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Western Rumors: Kings, Grant, Kessler, Moody, Looney, Rockets, A. Mitchell

December 2nd, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are off to a disappointing 9-12 start this season, already 2.5 games back of a play-in spot in the Western Conference, prompting executives around the NBA to keep an eye on the situation in Sacramento to see if the front office will make another move to try to upgrade its roster, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Citing a “heightened sense of urgency” in Sacramento, Scotto suggests that teams talking to the Kings will be eager to see if the club is willing to part with first-round picks, rookie Devin Carter, or perhaps former No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray, who has essentially been off the table in trade discussions in recent years.

For now, it seems safe to assume that the Kings will dangle Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles in trade talks, according to Scotto, who points out that both players were also available last season. Between Huerter’s $16.8MM cap hit and Lyles’ $8MM expiring deal, Sacramento could get to about $25MM in matching salary and then sweeten an offer from there by adding draft capital and/or a young player.

Here are a few more Western Conference rumors from Scotto:

  • Although Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant and Jazz center Walker Kessler are both considered potential trade candidates, Portland has been unwilling to move Grant without getting two first-round picks back and Utah has sought at least two first-rounders for Kessler, Scotto writes. Teams with interest in Grant and Kessler have viewed the Blazers’ and Jazz’s asking prices as too high, Scotto notes.
  • Moses Moody signed a three-year contract extension with the Warriors before the season, but his role hasn’t increased at all, leading to speculation that he’s a player to monitor as a possible trade chip, says Scotto. “Moody could be part of a package in a bigger deal, and (head coach) Steve Kerr still doesn’t play him 20 minutes a game,” one league executive told HoopsHype. Moody would be subject to the poison pill provision if he’s dealt this season, which wouldn’t preclude a trade but would make it more complicated.
  • The Knicks, Thunder, and Grizzlies had “exploratory” trade interest in Warriors center Kevon Looney during the offseason before they addressed frontcourt holes in other ways, Scotto reports. Looney, who is on an $8MM expiring contract, has been Golden State’s leading rebounder (7.6 RPG) despite playing just 14.9 minutes per night.
  • Despite reports insisting the Rockets aren’t looking to break up their young core to acquire a player like Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo, many rival executives believe it’s just a matter of when – not if – Houston makes a big splash on the trade market, according to Scotto. Those execs believe Jalen Green won’t be off limits in future Rockets trade talks, even after signing a three-year, $105MM+ contract extension in October.
  • Thunder rookie Ajay Mitchell, who has impressed in a rotation role this fall, is considered a strong candidate to be promoted from his two-way contract to the standard roster later this season, per Scotto. Oklahoma City currently has a full 15-man roster, but has some flexibility with its last roster spot, which is held by Branden Carlson on a non-guaranteed deal.
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Kings’ Top Reserve Malik Monk Out At Least Two Weeks

November 11th, 2024 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malik Monk didn’t play against San Antonio on Monday and the Kings guard will miss several more games. He has been diagnosed with a moderate right ankle sprain and will be reevaluated in two weeks, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat via a team press release (Twitter link).

X-rays revealed no structural damage to the ankle, which he injured during the second quarter against Phoenix on Sunday.

Monk, one of the NBA’s top reserves, is averaging 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 10 games this season. He had a career year last season, averaging 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 72 games off the bench. Monk parlayed that into a four-year, $78MM contract during free agency over the summer.

The Kings also offered two other injury updates. Big man Orlando Robinson is progressing from the left MCL sprain he suffered during training camp on Oct. 3. He has been cleared for contact and the team will update his status in the coming days.

First-round pick Devin Carter is progressing from left shoulder surgery he underwent in July. After a four-month follow-up appointment with a medical specialist, he was cleared for unrestricted shooting. Additional updates will be provided in January. The club offered a timetable of six months following the surgery.

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NBA GMs High On Thunder’s Offseason Moves, Celtics’ Title Chances

October 8th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder made the best roster moves during the 2024 offseason, according to the NBA’s general managers. Within his annual survey of the league’s top basketball decision-makers, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes that 37% of his respondents picked Oklahoma City as having the best summer, with the Sixers coming in second place at 33%. The Knicks got 20% of the vote share, while no other club received more than a single vote.

