Kings Rumors

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

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.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • 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.

Rudy Gay Announces Retirement

Rudy Gay has decided to call it a career, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the veteran NBA forward is retiring. Gay confirmed the news with an article in The Players’ Tribune.

Gay, 38, was the eighth overall pick in the 2006 draft out of UConn. He began his professional career with the Grizzlies and spent his first six-and-a-half seasons in Memphis before being sent to the Raptors ahead of the 2013 trade deadline.

The forward was flipped to Sacramento less than a year later and spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Kings (2013-17) before moving onto San Antonio during the 2017 offseason. He wrapped up his NBA career by playing for the Spurs for four seasons (2017-21) and the Jazz for two years (2021-23).

Gay was in camp with the Warriors during the fall of 2023, but didn’t make the regular season roster and hasn’t played for an NBA team since then, though he was still being paid by the Thunder in 2023/24 after being waived in July 2023 with guaranteed money left on his contract.

Over the course of his 17 NBA seasons, Gay compiled 17,642 career points, which places him 91st on the league’s all-time scoring list, right behind Magic Johnson and Shawn Marion. Gay averaged 15.8 PPG across 1,120 total regular season outings (779 starts), with a shooting line of .452/.346/.799. He also chipped in 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per contest.

Gay still ranks among the Grizzlies’ all-time franchise leaders in a handful of statistical categories, including points (fifth), rebounds (fifth), and steals (fourth). He averaged at least 20 points per game in three separate seasons, including in 2014/15, when he put up a career-best 21.1 PPG for the Kings.

The 6’8″ forward never made an All-Star Game, but finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2007 and was named to the All-Rookie First Team. His career earnings exceeded $184MM, per Basketball-Reference.

“I’m 38 years old,” Gay wrote in his Players’ Tribune article. “That’s nowhere even near mid-career for most people’s professional lives. So, the way I see it, I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me. I just need to figure out what exactly that means.

“Maybe it’s public speaking, or media, or business. We’re gonna see. I have a contracting company, a real estate company. I have the PickUp USA Fitness gym in Towson, Maryland. There are a bunch of things I’ve already begun devoting some time to. Now it’s just a matter of finding one big new thing that I love, and then throwing my energy into it.”

Pacific Notes: Curry, Melton, Zubac, Davis, Ellis

Warriors star guard Stephen Curry will miss at least the next two games due to a left ankle sprain, Kendra Andrews of ESPN writes.

Curry underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury, which occurred during Sunday night’s home opener against the Clippers during the third quarter. He returned to the game with eight minutes remaining in the fourth, then twisted the same ankle.

He will be reevaluated on Friday.

“The MRI was positive,” coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s the main thing. No significant damage.”

De’Anthony Melton will also miss the next two games due to a back injury. He underwent an MRI which revealed no structural damage. Melton missed 44 games last season with the Sixers because of back problems.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Clippers center Ivica Zubac signed a three-year, $58.6MM extension this offseason and has been a force on both ends in the early going, earning a nomination for conference Player of the Week. “It’s only three games, but I’m trying to bring the consistency,” he said, per Law Murray of The Athletic. “I’m trying to keep it up as long as I can. I’m trying to bring the same stuff every night to the teammates so they can count on me on the defensive end and the offensive end. They can count on me to do that — protect the rim, score in the post, finish around the rim.” Zubac is averaging 22.7 points, 14.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
  • Zubac didn’t earn Player of the Week honors due to Anthony Davis‘ overpowering start. The Lakers big man averaged 34 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.7 steals in the first three games. “Being aggressive every time down the floor. Being dominant every game,” Davis told Mark Medina of Athlon Sports. “Doing my job, doing my part in helping this team do what we got to do. That’s taking on a matchup defensively, taking on a role offensively, being a leader of the team, carrying us in games, playoffs, whatever it takes.”
  • Keon Ellis appeared in 57 games for the Kings, including 21 starts, last season. However, he never left the bench against the Lakers on Saturday. Coach Mike Brown indicated prior to Sacramento’s game on Monday that Ellis is a victim of numbers. “It’s just about a minutes crunch more than anything else, and second it’s a situation thing,” Brown said, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).

