RipPizzaGuy wrote:c3j3h wrote:Kings2013 wrote:
A couple of things I would personally have differences with here. First, I don't think your getting max value for him. I think his rep is in the toilet now for being a "malcontent" and teams would be trying to get him for .70 on the dollar. It's a league that's built on talent but GMs still have to consider their jobs, and it would be highly questionable on their parts of DMC didn't work out. Due to the tire fire of last season, the team quitting on Karl, and the histrionics it was a bad look for DMC to the point where 50% of his own fanbase now wants him out, that is his market.
Second, as RipPizza mentioned, the ill fit of KArl cannot be understated. DMC didn't like him nor did a lot of the team and the team quit playing for him. Now you replaced him with a coach who fits the player and did well with little in Memphis. Vlade is going to have another year to get fits around him, and DMC has repeatedly said he wants to retire in Sac. He has lost a lot of weight already and looks fierce and ready to go
You give it the first half of next year to see if it goes well IMO and see if he can get a better public image going.
If I may retort: I disagree with your contention that his reputation is in the toilet. Quite the contrary! I think his reputation is possibly better than it has ever been.
1. The whole world knows about the Karl situation at this point. They know about him overstepping his bounds and trying to trade Boogie behind the backs of the organization. They know that he basically quit on trying to coach the team before the season ever really started. I think most NBA fans see Karl for the snake he is.
2. The dysfunction of the franchise as a whole is well known. Vivek and Vlade are much more widely ostracized for their missteps and shortcomings. It's basically a meme at this point. I don't think anybody in their right mind blames all of this, or even most of it, on Cousins at this point. He is clearly not the only problem.
3. Despite team and organizational dysfunction, Boogie's performance has been better than ever. He's coming off a season where he averaged 27 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. He made the All Star game for the 2nd year in a row. He's one of the headliners of this summer's Olympic team, after winning a gold medal in the FIBA games already. He was named 2nd team All-NBA despite being on a team that hasn't won more than 33 games in his 6 year career, and he was ROBBED of what should've easily been a 1st team spot. He's inarguably the best Center on Earth.
On top of all of that, he has 2 years left on a great contract by the new salary cap standards. His $17 million owed this season makes up a measly 18% of the salary cap, for a guy that should arguably be the best player on a playoff contender. He's an absolute monster in the paint, is an effective defender. Most of his attitude problems on the court can be attributed to frustration from losing. Oh, and he's only going to be 26 years old this upcoming season.
If they wait until next year, do you really think his trade value will go up?!? How?!? Why?!? The only way they trade him at that point is if they are absolutely sure they won't be able to re-sign him, which means that they tried and failed yet again to make the playoffs. Do you think a 7th year missing the playoffs, with his 7th different NBA coach, is somehow going to make him look better? Do you think having one fewer year left on his contract will make him more appealing as trade bait than he is now? I certainly don't.
If you think the Kings can only get 70 cents on the dollar for him now (which i completely disagree with by the way) then wait until you see the offers that roll in (or more than likely don't roll in) when his contract becomes an expiring contract after yet another losing season on a team that is constructed specifically to benefit him...
IMO much of your argument is why we should keep him. Best center in the league. Arguably a top 10 talent. He's the guy you spend 5 years looking for in the draft. He's never been put in a good situation. This year going in with the moves we have already made at the coaching spot will easily be the best opportunity he has had. Don't forget at one point last year we were 45 games in at .500 ball trending upwards, the rest is history.
I see absolutely no reason to trade Cousins until we see what kind of difference Joerger makes. By all accounts Joerger isn't a rebuilding coach, he isn't a fast pace coach, he was brought in specifically to work with Cousins and I'd like to see that though.
Well this brings us right back to the beginning once again. I have said from day one, I would love to keep Cousins. He is one of my favorite players ever. I just don't see how they realistically pull it off.
At the end of the day, the guy is going to have to make a choice where he wants to spend the rest of his prime. His contract with the Kings expires at the end of his Age 27 season, so a 4 year contract would keep him here until the end of his Age 31 season. Those 4 years are the prime years.
Is he going to choose to stay in Sacramento for his prime if the Kings can't manage to build a legitimate playoff team around him by then? I seriously doubt it. I see no reason why he would. It would be stupid of him to do that.
Can the Kings afford to let his contract expire without signing him to an extension or trading him? Absolutely not! That is the worst case scenario, especially for a small market like Sacramento. Obviously, this decision will have to be made next summer at the very latest. Either he re-ups or he doesn't and you trade him.
The problem is, waiting another summer not only hurts his trade value, but it also hurts the Kings' subsequent reboot. That's one more potential lottery pick thrown away. One more summer spent frantically signing free agents and making trades to fill a roster around a guy that won't be here in a year. One more summer wasted on what could be a head start to the rebuild.
So rather than waiting until summer 2017 to make these decisions, they have to make these decisions now. If they can build a real team this summer, that's **** great! Bring in Conley and a good young 2-way SG and I"m all on board. I'm **** stoked. I just don't see that happening. The Kings have NEVER signed a star in free agency. EVER. How they would do so now, when the franchise's respect level around the league is arguably at an all-time low, is beyond me. If they pull it off, I'll happily send Vlade a carton of his favorite cigarettes and wear a sign of shame in front of the arena for every home game while I watch the team make a playoff run. I just don't see how they get from where they are right now to where they need to be in enough time to make a real difference where it counts the most.
If you can't build that contender, and they run it back with another woefully unprepared roster trying desperately to win games like a tuna flopping around on the beach like last season, then at that point you're not building morale or improving the culture. You're delaying the inevitable. You're killing value of the only real tangible asset you have. You're forcing something to work to save face rather than sucking it up and making the tough decision. You're forcing onward without a real plan or backup plan.
I feel like the Kings have been in that position for 10 years. I'm tired of it. I would rather see them trade DeMarcus (who I LOVE) and start over the right way for once than watch them fail yet again at trying to force relevancy upon an irrelevant roster. Do it all over organically,with a real plan. Who cares if they suck for a few more years? It's not like they don't suck now, and haven't sucked for the last decade. I'll happily sacrifice a few more years for a bigger payoff down the road, especially if they do it right this time.
Obviously not everybody agrees with me. Hell, a year ago I was in your shoes. I flipped out when I heard they were discussing a Boogie trade with the Lakers. Thought it was high treason to even consider trading him, especially to the Lakers. However my mind has officially been changed. I am WAY more scared of the bad things that can happen by keeping him until it's too late than I am of the bad things that could come from getting a fair trade, rebuilding, and watching him succeed elsewhere. I think the choice has been taken away from us at this point. That Phily trade sure as hell didn't help. Their hands are pretty much tied. If they can't make it work after 6 years, with all the opportunities and resources they have, what makes you think that a Hail Mary on 7th down is going to work out?
Of course, if Boogie comes out and publicly promises that he is staying in Sacramento, through thick or thin, and is signing an extension here no matter what, then all of this goes out the window. However I do not see that happening yet. I see no reason why he would commit to a team that has repeatedly shown an inability to do right by him, especially when he will have an opportunity to go wherever he wants and play with whoever he wants 2 summers from now. I'm convinced that this guy wants a ring (and I think that desire will only go stronger if they win Gold this summer by the way), and I think he will do whatever he feels he has to do to go get himself some hardware. He's currently on track to be the most spectacular player in NBA history to never play in a playoff game...I don't think he wants that to be his legacy.
