Malachi Richardson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings Exercise 2018/19 Options On Five Players

October 31st, 2017 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have picked up 2018/19 rookie scale options on five players, the team announced today in a press release. The moves will add about $14MM in guaranteed salary to Sacramento’s books for the ’18/19 season. Here are the options exercised by the club in advance of today’s deadline:

Willie Cauley-Stein (fourth year, $4,696,875)
Buddy Hield (third year, $3,833,760)
Georgios Papagiannis (third year, $2,400,480)
Malachi Richardson (third year, $1,569,360)
Skal Labissiere (third year, $1,544,951)

None of these decisions comes as a real surprise. With the exception of Hield – who was the centerpiece in the trade that sent DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans – all of these players were drafted by Vlade Divac and the current Kings management group.

Cauley-Stein, the only player of the bunch whose 2018/19 option is on the fourth year of his rookie contract, will be eligible for a contract extension during the ’18 offseason, and will reach restricted free agency in the summer of ’19 if he’s not extended next year. The other four players are on track to be RFAs in 2020 if their fourth-year options are picked up next offseason.

All of this year’s rookie scale team option decisions can be tracked right here.

Magic, Kings Discussed Mario Hezonja Trade

October 31st, 2017 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic are exploring the trade market for Mario Hezonja with the deadline looming on his 2018/19 option, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Orlando will have to decide today whether or not to exercise Hezonja’s fourth-year option for next season, which has a cap charge of about $5.17MM.

According to Scotto (via Twitter), the Kings were one club that spoke to the Magic about Hezonja. The two teams discussed the possibility of a deal that would send Hezonja to Sacramento in exchange for Malachi Richardson and a second-round pick. However, those trade talks recently stalled, Scotto reports.

Like Hezonja, Richardson has yet to make much of an impact in the NBA, but Sacramento’s second-year shooting guard is a little younger and cheaper than Orlando’s third-year sharpshooter. The Kings have already decided to pick up Richardson’s 2018/19 option, according to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake City Tribune (Twitter link). That option will count against the cap for just $1.57MM.

At $5.17MM, Hezonja’s 2018/19 option is a tougher call. The Croatian forward was the fifth overall pick in 2015, but has failed to develop as the Magic hoped, and is playing a career-low 13.0 MPG in the early part of this season. Orlando’s new management group, led by Jeff Weltman and John Hammond, didn’t draft Hezonja, so they may be less willing to roll the dice on him for one more year than the old regime would have been.

Pacific Notes: Williams, Jones Jr., Richardson

October 1st, 2017 at 9:39pm CST by Austin Kent

The Clippers had their work cut out for them replacing Jamal Crawford this season but fortunately had already landed Lou Williams, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes. Williams has carved out a successful career being one of the league’s best reserves.

Williams came over as part of the massive Chris Paul trade and will take on an even larger share of the Clippers’ offensive load than he may have initially expected now that Crawford has been bought out and signed with the Timberwolves.

“You’ve got a few of us that go out there and we have a short amount of time to go and change the game,” Williams said. “And Jamal was one of those guys who perfected that. I’m one of those guys that you can put right up there. You’ve got a few other guys that you can mention in that same breath. It’s a unique position to have.”

The Clippers guard may not have three Sixth Man of the Year Awards to his name like Crawford does but he does at least have one. So far.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The rebuilding Suns will expect more out of their 2016 lottery picks Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss, Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic writes. The pair were unpolished but promising in their debuts last season and will look to use experience they’ve since gained to their advantage.
The depth chart at the shooting guard position is a lot more crowded than it used to be but Malachi Richardson believes that he can still factor into the Kings‘ plans heading forward. The two-guard spoke with Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee about the injury he struggled with last season.
The most improved player on the Suns this season could be Derrick Jones, Eric Bledsoe tells Cody Cuningham of the team’s official website. The athletically gifted guard – and 2017 dunk contest participant – has improved his offensive game and three-point range.

Pacific Notes: Gay, Inglewood, Clarkson

June 16th, 2017 at 10:34pm CST by Austin Kent

Expect Rudy Gay to pursue a playoff contender this offseason, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes, even if that takes him away from the Kings. The veteran could serve a valuable role with a competitive team given his proven ability to score the ball but where does that leave Sacramento?

That Gay is expecting to test the market is nothing new, he said as much last September. Not even the early season success that the Kings enjoyed in 2016/17 or the shroud of uncertainty cast when the forward tore his Achilles midseason could dissuade him from betting on himself in the open market.

Gay’s absence in the latter half of last campaign revealed the fact that whether Gay is on the sidelines or with another franchise altogether the Kings are in desperate need of a forward with size. Undersized shooting guards, Jones says, only compromise head coach Dave Joerger‘s defense.

