Perry's 2nd Offseason With Kings - A Look Back at His 2nd Year in New York

Scott Perry and the Sacramento Kings have a lot of work to do, and while the 22-win season left a lot to be desired in Perry's first year as general manager, it's important to remember that he's been in this role before.

When Perry first took over as the GM for the Kings, we all, including myself, went through his tenure in New York with a fine-tooth comb to get clues for how he would reshape the Kings roster. It didn't take him long, as the Knicks roster was turned over in two quick years and went through a 29-win and 17-win season during that process.

Another poor year followed in year three, with 21 wins, but then the big jump came in year four as the Knicks went 41-31 in a shortened season. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, and take a closer look at that second season for Perry in New York, specifically.

A Quiet Offseason

Perry started his Knicks GM tenure with a splash, trading away Carmelo Anthony, but his second offseason was very, very quiet in comparison. New York had Kristaps Porzingis entering his third season injured, and Tim Hardaway Jr. was entering his second year of a four-year, $70.9 million contract. Just like the Kings now, the Knicks had talent on the roster, but injuries and lack of overall talent just weren't working for the New York.

Perry didn't make any big moves, though. He selected Kevin Knox with the ninth pick and Mitchell Robinson with the 36th pick, selected a handful of free agents but no big names, and even waived Joakim Noah, who had two years and $37.8 million left on his contract. If that doesn't sound like being patient and slowly working through a rebuild, I don't know what does.

Noah was an older veteran dealing with injuries, and since the Knicks weren't able to find a trade, Perry decided it was better to eat the dead money and waive him. None of the Kings veterans are dealing with injuries to the same extent as Noah, but the contract situations are similar, if not worse in Sacramento. It's hard to imagine Perry cutting anyone outright, but the Noah deal shows that Perry isn't afraid to do what needs to be done.

A Loud Deadline

Jan 26, 2018; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) and forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (3) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While the offseason was quiet overall, Perry made his next major move at the trade deadline, sending Porzingis, Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, and Trey Burke to the Dallas Mavericks for DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr., and two first-round picks.

At the time, it altered the NBA landscape as Porzingis still had all the potential in the world. It paired Porzingis with Luka Dončić and brought Smith Jr. back as the main piece to New York. The young guard was in his second year, averaging 12.9 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds on 44.0% shooting from the field and 34.4% from three.

Since arriving in Sacramento, Perry has discussed the importance of the point guard position, and he took a swing in New York, going for the athletic guard in Smith Jr. The Kings, coincidentally, are looking for their point guard of the future this season as well. Hopefully, they find one who works out better than Smith Jr. did in New York and his career.

All of this could be for nothing, but so far, Perry has acted with the same strategy that he used in New York. The Kings and Knicks' rosters aren't exact matches, but it feels like Sacramento is due for that NBA landscape-shattering move where they send out Domantas Sabonis or Zach LaVine in a big deal. If history repeats itself with Perry, we could be in for a very quiet offseason before a busy trade deadline, but only time will tell if Perry matches his previous moves.

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