NLL Insider - Team by Team: Sacramento Kings by vt, updated on Sunday, September 07 2008, 06:38 pm EST
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2007-2008
Finish:
19-63
What went bad
When we last left the Kings, GM Mlok had traded away stars Deron Williams and Stephen Jackson for a handful of picks and big bad Carlos Boozer. Well, this season began without a beat as the Kings continued to demolish their team right up to the first jump ball. Gm Mlok must have read our critique of the Boozer deal and immediately traded him to Detroit. They got Antoine Walker and his bloated contract and up-and-coming big man Andrew Bynum for their trouble.
After filling out the roster with league flotsam and jetsom (can you say Eddie House and Brevin Knight for close to $10 million), the Kings begin the season. But it seems our Kings are the NLL equivalent of Major League. GM Mlok wants them to lose. If acquiring Walker and his $14 million isn’t bad enough, the rest of the season to come was filled with even more head-scratchers.
In the NLL’s first season, the Sacramento Kings won their division. They haven’t made the playoffs since. It seems that management is determined to keep them out. For the second time in two years they finished with the worst record in West. But as GM Mlok accrues first rounder after first rounder, we have to ask ourselves, could he be losing on purpose?
What went worse
The wholesale destruction of the Kings came with two trades. First, big man Samuel Dalembert was traded for the team’s newest center…Boris Diaw-Riffiod?! Eventually the team would have no one over 6’8” on the roster, why make this deal? Finally, team cornerstone Shane Battier was traded for Beno Udrih and benchwarmer Steve Francis. Udrih went on to play decent ball. Francis sat with Walker and Donyell Marshall and bitched about the management. Then Bynum was traded, along with 2 first round picks…for two first round picks!! Dalembert, Battier, SJax and Deron. That lineup trumps Diaw, Lasme, Udrih and Conley any day. |
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The Goats
Antoine Walker- F
Walker made over $14 million last season (thanks to the old SEA GM) and played in only 37 games. He knew something was rotten in Sacramento and simply refused to play. Though he hopes for a trade, no one in the league will touch his contract. He can only hope for a buy-out. More likely he will have to choose to play or sit again.
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Mlok- GM
Anyone that tanks deserves the goat position. Defend your moves all you like, your team is still in last place. |
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Looking to the future
The Kings enter the new season in pretty bad shape. They did well in the draft, scoring O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, Brook Lopez and Bill Walker. But guess what? They traded away Lopez and ROY Mike Conley to take on even more salary with Lamar Odom and the lesser talented Robin Lopez. For a team in the “rebuilding” process, holding onto hot rookies is a much better strategy than getting overpaid veterans who collapsed late in the season.
So what do the Kings have now? Well the trifecta of Francis, Walker and Marshall are still eating up $24 million. Combine that Odom’s $14 million and Diaw’s $9 million, that leaves just $3.5 million re-sign Udrih and the rookies. In a year the team will have some dough to make a splash in the FA market, but with a third losing season will anyone want to play here?
What can the Kings do? Moving either Diaw or Odom for depth would be a good start. Then dumping those expiring contracts could also work for them. They have a good core with the new rookies, but who knows how long until they are flipped for picks. The Kings have a lot of work to do. With a poor record, a lousy trading history and a fairly unpopular GM, this team does not look attractive at all. |
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