So he’s not .
However is Trey Lyles the subsequent neatest thing? It’s fully attainable! We’ve seen the beating he’s placed on the Wolves lately, however for individuals who wiped their recollections opted out of watching any Kings video games the previous three to 4 years, I made a decision to search out out extra concerning the 30-year-old.
MADRID, SPAIN – MARCH 15: Trey Lyles of Actual Madrid appears on through the Spanish League, Liga ACB Endesa, basketball match performed between Actual Madrid and Hiopos Lleida at Movistar Enviornment pavilion on March 15, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. (Photograph By Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press through Getty Photographs) | Europa Press through Getty Photographs
Lyles’ final NBA stint was with Sacramento from 2022 to 2025. Becoming a member of me is ’s Will Griffith. He has coated the Sacramento Kings carefully for over 10 years and hosts , a bi-weekly podcast concerning the Kings.
Commercial
Will graciously spent a while with me to speak concerning the Wolves ninth-ish man within the rotation:
Leo Solar: In the beginning, a giant congratulations to you for surviving one other season of the Sacramento Kings. That’s no small feat! You’ve watched and coated god is aware of what number of years of dysfunction there. You’ve additionally seen a whole lot of gamers come and go alongside the best way. The Wolves signed Trey Lyles to a veteran minimal contract final week. His final NBA stint was with the Kings, the place he performed over three seasons. How would you summarize his time in Sacramento?
Will Griffith: Trey Lyles’ time in Sacramento was a largely constructive expertise that was hindered just about solely by his accidents and subsequent lack of availability. Beam Group season Lyles was trying like he’d rapidly be an all-time function participant fan favourite – a terrific locker room vibes man, who unfold the ground, opened the lanes for Fox to spray out to and will, every so often, provide you with small-ball middle time with out being a complete sieve on the market.
After that, there’s a LOT of “What If?” with regards to Trey. ‘23-24 was a season the place the Kings had been doing every thing to maintain their heads above water, Trey missed 24 video games with a calf harm that lingered all season after which ultimately an MCL sprain. His numbers had been related sufficient when he performed however he simply by no means fairly appeared proper.
Commercial
That third full season was a shit present franchise, with a civil warfare within the locker room and Trey on the dropping facet and I actually do suppose that the eventual firing of Mike Brown, buying and selling of , promotion of Doug Christie to go coach and the dearth of a degree guard actually killed what was left of the positivity that Lyles dropped at the group. He was knowledgeable, by no means spoke out of flip, however Kings followers within the know understood that Lyles was gone as quickly as De’Aaron Fox was.
SACRAMENTO, CA – DECEMBER 11: Trey Lyles #41 of the Sacramento Kings lights the beam after defeating the on December 11, 2023 at Golden 1 Heart in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: Person expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or utilizing this {photograph}, Person is consenting to the phrases and circumstances of the Getty Photographs Settlement. Necessary Copyright Discover: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photograph by Rocky Widner/NBAE through Getty Photographs) | NBAE through Getty Photographs
Solar: That’s nice context to know. A very good basketball participant. Damage worries. Inter-team drama. Appears like a Timberwolf to me! So that you talked about his basketball potential briefly. Are you able to broaden somewhat extra about his best energy(s) and weak spot(es) on the courtroom? Or if it’s simpler, is there a participant comparability that involves thoughts?
Griffith: There isn’t an excessive amount of thriller with Trey. He’s a good-to-very-good shooter when wholesome, he’ll pull down rebounds at a wholesome stage and he gained’t make a whole lot of errors. He’s a beneath common defender, however not a pushover.
Commercial
I don’t have a participant comp for him however I’d say as somebody trying from the skin, I’d moderately Lyles than a man like . He’s in to eat minutes whereas the starters are resting and he’ll do exactly that, and with flying colours. If at any level within the season, he’s anticipated to be something greater than a pinch starter for you for a sport or two, I’d begin to get somewhat anxious.
Solar: We don’t tolerate SlowMo slander right here at Canis. You’ve been warned. Alright, properly flooring spacing is an absolute should for this iteration of the group, in order that seems like begin. Nevertheless, did he ever have any frustrations in a restricted bench function as a Seventh-Eighth man? Now that he could also be in a much more restricted Eighth-Ninth man function for the Wolves, do you suppose he may develop discontent?
Griffith: I’ve zero worries about that from Trey Lyles, particularly after coming again to the NBA and to an excellent skilled state of affairs in Minnesota, after a pleasant season with Actual Madrid. Trey’s locker room man and I’ve solely good issues to say about him when it comes to his persona and his match with the Wolves.
