NBA GM Scott Perry Reveals the Truth About Building the Sacramento Kings
NBA GM Scott Perry joins the Hoop Genius podcast for a rare, unfiltered deep dive into what it actually takes to build a winning NBA franchise – and why fans consistently underestimate how hard the job really is.
Perry takes listeners inside the Sacramento Kings organisation, breaking down the realities of modern roster construction under the new CBA, the impact of the first and second apron, and why team-building today is fundamentally different from even a decade ago. He explains why patience, internal development, and alignment between ownership, front office, and coaching staff matter more than splashy moves or unrealistic timelines.
The conversation covers Perry’s transition from media back into the GM chair, how stepping away gave him a league-wide perspective, and what that taught him about trends shaping the NBA’s future – from the return of size and two-big lineups to the growing importance of multiple ball-handlers and half-court execution in clutch moments.
Perry also gives candid insight into:
Building culture versus chasing optics
Why the draft remains the most sustainable competitive advantage
Developing young players in a results-obsessed league
The real value of veterans like Russell Westbrook in establishing standards
How front offices actually think about timelines, expectations, and pressure from fans
This episode strips away fan myths, social-media narratives, and NBA 2K logic — replacing them with the grounded reality of how winning franchises are built, maintained, and protected over time.
If you want to understand the NBA beyond box scores and trade machines, this is a masterclass straight from an active NBA general manager.
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0:00 Intro
2:02 The fanbase in Sacramento
3:55 How NBA GMs manage manpower today
6:57 Transitioning from media to running an NBA team
9:31 Scott’s competitive advantage is…
11:59 “Winning is life support for coaching”
14:12 Scott Perry on the rebuild
17:42 Scott on roster construction
23:00 Maxime Raynaud has been great
25:45 Scott on Keegan Murray’s development
29:15 Working with Vivek
31:12 Scott on organizational culture
34:24 Russell Westbrook is an amazing addition!
37:11 Trends for the future
3 comments
I feel bad for Kings fans, who are so loyal and passionate. Outside of the "light the beam" Kings that made it back to the playoffs in 2023, the franchise has been surrounded by incompetence for the past 20 years – mostly through fault of ownership that ranks somewhere between 25th-30th in the league.
Scott may have inherited this roster & I agree team roster building is not as easy as fans think it is. However, there's got to be some accountability still. Things have gotten worse somehow since Mr. Perry became GM. 1) Dennis Schroder signed to 3 yrs 45mil contract & Westbrook signed at 1 yr 3.6 mil. Westbrook is better than Schroder is; hence the reason why he's starting over him now. What was the point of that move? There's a reason GSW, Detroit, etc. moved on from Dennis – and I like him as a player saying this.
2. Keegan Murray signed at 5 yrs and 140 mil. Good dude, 2-way player, got better on defense than most would think. Who were you competing with to give him this kind of deal? His 3pt shot has fallen off a cliff (one of his greatest strengths). Again, good dude who will be a good starter for years to come – that doesn't warrant 140 mil though with the salary cap and punitive apons mentioned.
Sorry, Kings fans, I'm not seeing Keegan "booming" to become a multi-year all-star player and this deal is supposed to warrant that – its an overpay that scratches the head. "Some executives were surprised by the high value for a player not seen as a primary creator."
Shaedon Sharpe got 4 yrs and 90 million and he's shown flashes that he can potentially boom into an all-star caliber player. Keegan will be a good player but not for 140 million at 5 yrs; that's irresponsible.
He didn't inherited the best situation, however, some of his moves so far hasn't improved their future trajectory. Time to blow up the team by the trade deadline and deal your veterans such as; Lavine, Derozan, and probably Monk due to your guards logjam and you should be rebuilding from the ground up.
Everyone's calling for Keon Ellis because he's a winning 3&D player but he doesn't make sense on a rebuilding team. Probably smart to get value out of trading him.
if he trades Malik I genuinely hope he gets fired
To do list Acquire at least 1 more first rounder this year and next year, by trading Lavine and Demar
Trade Sabonis for Franchise PG.
Acquire a young rotational piece for Demar and Dennis!