“He must have a brain,” “He doesn’t want to come here? That means he’ll love it here,” “Move to Seattle?,” “I would try to tank my workouts” - Fans react to news of Jaden Ivey not wanting to play for the Sacramento Kings
With the NBA draft on the horizon, Purdue Boilermakers point guard Jaden Ivey recently said he doesn't want to play for the Sacramento Kings. His desire not to join the Kings led to reactions from NBA fans on Reddit.
Fans from all over chimed in with various takes, but they were primarily pro-Ivey or anti-Kings.
Ivey's fans praised his intelligence, posting:
“He must have a brain.”
Those unhappy with the Kings took the opportunity to take sarcastic shots at the organization, posting:
“He doesn’t want to come here? That means he’ll love it here.”
Others questioned how to fix the organization and get players to want to play for the team, posting:
“Move to Seattle?”
NBA fans on Reddit went at the topic in a variety of ways.
Some fans evaluated the situation as the Kings potentially having more interest in Ivey since he doesn't want to play for Sacramento.
One potential reason why Ivey may not want to join the Kings is their treatment of Tyrese Haliburton this season. The former Kings guard was vocal about wanting to stay in Sacramento but was traded away.
For other young players, witnessing the treatment of Haliburton may be a deterrent to other players wanting to go there. If young players do not want to go to Sacramento, then the Kings need to reevaluate their situation.
Some NBA fans on Reddit decided to find ways to fix the organization and get the team heading in the right direction.
Fans try to fix the Sacramento Kings organization
With Jaden Ivey revealing that he does not want to play for the Sacramento Kings, some NBA fans have decided to find ways to fix the team. While fans could not come to a consensus, a few trends emerged.
One of the more unique takes was that the Kings need to stop listening to people on the internet who don't follow the team.
Ultimately, fixing Sacramento will not be easy, given the team's history. While the Kings have a championship from their days as the Rochester Royals, that was in 1951.
Since then, the Kings have been one of the worst teams in basketball and have only won four division titles. Of those, the last one will have been 20 years ago next season.
For a player like Jaden Ivey, who believes he can be a winner, joining an organization that struggles to win is an issue. If the Kings want to shift their perception, they must find ways to win consistently.