Keep in mind: his final NBA expertise was with a Sacramento Kings squad with extra stress and ego, and fewer logic main it than the OceanGate submersible. If Trey left with out incident there, he’ll be fantastic on this franchise’s greater than succesful fingers.
SACRAMENTO, CA – OCTOBER 19: Trey Lyles #41 and De’Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings look on through the sport in opposition to the on October 19, 2023 at Golden 1 Heart in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: Person expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or utilizing this {photograph}, Person is consenting to the phrases and circumstances of the Getty Photographs Settlement. Necessary Copyright Discover: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photograph by Rocky Widner/NBAE through Getty Photographs) | NBAE through Getty Photographs
Solar: That’s good to listen to. If issues went so properly there in Sacramento, then why did his time come to an finish?
Commercial
Griffith: The enterprise reply: the Kings knew they had been going right into a rebuild and Trey could be very a lot a complimentary piece on a group with playoff or championship aspirations.
The extra sophisticated, however simply as truthful follow-up? He was a Fox man and each single Fox man exterior of was purged as rapidly as attainable from the Kings franchise. He would have been a wonderfully fantastic vet for a foul Kings squad, his loyalties, nevertheless, weren’t towards the fitting Kings star.
Solar: Is that “Kings star” within the room with us, proper now? Sorry, low blow. I wouldn’t be shocked if it was a John Calipari Kentucky Wildcats connection between Fox and Lyles. Effectively, let’s transfer previous that and give attention to the now. How do you want Trey’s match with this roster, present as one of many few bigs on the group?
Griffith: In a restricted, clearly understood function off the bench? I find it irresistible. He gained’t substitute , however he’ll slot in, hit open photographs, and supply the spacing that and Ant want. He gained’t wow you on protection, however his rebounding is somewhat underrated and he may give you some minutes as a small ball 5. As a Seventh-Ninth man, he’s excellent for LaMelo and Ant.
Commercial
Solar: That is the second time you’ve talked about his protection. It’s an ideal segue for my subsequent subject: the Wolves current success as been synonymous with their glorious defensive acumen. You already foreshadowed your reply, however simply how would you sum up Trey Lyles on that finish of the courtroom?
Griffith: Underwhelming. He’s a contact gradual, not an eyepopping athlete, so he gained’t be blocking many photographs. He’ll put a physique on somebody and take a look at, however he’s not making an All-Defensive Group any time quickly.
Solar: I assume that’s honest, contemplating he’s a 30-year-old NBA journeyman on a vet minimal. What concerning the intangibles? Was Lyles “veteran presence” within the locker room, or have a lot of a voice? The Wolves just lately misplaced and Kyle Anderson in free company, and solely have 1 participant over 30 on the group. Lyles could be the one different.
Griffith: I’d say Lyles is an effective vet presence however not overly loud or showy with it. It was apparent that he was properly appreciated by his teammates and press and had zero off-the-court points in his time in Sac. When occasions are good, he’ll be very fashionable together with his teammates, he simply isn’t supplying you with the Captain America hype moments throughout a seven-game dropping streak.
Solar: There’s going to be a whole lot of loud personalities in that Wolves locker room, so it would behoove Minnesota to have that calm presence. Effectively, let’s wrap up with this: if there’s one thing Wolves followers ought to find out about Lyles, what wouldn’t it be?
Commercial
Griffith: Within the Mike Brown years, the Kings would hand out a Defensive Participant of the Sport chain and crown and the entire group would take an image, and Trey, regardless of the place he was within the image, flashed fours on his fingers. It took all of like 3 video games into the gimmick the place your entire group was hitting this pose, holding 4 fingers out on every hand, and regardless of a whole lot of unhealthy occasions within the seasons that adopted, he was properly regarded sufficient that gamers nonetheless held up 4’s out of affection for him. On the off probability that the Wolves immediately have a gimmick like that, or begin popping locker room footage after the sport, Trey will throw up these 4’s and you’ll ask your self, what the hell does that even imply?
Sacramento Kings rejoice a win over the in 2024, flashing the patented Trey Lyles “4” signal. | Sacramento Kings
It means “4 Life”. It was only a factor he began in highschool and has saved it going ever since.
Solar: Wow, that’s some proper there. I really like that story and it’s cool to get to know somewhat bit extra concerning the finish of bench addition. Right here’s to hoping he’s a likeable large man that may assist us “rebound” from the lack of Naz Reid.
Once more, I can’t thank Will sufficient for the dialog. You’ll find his content material on the Kings Herald web site, or on /.