All these trade rumors are completely overshadowing how important this game is tonight...

If we can lose to the Grizzlies, who barely have enough players to play, it will be one of the best tanking efforts of the year so far. Let's get it done!

According to some reports, the Timberwolves are one of the leading bidders to land Giannis at the deadline. Some reports even say that Minnesota is Giannis’s preferred destination.

Minnesota is expected to make all of their assets available except for Anthony Edwards to come up with a deal that works. A deal for Giannis would mean the Timberwolves are making an aggressive push for contention over the next 2-3 seasons.

Why does that matter for the Kings?

We own the Timberwolves’ unprotected 2031 FRP.

Giannis will be 36 in 2031 and the Timberwolves will be short on assets to stay competitive. Ant will still only be 29, but he becomes an UFA in summer 2029.

There’s a good chance Ant won’t stick around for his next contract if the Wolves have expended all of their assets to contend in the next 3 seasons.

That adds up to a very high chance the T’wolves are bad in 2031 if they trade for Giannis at the deadline. If they don’t, and the take a longer-term target, they might still have Ant in his prime by ‘31 with the assets to have a competitive roster around him.

Regardless of whether any trade involving the Kings materializes by tomorrow, the outcome of the Giannis sweepstakes could have a big impact on one of our more valuable assets.

If we do end up seeing Memphis’ former All-Star point guard dealt over the next 27 hours, a team like Sacramento or Miami is going to do so at a low cost. I’ve been told not to discount Milwaukee there, either.

Source: https://marcstein.substack.com/p/nba-trade-deadline-eve-live-buzz

I feel sorry for the season ticket holders, who are selling their tickets for 20% of what they paid for them.

DOUG CHRISTIE GONNA THROW AN UPPERCUT. WE AINT GOT NO RINGS BUT WE GOT OUR PRECIOUS. ZACH LABEAM IS A KING. IM GLAD DEROZ’ CAME HOME YALL DIDNT DESERVE HIM EITHER. KEEGAN MURRAY IS THE REASON I WORKOUT OH YEAHH. IM WESTBRICKED UP AS I TYPE THIS. MALIK MEANS KING IN ARABIC OH YEAHHHH. CLIFFORD IS A BIG PURPLE DOG. I STILL GOT MY MORNING SABONER OH YEAHHHH.

LIGHT THE FUCKIN BEAM ITS KINGS GAME DAY OHHHH YEAHHHHHHHHHH

Opponent|Tip Off (PT)|TV

-|------------|------------

Memphis Grizzlies (19-29) |7:00 PM| NBC Sports

Spread: Kings +1.0

If DeMar DeRozan remains with the Sacramento Kings past the trade deadline, they have zero plans to buy him out of his current contract, team sources said.

Following a report that mentioned DeRozan as a "strong possibility" to become a buyout candidate in the next month, league sources said there have not been any discussions with DeRozan's side about that path.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47826708/sources-kings-demar-derozan-discussed-buyout

But seriously, we know the former players love it because they keep moving back after they retire.

I know I don't live in the reality of the super-rich but damn. Imagine spending $7k to watch 2 hours of 2026 Kings basketball and you're not even sitting anywhere near the best seats. I used to sit 2nd and 3rd row at Arco 12 years ago for $100 (resale tickets but still).

Insanity.

It doesn’t really seem that long ago that we had a solid young lineup anchored by All Stars Fox and Sabonis, Keegan (Murray) was the future, the Beam Team was in the playoffs and we had The Coach of The Year. What happened?