Time for a change: Kings need to ditch playoff plans, shake up roster with Fox trade
Don Draper, the protagonist from the iconic series, “Mad Men,” once told a frustrated client of his advertising agency, “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.”
It’s time for the Kings to change the conversation surrounding their season.
More specifically, it’s time for them to consider making a trade — a trade that will change the conversation about 2022.
The Kings of Sacramento to this point have been bent on ending their 15-year playoff absence. The results through the start of this week: battling with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday for the No. 12 spot in the Western Conference, two spots behind the No. 10 seed San Antonio Spurs for the last spot in the play-in tournament. Sacramento handled OKC, which was missing six players and its head coach due to health and safety protocols, 117-111.
The Kings’ win came two days after interim coach Alvin Gentry blasted his players following a 25-point home loss to the depleted Memphis Grizzlies. Gentry said, among other scathing things, “This is the most disappointed I’ve been in 34 years in the NBA.”
The conversations surrounding Sacramento this season has been largely about disappointment, the foolhardy attempt to reach the postseason with a roster that isn’t very good and the symbolism of a fan vomiting on the court the night before the team fired head coach Luke Walton.
The Kings are Draper’s frustrated client, looking for a direction that will change perception. Or at least they should be (while Draper and Roger Sterling order another round of cocktails).
Unfortunately, that conversation will continue as long as the Kings toil at the bottom of the Western Conference. They’ll be known as the team with unrealistic expectations and an owner missing the forest for the trees. Fans will continue to be heard in the loudest way possible by staying home and leaving a slew of empty seats in the Golden 1 Center, night after night.
So what trade?
That’s up to general manager Monte McNair to decide.
But if what happened in recent weeks is any sign of what could happen in the future, it could be finally time to move De’Aaron Fox and let Tyrese Haliburton become the player to build around. That move would solve a season-long issue with an unbalanced roster and set a course for the future fans could actually be excited about, rather than watching the Kings try to continue down the path they’re currently on, which would likely require Pepto Bismol to stomach.
Haliburton’s second NBA season has been frustrating. But when Fox missed four games in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Haliburton had his best stretch of the year and showed similar promise to his outstanding rookie campaign. His scoring average for the year is just 13.2 points. But he averaged 23.5 and 11.3 assists — while hitting 50% of his 3-point attempts — working as the lead guard in Fox’s absence.
The advanced metrics also favor Haliburton over Fox. According to Basketball Reference, Haliburton is ranked higher than Fox in offensive win shares, defensive wins shares and win shares per 48 minutes. Haliburton is the Kings’ leader in defensive box plus-minus and overall box plus-minus. He’s the only player on the Kings’ roster with a value over replacement player above a full game.
Haliburton continued his strong run Tuesday, scoring 24 points with 10 assists, a steal, two blocks and five made 3s. He shot 9-of-14 and it was his fifth game of the last six with at least 20 points and 10 assists. Fox on Tuesday finished with 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting and missed his three attempts from beyond the arc.
Say what you want about advanced stats, but Haliburton has been more efficient on both sides of the floor, even if Fox is averaging 22.2 points to lead the team. Haliburton is a better 3-point shooter, defender and facilitator. And Haliburton is scheduled to make $4.2 and $5.8 million over the next two seasons, while Fox’s max contract pays him $30.4, $32.6, $34.8 and $37 million over the next four.
Fox is the Kings’ featured guy on all their promotional materials. He’s the franchise’s most famous player — but he hasn’t proven to be a tone-setter, a rising tide that lifts all boats, a player that changes the culture or makes others around him better.
That’s what NBA superstars do. So while everything around Fox has been a mess, he hasn’t been the guy to change things, like Stephen Curry did with the Warriors or LeBron James with the Cavaliers. Fox should welcome a change of scenery, particularly if he can join other stars on an actual contender.
“I don’t think we lack leadership. I just think we lack a leader’s voice, if that makes sense,” Kings guard Terence Davis said recently, per the Bee’s Jason Anderson. “We don’t really have a leader’s voice. We have leaders. Their voice isn’t being heard enough, honestly. That’s just my opinion.”
A trade could lift the burden of playoff expectations off the players while opening up roster flexibility and allowing Haliburton to step into Fox’s role as the centerpiece.
The trade package in return for Fox could add much needed depth on the wing, 3-point shooting, a quality defender or two, and maybe even a power forward. It could also expedite the development of Davion Mitchell, who could play next to Haliburton as the tip of the spear to a real-life NBA defense. (Fox is one of the worst defenders in the NBA).
Fans love nothing more than a overachieving underdog, which they could become if they trade Fox for the right package of players. Golden 1 could actually turn into the atmosphere Arco Arena used to be, not a place known for its nauseous court side fan.
Until then, they’ll be the team needing to change the conversation.
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 7:12 AM.
