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Isaiah Wong, Jazz Reach Agreement On Exhibit 10 Deal

September 22nd, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

Isaiah Wong will join the Jazz for training camp on an Exhibit 10 contract, agent Darrel Comer of Tandem tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old shooting guard spent last season as a two-way player with the Pacers. He made just one brief NBA appearance, but he averaged 14.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 30 regular season games with the team’s G League affiliate.

Wong was selected with the 55th pick in the 2023 draft after four seasons at Miami, Florida, where he was named ACC Player of the Year in 2023. He was chosen to participate in the G League Invitational tournament earlier this month, and he took part in the Next Up Game at All-Star Weekend.

The Exhibit 10 contract gives Wong an opportunity to earn a bonus of up to $77.5K if he’s waived by Utah and spends at least 60 days with the franchise’s G League team.

The Jazz are already at the 21-player limit for their preseason roster, so another move will be necessary before Wong’s contract can be finalized.

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International Notes: Beverley, Harrell, Windler, Toohey

September 22nd, 2024 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Patrick Beverley‘s new coach with Hapoel Tel Aviv believes he has a lot to learn about the international game after spending the last 12 years in the NBA, according to a BasketNews report. Beverley was one of several high-profile additions for the Israeli team this summer, and coach Stefanos Dedas said in a recent podcast that it’s been challenging to manage all the new talent.

“No, [they are] not easy [to coach],” Dedas said. “Beverley is not easy to coach because he has some habits from the NBA. We talk every day with him. He says, ‘Coach me, coach me, curse me out!’ I say, ‘Don’t give me this [opportunity], it’s what I love.’ I had to change Patrick’s mentality about the preseason. It doesn’t count in the NBA, but here, it counts. You need to win, you need to collect the credit that the play is good and the roster is good. The result matters only during the night of the game, but you have a good feeling because you played well.”

At age 36, Beverley is bringing his trademark fiery approach to Hapoel Tel Aviv, along with a wealth of knowledge he collected as an NBA veteran. His defensive prowess and understanding of the game are assets in any league.

“Nobody says he’s a one-man show player because he was never like this,” Dedas said. “He has the mentality of a high-level role player, guarding the opponent’s best player, drive-kick, pass to the shooter. He knows the job very well.”

There’s more international news to pass along:

  • Montrezl Harrell, the NBA’s former Sixth Man of the Year, made an immediate impact with Adelaide in his NBL debut, per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Harrell came off the bench to post 13 points and 12 rebounds in a little over 20 minutes, and he caught the attention of Jaylen Adams, an ex-NBA player who’s now a star in Australia. “He’s a competitor, a big physical guy,” Adams said. “I thought he played good tonight, for somebody who got here a week ago, too. It was fun to compete. It kind of brought the best out of me, and I think it brought the best out of a lot of guys.”
  • Perth’s coach wants newly signed Dylan Windler to be more focused about seeking his own shots in the NBL than he was in the NBA, Uluc adds. Windler had six points, 10 rebounds and four assists as a reserve in his first game in Australia. “He’s played in the NBA the last four years in a particular role, [but] I actually want him to be a bit more aggressive and probably play a little bit more how he was in college,” coach John Rillie said.
  • Sam Venecie, draft expert at The Athletic, is impressed by the early-season performance of Alex Toohey (Twitter link). Vecenie views the Australian forward as a first-round talent for 2025.
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Jonathan Kuminga Discusses Potential Extension, Desire For Starting Role

September 21st, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

As the Warriors look ahead to training camp, Jonathan Kuminga doesn’t have an extension in place or a secure spot in the starting lineup, writes Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard. After displaying signs of stardom over his first three NBA seasons, the 21-year-old is hoping for a breakthrough this year. The contract situation is out of his hands, so he’s focused on proving himself on the court.

“I’m not thinking about that right now,” Kuminga said about earning a starting spot. “But I’m working toward it. The goal is me being a full starter. So I’m not even worried about what’s going to happen, because I know how much work I’ve put in. And I know once I step on that floor, things are going to change.”

