DeMar DeRozan

Pacific Notes: Kings, DeRozan, James, Beal

November 14th, 2024 at 9:32am CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings sixth man Malik Monk is out at least two weeks due to a right ankle sprain. Who will fill his role? It’ll be a collective effort, according to Kings head coach Mike Brown.

Sacramento lost by 20 points to the Spurs on Monday and the reserves were outscored 37-21.

“We’re definitely going to have to collectively step up,” Brown told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “There’s not one guy that can do it.”

Keon Ellis, Jordan McLaughlin, Doug McDermott, Trey Lyles and Alex Len are the reserves that Sacramento will rely on with Monk on the shelf. The backups accounted for 46 points in a 23-point win over Phoenix on Wednesday.

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Kings swingman DeMar DeRozan departed Wednesday’s game with lower back tightness, Anderson tweets. Acquired by Sacramento in a sign-and-trade, DeRozan is averaging 22.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 12 starts. DeRozan, 35, played 79 games for Chicago last season.
LeBron James continues to pile up records and milestones. The Lakers superstar reached another one on Wednesday, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to record three straight triple-doubles. James, who will turn 40 next month, had 35 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds in a win over Memphis. “Just being very patient and taking what the defense gives me,” James said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I’ve been doing it for a while. So, I understand time and score. I understand the waves and the swings of the game. So, it’s nothing new to me.”
Bradley Beal‘s first season with the Suns was marred by injuries and under-performance. He admitted to The Athletic’s Fred Katz that it took a mental toll on him. “I was in a funk (last season),” Beal said. “Not gonna lie. I was in a funk.” Part of the reason was the lack of a true point guard. “We didn’t love it as a team (last season),” Beal said. “The dynamic we had — we didn’t have a (point guard), which everybody crucified us on. It was tough. It was very tough. Everybody was kinda out of position last year, not necessarily what made them who they are.” Beal had 28 points in an overtime loss to Sacramento on Sunday and 24 points in a win over Utah on Tuesday but didn’t play against Sacramento on Wednesday due to a calf injury.

Raptors Notes: Agbaji, Mitchell, Walter, Mogbo, DeRozan

November 7th, 2024 at 10:12pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Raptors acquired Ochai Agbaji alongside Kelly Olynyk at last season’s trade deadline, and he’s looking like a steal while he blossoms in his third season in the league, Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange writes. In nine games (seven starts), Agbaji is averaging 13.0 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 56.8% from the field and 42.4% on three-pointers. He’s impressing as a two-way option on the wing.

“He’s been really good for us on defense. I’d say that’s his biggest strength, his activity there, his versatility there,” teammate Jakob Poeltl said. “He’s filling a kind of little-bit-of-everything role on offence for us, where he’s doing a lot of good cutting, spacing the corners for threes and stuff like that. Being aggressive in the fast break. So, yeah, we need more of that.”

According to Grange, the Raptors liked Agbaji in the 2022 draft, but he was selected 14th overall and Toronto didn’t control its own first-round pick. Equipped at last season’s trade deadline with the projected No. 31 overall pick in 2025 from the OG Anunoby trade, Toronto was prepared to give up the draft capital necessary (No. 29 overall) to acquire Olynyk and take a shot on Agbaji.

Agbaji’s current scoring average is more than double what he posted last season and Grange writes that he put in a ton of work this offseason in mini-camps and alongside Gradey Dick.

“Everyone had their own path,” Agbaji said. “Some guys figure it out in two minutes, some people it’s two years, three years or even longer. But I feel like the work I put in this off-season has prepared me for this moment and the work I continuously put in is for the rest of my career, really. This is just the starting point, and I’m going to try and keep it going and stay focused on what I need to do every single night to get myself to that level I’m capable of playing.”