Kevin Huerter Has First Productive Game Since Surgery

  • Kings guard Kevin Huerter scored 14 points Saturday night, marking his first productive game since having surgery on his left shoulder, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. After being limited to two points on opening night, Huerter was relieved when he got his first three-pointer to fall. “Yeah, it felt good to get the first one,” he said. “It always does. That long of a layoff, you just need to see it go in, so it felt good to get that.”

Western Notes: Rockets, KD, Butler, LeBron, Nuggets, Kings

Confirming recent reporting from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story that the messaging out of Houston suggests the Rockets are unlikely to make a major in-season trade in 2024/25.

Still, Stein has spoken to multiple rival teams who are “hesitant to dismiss Houston’s trade ambitions so readily.” Those clubs believe the Rockets’ front office will continue to keep an eye out for possible deals for impact players, since they’re eager to return to the upper tier of the Western Conference.

Although the Suns aggressively shot down Kevin Durant trade speculation over the summer, Stein writes that there’s still a “strong belief” around the league that the Rockets remain interested in the star forward and would be ready to pounce if he becomes available within the next year or two.

According to Stein, rival teams also “increasingly” mention Houston as a potential suitor to watch if the Heat ever consider trading Jimmy Butler, who was identified multiple times during the offseason as a potential target of interest for the Rockets.

We have more from around the West:

  • The Lakers‘ hot start continued on Saturday as they pushed their record to 3-0 with an impressive comeback win over Sacramento. Four-time MVP LeBron James keyed the fourth quarter surge by becoming the first player since play-by-play tracking began in 1996 to record at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 100% shooting in a quarter (Twitter link via ESPN’s Matt Williams). “Just when you think he’s slowing down, man, he continues to show the world why he’s the greatest,” Anthony Davis said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “To go on that stretch, he actually looked to the bench and was trying to come out the game. We told him, ‘You’re not coming out.’ He comes out and hits another three. He never ceases to amaze any of us because we just know what he’s capable of and what he’s able to do.”
  • The sample size is minuscule, but in 21 minutes together so far, lineups featuring both Nuggets point guards – Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook – have an 82.2 offensive rating and a minus-28.9 overall net rating. Head coach Michael Malone remains confident those units can work, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “Jamal’s a guard. He’s been a one. He’s been a two,” Malone said prior to Denver’s second game. “In college, he was a two. It’s just that, for his Nuggets tenure, Jamal has been a guy that can be a starting one, and he can play with a point guard in the second unit. I think Russ and Jamal have a lot of potential to be really good together.”
  • The Stockton Kings (Sacramento’s G League affiliate) have officially announced their training camp roster for the 2024/25 season. Veteran forward Terry Taylor, former first-round pick Skal Labissiere, NBA camp invitee Boogie Ellis, and Shaquille O’Neal‘s son Shareef O’Neal are among the notable names on the squad.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

Each of the NBA’s 30 teams is permitted to carry 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals, which works out to a maximum of 540 players across 30 rosters.

Of those 540 potential roster spots, 524 are currently occupied, leaving 16 open roster spots around the NBA. Three of those open roster spots belong to a single team, while 13 other clubs have one opening apiece.

[RELATED: 2024/25 NBA Roster Counts]

Here’s the full breakdown:

Three open standard roster spots

  • New York Knicks

As we’ve previously discussed in stories about the Knicks, teams can only keep two or more spots on their standard rosters open for up to 14 days at a time, so New York will have to add two players to reach the 14-man minimum by November 5 at the latest.

The Knicks’ roster situation is further complicated by the fact that they don’t have enough room below their hard cap to fit two veteran minimum-salary contracts, meaning at least one of the two players they add to the standard roster will have to be a rookie whom they drafted.