Kuminga started 46 of the 74 games he played last season, but he only averaged 26.3 minutes per night. Coach Steve Kerr has been up front with Kuminga about what he needs to do to solidify a starting role, Kawakami adds. That includes making better decisions with the ball, playing at a faster pace, and improving his 32.1% three-point shooting.

Draymond Green is set as the Warriors’ power forward, so Kerr wants Kuminga to adapt his game to become more effective as a small forward.

“I’ve always been a small forward, my whole life,” Kuminga said. “And I don’t have a position at this point, because I feel like … when I go back in the summer, I work on everything. Because I’m a small forward, but I could play any position, so I never just define myself as small forward. I’m definitely confident, and I just can’t wait to go out there and show people what I’ve been working on and stuff. I mean, it’s always my thing to just work on certain things and get better. And I feel like shooting threes, I’ve gotten so much better shooting.”

Kawakami states that the lack of a fully defined role has probably prevented Kuminga from landing a rookie scale extension already. The sides have until October 21 to work out an agreement, but it’s possible the Warriors will wait until next summer and look to re-sign Kuminga as a restricted free agent.

“I haven’t really got into it that much,” he said. “I don’t want to step my foot off track. I’m focusing on how can I be great? How can I help something? The better you play, the more you do things, everything’s going to open up itself. So I’m not worried about things like that because I know who I am, I know myself. At the end of the day, it’s just having an opportunity, a chance to go out there and prove. And just waiting for the moment. It’s God’s plan, so I’m not even tripping or thinking about it day to day. Whenever it happens, it’s going to happen.”

Kuminga added that he would “love to” remain with Golden State long-term if that’s what his future holds. He believes any differences with Kerr were resolved when they met in the middle of last season to discuss Kuminga’s complaints about playing time.

Kuminga is also aware of the offseason trade rumors that had him possibly going to the Clippers as part of a package for Paul George or to the Jazz in exchange for Lauri Markkanen. Kuminga takes the fact that he didn’t get dealt as a sign of confidence from general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.

“I feel like Mike believes in us,” he said. “There’s not too many people who are going to believe in young players, but I feel like Mike believes in the young guys he drafted, the young guys he’s been around and watched their process, how they’re growing and how they’re going to fit with some of the vets we have. I mean, it’s a blessing to still be here. I’m always thankful to be around and Mike having trust in us.”

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Celtics Notes: Tatum, Horford, Center Options, Brown

September 21st, 2024 at 8:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jayson Tatum spoke about winning his first championship, the quest to repeat, and a few other topics during a recent public appearance to promote his new children’s book, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The Celtics are preparing to open training camp in a few days, but the memories of the title run are still fresh in Tatum’s mind.

“We’ve gotten close a bunch of times,” he said. “We lost in the Finals. There’s a lot of people that doubted us, and I remember thinking about, ‘Man, when we win the championship, I can’t wait to tell everybody that doubted us, that had something to say.’ But you realize that moment that we won, when the confetti was falling and then the parade, it’s not about the people that doubted you. It’s about you guys, the guys that supported us along the way. Everybody that believed in us, and I can honestly say, the parade was the best two hours of my life.”

Tatum told the crowd, which was mostly made up of children and their parents, that his confidence level grew after the Nuggets were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. He had been expecting to face Denver in the NBA Finals and felt good about the Celtics’ chances against anyone else.

When Boston took a 3-0 lead over Dallas, Tatum admitted being so excited about having the chance to win a title that he couldn’t sleep. He said the team was “so anxious and so tight” prior to Game 4, which the Celtics lost in a blowout, but everyone was more relaxed when they returned home to wrap up the series in Game 5.

Tatum also discussed the challenges the Celtics will face as they enter the season as defending champs.

