2016-17 Running NBA Thread

Here's a few details, and I'm assuming this'll undergo the NBA's version of heavy vetting. But with all the draft picks involved, we're talking Extreme NBA Makeovers, Kings edition.

Kings agree to trade DeMarcus Cousins to Pelicans

 

Sacramento has obviously just adopted the Philadelphia strategy of tanking for lottery picks. What makes the Kings situation different is that Philadelphia realized what they were doing.

 

I'm just shocked that they couldn't get more. The Celtics must have hated him.

 

That really is a stunningly great trade for the Pelicans.

It's also a good reminder of why the Sacramento Kings could disappear and it would take NBA fans months to even notice.

 

Hield is a scorer, and they got a 1st and 2nd.

Yes, he's scoring just 9 a game right now but he's also playing just 20 minutes a game.

It was a fine move by the Kings.

 

If by fine you mean atrocious I agree.

The first is top 3 protected and a 2nd is useless. There's probably a good reason Hield is only playing 20 minutes a night in a sub 500 team.

 

Right now Aaron Afflalo gets more minutes than anyone else in Sacramento at shooting guard. He averages eight points a game on 43% shooting from the floor, 38% from three and 88% from the foul line. Hield, in 20 minutes, averages nine points on 39% shooting from the floor, 37% from three and 88% from the foul line. How much of an upgrade is Hield over Afflao? I agree Hield may have more upside.

But Cousins averages 35 minutes a game. His minutes will largely go to Willie Cauley-Stein and Kostas Koufas. The Kings are going to get killed inside. The Pelicans pick is top three protected and I think the 76'ers have the right to switch picks if the Kings finish with the 10th or lower pick. So the Kings will almost certainly not have a top three pick (that would wind up in Philly) and they are going to have to find a big. Good luck finding one as talented as Cousins.

 

Pelton gave the trade a D for the Kings, an A- for the Pelicans, if you have Insider and want to read his analysis: Trade grades: Winners and losers in Cousins deal - I'd agree with what he wrote. Unless Cousins' value tanked over the past couple months and they were getting lowball offers from the Celtics and others, I would have rather had their pu pu platter of draft picks and wings than a Top 3 protected, Hield and Evans from the Pelicans. Hield might get better and make the trade look OK, but as Pelton points out, he's 23 and only 10 months younger than Ben McLemore.

 

You must comment on one of the local colleges. Routinely people on that forum assume that because someone scores 4 points in 4 minutes of garbage time, he could score 40 if he played a whole game.

 

Maybe even 50!

 

No. No no no.

Hield is potentially a pretty good shooter. That's it. He's getting 20 minutes a night on a team that had no decent shooting guards.

Demarcus Cousins is arguably the best center in the game and no worse than second. They gave him up for a potentially decent SG, two shitty SGs, a midround 1st pick and a worthless 2nd round pick. That's brutal.

The Kings got fleeced. This is apparently the exact same package -- minus Buddy Hield -- that the Pelicans offered for Okafor, and the Sixers said no. And Okafor can't play for shit.