It was one of many favorable outcomes in the survey for the Thunder, who were overwhelmingly selected as the team with the best young core — 60% of GMs selected OKC, compared to 20% for the second-place Magic.

New Thunder guard Alex Caruso was chosen by general managers as the most underrated offseason acquisition, receiving 23% of that vote share, while last year’s Most Valuable Player runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was picked as this year’s MVP favorite (40%), narrowly edging Mavericks star Luka Doncic (30%).

The Thunder also received a handful of votes from the league’s GMs as the team that will win the 2025 NBA Finals, but at 13%, they finished a distant second to the Celtics, who earned a whopping 83% of the vote. Besides those two clubs, only the Mavericks (3%) received a vote to become this season’s champions.

Here are a few more interesting results from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

  • New Sixers forward Paul George got 60% of the vote as the offseason acquisition who will have the biggest impact in 2024/25, followed by new Knicks Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns at 13% apiece. The Towns trade, meanwhile, was named the most surprising offseason move, eking out George leaving Los Angeles for Philadelphia (27% to 23%).
  • Unsurprisingly, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was the overwhelming choice (77%) for which player the GMs would most want to start a franchise with. Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic each earned three votes in that category, while Doncic got one.
  • The league’s general managers are high on No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard — the Rockets‘ guard is their pick to win the Rookie of the Year award (50%) ahead of betting favorite Zach Edey of the Grizzlies (30%). Sheppard also comfortably received the largest vote share (43%) when the GMs were asked which rookie will be the best player in five years. Spurs guard Stephon Castle (17%) and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (13%) were the runners-up in that category.
  • There was no consensus among the GMs on which 2024 draftee was the biggest steal. Wizards guard Carlton Carrington, Kings guard Devin Carter, Pacers wing Johnny Furphy, Lakers forward Dalton Knecht, Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon, and Thunder guard Nikola Topic each received three votes to lead the way.
  • Among newly hired head coaches, Mike Budenholzer of the Suns is the one GMs feel will have the biggest impact on his new club. Budenholzer received 40% of the vote, beating out Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers and J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons (20% apiece). Meanwhile, Spurs guard Chris Paul (30%) and Raptors guard Garrett Temple (20%) are the active players that GMs feel would make the best head coaches down the road.
  • Asked what they’d change about the NBA, 20% of GMs said the rules related to the tax aprons, trades, and roster construction are too restrictive and/or should be “indexed to (a) team’s market,” per Schuhmann, making it the top response.
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Kings’ Devin Carter Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Out 6 Months

July 11th, 2024 at 4:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JULY 11: Carter underwent successful surgery and is expected to return in six months, reports Sean Cunningham of KTXL Fox 40 (Twitter link).

JULY 7: Kings rookie lottery pick Devin Carter is slated to go under the knife, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the guard is undergoing left shoulder surgery.

The procedure will take place next week, per Charania. An exact recovery timeline is not yet known, although the availability of the 6’2″ point guard for the beginning of 2024/25 is said to be in question.

It had been previously reported that the former Providence guard would sit out both the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League due to the injury.

The 2023/24 Big East Player of the Year, Carter averaged 19.7 points (on .473/.377/.749 shooting), 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game across 33 contests for the Friars last year, all starts.

Carter was Sacramento’s only draft pick this season, after the club offloaded their rights to the No. 45 pick, former Houston point guard Jamal Shead, to the Raptors.

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Kings Sign First-Rounder Devin Carter

July 9th, 2024 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have officially signed lottery pick Devin Carter to his first NBA contract, the team confirmed today in a press release (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee).

Carter had a big junior year in 2023/24 at Providence, averaging 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals in 35.3 minutes per game across 33 outings (all starts). He made 47.3% of his shot attempts from the floor, including 37.7% of 6.8 three-pointers per contest and claimed Big East Player of the Year honors.

The 6’3″ guard was selected 13th overall by the Kings, but was ruled out of the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues due to a left shoulder issue (which the team was aware of prior to drafting him). A report on Sunday indicated that Carter will undergo surgery on that shoulder, potentially jeopardizing his availability for the start of the season this fall.

Assuming he signed for the maximum allowable 120% of the rookie scale, Carter will earn $4.69MM as a rookie, while his four-year deal will be worth $22.14MM in total. Rookie scale contracts include two guaranteed seasons, with team options on the third and fourth years.

