Sam Amick believes the Kings are targeting offense on the trade market

The Athletic’s Sam Amick joined The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross on Thursday morning to recap the Kings’ loss to the Celtics, contemplate the idea of a positional switch for Domantas Sabonis, and much more.

Plus: Sacramento has been linked to several players on the trade market. Do any of the players make sense for this team?

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The Sacramento Kings got absolutely panted last night at home but we’ve got other things to talk about too as we do each and every Thursday at 8 am with the athletic Z Sam Amic Sam Jason’s uh off this week it’s just you and I buddy good morning hello my friend how are

You you know got uh I’m healthy now got over whatever Christmas is coming up things are good but as a Kings fan and as a show host on the flagship station of the Kings uh I have been better were you at the game last night for chance uh

Funny you should ask first of all I was I was bracing for like I know this is for the YouTube crowd but you know oh it’s coming okay fair enough coming don’t think I didn’t notice Sam is referring to the fact that he has been he has been relegated to the

Garage I can see uh there’s a there’s a white fan in the background and by that I mean a uh plug-in fan not not not me out at the Kings game there’s uh there’s all kinds of garages I believe that looks like a um uh is that is that a

Cycle or something with some C there it is why are you relegated to the garage Sam we we have family in town is sleeping in my office at the moment um in fact the elliptical behind me that you like to to put out about how

Dusty it is uh yeah I even had to move that in the garage to create space so you know different digs today I you know you see I got the sweatshirt on with the jacket because it’s a little chilly out here I love real life I love itone real

Life you know everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time even nationally renowned NBA writers you get booted because family’s in town now you’re now you’re bundled up doing hits in front of the elliptical machine I love it it’s pretty good it’s pretty good all right

So back to your question uh although it actually ties in was I at the game uh I was I was game uh like proximate I was close um we were actually messing around downtown uh with the family doing kind of Sacramento things having a good time

So I did not okay fake I watched uh I actually watched most of it from home because we got back around 7:30 um you know they uh to me this Kings team it’s funny as I was getting ready for us to chat I’m thinking to myself that you know the goalpost has

Obviously moved in terms of expectations and you see when they’re 16 and 10 it’s like hey best start to the season since you know 0405 um the history provides such a a a kind of low bar context if that makes sense but now the bar is higher so it’s

Just not a not a good night for the squad uh no Jason Tatum and you still get boat raced by the Celtics you know porzingis had his way Jaylen Brown looked like an MVP candidate you know Derek White had a great night so it is weird you know with this team you look

At the record this Kings team and it’s it’s by and large pretty good and then they just had this terrible habit of of of really getting blown out way too often yeah uh a home loss to go to Vegas by the pelican which was their third blowout loss well second blowout loss to

The uh the Pelicans third loss overall of the Year got blown out on their home floor by the Clippers after that emotional win over the Warriors where they had to come back from I think 24 down to win that one the two blowouts in Houston um they’re just but then Sam I

And I caught myself earlier saying it just looks like this is a team that is underneath the ceiling of Elites that they they just they’re in that second tier of also rans that aren’t there yet but they’re one and0 against the Timberwolves they’re two and0 against the Thunder uh they’re two and0 against

The Lakers they beat the defending Champions so I it really is kind of a a bit of a Twoface with this team it is uh there’s some context that you know I think sure tell me if I get it wrong you know defending Champions with no Jamal

Murray is corre Right correct um you know there was another one in there where it was this they beat Phoenix but I I think it was just Devin Booker or no Beal no Durant you’re correct you know so um yeah they’re talented and they’re so explosive offensively that that if

They’ve got it going they can run anybody else off the floor too um it’s the games where you’re in the mud I know that’s a cliche but it’s true you know they were in this game going into the third quarter and the first four minutes of the second half were ugly and then

It’s a wrap you know and that’s where um you see kind of the fight and really the stuff that Mike Brown came into the season wanting them to get better at those are playoff type of games now the first thing you got to do is make sure

You get in the playoffs they’re fifth in the west right now uh which is which is fine um but those are playoff type of games uh that you got to find a way to if not win at least feel like you were you know in it till the end uh I’m doing

Some quick math here I think 70 what is 702 was it 53 they they got completely outscored in the second half you are correct it was 74- 66 uh going into the third and that’s on top of the fact that the Kings opened up with a 12o lead dearen Fox on his

