The Kings entered Thursday’s contest at Memphis on a seven-game losing streak, but there were reasons to believe the outcome might be different against the slumping Grizzlies, per Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. The Kings had Keegan Murray making his season debut; Memphis was just the second team Sacramento has faced this season that had a losing record; and the Grizzlies were without Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Instead, the Kings were humiliated on Thursday, extending their skid to eight games after being blown out by 41 points. All eight losses have come by double digits.
Veteran wing DeMar DeRozan attempted just three field goals and scored seven points yesterday, Biderman notes. The six-time All-Star is averaging 17.9 points per game, his lowest total in 13 seasons.
“In a s—ty place,” DeRozan said when asked about where his team is emotionally. “Don’t nobody want to lose the way we’ve been losing. I think it’s just everything right now for us is just s—ty, honestly. Sometimes when you’re in the deep end, it’s hard to hear anything. You’re just trying to swim your way out, one way or another.”
According to Biderman, DeRozan expressed uncertainty about his future with the Kings after their latest defeat. The 36-year-old is earning $24.6MM this season, but his $25.7MM salary for 2026/27 is only partially guaranteed (for $10MM).
“I’m pretty sure everything comes into question when you’re in the situation like we’re in now,” DeRozan said. “That’s another thing that’s frustrating. That’s another thing. Only time will tell. We’ll see.”
As Biderman writes, DeRozan isn’t the only highly-paid scorer on the roster who is unhappy with the team’s performance this season. Zach LaVine had a hot start to the season, averaging 29.5 points over his first five games, but had cooled off lately prior to putting up 26 points on Thursday. The two-time All-Star said the Kings are still trying to discover how to play together, but he knows he has to be aggressive to be successful.
“I’m not my best self when I take eight to 10 shots,” said LaVine, who attempted seven and 10 shots in the two games leading up to Thursday. “I can be as efficient as you want me to be. But if I’m taking eight shots, it’s like, what are we doing? So today I just tried to be a little more aggressive, try to find spots, my teammates (were trying) to find me, which was great.
“But obviously it didn’t result in anything like a win. I’d love to go 4-for-8 and we win. I scored a lot of points in my career. We’re just trying to get a win right now. Gotta go sit on this flight. Got a day tomorrow. Got a game Saturday. Come Saturday, gotta figure it out.
“Only time will tell. It’s hard to say right now. A lot of frustrations from a lot of angles. Still a lot of season left, still a lot that’s in front of us. We gotta fight for something.”
LaVine only played two combined minutes over the previous two fourth quarters heading into Thursday’s game, and both of those losses were within striking distance entering the final period. According to Biderman, the 30-year-old acknowledged he didn’t like being benched, but he recognizes head coach Doug Christie might need to shake things up to get different results.
“I’ll always be a team guy,” LaVine said. “(But) personally, I don’t like it. I’ve never not played in the fourth. But when you’re trying to find a win you do whatever you can, I guess.”
With Sabonis out, you sit your best player for basically the whole of the fourth quarter twice, why?
LaVine has his faults but in terms of scoring he’s him. He’s basically putting up a 50-40-90 so the efficiency isn’t a concern. He can shoot the 3, best his man off the dribble, finish at the rim, offensively as a scorer he’s basically a complete package. Sure he might make some poor decisions, he’s terrible defensively, and he’s not much of a playmaker but he’s great at scoring. You’re not going to win games without Sabonis and sitting LaVine. You can even bring up DeRozan taking away shots if he’s only getting a handful of attempts.
Sacramento needs to do something if not go full rebuild. Paying Murray was stupid after the past 2 years he’d had. Just goes to show how important Harrison Barnes was to this team. I called it at the time trading him will be the end of this light the beam era they’ve had. He was the leader and glue guy and you never replaced him.
Hope Sabonis lands on a good team and LaVine also gets a spot to shine elsewhere.