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Davion Mitchell‘s ultimate fit with the Raptors is still yet to be determined, but he’s making the most of his opportunities so far, Grange writes in a separate story. Acquired in a trade that sent Jalen McDaniels to Sacramento, Mitchell has been one of the team’s more productive players through the early part of the season. He has started the past eight games with Immanuel Quickley out, averaging 10.0 PPG and 6.3 APG. Once is Quickley back – and with rookie Jamal Shead impressing early on – it’s unclear what Mitchell’s role will look like, Grange writes, but the fourth-year guard has graded out as the best perimeter defender in the league so far this fall.
Both Ja’Kobe Walter and Jonathan Mogbo, the Nos. 19 and 31 overall picks in this year’s draft, respectively, exited the Raptors’ Wednesday game against the Kings with injuries. Walter re-aggravated the shoulder injury that caused him to miss training camp and the first five games of the season, with leaves him with a day-to-day designation, Grange details in the same piece. Mogbo suffered a hip pointer, and the duration of his injury is unclear.
Despite an awkward ending to his Raptors tenure that saw him traded to the Spurs in 2018, Kings forward DeMar DeRozan still feels a strong bond with the franchise, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen writes. “I just feel like it, I’m embedded there — it’s a second-nature thing,” DeRozan said. “Anything the Raptors need [from] me, I feel like I’m an extension of that family for the rest of my life.“

Pacific Notes: Suns, Jones, DeRozan, Hield, Clippers

October 31st, 2024 at 7:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns didn’t have a traditional point guard in their starting lineup for most of the 2023/24 season, deploying shooting guards Devin Booker and Bradley Beal as their primary ball-handlers. While Booker tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that “we were willing to learn and do it,” Beal admits the adjustment to the new role wasn’t a smooth one.

“They were using me more as a facilitator than a scorer and honestly, that kind of f—ed with my head,” Beal told ESPN. “Literally this whole summer, I had just had a whole reflection, just like, ‘Who are you?’ I had to have a real talk with myself, you know. I took some time to look at myself in the mirror to answer: ‘What do I need to do better? Who am I?’ And then just get back to that.”

Recognizing that a more traditional point guard would help maximize the offensive abilities of the Suns’ stars, the front office entered free agency this summer looking to address the position using its limited resources. Phoenix was able to land Monte Morris on a minimum-salary contract, then improbably signed Tyus Jones to a similar deal.

As Shelburne writes, Jones received interest from teams like the Wizards, Pistons, Spurs, and Nets, and could have signed for $8-12MM per year if he had been willing to join a lottery-bound club. Faced with a decision on whether to go for the money or to take a discount to join a contender and revisit free agency in 2025, Jones opted for the latter route after San Antonio signed Chris Paul.

Through four games with the Suns, Jones has been his usual efficient self, running the offense, knocking down three-pointers, and taking care of the ball. He has made 37.5% of his outside shots and has compiled 24 assists to just three turnovers.

“Tyus makes our life so much easier,” Beal told Shelburne. “I have a lot more weight off my shoulders. We can just go do what everybody knows us for.”

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DeMar DeRozan‘s ability to get to the free throw line and make his foul shots has helped make an already-dangerous Kings offense even better, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento finished dead last in the NBA last season with a 74.5% free throw percentage, but ranks second so far this season at 82.8%. DeRozan is 26-of-31 (83.9%) from the line through four games.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy, whose team fell to the new-look Kings on Tuesday, said his first thought was “oh no” when he learned Sacramento had acquired DeRozan this past offseason, according to Anderson. “That’s a whole different thing to have to prepare for,” Hardy said. “(De’Aaron) Fox, (Domantas) Sabonis (and) the up-tempo style was already enough of a problem to gameplan for and prep your team for. … It’s like pitching in baseball. You can’t throw a fastball every pitch. I think having that change of pace with DeMar, a change in style, is going to be beneficial for them as they go throughout the season.”
Buddy Hield, who joined the Warriors on a four-year, $37.8MM contract this offseason, has given his new team exactly what it was looking for from him, says Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Hield leads the NBA with 24 made three-pointers and has knocked down 50% of his attempts in his first five games. “He knows what he does well,” Brandin Podziemski said prior to Wednesday’s win in New Orleans. “Obviously, he’s shown that for the first four games. He knows what’s made him a bunch of money in this league and has helped him win.”
The San Diego Clippers’ roster for training camp includes a handful of players with NBA experience, with forward Braxton Key, forward Tosan Evbuomwan, and guard Nate Darling among those in camp with the Clippers‘ G League affiliate.