Birthday had 17 points in the first half and it it does lead to one thing Sam didn’t he have 26 uh 26 overall no 26 in the first half oh I’m sorry did I say I apologize ol he had 17 in the first quarter I’m sorry

And he finished with yeah 26 in the first half 29 to finish the game which means three points in the in in the second half and good by the way thank you for that we’re all on the Fly uh it does beg the question you know we focus

On players we focus on box scores but do we also have a problem where the coaching staff the defending coaching staff of the year um are they getting out coached when it comes to adjustments in these games uh interesting question you know I mean of course sometimes they are um you

Know optionality I think is is where not to sound defensive for the coaching staff but it I think it is roster wise where you just see some of these matchups like what are you supposed to do with porzingis like who yeah who on this team is gonna deal with porzingis

They I think third quarter there was that play where you know Kevin herder who to his credit is is a bit scrappier of a Defender than people give him credit for agreed U you know Kevin winds up on porzingis and he’s around the nail and gives it everything he’s got to

Contest and ends up you know hitting porzingis on the hand getting the whistle yeah for the foul but what struck me was like my God like you know Kevin was stretching out every absolute centimeter of his frame um and and he still couldn’t get up to the ball uh and

That was obviously on a rotation U but those type of matchups you go back to New Orleans you know yonas Valen chunis um you know and I mean sabonis is an incredibly physical big if aoat yeah no absolutely zubach looking you know like hakee at times yeah um that seems to be

A theme and it’s It’s Tricky I don’t know what direction you want to go but if you naturally this time of year you know spin it forward to the trade deadline and things that teams may or may not do I personally have not been able to really find that kind of perfect

Candidate um for this team that that would look great on this roster to fix that particular big problem because you don’t want to take away what sabonis does and so there’s always this this you know that’s got to be factored in his playmaking the spacing everything he

Needs um but but that problem with certain types of bigs seems pretty consistent no I agree with you and it was uh it was a couple weeks ago I was talking to somebody who knows Kings things really really well um someone who who who works for the organization or

Did and um they were making a big pitch that the Kings you know I always thought it was you need a you need Wing Defender a three of four um they said ultimately for the Kings to hit their ceiling that they need a five they need a you know

It’s easy to say this but a a jiren Jackson type maybe a Brook Lopez type but they need somebody who can who can clog the lane down low and free sabonis up and then ultimately DeMont sabonis is a four being asked to be a five but but

But his limited uh not through lack of effort but his limited uh defensive capabilities down low are ultimately going to hamper the Kings do you think there’s something there to the fact that deonis deonis demontis might be even better uh as a four rather than a five

For this team uh I feel like I you know I I would need to go back and watch a lot of Indiana Pacers tape um it didn’t work with Turner that’s my point is like and it’s funny I when when the Pacers were in Vegas um I talked to Miles you

Probably saw the story because he he gave his opinion that he thought the Pacers won the the sabonis halberton trade yeah but like miles is happy as a clam now because he you know he he wanted to be at the five um and and was

Moved off at the time so it didn’t work with that combo um and that’s where you watch what the Kings do offensively from from a spacing standpoint you know where does that big go um you know you can only run so much pick and roll down the

Middle um you know unless that’s a stretch five which is pretty tough to find I don’t know it’s it’s a tricky fit because you don’t again sabonis is so important for what they do you I don’t know what other names might come to mind

But um but I think it’s you got to be careful with it Sam am come the athletic joining us let me digress for a second then we’ll get back into it you mentioned specifically that herder play on porzingis uh so you were you were out

And about but I I’m and I’m I’m putting you on the spot here I apologize but you physically like you saw that play on TV so so I can reference it as far as we were home we watch most of the game on TV ask you something about that play So

Herder fouled porzingis he got him on the arm it’s a tough call but but he got him and I know that that that amongst there’s a few calls last night that upset some King’s fans but but by the letter of the law that that that that

Was a I didn’t have a problem with that call um but what I did have a problem with Sam and you see this a lot if you remember right herder got porzingis on the arm and the ball went through the air and it hit the ground almost before the refs blew the whistle

And we’ve had this conversation before philosophically but is that a thing as somebody who watches 30,000 games a year is this a real actual thing with referees where they will occasionally swallow their whistle pending the outcome of the shot because that’s what it felt like last night I don’t know the

