2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[mvossman]

He's unrestricted and the kings only have early bird rights so it does seem like he'll leave for the right price.

I don't see trading DP as a realistic option honestly unless it's just a straight dump.  I'd rather see what we can do with him here until 2023 deadline when he becomes a more valuable asset as an expiring contract.

I can see a scenario where KP/Holmes frontcourt works together similar to the way DP/KP work together where Holmes is essentially playing the 4 spot on defense but that kind of takes away of what he can be as a defensive anchor.

The biggest issue with building around KP (at least for me) is that you can really only place him in that defensive anchor role or he'll get pretty exposed out on the perimeter.  The problem with that is that he's proven over the past two years that he has a lot of inefficiencies playing that role in our system.  He's still a good help side rim protector but I feel like we have enough of a sample size to see that he just isn't mobile enough to handle his drop coverage responsibilities in the pick and roll. I look at Holmes as more of a KP replacement in a world where KP gets moved for backcourt/wing help somehow (Wiggins/Pick?).  I feel strongly that you need a top 10 defense to win a championship in this league (the nets may become an exception to that rule but we'll see...) and also feel strongly that we'll always be an average to below average defensive team with KP as our anchor.  Building a top 10 offense with Luka should not be that much of a struggle so I feel like if you have the opportunity to really turn the defense around you should do so.

Having said that, if we just dump Powell and sign Holmes to play alongside KP I would easily talk myself into being excited about the potential results.

I agree on the likelihood of dumping Powell.  Not just because he currently has negative value, but also because they love him.  I suppose it is possible.  They did dump Barnes (and wasted his cap space) and they loved him, so there is some precedent, but I think right now it will take more than a second and I don't see them doing that.

Also agree that we need to have a top 10 defense to be a legit contender and have questions regarding KP being able to anchor that.  I had hopes that adding Maxi and JRich to the starting lineup would get us to that level, but other than a stretch after the all-star break the results have been disappointing.  If he can't be that anchor and we have to turn him into a poor defensive 4 then we need to move on from him.  Wiggins and a pick would be a disappointing return (rather the pick than Wiseman) but I would probably pull that trigger if we have to.