Sacramento Kings

RoundballDaily.com, the same site that brought you The Lost Champions: the Story of the 2002 Sacramento Kings and the Fixed Western Conference Finals also has one of the most accurate mock drafts on the internet from year to year. The latest mock draft is out, and it has the Kings coming up with one of the main guys Ziller and co. have wanted so badly. It's also interesting because it mentions that Cleveland could trade the No. 1 pick for an established veteran. Check out the entire mock draft here. You won't be disappointed. Now, if the Kings could just figure out what to do with Tyreke and Boogie... RoundballDaily.com, the same site that brought you The Lost Champions: the Story of the 2002 Sacramento Kings and the Fixed Western Conference Finals also has one of the most accurate mock drafts on the internet from year to year. The latest mock draft is out, and it has the Kings coming up with one of the main guys Ziller and co. have wanted so badly. It's also interesting because it mentions that Cleveland could trade the No. 1 pick for an established veteran. Check out the entire mock draft here. You won't be disappointed. Now, if the Kings could just figure out what to do with Tyreke and Boogie...

For those of us on this board who followed the Kings franchise(congrats Sacto!!) when they were the Cinncinnati Royals the announcement of the death of Flynn Robinson must have awoken some memories. Bad ones. Rumors were rampant as far back as 1967-68 that Oscar Robertson,tired of the direction(familiar downward plane)the team was on and his disagreements with new couch Bob Cousy,wanted out.For two years Royals fans wandered what a great bounty they would get for The Big O, this annual all star.Thoughts of high draft picks,a,younger star,even a couple of solid young pros crept into our minds. On April 21st 1970,with attendance at The Cinncinnati Gardens averaging about 3,100 per game(not a typo)Royals GM Joe Axelson(yes the same) finally pulled the trigger on the trade of the franchises greatest player of all time.All Royals fans were a bit shocked at the bounty of Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk that we received from Milwaukee. Robinson we were at least familiar with.He had been a promising rookie with the Royals two seasons before before being traded for a washed up Guy Rodgers.But Charlie Paulk was in the freaking military at the time.Both players lasted a year.Robinson,given away for a second round stiff,had some good seasons thereafter.Who knows about Paulk? Any other Royals fans out there who wish to relive all this and Kenny Durrett too?

March 25, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors vice chairman Vivek Ranadive (left) and daughter Anjali Ranadive (right) watch during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Lakers 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports I know, I know, the report comes from none other than everybody’s FAVORITE NBA scribe, Ric Bucher. But, given Bucher does have connections within the Warriors, it could be something to keep an eye on. According to Ric, new Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has put Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Malone on his short list to replace Keith Smart, who is not expected to be retained. …Kings primary owner, apparently is doing the same, beginning with putting Warriors assistant coach Mike Malone on his list of candidates to be the Kings’ next head coach, a source said Malone is a highly respected coach throughout the league, spending time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and New Orleans Pelicans before his stop in Golden State. Best known for his ability to transform defenses, Malone has taken bottom dwelling team defenses and flipped their pages, ranking them in the upper echelon of the league. Golden State Warriors advisor Jerry West has been a driving force behind Malone getting an NBA head coaching job, which has put Malone atop the wishlist of a handful of teams currently void of a coach, like the Philadelphia 76ers. If the report has merit, it would be a great addition assuming the Kings could bring him aboard – but they’re certainly going to have some competition.

Under the radar this week, the Sacramento Bee's Jason Jones reported that Geoff Petrie cancelled his attendance at a group NBA draft workout in New Jersey to meet with Vivek Ranadivé in Sacramento. The workout focused on second-round prospects, but it's a strong indication that Vivek will be replacing Petrie soon. Petrie had planned to attend this week's predraft group workout in New Jersey. Instead, he's in California as the transition from the Maloof family to Ranadive's group takes place. Jones later tweeted that the Kings did have other reps in Jersey. I maintain that because of the proximity to the draft, I wouldn't be surprised if Petrie was retained in an advisory or consulting role for one more year, if he's willing to return, to help get through this summer and provide insight on the roster as it stands. Obviously the new ownership group would be hiring a GM who knows the league well, but there's extra knowledge of Sacramento's own players that Petrie and crew can help with. Petrie's contract ends in a month, though, so he could simply walk away. Jones also tweeted on Friday that Kings trainer Daniel "Shippy" Shapiro has apparently taken a job with the University of Washington.

The work now begins for Vivek Ranadivé and the new owners of the Sacramento Kings.  Ranadivé and company have to revamp and retool a franchise that’s been run on the cheap the last several years. How will Ranadivé attack the rebuilding process?  The video below by the new Kings owner may offer some insight.  Here’s an excerpt: One of the factors you often hear people often talk about is that they don’t like to hire guys with big egos.  I’m a contrarian on this because I believe that people that are very, very good often have big egos and you just have to accept it and make it work.  And so I like to say that I actually love to hire prima donnas.  They have to have the goods, but they can deliver great amounts of value. Ranadivé discusses purchasing Downtown Plaza and basketball operations decisions He was the man of the hour at Thursday night’s raucous celebration in Downtown Sacramento.  Ranadivé made the media rounds, meeting with local stations as well as national outlets like ESPN.  He also spoke very briefly to a scrum of reporters on several topics quoted below. On where they stand in the development of the downtown arena: Well we’re moving very rapidly on that.  We are moving rapidly to get the downtown lot.  We’ve already sent the check so that we can have it.  And we want to be in by 2016-17, so we’re gonna work really hard to give the Kings fans the best arena on the planet. On if they ownership group has indeed purchased the Downtown Plaza from JMA Ventures: We’ve already sent the check so that we now have the ability to control and buy the land. On finding a way to buy the Macy’s men’s store, which is not currently owned by JMA Ventures: Well we hope to have control of that whole lot including Macy’s. On when they can start making decisions on the front office and coaching staff: Well, the deal closes at the end of next week and so we want to start getting into that very quickly. On if they’re planning to have conversations with existing basketball operations staff, including Geoff Petrie and Keith Smart: Yes, I want to sit down with everyone as quickly as possible.

