Kings Reportedly Don't Plan on Having 'Offseason Teardown' After De'Aaron Fox Trade
The Sacramento Kings have no plans to undergo an "offseason teardown" under general manager Scott Perry after trading away De'Aaron Fox, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
The Kings traded Fox to the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 3 in a three-team deal, acquiring Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls, a second-round pick and additional draft compensation in return.
n Perry's return after previously spending a short three months as the Kings' president of basketball operations in 2017 before taking a GM role with the New York Knicks, Perry said that there is a lot of unfinished business.
“I felt like there was a lot of unfinished business for me, personally, quite frankly,” Perry told NBC Sports' Morgan Ragen. “Because when I was here eight years ago, I felt we got off to a great start.
“So now, it’s a blessing to have this opportunity to come back, and I can’t wait to roll up our sleeves and make something happen.”
Perry emphasized his strong relationship with Kings governor Vivek Ranadivé, marking his return after former GM Monte McNair and the team mutually agreed to part ways.
The Kings finished the season with a 40-42 record, good for ninth in the Western conference. They lost in their first play-in game against the No. 10 seeded Dallas Mavericks, 120-106.
Despite the play-in loss and the losing season, Perry is looking at the team through an optimistic lens.
“First and foremost, we need to establish an identity of what it means to be a Sacramento King. So when teams play us, you got to know what you’re facing. That is order No. 1," Perry said, per Ragen. “… It’s got to be based on toughness, a defensive mindset, a sharing-of-the-ball mindset, a lot of accountability, discipline, hard work.”
Perry’s focus is not on rebuilding but on reestablishing what it means to be a King.
“Those got to be all of the components and variables of what it means to be a Sacramento Kings player and a part of the Sacramento Kings team. So, that needs to be reflected on a daily basis, even when the fans aren’t watching," Perry continued, per Ragen. "But when we get on that court, win, lose or draw, we want that to shine through.”