Pacific Notes: DeRozan, Davis, LeBron, Dunn

October 26th, 2024 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

DeMar DeRozan had a strong debut for the Kings on Thursday, scoring 26 points and eight rebounds in nearly 43 minutes of action, with Sacramento outscoring Minnesota by eight points during his time on the court.

Still, the two-point loss to the Timberwolves showed that there will be an adjustment period for the Kings as they get used to DeRozan’s presence, writes Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. After finishing third in the NBA with 39.3 three-point attempts per game last season, Sacramento let it fly from beyond the arc just 29 times in Thursday’s game, well shy of Minnesota’s 50 three-point tries.

“His game is the mid-range,” Kings head coach Mike Brown said of DeRozan. “He’s an elite mid-range guy, and so he’s going to take a lot of shots, and that’s going to probably take away from the (three-point shots) some.”

Still, the Kings are confident it won’t take them long to get accustomed to DeRozan’s playing style and believe it will ultimately pay off to have another offensive weapon capable of breaking down defenses and creating his own shot like the 35-year-old can.

“He can run an offense all by himself,” teammate Kevin Huerter said. “There’s times you can just give him the ball and he can go make plays. He doesn’t need plays drawn up for him. As he continues to get more comfortable, we’ll get a lot better. … It’s game one, so we’re early. It’s obviously going to take time. Everybody’s still figuring everything out.”

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Anthony Davis dominated for a second straight outing in the Lakers‘ Friday win over Phoenix, scoring a game-high 35 points to increase his season total to 71 through two games (both victories). Head coach J.J. Redick‘s plan to make Davis the focus of L.A.’s offense is working as intended so far, according to LeBron James. “It’s very important that he’s the main focal point for us every single night,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “We know what he’s going to do defensively, but offensively we have to find him in multiple places on the floor throughout the whole game. And we’ve done that through two games.”
Asked during his post-game media session on Friday whether he’ll suit up for the second game of the Lakers‘ back-to-back set on Saturday vs. Sacramento, LeBron told reporters, including McMenamin, that his goal is not to miss a single one of the team’s 82 regular season contests. “I plan on playing every game,” said James, the NBA’s oldest active player.
Although the Suns couldn’t pull out a win on Friday vs. the Lakers, they got an encouraging performance from rookie Ryan Dunn. Known as a high-level defender but not much of a shooter during his time at Virginia, Dunn knocked down three-of-five attempts from three-point range and was a plus-8 in his 14 minutes. Dunn’s improvements as a shooter are the result of “a lot of hard work,” he told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda in a wide-ranging interview. “I keep having the confidence to keep shooting it even when some nights it might not fall and some nights that it might fall,” said Dunn, who also spoke to Medina about his first impressions of the NBA, meeting some of his long-time basketball idols, and his goals for his rookie season.

Pacific Notes: DeRozan, Kings, Curry, Warriors, Kaminsky

October 13th, 2024 at 2:55pm CST by Rory Maher

The Kings dropped their second straight preseason game to Golden State on Friday, but they came away encouraged by their performance, particularly the play of the starting five, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Point guard De’Aaron Fox is pleased by how seamlessly DeMar DeRozan has fit in.

“It definitely feels natural right now,” Fox said of playing with DeRozan. “Obviously, we have someone else who can really post up and create their own shot, but he’s also still creating for others and making our jobs easier, so I feel like there are no hiccups. Right now we’re not running much. We’re just running our flow offense and I think it’s looked good.”

DeRozan, who was acquired from Chicago over the summer in a three-team sign-and-trade, concurred with Fox’s assessment.

“It’s comfortable,” DeRozan said. “Now, it’s just about getting that consistent rhythm, and the more we play, the more opportunities we get, the easier it becomes.”

