The ball and chain known as....

[Smills91]

....Kenny Thomas' albatross contract.

What would have to be the 'buy-out' amount to make it worth ditching this guy?

My opinion is that it'd have to be VERY low, probably less than 50% of his contract. My reasoning is because in exactly one year, ONE YEAR the guy becomes an expiring contract of 8 million dollars(and very nifty trading chip next year).

If we buy him out then the money used to buy him out(say it's 75% ~ 6million dollars) is cemented onto our salary cap for the next two seasons which equates to roughly 2 million in savings each year of his contact. Once he's bought out his contract stays on our payroll for the remaining length of his contract(2 years) and CAN NOT BE TRADED.

4 million dollars over two years savings vs. 1 year of waiting for an 8 million expiring contract??? THat's the dilemma I see.

Typically players only allow 3-5 million dollars go when they negotiate a contract. Hardly much incentive IMO to wait just ONE year.

I think Kenny gives us a HUGE value trip to improve our roster after next season is completed. So as much as I hate the guy, I think we should hold onto him and look to deal him as an expiring to deal(a la Kwame Brown and change for Pau Gasol) type of deal...that trade still burns me royally to this day. Grizzlies are competing with the Knicks for my 3rd most hated team(IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Napolean voice)

So we need to hang onto Kenny Thomas unless he's willing to take a SEVERE pay cut to buy him out. That's my conclusion.

[andaaaay]

I hate to say it, but I agree. But I never understood why we didn't played the guy. Only because his trade value is at an all time low now. I mean even last year there were some trades on these boards asking about k9. I think we would've been better off playing him a little so that we could have given him some sort of trade value. Then it might have been easier to include him in a trade with Ron and shed his ridiculous contract.

[BMiller52]

I don't really care about the expiring anymore. I mean I just want the guy gone. If we can save 2-3 dollars per year great, but he's a waste of a roster spot and too expensive to be a 15th man.

[_SRV_]

Petrie gave up on KT before this season, that's the only explanation for the Mikki Moore signing and the treatment this guy is getting.

[Smills91]

I don't really care about the expiring anymore. I mean I just want the guy gone. If we can save 2-3 dollars per year great, but he's a waste of a roster spot and too expensive to be a 15th man.

Oh no one hates him more than me, but the fact is he could have an incredible amount of value (i.e. Kwame Brown, Kurt Thomas) in just ONE season.

If we bite the bullet for one season we can have the ability to potentially land a star caliber player. You match Kenny's expiring deal with a young player and you have a nice package to get one of those 'disgruntled' superstars that seem to come out on a yearly basis.

I hate Kenny and what his contract does to our cap situation, but he could become very valuable to our rebuilding efforts in just one short year.

[KingInExile]

I'm still holding out hope that KT will look at the long-term benefits of him opting out of his deal this year. Yes he will lose money next year, but I'm sure someone would sign him to a minimum (or maybe even LLE) deal for next season. He will at least get playing time and an opportunity to earn another multi-year contract.

[Smills91]

I'm still holding out hope that KT will look at the long-term benefits of him opting out of his deal this year. Yes he will lose money next year, but I'm sure someone would sign him to a minimum (or maybe even LLE) deal for next season. He will at least get playing time and an opportunity to earn another multi-year contract.

And I hope that liberals grow up, start working and get educated on the facts of economics. But that's not happening anytime soon. IT'S 17 million dollars he'd be walking away from. No way he walks away from that.

[pillwenney]

I basically agree. The only reason I would like to see him gone is that, while his contract will be a big expiring next year, we'll still have Brad's big expiring, SAR, and Mikki if we hold on to him. So we could buy out Kenny and save the couple million per year, and still have I think like $23-24million in expirings next summer between the rest of our aging bigs--definitely enough to bring in a star if the situation did so arise.

[SacTown Kings]

Back to reality. Kenny is not going anywhere. Nobody wants to trade for him and he is not going to accept a buyout. If Artest picks up his option then I bet we try to handcuff Kenny to Ron again and see if there are any takers this time around.

[wiltchamberlain]

Kenny is going to stay until his contract is up. No one will trade for him and right now I think the Maloof's are too money conscious to buy him out. The only possible way the Kenny situation ends in anything but sadness is if we manage to trade his expiring, but forgive me if I'm not optimistic that we'll be able to get the same value that the Lakers did for Kwame, that was a fluke.