Answer to that the the fan part of my my mind you know says yes of course but that’s not I don’t think the part that you’re asking to answer the question that’s true the part that has talked to officials about this particular topic will just relay what they claim which is

That people seem to forget that they’re humans and their brains only work so quickly and that it is a processing you know delay if you will um it is a you know making sure you get it right but it sure I mean again I’m gonna go back to

The fan part it sure feels that way a lot that that it’s uh it’s kind of just that thing of all right if you got nothing out of this shot you know then then I’m gonna that’s going to be the decision maker uh Tipping Point if you

Will and I’m GNA go ahead and blow the whistle uh but that’s not how it should be but you know I do think at times we expect Perfection within you know three uh of a millisecond sure um which is tricky too well it’s funny all you have

To do is look at we talked about this earlier at the Sacramento Kings who employ some incredibly experienced I mean we just talked about it that staff is coach of the year uh and I think they’re one out of their last 764 when it comes to challenges that could be off

And that’s just kind of a little microcosm if you’re losing all these challenges it also it shows that maybe you need to be better at challenging but it also kind of shows how how good these refs are a little bit too in real real time yeah no

They are pretty incredible I know I mean listen I never know what to think about that particular part like Scott Foster for example like Public Enemy Number One in a lot of circles you know yeah and then year over year over year the NBA

Goes out of its way to tell you oh by the way like score is higher than any other official in the league yeah for the most part Bend to more NBA finals and and so like that that uh disconnect if you will between the ey test at times

And and then what the metrics internally with the league are telling you are tricky you get caught up in Optics you get caught up in personality and uh you know and then your own fandom so it’s there’s a lot to unpack it’s a funny conversation Sam and I I love how we uh

D this Happ when Jason isn’t here is that I just don’t organize the the the Chris Paul Scott Foster thing is one of the more fascinating things about this season because on any list if you took a poll amongst fans of most disliked most annoying floppiest drama eest

Instigate pests in the NBA Chris Paul is going to be at her near the top of the list right but it also seemed almost nearly unanimous that NBA fans were siding with Chris Paul in the Chris Paul versus Scott Foster conversation now I don’t know anything about Chris’s son

And the the personal stuff the meeting so I I want to be real careful here but I do know in watching the play of that incident you had Chris Paul just absolutely ethering Scott Foster calling him the b word and you’re a be and this and that and whatever and I’m thinking

This guy’s not number one Chris Paul doesn’t appear completely innocent number two uh how are we all sighting with Chris Paul when we don’t know what’s being said I just found that jux toos of fans very fascinating when it came to that debate now the b word just to be

Clear that’s buddy buddy yeah I kept calling buddy hey buddy yeah exactly you can say that on the radio just say yes you can yes you can um yeah I mean it is it is it is pretty funny like I’ve seen this thing up close for a long time um I

Probably told you on the show before that one of the The Stranger more entertaining parts of covering the bubble back in Orlando was you know having the referees become part of your daily life and Scott Foster himself teaching me how to play pickle ball so I have this like different thing with

Scott um and then Chris I’ve covered forever you know both those guys if you did a player slash referee least liked list like you already said they’d be pretty high up there um you know the stuff with the sun I mean you hear things probably not going to get into

That um but man it is it is still like as raw as it was even a couple of weeks ago in terms of that topic I went to the Warriors game um a couple nights ago and and you had Chris Paul in the corner I don’t even know what sparked it like

Dave Scott didn’t even referee that night and Chris was in the corner telling more stories about Scott and and talking about the situation and and I don’t even know what was going on but he was on his phone showing people stuff like um you know when Adam Silver talked

About it in Vegas at the inseason tournament also talked about it during a a media round of interviews I think he did serus XM like I think that might have re-sparked in in both camps um to have the commissioner weigh in and not take sides but you know kind of give his

They got to do their jobs is what he said basically yeah you gotta do their jobs and you know I don’t know it’s just it’s messy um you know as you know Scott For Better or Worse is is always gonna have that thing hanging over his head

And and that you know Netflix kind of brought this back into the four is that affiliation um with Tim doni and and the I’m forgetting the name of the document 134 calls it’s right at the top of Foster’s Wikipedia page 134 calls between Don and Scott Foster more than the

126 Donnie he made to his bookie between October and April but you know something and and look I think I think everything’s a scam and I’m the guy that thinks the ref fix everything I’m a Kings fan but those could also be like what if Foster was like his mentor and