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In other Kings news, a league source tells Anderson that Malik Monk will be active on Sunday vs. Portland after missing Friday’s contest due to personal reasons (Twitter link). Monk re-signed with Sacramento on a four-year, $78MM contract as a free agent.
Warriors star Stephen Curry sustained a jammed right index finger in the second quarter of Friday’s victory and was held out for the remainder of the game, but he was able to go throughout his typical post-game workout, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic relays (Twitter links). Curry underwent an X-ray, which came back negative, and he’s considered day-to-day.
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins was sidelined by an illness during training camp and will miss his fourth straight preseason game on Sunday vs. Detroit. However, the former No. 1 overall pick has recovered from the unspecified illness and is expected to suit up for Tuesday’s contest vs. the Lakers, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters, including Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link).
Kerr continues to experiment with the Warriors‘ starting lineup in preseason, Slater notes (Twitter video link). On Friday, Kerr went with a small-ball approach, with Curry, Gary Payton II, Moses Moody, Kyle Anderson and Draymond Green as the starting five. While they’re taking a “game-by-game” approach right now, in part due to Wiggins’ absence, Kerr downplayed the possibility of that continuing into the regular season. “We want a starting lineup to form, and to establish some continuity, for sure,” he said.
Frank Kaminsky is on a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Suns and is vying for the 15th spot on their standard roster. Even if he’s waived before the season begins, the veteran big man is thankful to have another NBA opportunity after dealing with a knee injury and playing in Serbia last season. “I’m just going with it,” Kaminsky told Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m in the position I wanted to be after getting healthy and playing overseas last year. Just grateful for this opportunity. Whatever happens, happens.”

Pacific Notes: Bronny, Redick, Jones, Kings Analytics, DeRozan

October 10th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul was blunt with Bronny James about his assessment of where he could realistically be drafted this summer, Baxter Holmes of ESPN writes in a feature. Even though he knew he wouldn’t be a top pick, James simply wanted to hear his name called.

“Nobody pressured Bronny to go pro,” Paul said. “Bronny had a choice to stay at USC, he had a choice to transfer somewhere else or he had a choice to go pro.”

That, alone, was Bronny’s choice to make, Holmes writes. He wound up being selected at No. 55 to the Lakers, the much speculated landing spot for him despite reports of outside interest. While his decision to go pro after only 25 collegiate games drew criticism, Bronny has been one of the first players in the gym and is eager to shake off any rust accrued from his lone collegiate season following cardiac arrest, Holmes writes.

“Bronny is serious,” Paul said. “This isn’t a f—ing game for him. He wants to play in the NBA, and he wants to play well within his role.”

Paul, Bronny and the entire James family are aware of the narrative surrounding him, Holmes writes, but Paul and Bronny are eager to rewrite it. It won’t be easy to tune out the constant noise — both positive and negative — but the 20-year-old is handling all the questions and pressure with grace. I recommend checking out Holmes’ feature in full here.

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JJ Redick wants the Lakers to be one of the highest-volume three-point shooting teams in the league this season, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register writes. L.A. took 40 three-point attempts in the Sunday preseason game against Phoenix, which was encouraging from Redick’s perspective. “[Forty threes] is a lot,” Redick said. “But if you’re generating good ones, that’s a great number. I would like us to average five or six more threes a game. But you have to be conscientious about how we’re generating those threes.” The Lakers didn’t make many outside additions this offseason, but we previously relayed that they’re interested in getting Anthony Davis to take more shots from outside. Rookie Dalton Knecht and third-year wing Max Christie could also factor into that equation.
Clippers center Mohamed Bamba is dealing with a knee injury that’s sidelined him during the preseason, Law Murray of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). According to Murray, head coach Tyronn Lue said the hope is for Bamba to be ready for the start of the regular season, but as long as he’s out, Kai Jones is the backup center. That’s interesting to note, because Jones is currently only signed to an Exhibit 10 deal. With 15 players on standard contracts, Jones makes the most sense for a two-way deal. We outlined the Clippers’ current roster battle here. However, given that P.J. Tucker is remaining away from the team, there could theoretically be more roster juggling to come, rather than simply converting Jones to an open two-way slot.
Offensive rebounding has been a major focal point for the Kings through training camp and the preseason, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes. Analytically inclined general manager Monte McNair encouraged head coach Mike Brown to make offensive rebounding a staple of the team’s philosophies, Anderson writes. “Talking to Monte was a little bit more convincing,” Brown said. “The next step was doing it in practice and training camp and seeing it on film and realizing, hey, we’re sending these guys to the glass, but because of the way we’re doing it, we’re still pretty good in transition defense. It’s been two years now, going into year three, so I’m convinced that you can attack the glass while still being good in transition defense. It just took time.“
DeMar DeRozan was extremely efficient in his Kings preseason debut, as he scored 15 points in 15 minutes and didn’t miss a shot, Anderson writes in a separate story. Star guard De’Aaron Fox was highly complimentary of his new teammate after the game. “Bringing in that type of talent, especially guys who are extremely unselfish, you enjoy playing together,” Fox said.

