[Izulde]

Yeaton's Induction A Triumph

History will forever remember the pairing of Jestor and Mateen Yeaton. The GM and his legendary player, brought together in Denver for a brilliant run of Nuggets dominance, including 3 straight championships, and thence to Sacramento, where Yeaton started a season and the Kings fell tantalizingly short of the NBA Finals two years in a row before losing in the first round this season.

It is fitting that Yeaton was inducted with Greg Oden yesterday morning, for they are representative of the fantastic Nuggets/Raptors rivalry that provided such compelling story and drama for most of the 2010s, an annual Finals clash that drew viewers to the NBA and skyrocketed interest in Canada.

Jestor, who gave Yeaton's induction speech, was emotional.

"I can think of no player in my lifetime, save for perhaps Michael Jordan, who meant more to his championship teams and did so much for them in the playoffs as Mateen did. Kobe Bryant had Shaquille O'Neal and Mike had Scottie Pippen, but what Mateen had wasn't a second, glowing sidekick. Instead, his were rings won by individual greatness and the support of an entire ensemble cast.

At the end of the day, Nigel Abel and Justin Richler may have more career points, but as far as the total and complete package goes, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who could match Mateen, both for statistical accomplishment and for postseason excellence. There may never again be his like in the NBA. He is a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word."

Yeaton certainly retires with an impressive career resume.

Career Averages
20.9 PPG 2.6 APG 4.3 RPG 1.3 SPG 1.5 BPG
FG Shooting: 49.6%
FT Shooting: 88.0%
3P Shooting: 38.7%

Career Postseason Averages
20.0 PPG 2.4 APG 4.1 RPG 1.3 SPG 1.5 BPG
FG Shooting: 47.4%
FT Shooting: 88.4%
3P Shooting: 32.8%

All-Star Appearances
2011, 2012 (Pacers), 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021

All-NBA Team
2012 - 2nd Team (Pacers)
2013 - 3rd Team
2014 - 2nd Team
2015 - 2nd Team
2016 - 1st Team
2017 - 1st Team
2019 - 1st Team
2020 - 2nd Team
2022 - 2nd Team

All-Defense Team
2015 - 1st Team
2016 - 1st Team
2017 - 2nd Team
2019 - 1st Team

Championship Rings
2018
2019
2020

NBA Finals MVP
2018
2019

Career Leaderboards (Among Retired Players)
Points - 27,742 (2nd)
Steals - 1,767 (3rd)

He also has 2,045 career blocks, which ranks him 5th among the 15 Hall of Famers and accumulated his statistics in 1,330 games.

***End Article***

I'm going to miss him. I found out later that spring that he got hired as the head coach at Western Carolina. Can't believe he didn't go to Arizona State, but I have a feeling he'll do very well for himself in North Carolina.

The more I look at this rookie class, the more I'm just not impressed with it at all. So I try hunting around for a trade.

And then I make the blockbuster happen.

Sacramento Kings receive
SG Justin Richler
Toronto Raptors 2030 1st round pick
Toronto Raptors 2029 2nd round pick

Toronto Raptors receive
PF Ronnie Fry
Sacramento Kings 2028 1st round pick (#17 overall)

What this means for the Kings
What Sacramento has been lacking ever since GM Jestor came to the Kings is a superstar scorer, one who can consistently take over a game. He may be 33 years old, but Richler will be only two seasons removed from two straight years of 30+ points per game and he averaged 25.2 points this past year. He'll instantly give the Kings that megawatt superstar they need and who knows what the Raptors pick will look like in a couple years.

What this means for the Raptors
Toronto not only gets its own first round pick back, but Fry is an accurate shooter, able to hit from all spots, a good rebounder and a very good defender. He's also just 26 years old. The knock on his game? Can't pass and turns the ball over a lot, which is why he's being so astonishingly ejected from Sacramento. Still, Fry's an important piece of youth for a team that was getting dangerously long in the tooth.

Winner: Draw
A classic case of two teams giving up something to get something. The Raptors lose their native Canadian scoring superstar and risk a huge backlash from the fans over the move. Meanwhile, the Kings are gambling that Richler still has a few more years as a Mateen Yeaton-esque scorer in him, while trading away a key piece of their future to do it. The Raptors, on the other hand, can bridge to the future with Fry. A blockbuster trade and one that'll be interesting to see the effects of over the next few years.

If we don't make any other moves, Ferdinand Kallenberger would probably be our new starting SF, which I wouldn't be unhappy with, though I also wouldn't mind improving on him.

I do.

Sacramento Kings receive
SF Jermaine Trask

San Antonio Spurs receive
PG Filip Svorada
Toronto Raptors 2029 2nd round pick

What this means for the Kings
The 25 year old Trask is a ferocious defender and safe shooter, one able to present a lot of different looks by playing all five positions on the floor and with the talent to do so. Doesn't stand out, outside of defense, but he was one of the players Jestor liked in Denver, so back he comes to a Jestor-GM'ed team.

What this means for the Spurs
A bit puzzling for San Antonio, who already has Ameirin Qipani at the point until you consider that the 32 year old Svorada has enough game as a scorer and is big enough to be an effective two-guard. Suddenly, with Qipani, Svorada and Damian Thomas, the Spurs have the NBA's deadliest perimeter game.

Winner: Draw
Both teams pick up a really nice benefit out of this and they also have enough coverage to replace them (Jamarcus Wilson - San Antonio, William Tackett - Sacramento). One of those win/win situations that'll help out both teams; the Spurs to be better now, the Kings for now after the Fry trade and for the future.

With no draft picks, I don't bring anyone in for a workout and I don't even watch the draft, at least not live. I did watch a bit of it on DVR, though and the talking heads mentioned several times their disbelief that a team GM'ed by me had no one in attendance, a first in Jestor history.