“(Coach) Joe Mazzulla, he had a great quote the other day,” Tatum said. “He said, we’re not defending anything. We’re chasing another championship. We enjoyed it all summer. … I can’t wait for opening night to get our rings and see the banner being raised. But honestly, after opening night, we have to put it behind us. It’s a new season.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • Al Horford has talked in the past about wanting to play until he’s 40, and that’s probably the best scenario for the Celtics, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Horford, who turned 38 in June, is entering the final year of his current contract. Boston is already operating under the second apron and would have limited options to replace him if he decides to retire next summer.
  • In the same piece, Robb states that if the Celtics suffer numerous injuries in their big-man rotation, they’ll likely consider internal options before trying to add a free agent. The team experimented with Tatum in the middle a little bit last season, and Mazzulla could go back to that if necessary. Robb also envisions smaller lineups in case of injuries with more three-guard sets and possibly regular minutes for Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh.
  • Jaylen Brown led a workout this week at Auerbach Center to prepare for training camp, according to Gio Rivera of NESN. Teammates who attended included Scheierman, Walsh, Horford and Xavier Tillman.
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Nets Sign Amari Bailey To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 21st, 2024 at 7:38pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 21: Bailey has officially signed with the Nets, according to RealGM’s NBA transaction log.

SEPTEMBER 19: Free agent guard Amari Bailey has agreed to sign a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with the Nets, agent Kevin Bradbury tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

A one-and-done college player at UCLA, Bailey was drafted 41st overall by the Hornets in 2023. He spent his rookie year on a two-way deal with the club, appearing in just 10 games at the NBA level for Charlotte but playing a significant role for the Greensboro Swarm in the G League.

In 36 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Swarm, Bailey averaged 18.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 30.9 minutes per contest. His shooting line was .451/.358/.695.

The Hornets opted not to tender Bailey a qualifying offer in June. As a result, he became an unrestricted free agent.

Bailey is one of several players to have reached Exhibit 10 agreements with the Nets this offseason, along with Killian Hayes, Mark Armstrong, and KJ Jones. Brooklyn has a pair of two-way contract slots available, so it’s possible Bailey will get a chance to compete for one of those spots this fall.

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Hornets Notes: Simpson, Diabate, Green, Salaun

September 21st, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets will have a few roster questions to work out in training camp, but it appears two-way players KJ Simpson and Moussa Diabate are already destined to start the season in the G League. General manager Jeff Peterson addressed that topic at a recent press conference to announce the hiring of DJ Bakker as head coach of the Greensboro Swarm, according to Schuyler Callihan of Sports Illustrated.

“With KJ and Moussa specifically, safe assumption they’ll spend some time with Greensboro, and they’re excited about it,” Peterson said. “Every player that we bring into this organization, they just want to play, they want to compete, they want to get better. They want to maximize themselves and they know that at any time, this may be the best vehicle for them to do that. Really excited about their option to come to Greensboro and play and get better.”

Simpson, a 22-year-old point guard who played collegiately at Colorado, was taken with the 42nd pick in this year’s draft. Diabate, a 22-year-old center/power forward, has appeared in 33 games with the Clippers over the past two seasons. Charlotte’s other two-way slot remains open heading into camp.

There’s more on the Hornets:

  • Offseason addition Josh Green will likely be the choice to start alongside LaMelo Ball in the backcourt, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes in a mailbag column. Boone notes that Green, who was sent from Dallas to Charlotte in a six-team trade in July, brings flexibility to the lineup and can match up defensively with the opponent’s best guard, helping Ball stay out of foul trouble.
  • Tidjane Salaun was impressive during his brief Summer League appearance, but the 18-year-old will probably need time to develop into a rotation player, Boone states in the same piece. He suggests Salaun may see minutes initially as a defensive specialist before working his way into the rotation.
  • New head coach Charles Lee will have several decisions to make in camp, Boone adds. Along with Green, Tre Mann, Brandon Miller and Vasilije Micic are all competing for time in the backcourt, and the team doesn’t have a traditional power forward to back up Miles Bridges. That role will likely go to Grant Williams if other options don’t develop during the preseason.
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Longtime Suns Broadcaster Al McCoy Dies At 91

September 21st, 2024 at 5:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Al McCoy, who served as the “Voice of the Suns” for more than 50 years, has died at age 91, the team announced Saturday.

McCoy began doing play-by-play for the Suns in 1972 and remained active through the 2023 playoffs. A press release from the team cited his “distinctive voice, vivid descriptions and deep knowledge of the game,” which combined to give him a style that was beloved by fans in Phoenix and throughout the NBA.

