Free agency

[poopbox]

It’s wild to think, but it feels like FA is a thing of the past. Most players of import sign their deals and then seek to be moved.

I mean we got Luke in free agency...

 

[poopbox]

First Priority: Harrison Barnes

After that, here is my list of targets:

Dean Wade
Lu Dort
Simone Fonteccio
Ayo Dosunmu (if you think he can be a 3)
Tobais Harris
Haywood Highsmith
Vince Williams Jr (on a team option that will most likely be picked up)

Barnes as a first priority is pretty wild. He is at the "could be completely cooked at any moment" stage of his career. What would his contract even look like ?

 

[scott]

Barnes as a first priority is pretty wild. He is at the "could be completely cooked at any moment" stage of his career. What would his contract even look like ?

Not very large... but I'd like to see him retire here. His contract should reflect a transitory nature to bench player when the time comes, IMO

But I would say he isn't showing signs of being cooked at any moment. He takes great care of his body and still has some moves offensively. Definitely doesn't play D or rebound though! But like you said... he's one broken hip away from being cooked.

 

[CGD]

I mean we got Luke in free agency...

Yeah, in the great Luke Kornet sweepstakes of 2025. It was wild how much play that signing got last summer, which is a reflection that the bigger fish move via trade (not FA).

 

[poopbox]

Not very large... but I'd like to see him retire here. His contract should reflect a transitory nature to bench player when the time comes, IMO

But I would say he isn't showing signs of being cooked at any moment. He takes great care of his body and still has some moves offensively. Definitely doesn't play D or rebound though! But like you said... he's one broken hip away from being cooked.

Funny cause in preseason I thought he was completely done he was moving so slow and any amount of contact would bring him to a full stop. Turns out as a veteran player it just took him awhile to get into the physical flow of an nba season which makes sense cause like you said he looks perfectly fine now.

As a data driven person age 33 is the great unknown age. It's when it becomes really unpredictable to determine how much longer a guy who has been good to that point will stay good. I guess if the contract is reasonable enough it doesn't kill you although for the spurs if they signed barnes and then he became unplayable it probably would torpedo them cause now a guy who shouldn't be playing is playing cause Barnes is to cooked to play.

Even though he has been really good this year and unless he gets injured will probably be average to good the rest of the year I'd be looking to find an upgrade for Barnes in the off season. For me it's just to unpredictable to ask a 34 year old to play basically 3 positions on defense and be a borderline dead eye 3 point shooter.

 

[poopbox]

Yeah, in the great Luke Kornet sweepstakes of 2025. It was wild how much play that signing got last summer, which is a reflection that the bigger fish move via trade (not FA).

You don't need big fish to make your ream a lot better. Without Kornet our record is significantly worse than it is now.

 

[scott]

Funny cause in preseason I thought he was completely done he was moving so slow and any amount of contact would bring him to a full stop. Turns out as a veteran player it just took him awhile to get into the physical flow of an nba season which makes sense cause like you said he looks perfectly fine now.

As a data driven person age 33 is the great unknown age. It's when it becomes really unpredictable to determine how much longer a guy who has been good to that point will stay good. I guess if the contract is reasonable enough it doesn't kill you although for the spurs if they signed barnes and then he became unplayable it probably would torpedo them cause now a guy who shouldn't be playing is playing cause Barnes is to cooked to play.

Even though he has been really good this year and unless he gets injured will probably be average to good the rest of the year I'd be looking to find an upgrade for Barnes in the off season. For me it's just to unpredictable to ask a 34 year old to play basically 3 positions on defense and be a borderline dead eye 3 point shooter.

I'm thinking we could probably get away with a slight overpay in the next two years. Maybe a 3/36 with year 3 being a team option on a decending deal?

 

[mo7888]

Managing to land Tingus on the buyout market would be a late Christmas gift for us going into the playoffs

I really hope that happens. I want to see what a Wemby, Luke, Porzingis rotation looks like.

 

[poopbox]

I'm thinking we could probably get away with a slight overpay in the next two years. Maybe a 3/36 with year 3 being a team option on a decending deal?

Yeah cause who else is going to offer Barnes that kind of money. Also there is the added benefit of Kings fans crying about how if Barnes played like this in Sacramento they never would have had to sign Derozan

Also something to be said about being comfortable in your role and Barnes is. Some of the players I would like to replace him with probably wouldn't be ok getting the shot profile Barnes does and possibly low volume on some nights as well.

 

[poopbox]

I really hope that happens. I want to see what a Wemby, Luke, Porzingis rotation looks like.

Your more likely to sign Porzingis health care provider than you are Porzingis at this point tbh.

 

[scott]

Yeah cause who else is going to offer Barnes that kind of money. Also there is the added benefit of Kings fans crying about how if Barnes played like this in Sacramento they never would have had to sign Derozan

Also something to be said about being comfortable in your role and Barnes is. Some of the players I would like to replace him with probably wouldn't be ok getting the shot profile Barnes does and possibly low volume on some nights as well.

Good question... that area around the MLE (call it the $10-20MM/yr) range is still kind of untested under the new cap rules. Under the old rules, I could easily see Barnes getting that kind of deal (that is below MLE, after all). But now? I am kind of flying blind here.