Now that Carter has officially signed, there’s just one 2024 first-rounder – Nuggets forward DaRon Holmes – who still needs to finalize his rookie contract, as our tracker shows.

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Western Notes: Carter, Suns, Nunez, Thunder, Jazz

July 5th, 2024 at 9:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings first-round pick Devin Carter will miss both the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues due to a left shoulder injury, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (subscription required).

General manager Monte McNair acknowledged after drafting Carter last week that the former Providence guard was dealing with a shoulder ailment and said the Kings’ doctors would be taking a closer look at it. While the injury will keep Carter out of action this month, McNair expressed confidence that it’s “not a long-term issue.”

The No. 13 overall pick told The Sacramento Bee that he suffered the injury in a pre-draft workout. Asked if he’s feeling pain or discomfort, Carter replied, “I’m feeling fine. I just want to get the team doctor’s opinion and go from there.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • Within a story grading the Suns‘ re-signing of Damion Lee, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports says the team remains interested in bringing back Josh Okogie on a new deal worth more than the minimum. Phoenix currently has just one open spot on its 15-man roster, but Bourguet hears from a source that waiving a player like David Roddy or Nassir Little might be a possibility if Okogie is re-signed and another top free agent target (possibly Kyle Lowry) is available. I’d be pretty shocked if the Suns cut Little, who has three guaranteed years left on his contract, but Roddy isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond this season.
  • Spurs second-round pick Juan Nunez appears unlikely to sign an NBA contract immediately. A report from Spanish outlet Encestando (hat tip to Sportando) suggests Nunez is on track to join Barcelona on a deal that will give him the option to leave for the NBA next summer. The Spanish point guard was the No. 36 selection in last week’s draft.
  • In a pair of stories for The Oklahoman, Joel Lorenzi explores Isaiah Hartenstein‘s fit in Oklahoma City and examines what the Thunder‘s roster will look like after trading for Alex Caruso and adding Hartenstein in free agency. Lorenzi, who is projecting Caruso to start and Hartenstein to come off the bench, suggests the veteran center’s play-making and screening will help make the offense more versatile, which the Thunder could’ve used in this year’s playoffs.
  • The Lauri Markkanen trade rumors are a reflection of the Jazz‘s awkward current position, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required). As Larsen details, if they hang onto Markkanen, the Jazz risk winning too many games next season to have a legitimate shot at landing a future star in the 2025 draft; but there are no guarantees they’ll be able to draft that future star even if they do trade him, and going that route would further delay their timeline for contending.
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Pacific Notes: George, Harden, Bronny, Knecht, Carter, Dunn

June 27th, 2024 at 10:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters on Thursday night, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said the Clippers “love” Paul George and “very much want to retain” him, but acknowledged that the team doesn’t have full control over the process, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. George holds a $48.8MM player option for 2024/25. If he doesn’t get a contract offer he likes from the Clippers, he could turn down that option to become a free agent — or pick it up and request a trade.

“We hope Paul’s decision is to be here. He’s been awesome,” Frank said. “He’s been an All-Star. He’s one of the best two-way players in the league. He’s a terrific person. He’s got great family, so we hope he’s here but also respect the fact that if he chooses to opt out, that’s his choice. He’s earned it and we’ll see how things play out.”

In addition to George, the Clippers have another key player facing unrestricted free agency, with James Harden set to reach the open market on Sunday if he doesn’t agree to a new deal before then. Frank said talks with Harden’s camp so far have been productive.

“We think James has been terrific for us,” Frank said. “We hope he’s had a great experience while he has been here and we hope he decides to continue to be here. … We very much want James to remain a Clipper and hope he decides to do the same.”

Re-signing both George and Harden would likely make the Clippers a second-apron team for a second straight season, with more punitive roster-building restrictions taking effect this offseason for clubs above the second tax apron. Frank admitted that’s a factor the organization can’t ignore as it weighs potential roster moves.