“From his first call in 1972 to his last in 2023, Al McCoy was there for every defining moment in our history,” Suns owner Mat Ishbia said. “He was the heartbeat of our organization, a cherished friend, a mentor to many and a legend whose voice brought countless unforgettable moments to life for generations of Suns fans. We are heartbroken by the passing of our beloved Al, the voice of the Phoenix Suns for over five decades. Our thoughts go out to Al’s family, friends and to our entire Suns community.”

In 2017, McCoy was welcomed into the Suns Ring of Honor, a distinction that’s reserved for franchise legends. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame selected him for the Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2007, and he was inducted into the Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

McCoy’s radio career began in 1951 at Drake University. He came to Phoenix in 1956 as an announcer for a minor league baseball team and landed a job with the Suns four years after they were founded.

Among those sharing their remembrances of McCoy was Hall of Famer Steve Nash, who was twice named MVP during his time in Phoenix.

“I got to work with the great Al McCoy for 10 incredible years,” Nash said. “His energy and spirit were unmatched and I’ll never forget all the conversations and laughs we shared. He was the teammate that never wore a jersey. He loved his Phoenix Suns as much as anyone and his legacy will endure the generations of Suns fans to come. Lots of love to the one and only Al McCoy.”

Our condolences go out to Al’s family and friends.

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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Central Division

September 21st, 2024 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and/or cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Central Division. Let’s dive in…

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls could set their 21-man training camp roster by officially signing Liddell, who is believed to have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal. However, there are still questions about what their 18-man regular season roster will look like, even if Chicago doesn’t make any preseason trades.

The Bulls have just 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts, leaving the 15th spot open for a roster hopeful like Bitim, Horton-Tucker, or Lofton. The club also has a two-way slot available.

While Horton-Tucker isn’t eligible for a two-way contract, Domask, Lofton, and Liddell are. Bitim would be too, but he can’t be converted directly to a two-way deal since he’s not on an Exhibit 10 contract — he’d need to be cut and then re-signed after clearing waivers.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers‘ 11 players on fully guaranteed salaries represents the lowest total of any NBA team. But Merrill and Porter are locks to be on the regular season roster, so at least 13 standard spots are accounted for, and the team reportedly doesn’t intend to carry a 15th man into opening night for financial reasons.

Presumably, Thompson will open the season as the 14th man, but that’s not set in stone, since he’s not owed any guaranteed money. The Cavs could still bring in another veteran to challenge for that job.

Even after signing Brown, Cleveland will have three open spots on its 21-man roster, so more Exhibit 10 signings are likely around the corner too.

Detroit Pistons

With over $10MM in cap room still available and only 13 players on guaranteed contracts, the Pistons are one of the NBA’s top candidates to make a move impacting their regular season roster in the next month.

That’s not a lock though. If they hang onto Reed, as expected, the Pistons will have the required 14 players for opening night. And if they want to maximize their remaining cap room in order to accommodate as many potential in-season trade opportunities as possible, they may be reluctant to add even a minimum-salary player as a 15th man.

While it’s an open question whether or not Detroit will fill out its standard 15-man roster, it’s safe to assume the team will carry a third two-way player into the season. We’ll see whether McCoy, Smith, Estrada, and/or Seabron get a chance to compete for that spot or whether the Pistons have any other specific targets in mind. For what it’s worth, the club could add one more player to its 21-man preseason roster even after officially signing Estrada and Seabron.

Indiana Pacers

The partial guarantees held by Johnson and Wiseman will give them the upper hand to join the Pacers‘ dozen players on fully guaranteed contracts as part of the standard opening night roster. That would leave Brown and Swider vying for the 15th spot, with no guarantee that Indiana – within spitting distance of the luxury tax line – would retain either one.

The Pacers, who are already carrying 19 total players, wouldn’t be able to finalize all three of their reported Exhibit 10 deals without waiving someone. That math suggests that at least one of those Exhibit 10 recipients – and maybe more than one – will be cut shortly after he signs, with Indiana rotating players in and out of those back-end roster spots.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks have a hefty projected tax bill to consider, but it still doesn’t make sense to waive Jackson, given that half of his $1.89MM salary is guaranteed. He’ll make that money whether or not he opens the season on the roster, so it looks like Milwaukee will carry a full 15-man squad into opening night.