The team has in-house options to audition at the 3, including 2016 first-rounder Malachi Richardson, but would be wise to target players like Jayson Tatum or Justin Jackson in the upcoming NBA Draft. Kings draft-and-stash prospect Bogdan Bogdanovic could ultimately address the need as well, Jones adds.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

As we wrote about earlier in the week, the Clippers have made progress in their attempts to build a new stadium. The project, however, won’t be without its hurdles. Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times details a statement issued on behalf of the Forum accusing the city of Inglewood and the franchise of “backroom dealing”.
North Carolina power forward Isaiah Hicks (projected at No. 56 by NBADraft.net) headlined a batch of prospects that the Lakers worked out Friday. Joey Ramirez of the Lakers’ official website has scouting reports on all involved.
Despite the fact that his name is often floated in trade rumors, Jordan Clarkson is determined to keep his head down and keep grinding. Mark Medina of the Orange County Register writes that, if the Lakers draft a point guard, D’Angelo Russell could slide over to Clarkson’s natural position at the 2.

Kings Shutting Down Malachi Richardson

March 27th, 2017 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

Kings rookie Malachi Richardson won’t return to the court for Sacramento this season, according to James Ham of CSN California. CSN’s Kayte Christensen was the first to break the news (video link).

Richardson, one of three players drafted by the Kings in the first round last June, suffered a partially torn hamstring in mid-February. At the time, the Kings announced that Richardson’s recovery would take about four to six weeks, which would put him on track to return now. However, with the team out of the playoff race, there’s little incentive to rush the rookie guard back if he’s not 100% healthy.

Rather than having Richardson return for the final couple weeks of the 2016/17 season, the Kings will take the cautious approach and focus on getting him ready for summer league action.

With Richardson no longer on track to return in 2016/17, his rookie season will end with averages of 3.6 PPG and 1.0 RPG in 22 contests for the Kings. Although he didn’t see much action in Sacramento, the 21-year-old played well during his stints with the D-League’s Reno Bighorns, putting up 21.0 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 11 games.

Kings Notes: Hield, Evans, Richardson

March 14th, 2017 at 6:52pm CST by Austin Kent

When the Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans, the majority of discussion surrounding the deal focused on the superstar heading to New Orleans.

As the dust continues to settle, it’s become increasingly clear that Tyreke Evans and Buddy Hield can have substantial impacts of their own. Benedict Tagle of Kings.com recently wrote about what the pair have been accomplishing since arriving in Northern California.

Though just seven games into his second stint with the team that drafted him, Evans has improved upon the numbers he posted with the Pelicans at the start of the year. Evans began the 2016/17 campaign on the shelf and had to slowly play himself back into game shape. Since rejoining Sacramento, however, he’s posted career highs in points, rebounds and blocks per 100 possessions.

Hield, too, has seen his production rise since the trade. Hield’s 14.2 points per game since the trade are 5.6 higher than what he posted in New Orleans and his effective field-goal percentage has ballooned to .636.

There’s more from the Kings today:

If the postseason was ever truly an option for the post-Rudy Gay injury Kings, it certainly isn’t now. As Noel Harris of the Sacramento Bee outlines, a recent eight-game skid has dropped Sacramento six games behind the eight-seed Nuggets.
Although injured rookie Malachi Richardson has been putting up shots prior to games, the Kings won’t rush him back unless he’s able to play in a significant number of games, head coach Dave Joeger told the media, including Hector Amezcua of the Sacramento Bee.
Among the five or six things that Kings coach Dave Joeger would like to see before the end of the season is Willie Cauley-Stein and Skal Labissiere playing together. Joeger told the Sacramento Bee’s Hector Amezcua and the rest of media that he’ll continue to look to give them the opportunity.

Kings Rookie Malachi Richardson Out 4-6 Weeks

February 16th, 2017 at 6:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings rookie shooting guard Malachi Richardson will miss approximately 4-6 weeks with a partial thickness tear of his right hamstring, according to team press release.

The injury, which Richardson suffered late in the fourth quarter against the Warriors on Wednesday, was diagnosed after an MRI was performed on Thursday.

The No. 22 overall pick in last June’s draft was selected by the Hornets, then shipped to the Kings in exchange for veteran guard Marco Belinelli.

This is yet another injury-related setback for the Kings, who lost second-leading scorer Rudy Gay to a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture last month. Richardson’s playing time had perked up since Gay’s injury, as he appeared in the last 16 games. He played a season-high 27 minutes against Golden State, posting 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists. He scored a season-high 12 points in 14 minutes against the Cavaliers on January 25th.

Overall, Richard is averaging 3.6 PPG and 1.0 RPG in 10.6 minutes over 22 games.

This leaves the Kings even thinner at the wing positions. Garrett Temple has been sidelined this month with a partially-torn hamstring. Sacramento will have to lean more heavily on Arron Afflalo, Ben McLemore, Matt Barnes and perhaps Omri Casspi in the interim, though Casspi has been hampered by a calf injury.