Bro every post you write a bunch of nonsense. You act like people haven’t watched these same players you keep talking about for year after year. LaVine has been the man on 2 teams and hasn’t done anything with it. DeMar DeRozan is a bench player at this point in his career. So is Russell Westbrook. They are not winning players yet your blaming the team. I’m blaming the team for consistently drafting players and missing on the draft and signing and trading for players to be their top players when they haven’t done anything anywhere else.
You don’t pay a great score like Levine when she’s not even a great score. He’s a decent scorer but he cannot carry your team. A grade scorer would be somebody like Luka.
Team is cooked nobody wants Levine at that price so sabonis is actually a pretty good piece. And we don’t know what Murray is because he is playing with 3 bog hogs and 3 misfit players
What part is nonsense. I said LaVine is a great scorer backed it up with stats and then instead of just overhyping I laid out some of his faults. I’m not saying he’s Luka Doncic. I’m just saying sitting him in winnable games during the 4th quarter makes no sense.
As for DeRozan, sure he could accept a bench role but I still think on the right team he starts. He’s one of the best mid range shooters and has been forever. He can also facilitate the offence but he should be played as a SG not a combo forward.
Then you just fill up with a bunch of waffle before saying Sabonis is a good trade chip and LaVine isn’t because of his contract and sure I actually agree with you there. 50 mil is too much for him and sure he probably knows that too but if your in his position your not turning down that kinda money. I think he likely plays out his deal before deciding where he wants to go in free agency in a year or two.
Usually, a team sitting their best player in the last quarter of winnable games would suggest that maybe they don’t want to win that game…
The team is butt cheeks but it’s more and more clear they’re expediting a fire sale. One a the few good decisions made in recent weeks/months
I think Tim 12 summed it up perfectly so no need to respond. Some of y’all need to stop acting like your the smartest person on the planet and know basketball.
With a straight face Zach Lavine said Thursday. “I can be as efficient as you want me to be. But if I’m taking eight shots, it’s like, what are we doing?… Earth to Zach you’re the one NOT SHOOTING! You did the exact same thing last year ! Remember when the kings went 7-1 right after the trade and everyone was feeling great? Was Monty right we all thought? Monty wasn’t anything because Vivek doesn’t let GM’s do anything . Anyways then Zach missed a game or 2 and out of nowhere he just stopped shooting! Literally out of nowhere he just stopped. He was all smiles after the drubbing in the playin last year.. this guy… Vivek seems to be in hiding because I haven’t heard him say anything in a long time . This is his fault because he let it get to a point where fox could not be here anymore . He knows business but he doesn’t know basketball. Sell the team . Make your money and please please leave the team alone . I’m rambling and I’m sorry but a couple years ago I boycotted the giants and said when farhan Zaidi is gone I will end the boycott. I said after the Dallas playin game if Doug Christie gets the job full time I’m doing the same thing. This was not that hard to see coming folks. He doesn’t draw up plays!! He screams defense defense defense but we are damnnnear last on both sides of the ball. FIRE HIM NOW HE CANT COACH!
Christie has been terrible and that whole front office. Pay Keegan big money off back to back poor seasons. I mean right now their best active player is Russ and he was only signed for the vets min like a month before the season started.
Devin Carter was a terrible draft pick.
You have 4 SG’s in LaVine Monk DeRozan and Ellis. It’s just a stupid team that has no cohesion and is terribly run
Tim 12,
This is one of the best post I have read on this site. You summed it up perfectly and there is no need to even respond. Great comment!!!!!
I can tell that neither one of you have been Kings fans for very long. Willing to bet you probably weren’t born when the Kings had their best runs in 01-02. But I understand the frustration… just remember that we have our draft pick this year and it’s one of the best drafts of the last 10 years. Maybe signing Russ for some short term excitement and ticket sales while stacking losses was the plan all along… maybe it’s finally our turn to get a #1 pick…
Lmao yeah right, it’s the Kings we’re talking about!
Wasting my time replying but we all remember the kings best run 22 years ago. Thats the past. Since then, they are equally poor managed as the Charlotte hornets. They bring in players who don’t play team basketball. When they had the run with Sabonis and fox, that was the team they should have built around with role players. Instead they did nothing.