Rookie big man Ariel Hukporti is the frontrunner to receive a promotion from his two-way contract, but it remains unclear who will join him by Nov. 5. Landry Shamet was the favorite to fill the other spot, but won’t be considered until he recovers from his dislocated shoulder. Matt Ryan has been rumored as a potential target, but it might make more sense to have him fill the two-way slot that Hukporti vacates.

One open standard roster spot

  • Boston Celtics
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Miami Heat
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Sacramento Kings

Many of these teams are carrying an open roster spot for luxury tax reasons. The Celtics, Cavaliers, Warriors, Heat, Pelicans, Sixers, and Suns are all over the tax line, while the Pacers, Grizzlies, and Kings don’t have much breathing room below it. Most of those teams will add 15th men eventually, but they’ll be in no rush to do so yet.

The Pistons, meanwhile, still have about $10.2MM in cap room, which could come in handy in an in-season trade. They could add a 15th man if they want to, but they probably won’t do so unless there’s a specific target they really like, since bringing someone else on board would cut into their remaining cap space.

Of all the teams in this group, the Rockets may be the best bet to add a 15th man sooner rather than later, since they’re well above the cap and well below the tax, so there are no concerns related to finances or spending flexibility. Still, they have a deep roster, so there’s no point in filling that roster spot with someone who will just sit on the bench. The Rockets might keep it open unless they get bitten by the injury bug or have their eye on a specific prospect they want to develop.

One open two-way roster spot

  • Orlando Magic

In past seasons, a team without a G League affiliate of its own might be slow to fill its two-way contract slots, but all 30 NBA clubs now have affiliates in the NBAGL, so there’s no real excuse not to carry a full complement of two-way players.

With training camps set to get underway on Monday for G League teams and the season tipping off on November 8, it wouldn’t surprise me if Orlando fills its lone two-way opening within the next week or two.

Pacific Notes: DeRozan, Davis, LeBron, Dunn

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.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • 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.

Injury Notes: Pelicans, Kings, Raptors, Adams, Collier

He technically wasn’t injured, but Pelicans star Zion Williamson sat out Wednesday’s season-opening victory over Chicago due to an illness. There’s optimism Willliamson will be ready for Friday’s contest in Portland after he practiced on Thursday, according to Rod Walker of The Times-Picayune (Twitter links).

Looks like he’s good to go,” head coach Willie Green said.

In a press release (Twitter link), the Pelicans also provided injury updates on Trey Murphy (right hamstring strain) and Dejounte Murray, who fractured his left hand last night.

The team said Murray is out indefinitely, with further updates to come when appropriate, while Murphy has made good progress in his recovery and will begin conditioning work. Murphy, who signed a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension earlier this week, will be reevaluated in two weeks.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

  • Kevin Huerter (shoulder surgery) and Trey Lyles (left groin strain) missed the entire preseason for the Kings, but both veterans were full practice participants on Tuesday and Wednesday and will be active for Thursday’s season opener vs. Minnesota, writes James Ham of The Kings Beat. Neither player will be on a minutes restriction, according to head coach Mike Brown, who confirmed Huerter will start at shooting guard.
  • Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley sustained a pelvic contusion in Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland and did not practice on Thursday, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Both Quickley and RJ Barrett (shoulder) are doubtful for Friday’s contest vs. Philadelphia, while Kelly Olynyk (back), Ja’Kobe Walter (shoulder) and Bruce Brown (knee) remain out (Twitter link via Lewenberg).
  • Rockets center Steven Adams, who missed all of last season with a right knee injury, was initially listed as questionable for Wednesday’s loss to Charlotte due to knee injury recovery and a left calf strain and wound up sitting out. Head coach Ime Udoka referred to Adams as “day-to-day, game-to-game” on Thursday afternoon, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
  • Jazz rookie Isaiah Collier (right hamstring strain) has been cleared for on-court work, but he’ll miss at least 10 more days, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, the team announced (Twitter link via Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune). The former USC guard was the No. 29 overall pick of June’s draft.