The wave of injuries could force the club to make a depth-related move before the trade deadline. The Kings entered Thursday 1 1/2 games behind the Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Kings Notes: Cousins, McLemore, Casspi, Richardson

February 5th, 2017 at 11:55am CST by Arthur Hill

Kings GM Vlade Divac should be calling all interested parties to make the best possible deal for DeMarcus Cousins before the February 23rd deadline, writes Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Voisin argues that the franchise doesn’t have enough assets in place to build a contender around Cousins, who will become a free agent in the summer of 2018, and mentions the Celtics, Lakers, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Suns and Magic as possible destinations. Phoenix owns two first-round picks from Miami and has $13MM in available cap space, and GM Ryan McDonough has said he wants to acquire a star. Voisin believes the Kings should insist that Devin Booker be part of any deal with the Suns.

There’s more news out of Sacramento:

Injuries to Rudy Gay and Garrett Temple have given fourth-year shooting guard Ben McLemore another chance to prove himself, notes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. McLemore returned to the Kings’ starting lineup Friday after losing that position last month and put up a season-high 18 points. He is hoping to finish the season strong before heading into free agency this summer. “Once I knew I was going to get the starting spot, I knew I was prepared,” McLemore said. “But now I’ve just got to go out there and perform and not worry about making mistakes and stuff like that. I’ve been working real hard, and it showed out there on the floor [Friday].”
The Kings expect to be without forward Omri Casspi until after the All-Star break, according to Matt Kawahara of The Sacramento Bee. Casspi was projected to miss one or two weeks after straining the plantaris tendon in his right calf during a January 16th practice. He was re-evaluated last week and hoped to play this weekend, but coach Dave Joerger said Saturday that the return could take much longer. “I don’t think we’re going to see Omri ’til after the All-Star break,” Joerger said. “That could change, but we’d rather be a little conservative with him.” Casspi has appeared in just 22 games this season, averaging 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds.
The injuries have also created an expanded role for first-round pick Malachi Richardson, writes James Ham of CSNBayArea. Richardson has spent much of the season in the D-League, but has been used by Joerger in the past eight games.

Kings’ Temple Out Two To Three Weeks

February 1st, 2017 at 7:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kings guard Garrett Temple will miss two to three weeks with a partially torn hamstring, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com. Temple suffered the injury in Tuesday’s loss at Houston.

The 30-year-old swingman has been a reliable bench player for Sacramento for most of the season and moved into the starting lineup after Rudy Gay‘s Achilles tear last month. Temple is averaging 7.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 49 games.

“I got a strip on James [Harden] and pushed off to go grab it and felt it right away,” Temple told Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. “I knew it wasn’t a cramp. I knew what it was right away.”

Temple has experience with hamstring tears, and says this one isn’t as severe as one he suffered a couple of seasons ago when he played for the Wizards. That kept him out of action for about a month, as he aggravated it in his first practice when trying to return.

The Kings are already shorthanded at the wing position with injuries to Gay and Omri Casspi, so until Temple recovers, they will have to rely on rookie Malachi Richardson along with Ben McLemore, who played Tuesday for the first time in six games.

“Guys are going to step up,” Temple said. “I have a lot of faith in Malachi, Ben, and when Omri gets back, we can still bounce back and hopefully I’ll be back sooner than later.”

Pacific Notes: Chandler, Richardson, Lakers

January 22nd, 2017 at 10:13pm CST by Austin Kent

Though Earl Watson is well aware that the final decision isn’t up to him, the Suns head coach wants big man Tyson Chandler to stay in Phoenix. According to Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic, Watson cites Chandler’s willingness to teach his younger teammates as the biggest reason why he remains so valuable.

“I have very little input, but if it was up to me, I love Tyson Chandler,” Watson said. “I think our front office loves Tyson Chandler. Tyson wants to be a part of this process. He doesn’t mind the work and building.”

As the 2017 trade deadline approaches, teams will inevitably inquire about the 34-year-old low post presence. Especially because in his 16th season, Chandler is averaging 8.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. The veteran is under contract through the 2018/19, but could fortify the frontcourt of a playoff team.

“I’m a loyalty guy. I’m really taking pride in helping the process of these young players,” Chandler says. “If things change and somebody comes to me with a conversation, then I’ll have to address it, but I don’t even let my mind go there.”

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Used sparingly through the first few months of his rookie season, Malachi Richardson didn’t expect to get the taste of first-quarter action he did on Saturday. Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee suggests that it might be Dave Joerger‘s December decision to give the Kings shooting guard extra opportunities finally coming to fruition. Already well-equipped to handle himself on offense, the Syracuse product will need to improve upon his defense, suggests teammate Garrett Temple.
The Lakers would be better off emphasizing player development than chasing a playoff spot, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Changes to the league’s collective bargaining agreement put extra pressure on drafting players now that it will be harder to pry players away from other teams via free agency. A potential No. 3 pick in 2017 could be the next key component of Los Angeles’ process.
The Clippers could soon face the reality that their championship window is closing, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Years of attrition has taken its toll on the club and they may not get many more opportunities to contend for a ring with the current squad.