Kings Notes: Ellis, Huerter, Injuries, Jones, Brown, Murray, DeRozan

October 7th, 2024 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

There’s no question that Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, and Keegan Murray will be part of the Kings‘ starting lineup this fall, but the fifth member of that group has yet to be locked in, as James Ham of The Kings Beat and Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee write.

Malik Monk, Kevin Huerter, and Keon Ellis are all realistic candidates to start at shooting guard for Sacramento. However, it seems likely that Monk will reprise the sixth-man role he thrived in last season. Huerter, meanwhile, hasn’t yet been cleared for full-contact work after undergoing surgery in late March to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

That may make Ellis the frontrunner to start alongside Fox in Sacramento’s backcourt. As Anderson writes, Ellis’ ability to play good defense and to operate on offense without the ball in his hands also makes him a good fit in the team’s starting group, whereas Monk and Huerter could handle a larger offensive load with the second unit.

“If you think about it, Keon, out of all three of those guys, is probably the one who will command the least amount of shots and/or the time the ball is in his hands,” head coach Mike Brown said last week. “He’s shown the last two years that he’s a capable catch-and-shoot shooter, and if you leave him open, he’ll make you pay on the catch-and-shoot shot from the three-point line. He shot 40-something percent from three in both years, so for us that is a little bit of a factor, making sure we put the right combinations on the floor that fit instead of just trying to throw guys out there because we think those guys can all score the best.”

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Huerter, who was cleared for on-court workouts near the end of August, said he’s feeling good about the progress he’s made and is eager to advance to the final stage of his rehab process, per Anderson. “The last step for me is really just getting 5-on-5 full contact,” Huerter said. “I haven’t gone contact against a player yet. I haven’t been cleared to do that, but everything else. I’ve been 1-on-0 for four months now. … Itching to get back and go against somebody else.”
The Kings are battling the injury bug this fall, with Huerter and Devin Carter recovering from shoulder surgeries and Trey Lyles (groin), Jordan McLaughlin (ankle), and Orlando Robinson (knee) all dealing with health issues of their own. According to Ham, McLaughlin is expected to be back within the next few days and Huerter should be cleared for contact around the middle of the month, while Lyles will probably be sidelined until the end of the preseason schedule. Robinson and Carter will remain out for the start of the season.
As Anderson details in a separate story for The Sacramento Bee, Brown delivered a profanity-laced tirade near the end of a Saturday scrimmage. As the Kings’ head coach later explained, two-way player Mason Jones capped off a “really, really good day” by turning the ball over and giving up on the last couple plays of the day. Brown responded by calling out Jones and several of his vets. “I got on Foxy and Domas and DeMar a little bit because those three guys can’t let that slide,” he said. “I shouldn’t have to be the one saying that we all have to hold each other accountable. … We all have to hold each other accountable all the time, and if our vets see something like that from a young guy in Mason, then you’ve got to let him know, ‘Hey, Mace, you had a good day, but we can’t finish like that.'”
In another story for The Sacramento Bee, Anderson explores how Murray can continue to grow as a player as the former No. 4 overall pick enters his third NBA season.
A Los Angeles native, DeRozan hasn’t played for one of his hometown teams since entering the NBA in 2009, but he’s thrilled to be living in California again as a member of the Kings, so close to his family in L.A., he recently told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “It means so much,” DeRozan said. “Even one of my daughters, she is asking every day when she can come up — even a day where she could just come up for a day, spend time with me and go back. Her knowing that gives her excitement. That makes me extremely happy.”

