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Kings GM Pete D'Alessandro sat down with reporters on April 22. Here's a summary of his thoughts and smokescreens.

• - Wants to keep Gay. Used this season to try to convince him to stay. Thinks Cuz, new arena are major selling points.
• - Will extend the qualifying offer to Isaiah Thomas
• - Possibly suggests that having Gay and Thomas and the 7th pick on the team next year isn't a must.
• - Derrick Williams will be on the summer league team. The McRookies will join him.
• - PDA hypes up the draft, saying there are good players everywhere. Claims to be interested in getting a 2nd round pick.
• - PDA wants some vets and guys with championship experience on the team, whether it's Jason Terry or not.
• - Says team needs better shooting, ball movement.
  
  
• Source: http://www.news10.net/videos/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/2014/04/22/8036895/

So, which are the thoughts and which are the smokescreens?

One thing I think this interview demonstrates is that PDA is willing to trade for a player who needs convincing in order to stay, like Rondo. So much for all those people clinging to that fake rumor saying the Kings backed out of a Rondo trade because, at the time, he didn't want to re-sign.

I'm a little worried by Pete saying our biggest need is shooters because that might mean he wants to acquire shooters from trades, free agency, or the draft. I don't like that because I think our team has good shooters already, who just aren't shooting well because of bad offense and poor ball movement. Thankfully, I think he's aware of that based on some of the other things he says.

He didn't say our need is shooters. It's shooting, meaning that at least in part, improvement can come from within. Ben has the potential to take a big step up and be a major floor-stretcher, and that would be huge for us.

As for other stuff: I'm personally ready to give up on Derrick Williams. He should have been our main scoring option off the bench this year, and instead he constantly disappeared, shot too many jumpers and sucked on D. He has talent, but lacks the necessary drive to be considered a keeper in my book.

And man, his vagueness when talking bout Isaiah is at an absolute Petrie-level. "There's this and there's that." Thanks for the update, Pete!

Getting shooters is never a bad thing as long as they aren't of the dribble, dribble.... dribble, dribble, shoot variety. We know this well.

This is interesting:

- Possibly suggests that having Gay and Thomas and the 7th pick on the team next year isn't a must.

Sounds to me more like Pete discovered some of the same issues I did a few months back, unless something comes up not only is it not a must, but it might not be possible. Pete needs to be on his game come draft night.

Dwill in the summer league? Wow. Don't know what to think about that. I guess it gives him a chance to be be himself but I wonder if they think he can build up some value in summer league? Give him 20 shots in summer league and he might look great but what does that really do for him or you come the real season when he goes back down to 6 good looks a game?

pillwenney wrote:And man, his vagueness when talking bout Isaiah is at an absolute Petrie-level. "There's this and there's that." Thanks for the update, Pete!

I actually think he was as descriptive as he could be. He said obviously Isaiah wants to stay here and they want him here, but it's a business and he had a phenomenal year. He's pretty much saying exactly what everyone has been talking about here: if we can afford to keep IT without crippling our contract situation, we keep him. If not, there's no hard feelings because it's a business. He just didn't give specifics on what would be considered affordable. Not sure what else you expect him to say.

Also, sounds like putting Dwill in the summer league with the rookies is to build chemistry rather than trade value. Especially if those three are gonna be coming off the bench next year together, that's important. And like Pete said, they're all so young.

Liked what Bill Self told Pete about Ben. That he hasn't shown it yet, but he's going to be a shooter. I like the Gerald Green comparison. I think Ben's going to turn into that heat check kinda guy. I think we'll see a significantly improved Ben next year and by his 3rd year a stud. Or at least I hope.

I really like Pete's mindset with all this. Very flexible and open minded, candid without saying too much, and you can see his desire for getting to the playoffs. I hope we can find a 2nd rounder somewhere. Can't wait for draft night.

I just hope they have realistic expectations of what DWill can give to this team. Paying 6 million for an offensively minded player who gets scraps regardless of where you play him might be a little high and won't change unless the scenery around him changes. I think they should be looking at him as a possible trade piece on draft night. At the very least as a potential expiring if nothing else.

SacKingZZZ wrote:I just hope they have realistic expectations of what DWill can give to this team. Paying 6 million for an offensively minded player who gets scraps regardless of where you play him might be a little high and won't change unless the scenery around him changes. I think they should be looking at him as a possible trade piece on draft night. At the very least as a potential expiring if nothing else.

Expirings are only valuable if you're trading them for even worse expirings in terms of production, or longer contracts. We can't really afford to sacrifice talent on our pathetically talent-lacking roster (aka everyone outside of essentially 3 players) and we can't afford to add more long-term salary.

Just let Williams play out his contract and let him walk at the end of the season.

You could always change out his expiring for a player you can use that is also expiring. If the plan is just to let him walk I say look for trade targets in players that you would plan on investing free agent money in anyway. Trading for worse contracts all depends on how you define what a worse contract is. The Kings did pretty well with the expirings they had in swapping them out for a worse contract last year via trade IMO. Don't have to pull the trigger but for goodness sake, at least look around, see what you can get.

And you can always afford to sacrifice talent if the only thing you're going to get is further devaluation from that talent. The holding on to and attempting to acquire more "talent" is the same problem this organization has had for 5 years.

teerfour+40LG wrote:One thing I think this interview demonstrates is that PDA is willing to trade for a player who needs convincing in order to stay, like Rondo. So much for all those people clinging to that fake rumor saying the Kings backed out of a Rondo trade because, at the time, he didn't want to re-sign..

The risk is a little different when you are giving up pretty much nothing for Rudy Gay vs giving up Mclemore, Thomas, and 2 picks for Rondo.

I still don't buy that being the package. Ainge would be willing to move Rondo when his value was high for Reke on draft night but not for a killer package like that when Rondo's value is tanked? Something is off with that one.