“This is a business and the reality of the new CBA impacts teams like us,” he said, according to Youngmisuk. “When your better players are in their 30s and you’re trying to build a sustainable roster, it impacts it. Like if there was no CBA, with (Clippers owner) Steve Ballmer, it would be carte blanche. With the new CBA, it’s not even about the money as it is how are you going to build a sustainable roster, maintain your tools to have transactional flexibility? And with that comes really, really hard decisions.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Discussing the Lakers‘ decision to draft Bronny James with the No. 55 pick on Thursday, head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka praised the former USC guard’s character, work ethic, and three-and-D potential, and said it would be “magical” to see him and his father LeBron James play alongside one another next season, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. While it’s safe to assume LeBron is happy with the pick, McMenamin says star big man Anthony Davis supported it too. “He’s very good defensively,” Davis said of Bronny. “He can read the floor very well. I think he’s a really good play-maker. I saw him work out a couple times besides the (Klutch Sports) pro day and working with a big — his reads, reading the defense, making the right passes — that was really impressive to me. I think he’s going to be fine, man.”
  • The Lakers were thrilled to land Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht at No. 17 on the first day of the draft, McMenamin writes in a separate story for ESPN. “If we would have had the 10th pick in the draft, we would have taken him. So, to get that value at 17 is really extraordinary,” Pelinka said, adding that new head coach J.J. Redick immediately started drawing up plays for the sharpshooter in the Lakers’ draft room. Viewed as a potential top-10 pick, Knecht slipped due to concerns about his age (23) and defense, sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
  • No. 13 overall pick Devin Carter is dealing with a shoulder injury and his status for Summer League is up in the air, Kings general manager Monte McNair told reporters on Wednesday. However, McNair suggested the injury isn’t a serious one, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I think we got to get him in here and get with our doctors and just see what it is,” the Kings’ GM said. “But when we get through the draft process, our docs are confident. We’ve been in touch with his team. We’re confident it’s not a long-term issue.”
  • Suns general manager James Jones acknowledged that first-round pick and defensive standout Ryan Dunn has room to improve as a shooter, but expressed confidence that will be possible in Phoenix, as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (Twitter video link). “I’m confident with our staff, with (Mike Budenholzer), our coaches, that he’ll be primed to improve as a shooter,” Jones said. “If he can do that and do it quickly, I think we found a gem.”
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Draft Rumors: Knicks, Sixers, Dillingham, Heat, Jazz, Lakers, More

June 26th, 2024 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

After surrendering several future first-round picks in their trade agreement for Mikal Bridges, the Knicks are now considered more likely to keep their three picks – No. 24, No. 25, and No. 38 – in this year’s draft, which begins on Wednesday night, Jonathan Givony writes in ESPN’s latest mock draft (Insider link).

The updated mock draft from Givony and ESPN’s Jeremy Woo includes several more notable tidbits, including the fact that the Sixers have conducted perhaps the fewest pre-draft workouts of any team with a first-round pick, resulting in speculation that the No. 16 selection will be traded.

Givony also provides an update on Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham, who wasn’t able to work out for teams for most of the pre-draft process due to an ankle injury. According to Givony, teams picking both earlier and later in the first round are trying to figure out where they might need to get to in order to land Dillingham, who has been considered a candidate to fall further than initially anticipated.

The Heat at No. 15 would be one option for Dillingham, as rival teams expect them to select a guard at that spot. Jared McCain, Isaiah Collier, and Carlton Carrington have also been mentioned as candidates for Miami at No. 15, Givony writes.

Here’s more on the 2024 NBA draft, which gets underway in less than 11 hours:

  • According to Givony, the Jazz (No. 10) have looked into some trade-up scenarios involving the Pistons‘ No. 5 overall pick. Their likely target would be UConn’s Stephon Castle, who is considered a possibility for the Hornets at No. 6 but may also come off the board at No. 4 to the Spurs, Givony explains.
  • Some rival executives think the Lakers will attempt to move up from No. 17 in the draft in order to target a specific player, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times, who says Providence’s Devin Carter and Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter are two prospects the team likes.
  • Within his final look at the Spurs‘ draft options at No. 4 and 8, LJ Ellis of SpursTalk says a rumor that San Antonio has made a promise to French forward Tidjane Salaun has been “spreading like wildfire in the draft world,” though he hasn’t been able to confirm it himself. Ellis lists Salaun at No. 5 on his big board of Spurs draft prospects.
  • Salaun is also a potential target to watch for the Trail Blazers at No. 7, according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link), who identifies Donovan Clingan, Cody Williams, Dalton Knecht, and Salaun as the prospects he believes Portland is most interested in. At No. 14, Highkin views Kyshawn George, Tristan Da Silva, Kel’el Ware, and Zach Edey as the Blazers’ most likely targets.
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Draft Notes: Rockets, Wizards, Suns, France, Big Boards

