In this episode of KingsPod2020, Toke and Geoff unpack a chaotic stretch for the Sacramento Kings and what the trade deadline revealed about the franchise's deeper issues. The conversation centers on why Kings fans — and the organization itself — consistently overvalue assets, misunderstand rebuilds, and fall back on draft-pick obsession despite years of evidence that losing only makes everything harder.

The guys break down Scott Perry's early moves, the Dennis Schröder experiment, trade rumors surrounding Domantas Sabonis, and why quickly unwinding mistakes is better than doubling down on them. They also take a hard look at Doug Christie's coaching, the lack of offensive structure, and how nostalgia continues to cloud decision-making at every level of the franchise.

Toke and Geoff are back "Live from the Big Tomato" with a simple theme for the first KingsPod2020 of the new year:

You win by winning.

That's great for Toke's Vegas bachelor party, where a mini hot streak at the Wynn and Cosmo sportsbook turns into a degenerate live-betting ride on Fresno State vs San Diego State. It's not so great for the Sacramento Kings, who have gone 7–20 since the last episode.

The guys talk about Kings fans sliding from anger into apathy, Sacramento's Washington Generals era, and whether Scott Perry is actually trying to win now or just cleaning up Monte/Vivek's mess for the next two seasons. They break down Maxime Raynaud and Nique Clifford as "found money," bury the De'Aaron Fox trade return, question Devon Carter at 13, and argue over how high to really be on Keegan Murray.

The back half of the pod zooms out to tanking, draft odds, and star swings: whether being dead last actually matters when your draft history is this bad, Ja Morant as a sicko trade target, Tyrese Maxey as the dream guard, and Giannis/Fox hypotheticals that only Kings sickos would come up with.

A little Vegas luck, a lot of Kings misery, and the same closing note as always:
Go Kings.

Toke and Geoff return "live from the Big Tomato" to talk about life in 20 years of Kings basketball hell, the brief fake hope of wins over Denver and Minnesota, and the reality of getting stomped by Memphis again. They spotlight rookie big man Maxime Raynaud as one of the only bright spots, debate what Doug Christie should be doing with rotations, and argue about whether Russell Westbrook and the kids should be prioritized over vets like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.

From there, they zoom out and put Scott Perry's early tenure under the microscope—grading everything from the Doug hire, Jonas trade, Schroder/U-Banks signings, to the Keon Ellis contract decision and the Precious pickup. Then they go league-wide: what happens to the trade market if Giannis forces his way out of Milwaukee, where should he go, and why Toke wants De'Aaron Fox exiled to Wisconsin instead of thriving in San Antonio with Wemby. They close with the spicy Chris Paul vs. Ty Lue drama with the Clippers and what that says about sending vets home, Zach/DeRozan's future, and the Kings' next painful chapter. Merry Christmas, go Kings.

Toke, Geoff, and special guest George from Carmichael dive into the latest developments out of Sacramento—from the BJ Armstrong hire to the Kings' ownership clinging to early 2000s nostalgia. Is it finally time to cut ties with the past and build something real?

In this episode:
🎯 Why ownership keeps recycling familiar names
🧠 The psychological makeup of a true winner—and who actually has it
📉 Did the NBA just compensate Dallas for sending Luka to L.A.?
💥 Would you trade Sabonis for Jrue Holiday?
👀 And is Cooper Flagg the real deal—or just more hype?

Brutally honest, sharp, and funny—this one pulls no punches. Let's cook.