Just how bad was the offseason for the Sacramento Kings?
When the summer started, many fans were hoping for something substantial from Sacramento, certain strategic moves that would inspire faith and hope for the upcoming year. Instead, they got minor changes and a lot of rumors and speculation.
The quiet offseason has been a painful reminder that the Kings' front office is still troubled and unsure of how to conduct business. It stings even more because things were looking so bright only a few seasons ago. It's not just fans who feel this way, because many NBA analysts are saying the same thing.
With few changes and little hope, the Kings are "nearing catastrophe"
Writing for Bleacher Report, Grant Hughes said, "the days of the Sacramento Kings resembling a functional organization are over."
He didn't stop there. Hughes went on.
"De'Aaron Fox's exit was an in-season move, but it followed head coach Mike Brown's firing and preceded an offseason of troublingly familiar mismanagement. Dennis Schroder was Sacramento's big free-agent get, and it's very difficult to be excited by a journeyman point guard whose whole game has been based on speed aging deeper into his 30s," he wrote.
The Kings have been criticized for their mismanagement many times before, but fans were hoping that the days of boneheaded offseason signings and ill-advised contracts were behind them. Sadly, that isn't the case, as proven by Schroder's $44 million over the next three seasons and the fact that the Kings gave up Jonas Valanciunas for Dario Saric.
During the days of the "Light the Beam" era, things were bright in Sacramento and it felt like the team and its front office had evolved. That apparent growth was welcome and exciting but short-lived. The Kings have slipped back into old habits and it's as if the days of the bright purple beam shining above California's capital never happened.
The worst part about this situation is that the team has been here before. Again and again, they have made the wrong moves, given up talent, and agreed to bloated contracts that never pay off. This isn't a bug; it's a feature. It's just the way the Kings work.
Hugh said the team is "nearing catastrophe," which means they could get even worse. There is a chance that the Kings enter the new season with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. They could do better than expected and prove everyone wrong. But the history of this team and recent moves prove that the front office is more comfortable with this approach, one that hasn't gotten them anywhere.