Injury Notes: Kawhi, Vassell, Sharpe, Huerter, Grizzlies, Livers

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard won’t be making his season debut anytime soon, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during Wednesday’s episode of NBA Today (Twitter video link). According to Charania, Leonard’s absence will be measured in weeks rather than days.

“I’m told Kawhi Leonard will be missing weeks,” Charania said. “This is not an injury that’s going to be measured by a week (or) two weeks, potentially. Not days, obviously. This will be an extended period of time that the Clippers are starting this season without him.”

Leonard battled inflammation in his right knee at the end of the 2023/24 season that flared up again during the summer. While it’s obviously problematic that he’s not ready for the start of the season, Charania suggests there’s optimism that once the two-time Finals MVP gets back on the court, he won’t be in and out of the lineup.

“I’m told they feel they have a plan and a protocol in place that will allow him, when he is ready to return, to actually sustain his play on the court,” Charania said.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

  • Spurs guard Devin Vassell still hasn’t been cleared to take contact, but the team remains hopeful that he’ll be ready to return from foot surgery sometime in early November, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Vassell is scheduled to be reevaluated on Nov. 1.
  • Shaedon Sharpe is making good progress in his return from a labral tear in his left shoulder, according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link), who says the Trail Blazers guard has been cleared for non-contact basketball activities and is shooting and going through ball-handling drills in practice. A return in early- to mid-November return still seems realistic, Highkin adds.
  • Kings wing Kevin Huerter, who missed the preseason and hasn’t played since March 18 due to shoulder surgery, will be available to suit up on Thursday vs. Minnesota, tweets Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento. Head coach Mike Brown previously told reporters that Huerter would “probably start” if he’s ready to go for Thursday’s regular season opener.
  • The NBA’s most injury-plagued team last season, the Grizzlies will open the 2024/25 campaign with five players sidelined. The team has officially confirmed (via Twitter) that GG Jackson II (foot), Jaren Jackson Jr. (hamstring), Luke Kennard (foot), Cam Spencer (ankle), and Vince Williams (leg) are all unavailable for Wednesday’s regular season opener in Utah.
  • Free agent forward Isaiah Livers announced on Instagram that he underwent a hip resurfacing surgical procedure last Friday after playing through a hip injury for the past two seasons (hat tip to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). It’s unclear how long the recovery process will take, but it seems safe to assume Livers won’t be an option for an NBA team until at least sometime in 2025.

Western Notes: Huerter, Murphy, Braun, Strawther, Jokic

Kings guard Kevin Huerter went through a full practice, including a scrimmage, on Tuesday. Huerter was cleared for full contact earlier this month after undergoing left shoulder surgery during the spring. It appears he’ll jump right back into a starting role.

“He looks good. Doesn’t look like he missed a beat at all. If he plays (in Thursday’s regular season opener), he’ll probably start,” head coach Mike Brown said, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter links).

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • Now that the Pelicans have locked in Trey Murphy to a rookie scale extension, it’s time to see what he can do as a full-time starter, Will Guillory of The Athletic opines. Guillory believes Murphy could play at an All-Star level and make New Orleans a prime contender but needs an expanded role to show if he can develop into that type of player. Murphy signed a four-year extension worth $112MM on Monday.
  • While Christian Braun is generally considered the likely successor to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as the Nuggets’ starting shooting guard, coach Michael Malone continues to insist that Julian Strawther is still in the running for that spot, Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports tweets.
  • The Nuggets open their season on Thursday and center Nikola Jokic says the team needs to ramp it up after what he feels was a poor preseason, he told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “I think we didn’t play the preseason how we’re supposed to be playing,” Jokic said. “The defense was not where it’s supposed to be. We couldn’t make shots. So we played really bad and poorly the whole preseason. So hopefully we can do something a little bit better when the (regular) season comes.”