With all 21 preseason roster spots filled, including all three of their two-way slots, the Bucks don’t need to make any changes before camp begins. Unless one of the camp invitees has a huge fall and pushes one of the current two-way players out, I’d expect Milwaukee’s only preseason roster moves to consist of signing and waiving Exhibit 10 players.

Previously:

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Eastern Notes: Hawks, Bulls, Knicks, Bucks

September 21st, 2024 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

While Jalen Johnson and Clint Capela will almost certainly make up two-thirds of the Hawks‘ starting frontcourt, the other starting forward spot remains up for grabs, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who looks at six possible candidates for that role.

De’Andre Hunter looks like the best bet among the contenders for the job, but he was more effective off the bench than in the starting five last season, Williams notes, having made 49.1% of his shots and 42.0% of his three-pointers in 20 games as a reserve.

No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and newly acquired guard Dyson Daniels are among the other options Williams examines. Daniels figures to spend most of his playing time in the backcourt, but could make sense at small forward if Atlanta starts Bogdan Bogdanovic alongside Trae Young in the backcourt and wants to complement them with an elite wing defender.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

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NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Sacramento Kings

September 21st, 2024 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Sacramento Kings.

Free agent signings

  • Malik Monk: Four years, $77,975,308. Fourth-year player option. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
  • DeMar DeRozan: Three years, $73,710,000. Includes an additional $3MM in unlikely incentives. Third year partially guaranteed ($10MM). Signed using Bird rights and acquired via sign-and-trade from Bulls.
  • Alex Len: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.
  • Jordan McLaughlin: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Orlando Robinson: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($500K). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Boogie Ellis: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

  • Acquired Jalen McDaniels from the Raptors in exchange for Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov, the draft rights to Jamal Shead (No. 45 pick), and the Trail Blazers’ 2025 second-round pick.
  • Acquired DeMar DeRozan (sign-and-trade) from the Bulls in a three team-trade in exchange for Harrison Barnes (to Spurs), Chris Duarte (to Bulls), the Kings’ 2025 second-round pick (to Bulls), the Kings’ 2028 second-round pick (to Bulls), the right to swap 2031 first-round picks (to Spurs), and cash (to Bulls).

Draft picks

  • 1-13: Devin Carter
    • Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $22,141,696).

Two-way signings

Departed/unsigned free agents

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($140.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($170.8MM).
  • Carrying approximately $169.7MM in salary.
  • Hard-capped at $178,132,000.
  • Full mid-level, bi-annual exceptions available.
  • Three traded player exceptions available (largest worth $6,341,464).

The offseason so far

Entering the offseason, there were two notable NBA free agents whose Early Bird rights were considered potentially insufficient to retain them. One of those was Isaiah Hartenstein, who signed a three-year, $87MM contract with the Thunder that the Knicks were unable to match using the Early Bird exception. However, the second of those two free agents, Malik Monk, reached an early deal with the Kings, agreeing to accept Sacramento’s best possible offer well ahead of the start of July.

To be clear, it’s not as if Monk magnanimously accepted a deal way below his market value. His new four-year, $78MM contract is easily the most lucrative of his career, and the $19.5MM annual salary represents an entirely reasonable rate for an effective, offense-first sixth man.

Still, there was a belief that he might’ve been able to secure an even bigger payday on the open market, so the Kings benefited from new NBA rules that permitted them to begin contract talks with Monk immediately after the Finals ended, rather than having to wait until the end of June to open those negotiations.

Having agreed to terms early with Monk, the Kings were able to approach the rest of the summer with the knowledge that their top free agent would be back, and their subsequent roster moves accounted for that. With Monk returning, for instance, Sacramento needed to shed some salary in order to stay out of luxury tax territory, so the club sent Sasha Vezenkov and Davion Mitchell to Toronto, along with two second-round picks, in exchange for Jalen McDaniels.

Vezenkov ended up agreeing to give up his entire $6.66MM salary for the 2024/25 season in order to get out of his contract. If the Kings had known he’d be willing to do that, trading him wouldn’t have been necessary, but it’s possible he only finalized that decision when faced with the prospect of moving to a new country for the second time in two years.