Four team trade
Boston gets: PJ Washington, Gafford and Aaron Holiday
Dallas gets: Simons, Jerami Grant and Capela
Houston gets: Jrue Holiday, D Russel and Reath
Portland gets: Max Christie, Caleb Martin, Finney-Smith, D Exum, picks and cash received from all the other teams
Portland waives Martin, D Exum, Wesley and Rupert in all
Something like that. Still working on it. Helps everyone.
washington__bonercats please tell me what you think of this one
Trade Monk, Saric, Eubanks, cash and picks to Portland for Jerami Grant
Can you please explain to me how getting rid of a smaller, easier to trade contract (and better player than Grant) in Monk, all the center depth pieces, AND future draft capital in exchange for 2 and a half years of Grant on a terrible deal helps this team? Like AT ALL?!?
I used to wonder why everyone in the FO was so dim. Turns out, if you don’t watch the Kings play basketball, you have no idea what they need! SHOCKER.
I do not think people that only post trade ideas, look for replies, feedback or change their models and concepts?
At least, I have never seen it.
But I do
Monk is not better. He got his paycheck and now regressed back to of old but with a fat contract as a sixth man. Grant can start next to Sabonis.
Saric isn’t a C.
You think Eubanks is a legend like Isaiah Stewart thinks of him?
Draft capital in maybe two 2nds?
It’s getting really rid of a bunch of crap to one one bulk item that works good at the moment. Monk’s contract is horrible. All you are loosing a couple small parts to get a PF starter in Grant
Come on bro
Derozen for Kuzma…
Dec 15th can not get here soon enough for the Kings. They never gave Davion a real run they ran Fox out of town and traded a top 5 PG Tyrese for a tweener in Sabonis. Good luck with Murray’s contract.
When is the last time they won a trade or had a good signing. The Kings are surely the worst franchise in the NBA.
Correct. Their mentality has always been get 4-5 big name players that do the same thing will help them while they get rid of young and team oriented players.
Derozan doesn’t play winning or team basketball. Been saying this since he was on the raps and I am a raps fan. Good and talented individual Mayer with a deadly mid range game. Other than that, can’t help a team win playing his style.
Look at the bulls. They are playing better without him without and “stars”.
And the kings need to tear down their management. You have LaVine, derozan, and Westbrook all doing the same thing. Play iso ball for 20 secs of the shot clock and then when they can’t get a shot off they ask someone to bail them out
Where is the guy who spent all offseason trying to convince me that the Kings were going to be a play off team lmao
I think its pretty obvious that the new GM’s plan was to tank for this draft… Russ is fun and brings excitement but he’s not going to be part of this team rebuild. I think the plan is to trade everyone for whatever assets you can, hope the lottery balls fall our way, draft one of the big 3 stars coming out of college and he’ll start to build a team from scratch… no holdovers from Monte’s tenure.
Being a Kings fan might be the hardest Fandom to be a part of… Just know that by being loyal to a dumpster fire team will eventually feel magical when they finally turn it around… Hopefully before I die.
Doug Christie must be promised SOMETHING from the GM or ownership.
I feel the same, it is going to take 2 years. No trades for Zac, he will opt in for $49m, Derozan will need to be bought out next summer. If the kings are lucky they trade Monk and Carter this year. The draft so far looks like a strong forward group this year. Please Kings stay away from JA, Young or any so called all star who is done as well. Please for once just build a young team. The best NBA fans will support the team if that is the plan. Win now for 12 years has not worked.
Just a horribly constructed team. No rim protection or defense besides Ellis who lacks minutes. Crazy how they had Beam Team a couple of years ago who had a lot of chemistry and now this team is unrecognizable.
Glad the Bulls got rid of those two Misfits. They didn’t play well in Chicago together. DeMar needs to get out from under Lavine. Lavine a great athlete and scorer, but lacks being a team leader. He blames even else.
If there’s one thing these two guys should be comfortable with it’s losing.