Was like hey good call in that game like we don’t I wish there was a recording but you’re right it does hang over him it will always hang over it does and that’s and Chris knows that and that’s where I think you know that dock uh kind

Of opened up a wound and and gave some vulnerability that Chris is taking advantage of um and it you know I mean listen man it’s uh that I don’t ever want to be the type that says oh I’m sure the NBA sused it out and there’s nothing there sure they obviously

Investigated it greatly and they continue to claim that there was nothing to see there um you know again the regular guy part of me like that’s that’s a hell of a call log you know um so I think I don’t know that we’re ever going to have total Clarity on that but

Point being to go back to the Chris Paul thing yeah on a on a hardwood floor where trash talk is exchanged not only between players but discourse between players and refs that is some pretty rich material for somebody like Chris or anybody else to to go after and I think

Does you know make a lot of players look sideways at Scott Sam the athletic joining us as we uh as we head towards the stretch here and wrap up on your tall log that’s what I want to know like what’s the uh you know fire Wings marriage counselors okay easy

There uh way neighbor John offered the he said I don’t need to be in the garage and I could have gone to his house you you want you should we do a god scared from the family room neighbor John interview no please no you’re going to

Have him like a muppet in the background like those two old guys from the balcony just braing you the whole time and distracting us I’m a little surprised he hasn’t been banging on the garage door behind me so far I’m a little surprised he hasn’t shown up in the uh in the text

Yet 9163 39140 neighbor John um I gotta ask you about your trade column uh that happened uh you always do these awesome columns like right after we talk so tomorrow is probably going to be your extended interview with Monty McNair or something we we wait a week which is fine

Um you mentioned Zack LaVine um you mentioned OG anobi and uh uh Pascal SE yakum uh you and I have both agreed many times this year that it appears that Monty McNair and the team are absolutely uh looking to make some sort of move does in your opinion does the emergence of Keegan

Murray defensively and obviously 47 points the other night does that help or complicate this process for Monty uh I think I mean I think it helps meaning I think he’s not going anywhere yeah but but I I think Ty anywhere that’s my point like you could if you

Want to be cold blooded about it you could say oh boy like like what could Keegan Murray get you now you know right um you know if you want to get one of these over the Finish Line I just don’t and this is why trade season’s always

Fun because we will be surprised like guaranteed yeah there’s something I don’t know uh that is happening and percolating right now um but I don’t know who that guy is you know there are years with certain teams when you’re like oh man they are head over heels for

This particular player and they’re going to do whatever they can to get him I don’t see that person right now now now I I did admittedly and I was probably a little too uh with it or nuanced with it but the LaVine stuff I I was admittedly

Trying to raise you know kind of up the decel level of that conversation with the Kings just to kind of you know see where it goes if that makes sense because when it comes to OG and Pascal I’m sensing pretty significant reservations um relating to the free

Agency situation yeah OG you know in particular you’re talking about a guy that you know is going to give you 13 and seven and you’re gonna maybe have to pay $40 million a year that’s right um and and Pascal you know more Dynamic offensive player not as strong

Defensively uh although strong um so anyway those two guys seem to be a little lukewarm and there’s other names that that you know that have been thrown about lry Markin and Utah but with Zach it is a combination of uh contract control you you you do the deal and it’s

Like with sabonis like now you got the guy for an extended period um and then on top of that and I’ve been a little surprised to to learn this I feel like the organization’s Focus even with the aspirations of being better defensively um are still on the offensive side of

The ball and shooting and you know being explosive I mean Zack LaVine just as a reminder you know the other night when Keegan goes off for 47 has 12 threes you know guess who else is on that list of of players who have hit that many threes

In a game it’s it’s um that guy can shoot the lights out he’s just not strong defensively somewhat questionable and this matters for the Kings um within a system offensively uh because a lot of times he’s he’s an ISO player he’s a ball dominant player yeah and the Bulls

Are seven and three with him on the Shelf which is you know not a great look um but you know there’s there’s also only so many talented guys available and you know and calculated risk is part of this thing so uh I don’t know that we’ve we’ve unpacked the LaVine stuff that

Much in the past you know like where where do you land on whether or not he would help them what where I land on Zach is where I land with a number of these these folks I I think you you’ve got Fox and sabonis maxed you’re gonna

You’re gonna either super max or or update Fox’s Max here pretty soon uh Keegan’s under control for another three four years so there’s that you’re gonna have to pay monk this summer and I do believe they’re going to pay monk he wants to be here he’s been open about