Central Notes: Rondo, Tyson, Okoro, Jerome, Duren, White

October 3rd, 2024 at 9:12pm CST by Tristan Tucker

When Rajon Rondo got married this summer, his first NBA coach Doc Rivers was one of the attendees, Baxter Holmes of ESPN writes. Rivers motivated and encouraged Rondo to get into the coaching sphere this season.

That’s exactly what Rondo is doing, as he’s serving as a guest coach for the Bucks during training camp. According to Holmes, Rondo will remain with the Bucks through the rest of the season in an unspecified role. Rondo has said he “absolutely” hopes to be a head coach some day.

“There’s a lot of factors that go into coaching,” Rondo said. “You just can’t say, I’m going to be a coach, and then everything works out and that’s how it happens. So certain personalities have to mesh, [and there’s] a lot of sacrifice. There are certain things that I’m learning. The morning meetings, the amount of hours you’re spending watching film, it’s a lot.”

Rondo declined to say whether he received any other offers from teams. However, it was reported in June that he was high on the list of preferred staff members for new Lakers coach J.J. Redick.

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Cavaliers rookie Jaylon Tyson — the No. 20 overall pick this year — is making a strong first impression in training camp so far, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “Our rook has impressed me,” Max Strus said. “He plays basketball the right way. He’s mature in the way he carries himself. He’s not out here asking for the ball or trying to do too much. He’s just trying to get in where he fits in. As a rookie, that’s not easy to do always. It’s impressive to see that. It’s refreshing to have a rookie come in and do that.” All three Cavs players who were asked for their immediate standout named Tyson, who has shown a little bit of everything, including rebounding, defense, and shooting. While Cleveland has a deep rotation, there’s a chance Tyson will make an impact right away.
Isaac Okoro admitted that he considered taking the Cavaliers‘ one-year, $11.8MM qualifying offer in order to hit unrestricted free agency next year. He eventually signed a three-year contract that includes $33MM in guaranteed money. “In my head I was like, ‘Nah, I think Cleveland wants me and I want to be here.’ I wanted to be here,” Okoro said. Fedor writes in a separate piece that head coach Kenny Atkinson is considering an expanded role for Okoro, who will be expected to screen more often and diversify his game.
In the same piece, members of the Cavaliers continue to point to Ty Jerome as a standout player in camp, per Fedor. “Ty has been one of the best players in camp in my opinion,” Darius Garland said. Jerome could be a surprise member of the rotation due to the fact that he was previously coached by Atkinson in Golden State and the front office likes him.
Jalen Duren served as an effective rim-runner and shot-blocker during his first two seasons as a member of the Pistons. However, according to Omari Sankofa II of Detroit Free Press, Detroit is hoping to unlock other aspects of Duren’s game — namely his play-making. He has been working on those skills in camp, and with just three true play-makers on the roster, Duren might be leaned on sooner rather than later. “I think we’re going to let him play with the ball some,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Whether he defensively rebounds the ball and has the ability to bring it up the floor some, whether he catches it on the elbow and we play split action and he can make those reads. So I think just trying to diversify where he touches it, and then we’ll keep building from there.“
DeMar DeRozan left the Bulls for the Kings this offseason, but he’s still giving advice to Most Improved Player runner-up Coby White, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. White is aiming to limit the number of off nights he has as a scorer after breaking through last year. “It’s got to be an every night thing. … I’ve got to build on this,” White said. “That’s what I talked to DeMar a lot about, how he prepares for every moment.“

Pacific Notes: Sabonis, DeRozan, Monk, Kings, Mann, Lakers

September 29th, 2024 at 11:49am CST by Rory Maher

Kings center Domantas Sabonis recently spoke to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee about “Starting 5,” the Netflix series in which he stars alongside LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Edwards. The show’s premiere is Oct. 9.

As for Sacramento’s offseason, Sabonis said he’s he looking forward to playing with six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, whom the Kings acquired from Chicago in a three-team sign-and-trade.

