Preview of the Kings new season: Play-off teams that play well, but Kings Supermarket that don t play well

Guards: LaVine, Clifford, Monk, DeRozan, Stevens, Carter, Schroeder, Ellis

Forward: Saric, Murray, McDermott

Center: Sabo Nice, Eubanks, Caldwell, Leno, Jones

ESPN Kings Top 100 Players

Three Kings players were selected into ESPN's top 100 players for the new season.

Sabonis 34, LaVine 72, DeRozan 80

Last season's record was 40 wins and 42 losses, ranking ninth in the Western Conference. They lost to the Mavericks in the play-offs and missed the playoffs.

The team has not won a series for 21 consecutive seasons, which is tied with the Hornets for the longest period in NBA history.

Offseason operations - Kuminga and Westbrook did not come.

(1) The King traded Valanciunas for Saric.

(2) Signed with Schroeder for 44.4 million in three years.

The contract is fully guaranteed for the first two seasons and partially guaranteed for the third season, with an amount of US$4.35 million.

(3) Signed Eubanks with a one-year contract.

(4) Signed McDermott for $3.6 million a year.

(5) Westbrook, who has been interested in him all summer, has not come yet.

Shams reported that Westbrook and the Kings are strongly interested in each other.

Kings reporters said that if the team can solve the salary problem, there is a 70% chance that Westbrook will join the Kings.

(6) Ku Mingjia, whom I miss so much, cannot come.

Scot Perry, the new general manager of the Kings, said in the podcast: "Given the talent in the current lineup, it is no secret that we need a true point guard. And, in my opinion, if we want to strengthen the existing lineup, we need to add more players with taller arms, longer arms and stronger athletic ability on the front line. This is also no secret."

The Kings have always wanted Kuminga and made a commitment to Kuminga, giving him a starting position and a core position.

But after a summer of tension between the Kings, Warriors, and Kuminga, Kuminga still stayed with the Warriors.

The king's bamboo basket fetched water in vain.

If the season starts poorly, King's Supermarket may open.

Many of the main players in the Kings are no longer young.

LaVine is 30 years old, DeRozan is 36 years old, Sabonis is 29 years old, and Monk is 27 years old. These players are all players with immediate fighting ability. But in February this year, when the Kings planned to trade Fox away, the Kings had already decided to rebuild. During this offseason, the Kings have been selling Monk all summer to free up a spot for Westbrook. However, the preseason has started and Monk is still in the lineup. Before the trade deadline in the middle of the season, Monk may still be on the shelf.

The future of the core players of LaVine, DeRozan, and Sabonis with the Kings is unclear due to their age. If the Kings perform poorly in the early part of the new season, the Kings are likely to dismantle this lineup, tear down and rebuild. By then, the Kings may be the number one seller in the trade market.

Three-time All-Star and three-time consecutive rebounding champion Sabonis has the highest trade value in the team, and may be exchanged for multiple first-round draft picks.

Potential starter for the Kings

Schroder

LaVine

DeRozan

Keegan Murray (torn the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb during the game against the Trail Blazers and will be out for 4-6 weeks before being re-evaluated)

Sabonis Jr.

The core Big Three have no defense

This season, LaVine has an annual salary of US$47.49 million (expires in 2027, 26-27 player option), Sabonis has an annual salary of US$42.33 million, and DeRozan has an annual salary of US$24.57 million (expires in 2027). The three of them add up to nearly US$114 million.

But when three people were on the court at the same time, the King's defense was terrible. Data shows that last season, when the three of them were on the court at the same time, the Kings' defensive efficiency was 121, ranking only 28th in the league. Net efficiency -5.6, 24th in the league.

New general manager, new ideas

In April this year, the Kings lost to the Mavericks and missed the playoffs. Only half an hour after the game, the Kings announced the dismissal of general manager Monte McNair, and then hired Scott Perry as the team's new general manager.

The arrival of the new general manager will inevitably bring new ideas for team building.

DeRozan, LaVine, Sabonis, Monk and others are all players left over from the time when he was the general manager.

Will Perry completely tear down and rebuild? There is a certain possibility, and the possibility is not small.

Conclusion

The Kings' offseason operations were limited by salary space and existing contracts, and they failed to introduce the players they wanted, such as Kuminga and Westbrook. The Kings retained the core lineup of DeRozan, LaVine and Sabonis (the trade value of DeRozan and LaVine is not high), and introduced guard Schroeder. The Kings' defense is a huge hidden danger. In the main lineup, there are no players who can really defend from starters to substitutes. The Kings can only rely on offense if they want to win.

The Kings are a play-off team, but if the Kings perform poorly at the beginning of the season and fall out of the play-off area, I believe the Kings will definitely make up their minds and choose to completely tear down and rebuild. By then, the Kings Supermarket will open. How to exchange existing players for assets such as draft picks and young potential stocks will be the top priority of the Kings management.