That and but I think he’s his salary is probably going to double you’re looking at a you know 480 400 something like that and they’re going to start having you know maneuverability issues so I believe their next that the they have one big upgrade left they have one big

Move they can make you add Zack LaVine who who’s ball dominant he’s gonna score but you’re talking about you you’re you’re talking about the best offense in the history of the game last year and in my opinion the only reason they’re not still this year is because the coaching

Staff has put a ton of emphasis on defense I think if they wanted to score like they did last year I think they would be scoring like they did last year and they’d had the same issues I think Mike Brown knows for them to make noise in the playoffs they’re going to learn

How they need to learn how to play half court defense they need to learn how to slow down uh and they need to learn to commit more on that side I think it’s like body blows in boxing it’s taking a toll uh in the later rounds or will take

A toll long story short for me Zack lavine’s bringing sand to the beach Lori Markin in to a lesser extent is bringing sand to the beach it’s got to be um and and again I’m just forget contract and and all I’m just throwing the type out

There uh it’s got to be the um more offensive matis thel the uh the healthy Ben Simmons the ogan and Obi who would sign it’s gota the kings in my opinion have to find their Aaron Gordon they have to find their Aaron Gordon I don’t think Zack LaVine makes them a

Championship Contender I think he makes him slightly better and I think that’s your team for this run that’s your team for the next four or five years and you’re only going to be able to upgrade on the periphery so a trade like that scares me to death yeah and I mean to

Add on to that um contractually some of the numbers that you mentioned on monk you know part of me thinks you might end up losing monk in that deal uh yeah because I I don’t know that you can have that pricey of a six-man while having Fox you know and

Sabonis as contracts the way they are with Keegan coming up so well for VC could have to go and well I don’t want to this is not V bashing I I don’t I’ve never heard a story of him bking at money but the kings are generally 16th

To 22nd in salary you’re talking about him going into those Pockets quite a bit and between you know Fox and sabonis right now uh are at uh you know like 65 million next year uh Fox and sabonis will be at 75 million if you bring in uh

If you bring in Zack LaVine you’re adding 43 million now all of a sudden you’re at$ 120 basically million do between three players and you’ve got to resign Monk and you’ve got to fill out a roster I they’d be in cap hell right yeah yeah you know so we’re agreed right

No Z I think we’re agreed I mean I think they you know again I would if if the king’s front office would like to text me their entire list of targets that would be fine I agree and then we can talk about them and tell them who they

Should take how about they they send you they’re not going to want to put the whole list out so send send if you’re listening Monty uh first off nice vest secondly uh right there is a very safe bat dude um secondly he came out yesterday and said his his favorite non

Pepsi Coke soda is uh Dr Pepper as opposed to say root beer or something else uh agree or disagree with that Sam totally agree huge Dr Pepper guy there’s nothing wrong oh how do you feel about where are you coming down on Mr pib I

Like it like it yeah I was always okay with that I I’m not all right exclusive to Dr Pepper well that aside uh if if if mty if you want to send me half of the uh prospects send Sam the better half he’s the national guy and then Sam you

And I can compare I like it I like it uh Sam a MC writes for the athletic each and every week he also lives here locally will always have the best coverage uh from a national point of view and in some cases local on your Sacramento Kings there are deals theore

Right now as we talked to you about with Matt barrows uh on Monday for the a atic as low as a dollar a month you can pay full price like me with my two subscriptions or you can be smart and get it for 12 bucks a year so uh Sam um

We’re on next week uh I’ll talk to you off air about what you want to do uh but uh if I if I don’t talk to you before and I’m sure I will from uh from the audience uh to you uh and Emily and uh Landon and Ryder and the whole crew and

Your family taking over your studio and drunk neighbor John we love you Merry Christmas and uh happy holidays my friend same to you buddy always enjoy it we’ve been doing this a lot of years now I appreciate you and uh happy holidays Merry Christmas to the family and and

You know maybe next time when I see you there’s not going to be a sheet of metal behind me that’s a great point right there yeah we go a long way back cushy poker player build and everything so appreciate you you look good no dad bot anymore man you’re fit you haven’t seen

My belly I’m wearing puffy black sweatshirts see you next week dude take care all right that’s Sam Amic we’ll take a break when we come back let’s get to it and reset are the