being here the the general manager and his staff being here your analytics staff then you also have an ownership like you know part of the conversation as well but when you’re leading up to

One of these deadlines how do you manage all of that and you know a coach saying I need X Y and Z and a g am thinking I need this this and this an owner saying I’m not sure if I want to pay this this

And this but you have all of these like different orbits that you’re dealing with and then you got some really smart guys who are saying like these three players will fit into our system because the computer says so but you know what I mean like how do you manage all of that

Ego and all because you’ve been on just about every side of that equation yeah well it’s uh it’s rare when it does all fit to be honest with you I mean uh you know when you have a front office and head and the head coach front office and

Ownership all on the same page then you you really you got a chance to get somewhere and I’ve seen it that way and then I’ve seen it when it wasn’t that way but in general uh I always think you know there’s two different ways to look

At it I mean a coach and it’s and he can’t change he has to be he’s looking for How You Gonna how are we gonna be better tomorrow that’s his concern because he he knows it’s about wins and losses uh going forward quick and the general

Manager has got to keep in mind yeah I’d like first but I’m looking at the franchise longer term yeah uh and so sometimes that’s where you know a little misunderstanding but if that’s ever there and and generally speaking the ownership should be on the if there is a

Side it should be on the general manager side and then uh but but what you’d hope is that there’s a really good relationship with coach and general manager and they can come to understand where they’re going there now of course with uh Jeff Petri and Rick

Adelman that was always that way and I think certainly it appears that way here now but uh but you have to have that I mean you know the player I mean Mike Brown would probably look at what do we got to do to get better tomorrow be

Damned with a draft choices in five years thought you know that sort of thing where but the general manager he has to kind of look at all those kind of things plus as you’ve pointed out the cap implications yeah uh you know where it may actually destroy the franchise rather than it may

Make them better for a while but uh so yeah there’s a a lot of thoughts I mean I think that’s why it’s always good you when you have a lot of voices I know with the front office now with West Wilcox and got experienced guys with Mony and and certainly a coaching staff

You know they really got some competent people there that have been to the county fairs I’d like to say and so you know they they they should be able to kind of come to the same place because I mean you know I I can’t believe and I’m fairly confident Mike Brown knows what

They need Monty McNair knows what they need the problem is getting what you need no totally totally and I think it’s a certain point sometimes you do have to give a coach something that you don’t think works but that you’re like okay I’ll let you go ahead and and figure out

Whether it works or not and I always think of like Keon Clark like Keon Clark was square peg in round hole oh boy like just like not just on the court but off the court but the on the court thing he didn’t have the same basketball IQ as

The rest of the players on the court he had a gift for blocking shots y but he didn’t have a gift for all the other things that happened on that court but you had at least try it right because at a certain point like hey our defense

Isn’t good enough that might need be what we need to get over the championship hump and we we at least have to try it and so I think sometimes there is that tinkering right oh yeah absolutely and I think you know was one of those things again where with uh with

Rick Adelman I think he was so good at you know spotting him yeah you know he knew who he was yeah and he knew what he could do on the floor in spurts uh you know and uh and and he had a strong group you know with vlady and High

Character guys uh you know that just could keep things under control a little bit okay um let’s see we’re getting close uh not only to the end of the show we got we got a few minutes left but uh but to the NBA trade trade deadline and

What would you do here would you make a big trade would you would you make a small trade on the peripheral that maybe swaps out a guy in your top eight but doesn’t change the dynamic of your total rotation uh like where would you head

Well you know I think I have to just approach it uh any trade I can make that makes the team better and I mean you’d love to make a big trade that you’re confident in would you know make the big splash that would really set you up but

Uh sometimes you don’t even have that opportunity so you know you’re always looking for that but if you can’t I mean if you can you know go get Chris Weber or Mitch Richmond or somebody that kind well yeah that that’s that’s a home run but uh don’t be scared to just settle

For a good single you know a nice a nice solid piece that uh you know Darius sua type guy that comes in and makes you better or uh L or you know kind of a periphery kind of trade where you trade a really good player like AO turkalo and

That’s involved in getting a Brad Miller in the long run it probably wasn’t a good move short run it saved you being a quality team for for two or three more years yeah yeah that I mean that’s always the dynamic right you’re you’re trying to like manage what’s today and

What’s tomorrow and you know like I I’ve heard you say it a million times if you have a five-year plan in the NBA you have no plan at all right right so yeah that’s it sounds good but you know it’s like trust the process well yeah trust

It as long as you’re getting paid and and and they don’t care about if you winning 15 games a year but better some point uh yeah I always say I think most in today’s uh Sports and all all sports I think you know probably three years is just about

The the limit that where they you know expect real Improvement yeah yeah totally um so we’ve talked about like sort of who you would go after uh what about these picks like the the Kings have their 2024 is pretty much tied up I mean they could not be tied up if they

Don’t make the make the playoffs but uh um they do have access to like the 26 the 28 the 30 um how far out did you ever feel comfortable trading picks or did you not because you were usually the team who took in picks yeah I mean the

Only thing I’d say is that uh you know you want certainly you don’t want to give up a lottery pick so you want protections on that but if uh and even though you’d think well that’s not going to be a problem going forward well don’t think that because it can be you know

Teams that didn’t protect picks in the past you know that were in the 20s they thought and all a sudden they were in the fives and so so that but I guess we had look at it is I would never be too concerned about trading a pick five

Years down the road if it’s not if as long as it’s protected for a couple of reasons I’d say you know I’m probably not going to be there and and in my case now as a fan I I may not be here in five years so uh if you can get

Something that helps you sooner you know because this team has a four or fivey year window you probably think yeah to accomplish something so why why are you concerned about you know past your own window for for really pushing for something yeah I think as long as you’re

Not giving up the future after your window a and you’re not just selling everything out your window it could last eight eight years here you got guys that are of a certain age you could you could string this thing out to 7even years what you don’t want to do is is put

Yourself in a situation that gets really ugly

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