[ICMTM]

We'll see Kenny in the club again, soon! Smills is right, although his analogy was WAY off...

If Kenny Thomas opts out there is no guarantee he'll even play again

[deNIEd]

Again, Smills brings politics into a completely different topic, even though his politics are completely and utterly wrong. As if you go back and look at America's economic history, GDP has done far more damage than liberals in our economy.

Anyways.

Thomas and Shareef should both be kept.

[Wolfay]

Does anybody know any "friends" that can "persuade" Thomas to "disappear"?

[chriswebb86]

I'm still holding out hope that KT will look at the long-term benefits of him opting out of his deal this year. Yes he will lose money next year, but I'm sure someone would sign him to a minimum (or maybe even LLE) deal for next season. He will at least get playing time and an opportunity to earn another multi-year contract.

See thats what I am hoping he does. I know someone would sign him for at least the minimum and if he can prove that he still has it, I think a contract of 4 years at about the Mid-Level could get done for him. Meaning he would make the money his giving up and more. However, I doubt he does that.

[Smills91]

-= original quote snipped =-

See thats what I am hoping he does. I know someone would sign him for at least the minimum and if he can prove that he still has it, I think a contract of 4 years at about the Mid-Level could get done for him. Meaning he would make the money his giving up and more. However, I doubt he does that.

If it were 8 million over 2 years sure I could see that...but he's still owed 17 million dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No way he walks away from that.

[Smills91]

Does anybody know any "friends" that can "persuade" Thomas to "disappear"?

Just do it yourself Wolfay, that's the only way to make sure it's done right.

[deNIEd]

I really am starting to think Shareef/Thomas/Moore as a positive asset for the Kings.

If we truly rebuild, it likely means Salmons/Artest/Miller are all up for trades. I'm 100% certain that trading any of those 3 pieces won't land us a surething franchise type player (ie, Al Jefferson, Caron Butler, #5 pick) type of a situation. Instead we will be getting players that could be good/great or are still projects ie, Sheldon Williams (Kleiza, A. Brooks, etc.)

Because of this, say we trade Salmons/Miller/Artest, each nets us a bare minimum of 1 good young piece.
Sheldon/Garcia/3 young pieces/08 draft/09 draft/3 2nd rounds/Douby
combined with Moore/Shareef/Thomas (23 million dollar expiring)

That combination should be able to put is at the forefront of any possible major midseason trade.

Keep them, from what we know, K. Thomas isn't hurting the team at all (being a distraction/cancer).

[SacTown Kings]

I really am starting to think Shareef/Thomas/Moore as a positive asset for the Kings.

If we truly rebuild, it likely means Salmons/Artest/Miller are all up for trades. I'm 100% certain that trading any of those 3 pieces won't land us a surething franchise type player (ie, Al Jefferson, Caron Butler, #5 pick) type of a situation. Instead we will be getting players that could be good/great or are still projects ie, Sheldon Williams (Kleiza, A. Brooks, etc.)

Because of this, say we trade Salmons/Miller/Artest, each nets us a bare minimum of 1 good young piece.
Sheldon/Garcia/3 young pieces/08 draft/09 draft/3 2nd rounds/Douby
combined with Moore/Shareef/Thomas (23 million dollar expiring)

That combination should be able to put is at the forefront of any possible major midseason trade.

Keep them, from what we know, K. Thomas isn't hurting the team at all (being a distraction/cancer).

Well I doubt we trade Artest and Salmons. It's either one or the other, not both.

And I disagree that Thomas is a positive asset. No offense, but have you watch Kenny play the last year and a half. He is terrible and his contract gives all NBA GM's nightmares. Kenny will never ever be an asset, he is a cancer frog face for the rest of his Kings life.

[pillwenney]

-= original quote snipped =-




Well I doubt we trade Artest and Salmons. It's either one or the other, not both.

And I disagree that Thomas is a positive asset. No offense, but have you watch Kenny play the last year and a half. He is terrible and his contract gives all NBA GM's nightmares. Kenny will never ever be an asset, he is a cancer frog face for the rest of his Kings life.

He's talking about next year, when Kenny will be a big expiring contract, at which point he'll certainly be a positive asset, regardless of the fact that he sucks.

[KF10]

Leave Kenny Thomas alone!