“It’s amazing,” Sabonis said. “Having a veteran like that, I’ve wanted that for a long time. He has a Hall of Fame career, and to bring that IQ — I was with him in L.A. for a couple weeks working out at USC and I learned so much personally in those couple weeks of workouts. Having him be around the team and having that rub off on everyone is going to be good. He’s here for the right reasons and he wants to win. That’s going to be good for us.”

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Sabonis also covered a number of topics in an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, including his love for Sacramento, the team’s high expectations, and what to expect out of Keegan Murray entering his third season. Sabonis was ecstatic the Kings were able to re-sign Malik Monk to a four-year, $78MM deal in free agency. “Thank God that we kept him,” Sabonis said. “He’s a big piece of how we play, and his energy and vibes off the court. He’s a great locker room guy. He keeps us always locked in and happy. That’s something you can’t replace with a lot of players in the league. He brings a swagger and is always ready to go. For us off the bench last year, he had a burst coming in and helping the second unit. To maintain that with another year of experience under his belt and a new contract it usually gives you more confidence. I’m expecting big things from him.”
Terance Mann‘s new three-year, $47MM extension with the Clippers is fully guaranteed with no team or player option, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Mann will earn $15.5MM in 2025/26, when the extension begins, and he remains trade-eligible due to the terms of the agreement, Marks adds (via Twitter). Mann, a 27-year-old swingman, figures to take on an increased offensive role after the offseason departure of Paul George.
The Lakers intend to hire Vanessa Brooks to be their new head athletic trainer and senior physical therapist, sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link). Brooks had been with the Thunder since 2019.

Raptors To Retire Vince Carter’s No. 15 Jersey

September 23rd, 2024 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

Vince Carter‘s jersey will be retired by two separate NBA franchises during the 2024/25 season. After the Nets announced last week that they’ll retire Carter’s No. 15 at a ceremony in January, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports that the Raptors will do the same with his No. 15 jersey when they host the Kings on November 2.

It will be the first time in Raptors history that the team has retired a player’s jersey.

The fifth overall pick in the 1998 draft, Carter spent his first six seasons in the NBA with Toronto. He was traded to the Nets midway through his seventh season and spent the next four-and-a-half years with New Jersey before bouncing around the league and playing for six different teams during the second half of his 22-year Hall of Fame career.

As a Raptor, Carter became the first true star in the history of a franchise that began play in 1995, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1999 and making the All-Star team six consecutive times beginning in 2000. He averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in 403 total regular season appearances for Toronto and put on one of the all-time great shows at the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest in 2000.

As Lewenberg writes, Carter’s emergence as an NBA superstar and his role in leading the Raptors to the first three postseason appearances in team history helped spur the growth and popularity of basketball in Canada, leading to a significant uptick in the number of Canadians playing in the NBA. The 6’6″ wing still ranks fourth overall on the Raptors’ all-time scoring list, despite coming in at just 12th in games played.

Despite the impressive résumé he compiled during his time with the Raptors, Carter’s legacy in Toronto is a complicated one, Lewenberg notes. When he requested a trade, there was a widespread perception among many Raptors fans that he had given up on the team. When he returned to Toronto as a visitor, he was loudly booed for several years after the deal.

Within the organization, the decision to retire Carter’s No. 15 wasn’t a given, according to Lewenberg, who says there were “high-ranking members” of the organization who felt that Kyle Lowry should be the first Raptor to have his jersey hung in the rafters.

With Lowry still active, however, and the Nets indicating back in the spring that they planned to retire Carter’s jersey, there was a “strong push” made on the 47-year-old’s behalf in Toronto, per Lewenberg. The relationship between Carter and Raptors fans has also healed significantly within the last decade — he received a standing ovation as a member of the Grizzlies when the Raptors honored with him a tribute video during their 20th anniversary season in 2014/15, Lewenberg adds.

According to Lewenberg, the Raptors considered the idea of retiring Carter’s No. 15 on October 25, when Lowry and the Sixers will be in town. However, they ultimately settled on the Nov. 2 game vs. Sacramento. DeMar DeRozan, another longtime Raptor who will likely have his jersey retired eventually, will be in town as a member of the Kings that night.

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