Kings Fan Photos

Thank You, Kings Fans!

We always encourage fan submissions here at A Royal Pain, but not often do we get pictures. This afternoon, Michael Starghill dropped me a note with a few photos from last evenings Long Live the Kings rally that we figured would be cool to share with the ARP readers. If any other’s have some cool pictures to pass along, please feel free. For now, check out some of Michael’s work from last night and make sure to visit his blog for more pictures of the rally: Property Michael Starghill Property Michael Starghill Property Michael Starghill

Kings Q&A: Mitch Richmond

Free Agency is one of the few topics Kings fans don't claim to have expertise on because for the most part, the Kings have historically not been very active on the Free Agent market. The highest profile signing in Kings history was back in 1998 when the team made Vlade Divac one of the top paid Centers in the NBA (5 years, $40 million). In recent memory the biggest signing the Kings have made was Chuck Hayes in 2011 (4 years, $22 million). Might that reputation change with new ownership? Sacramento is fortunate to not be burdened with overly burdensome contracts. Jason Thompson currently has the longest deal of any King but is very reasonably priced for a big man. Marcus Thornton has the most expensive contract, although that will likely be surpassed by Tyreke Evans if he is re-signed. In terms of cap space, the Kings have $41.3 million committed in salary for 2013-14 if you don't include cap holds. Of Sacramento's Free Agents (Tyreke Evans, Cole Aldrich, James Johnson, Toney Douglas) only Evans really has a solid chance of being retained. The Kings also own the #7 pick, which will add about $2.5 million to Sacramento's salary number. Last year the Salary Cap was set at $58 million. It likely will go up for the first time in a couple years for next season. Let's assume a Salary Cap of $60 million. Without taking Tyreke Evans into consideration, they will have about $16.2 million in cap space. If the Kings were to attempt a big move this offseason, who is out there to spend on? Here are the biggest names: Josh Smith, F, Atlanta Hawks Andre Iguodala*, G/F, Denver Nuggets David West, PF, Indiana Pacers Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers Dwight Howard, C, Los Angeles Lakers Brandon Jennings**, PG, Milwaukee Bucks Monta Ellis*, SG, Milwaukee Bucks J.J. Redick, SG, Milwaukee Bucks Kevin Martin, SG, Oklahoma City Thunder Manu Ginobili, SG, San Antonio Spurs Al Jefferson, F/C, Utah Jazz Paul Millsap, PF, Utah Jazz Jeff Teague**, PG, Atlanta Hawks Andrew Bynum, C, Philadelphia 76ers *Iguodala and Ellis must first exercise options before they become Free Agents. It's possible, if unlikely, that they could choose not to exercise those options. ** Jennings and Teague will be Restricted Free Agents There are also some smaller names that could help the Kings fill positions of need: Kyle Korver, G/F, Atlanta Hawks Anthony Morrow, G/F, Dallas Mavericks Corey Brewer, SF, Denver Nuggets Jose Calderon, PG, Detroit Pistons Jarrett Jack, G, Golden St. Warriors Tony Allen, SG, Memphis Grizzlies Mike Dunleavy, SF, Milwaukee Bucks Dorell Wright, SF, Philadelphia 76ers Toney Douglas*, PG, Sacramento Kings Tiago Splitter, PF/C, San Antonio Spurs DeJuan Blair, PF/C, San Antonio Spurs Gary Neal*, SF, San Antonio Spurs * Neal and Douglas can both be Restricted Free Agents There is also another tried and true method of improving the team and that involves trading. The Kings definitely have some assets that can be used to acquire other pieces. I would rank Sacramento's assets in terms of trade value (I am leaving Tyreke Evans off this list due to his current Free Agent status) thus: 1. DeMarcus Cousins 2. The #7 Pick 3. Isaiah Thomas 4. Patrick Patterson 5. Marcus Thornton 6. Jason Thompson 7. Jimmer Fredette 8. The #36 Pick 9. John Salmons 10. Chuck Hayes 11. Travis Outlaw With those pieces the Kings can make a big trade or two, but also a couple of small ones. One example of a small one I could think of is trading the #36 pick to Portland for the rights to International SF Kostas Papanikolaou. There was a report today that Papanikolaou is seeking a trade before coming to the NBA because Portland is already set at SF with Batum and Victor Claver. Papanikolaou plays for Olympiakos, the reigning Euroleague champions. He also shot well over 40% from three in over 50 games last season. The Kings enter a new era with a wealth of options before them. Finding the right one(s)