June 22nd, 2024 at 8:15am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Rockets may be more interested in moving their pick than keeping it, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reports. Offers for the selection are expected to be entertained until Houston is on the clock at No. 3 in Wednesday’s draft. If Houston does stand pat at No. 3, Reed Sheppard appears to be the heavy favorite for that spot. The Trail Blazers are among the teams that have called the Rockets about moving up to No. 3 in the draft.

According to Fischer, the Wizards have the league convinced they’re honing in on Perth’s Alexandre Sarr. As reported, Sarr hasn’t conducted a private workout for the Hawks, holders of the No. 1 selection, and Fischer reports Sarr’s preferred destination is, in fact, Washington. Beyond their plans at No. 2, the Wizards are a “prime candidate” to move up from No. 26 and have also been seeking a third first-round pick, Says Fischer.

Further down the draft, the Suns are a strong candidate to trade down from No. 22. The goal for the Suns, Fischer writes, would be to accumulate future second-round picks to restock their draft capital for trade flexibility. Additionally, the idea of adding inexpensive rookie contracts onto an expensive roster appeals to Phoenix.

We have more from around the draft:

  • A flood of talent is following 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama from France, Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek writes. His former teammate Bilal Coulibaly was selected No. 7 overall in last year’s draft and another ex-teammate, Armel Traore, could be in play in the second round of this year’s draft. Additionally, Zaccharie Risacher and Sarr are seen as the favorites for the top two draft selections in this class, while Tidjane Salaun, Melvin Ajinca and Pacome Dadiet are all likely to be selected this year too. Down the line, Nolan Traore and Nathan Soliman are picking up steam in future draft classes.
  • Risacher, Sarr and UConn’s Donovan Clingan, in that order, round out ESPN’s top three players on Jonathan Givony’s final big board update before the draft. Givony and Jeremy Woo provide their picks for the top 100 players in the class, with Sheppard, G League Ignite’s Matas Buzelis, UConn’s Stephon Castle, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham, Salaun, and Serbia’s Nikola Topic filling in the rest of their top 10 (in that order).
  • Risacher is lower on Sam Vecenie’s draft board at The Athletic, with the French wing coming in at No. 5. Salaun, Buzelis, Dillingham and Topic all sit outside the top 10 of Vecenie’s annual draft guide, while he ranks Colorado’s Cody Williams (No. 6), Providence’s Devin Carter (No. 7), Pitt’s Carlton Carrington (No. 8) and Ron Holland of the G League Ignite (No. 10) among the top 10. I highly recommend both Givony’s and Vecenie’s draft guides if you have a subscription to either platform, as this is some of the top draft content to come out annually.
  • Clingan is the name most linked to the Hawks over the past week, Vecenie writes in a recent mock draft. While Atlanta has openly stated it is content with standing pat at No. 1, Vecenie hears there’s an impression the club is open to making a move if the right deal presents itself. However, Atlanta hasn’t finalized its decision yet and even if it wanted to trade down to select him later, Chicago and Memphis have expressed interest in taking Clingan themselves if they can trade up. Vecenie indeed has Washington landing Sarr and Houston getting Sheppard, but has Risacher falling to San Antonio at No. 4, Buzelis going No. 5 to Detroit and Castle landing in Charlotte at No. 6.
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Draft Workouts: Spurs, Suns, Pacers, Blazers, Lakers, Wolves, Thomas

June 20th, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs, who are widely expected to draft at least one guard next Wednesday, recently worked out both Stephon Castle of UConn and Devin Carter of Providence, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

As we relayed on Wednesday, recent mock drafts from ESPN and Bleacher Report both have San Antonio drafting Castle at No. 4, and the team is said to be high on Carter as well. Iko confirms as much, writing that the Spurs have “strong interest” in Carter, Castle, and Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard, with Carter’s private workout “resonating” among the team’s decision-makers.

Here’s more pre-draft workout news from around the NBA:

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