It’s also unfortunate that Sacramento had to give up on Mitchell, a 2021 lottery pick, but his offensive game never really developed and he found himself surpassed on the depth chart last season by undrafted free agent Keon Ellis. While that No. 9 overall pick was a miss for the Kings, they can take some solace in the fact that the teams right behind them in the 2021 draft didn’t do any better — Ziaire Williams, James Bouknight, Joshua Primo, and Chris Duarte were the four players selected right after Mitchell (though Corey Kispert, Alperen Sengun, Trey Murphy, and Jalen Johnson all went later in the top 20).

Speaking of Duarte, he was a throw-in salary-matching piece in the Kings’ biggest move of July, a sign-and-trade deal for six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan. Duarte was packaged with Harrison Barnes (sent to San Antonio), a pair of second-round picks, a 2031 first-round pick swap, and cash in order to bring DeRozan aboard on a three-year contract without adding any salary to the team’s books for 2024/25.

A two-way forward probably would’ve been a better all-around fit for the Kings’ lineup, and it’s not as if Sacramento hadn’t been trying to acquire that sort of player — the team reportedly pursued both OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam last season before the Raptors traded them elsewhere. But DeRozan was the only impact player available this summer at the price Sacramento was willing to pay, both in terms of the trade package and the contract.

While the Kings will have no shortage of offensive firepower in 2024/25, head coach Mike Brown – who has preached defense since arriving in Sacramento – may not have the personnel for an above-average defense after swapping out Barnes for DeRozan. Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox aren’t bad on that end of the court, but neither is a top-tier defender; DeRozan and Monk certainly aren’t either. The pressure will be on 2022 lottery pick Keegan Murray to continue making defensive strides and to try to slow down opponents’ top wings while the Kings’ top scorers are simply asked to play solid team D within Brown’s scheme.

The Kings’ other veteran offseason additions were minimum-salary free agent signings — Alex Len will return for a fourth season, with Orlando Robinson joining him in the frontcourt and Jordan McLaughlin signed for backcourt depth. Robinson’s salary isn’t fully guaranteed, so Sacramento could swap him out for a new addition at some point if he doesn’t impress.

In addition to signing McLaughlin, the Kings used their lottery pick to select Devin Carter, a former Providence guard who looked like he might be able to step into an immediate role in the backcourt after a huge year for the Friars in 2023/24. Unfortunately, Carter underwent a shoulder surgery in early July that is expected to sideline him for six months.

It’s possible we’ll see Carter on the court in Sacramento during the season’s second half, but it’s probably unfair for the club to expect anything from him as a rookie, since he wasn’t able to take part in Summer League and won’t be a full participant in training camp or the preseason.

Up next

The Kings are currently carrying just 14 players on standard contracts, with neither Ellis nor Robinson on a fully guaranteed deal, so they have the ability to make some changes at the back of their projected regular season roster, including bringing in a 15th man.

Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise if this is the group that the team sticks with for opening night. Ellis isn’t going anywhere, Robinson has a partial guarantee, and adding a 15th man would push Sacramento’s team salary into luxury tax territory. As long as the roster stays relatively healthy, there’s probably no need to take on another player who won’t see rotation minutes, especially when the club is so close to the tax line.

The Kings’ prime preseason extension candidate is Fox, who is eligible for a new deal worth up to the maximum that would tack on three years to the two left on his current contract. However, reporting in June indicated that the star guard had decided not to sign an extension this offseason, preferring to put off those talks until 2025.

If Sacramento has a disappointing season in 2024/25, Fox’s contract situation might become a cause for concern, but the team shouldn’t be worried about it at this point. The 26-year-old could qualify for a super-max extension if he makes an All-NBA team next spring, which is reason enough for him to wait a year. Even if he misses out on the super-max, Fox would be eligible to sign a slightly longer-term deal beginning next July.

Kevin Huerter is the only other King who is currently extension-eligible. I wouldn’t expect Huerter to get a new deal at this point after he saw his minutes cut back to a career-low 24.4 per game last season.

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