After renouncing everyone's contract, we're a cool $24.2 million under the cap with 8 players signed.

Summer League
Ferdinand Kallenberger

Smallest summer league roster we've had for one of my teams in years.

It's all scrubs, so I'll just simply give our results and my impression of our German:

L 94-79 (vs. Milwaukee)
W 101-96 (OT) (@ Washington)
W 96-76 (@ San Antonio)
L 102-90 (vs. Utah)
W 97-87 (@ Toronto)

Ferdinand Kallenberger looked pretty bad in the summer league, but so did Jim Johnson that one summer. Mark Duhon, on the other hand, was awesome, having games of 24 points, 28 points, 38 points and 25 points. Taken 15th overall by the Nuggets the first year I was in Sacramento, Duhon's a defensive stopper and an emerging scoring threat who never got a starting chance in Denver. Can't rebound worth a damn though, so he's like a supercharged Tzvetan Kishishev or like another Ron McPherson.

Free Agency
The free agent crop is ridiculously deep at SG, shallow everywhere else.

SG David Johnson
SG Vladimir Tupolev
PF Tim Butler
C Dontay Williamson
SF David Anyan
SG Sonny Boxler
SG Charles Howard
SG Jermaine Butler

Dontay Williamson rejects our max-level offer to the point where he won't even consider us. I'm shocked when Timmy B does the same thing. Ungrateful bastard.

But that's okay. I wind up stealing Vladimir Tupolev on a max-level 5 year deal. Can you say loaded offense? I knew you could! We also now have no need to worry about a starting PG, SG or one forward spot for the foreseeable future. Heck, I may even ship Richler out for a legitimate C before the season starts.

Seattle strikes back by signing 25 year old Hayletts Dennis to a max deal. Yeah, okay. Dude can score like nobody's business. Too bad he can't shoot much above 40% and has never been tested in the playoffs. It's not a bad recovery by any means. It's just he's not Tupolev.

Mark Duhon goes to the Cavaliers for 5 years, $29.6 mil. If he can show anything of what he did for us in the summer league, that could go down as a steal. That same day, Tim Butler has a change of heart and takes a capped out offer from us to be re-united. He's 30, so a 5 year deal is way too long for that kind of money, but I'm too sentimental.

Valery Frahm hops ship from Golden State to Portland for 5 years, $59.6 while we quietly ink Alfred Baxley to a two year min-sal. Cleveland snaps up Nigel Abel for $4.26 million and one year and the Minnesota Timberwolves overpay Kelvin Moody at $6.3 mill. for a year after we show interest in him. Still, I give the T-Wolves credit for not pissing off their fanbase, unlike the Raptors.

Old men move. Demarcus Baptist robs the Magic with a mid-level exemption on the same day Jeremy Leach takes almost half that ($3.3 mil.) to join Moody in Minnesota. But the biggest irony? David Anyan to Denver for $5.14 mill, $400 LESS than Baptist, who always was an overrated git in my opinion.

Then again, it's a parched league for centers, as Austin Buller of the 35 years proves after getting a $6 million contract from Miami. I suppose I should be fortunate that I'm able to snare 23 year old, 7'5, 290 lbs project C Parick Weston on a two-year min sal given that standard, but on the other hand, Terrence Howard takes a min-sal from the Nets, as does Chris Gearheart from the Raptors and Ray Fields from the Suns. Funny how quickly the league landscape can change.

But when those guys are getting that, other old blokes like Phillip Gill are getting $2.7 million for a year from the Mavericks. I just don't get it. We finish free agency by stealing away accurate-shooting former Mav Jonathan Hill on a one year min-sal, because I always like to have one decent player on the inactive list.

Training Camp
Didn't really see the kind of improvement from the youngsters that I'd hoped, but on the other hand, Justin Richler didn't bomb, either. I'm not happy with the starting lineup Andre Miller is proposing, so I swing another trade.

Sacramento Kings receive
SG Vladimir Raschupchin
C Luke Smith
C David Jackson

Miami Heat receive
PF Tim Butler
SF Jermaine Trask
PF Jonathan Hill
Atlanta Hawks 2029 2nd round pick

What this means for the Kings
Raschupchin, 25, can flat out score and suddenly Sacramento has a perimeter game as electrifying as San Antonio's in Justin Richler, Vladimir Tupolev and Raschupchin. The Two Vladimirs also form the foundation for the future, along with Smith, a 25 year old briefly former Nugget who has the size (7'2, 278 lbs) to step in as Sacramento's new starting C. He also reportedly has upside to grow into an elite C, but even if he doesn't develop beyond what he is now, he's still a much-needed rebounding force for the Kings and a plugging of their biggest hole. 50 Ninja Jackson reunites with GM Jestor and still has good all-around talent as a bench player even at 35.

What this means for the Heat
Butler drew Jestor's ire by rejecting Sacramento's initial, higher offer in free agency and as a result, he gets banished to Miami even after his change of heart. That said he's a proven veteran scorer who can team with Tariel Abashize to give the Heat a 1-2 inside/outside scoring punch as opposed to the Raschupchin/Abashize Heat, which had nobody who could score inside. On the other hand, Butler's defense is very suspect and he tends to disappear for games at a time. Trask's potential was covered in the earlier trade and he moves to SF in the starting unit here. Nothing special to Hill.

Winner: Sacramento
Even with the defensive downgrade they take by dealing Trask, the fact that Jim "Twizzler" Johnson moves back to his native PF spot makes it worthwhile, along with the further strengthening of the team's youth movement. The Kings will definitely be a team that score; the only question is, will they be able to stop anyone? We think so. Meanwhile, Miami will be improved, but not enough to prevent Abashize from continuing to complain about the team's perpetual losing.

I like the trade myself.

And with that, I'll pause.