Sacramento Kings Rumors

Kings Notes: Losing Streak, Lineup Changes, Brown, Fox

December 23rd, 2024 at 11:11am CST by Arthur Hill

Kings fans loudly expressed their displeasure Sunday night as the team suffered a 27-point blowout against Indiana that marked its fourth straight loss at home, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Amid pressure to shake up the roster, Sacramento matched its longest losing streak of the season and is in danger of slipping out of the playoff race at 13-17.

“You never want to get booed at home, but we probably deserve it,” Kevin Huerter said. “We just lost three in a row and then you get beat by 30 on your home court during Christmas time. (The fans) deserve better.”

The Kings were hoping to be contenders after adding DeMar DeRozan to an already impressive array of offensive talent. But DeRozan’s frustrating night — scoring just two points while shooting 1-of-7 from the field — has been emblematic of the season-long struggle to mesh everyone together. Malik Monk cited memories of his time with the Lakers when they missed the playoffs despite a talented roster.

“Not playing together, like we’ve been doing all season,” Monk said in explaining Sunday’s loss. “We’ll have a great half and then we’ll go back to one-pass shots, no-pass shots. We’ve just got to continue to move the ball.”

There’s more from Sacramento:

The crowd started chanting for Keon Ellis after the Kings fell behind by 12 points early in the second half, and that’s one of the options coach Mike Brown will consider as he tries to reconfigure his rotation, Anderson adds. Brown told reporters that Ellis, Doug McDermott, Trey Lyles and Isaac Jones might get more playing time. “I’m going to keep searching it,” Brown said. “I was searching a little tonight. We hadn’t shot the ball well the last few games from the three-point line. We did three games ago when Doug got some good minutes. He helped space the floor and we ended up scoring 120-something points against Denver, so I gave him an opportunity tonight, but if somebody new steps in and gets an opportunity like Trey at the five and Doug on the floor, that probably means somebody is going to be out. Tonight, that was Isaac and Keon. Those guys have been playing for us as of late, but they were out tonight just because the minutes aren’t there.” The Kings have a +8.9 net rating in Ellis’ 564 minutes on the court this season and a -2.5 mark in the 891 minutes he hasn’t played.
Brown stressed the need for togetherness throughout the organization following Saturday’s loss to the Lakers, Anderson states in a separate story. Citing a “bunker mentality,” he talked about the commitment that runs from ownership through the front office to the coaching staff. “It always has to be a collective effort,” Brown said. “One of the things I said when I first got the job here is we have to have an alignment vertically and horizontally. Not just during good times, not just when I first got here or when change happens, but you have to do it and it’s even more evident when you hit a little adversity. If that alignment is truly in place and people truly believe, then it’s easy to go through adversity.”
De’Aaron Fox said the Kings needs to find the right mindset to turn their season around, Anderson adds in another piece. “You have to enjoy playing the game period, and you have to enjoy playing with each other,” he said, “and I think we have to find that sense of enjoyment.”

Stein’s Latest: Butler, Beal, Nnaji, Kuzma, Hawkins

December 23rd, 2024 at 8:08am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns‘ interest in acquiring Jimmy Butler is “absolutely genuine,” but they may not have enough assets to entice the Heat, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

In theory, Bradley Beal‘s $50MM contract is a good salary match f0r Butler’s $48.8MM deal, and it’s being portrayed in some circles that Beal’s no-trade clause is the major impediment. That’s not really accurate, according to Stein, who states that there’s little evidence that the Heat have interest in adding the 31-year-old guard.

Beal has two more seasons left on his contract at $53.7MM and $57.1MM, which would greatly impact Miami’s future roster flexibility. He has also missed 36% of the Suns’ games since he joined the team at the start of last season. His scoring has dropped significantly after leaving Washington as he’s no longer being asked to carry the offense, although his shooting percentages are still strong at .504/.375/.795.

Stein notes that Phoenix doesn’t have many options to sweeten the deal for Miami. As a second-apron team, the Suns can’t aggregate contracts in a trade and they’ve already parted with most of their draft assets. They don’t have control over their first-round picks for the next six years, leaving just their 2031 first-rounder and three second-rounders to offer.

Stein shares more inside information from around the league:

Stein confirms a report from KC Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network that Zeke Nnaji‘s contract could stand in the way of a potential Nuggets-Bulls trade. One version of a deal would send Nnaji and Michael Porter Jr. to Chicago in exchange for Zach LaVine and Torrey Craig, but the Bulls are reluctant to make a four-year commitment to Nnaji, who has a $32MM contract that runs through 2027/28. Stein reiterates that Denver is considering whether it makes more sense to trade Porter for two rotational pieces, rather than trying to land LaVine.
League executives believe the Wizards are “eager” to move veteran forward Kyle Kuzma before the trade deadline, according to Stein. Washington had a deal in place with Dallas involving Kuzma last winter, but he chose to stay with the Wizards when given the option. He’s not expected to be consulted this time, Stein adds, as Washington’s front office seeks to tear down a roster that has compiled a league-worst 4-22 record. Stein points out that Kuzma has $3MM in unlikely bonuses that could complicate a deal (since they count against the aprons), but his contract is otherwise team-friendly with a declining salary that will reach $19.4MM in 2026/27. Stein adds that the idea that the Mavericks might pursue Kuzma again was “strongly dismissed,” but the Kings could be an option. He describes Sacramento’s recent interest in Kuzma as “up-and-down.”
Stein considers Jordan Hawkins to be among the players who the Pelicans are unlikely to trade before the deadline. The 22-year-old guard is averaging 13.1 PPG in his second NBA season and has taken on a larger role in New Orleans’ offense. Stein previously listed Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy and rookie center Yves Missi as keepers for the Pelicans.

Pacific Notes: Monk, Allen, Budenholzer, Durant, Kuminga

December 22nd, 2024 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are expected to make Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, and draft capital available as they go shopping for help on the trade market ahead of the February 6 trade deadline. However, given the fact that Sacramento is off to a 13-16 start this season and is currently out of the play-in picture, teams around the NBA are curious about whether the Kings will consider becoming in-season sellers, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (video link).

“I’m not reporting that Malik Monk is available,” Fischer said. “However, rival teams certainly want to know if Malik Monk will be someone that the Kings are willing to part with.”

In discussing Monk, Fischer acknowledged it would be “tricky” to move last season’s Sixth Man of the Year runner-up, who signed a new four-year, $78MM contract with the Kings over the summer.

“He’s so crucial to what the Kings have done,” Fischer said. “… He’s best friends with De’Aaron Fox dating back to Kentucky. If you’re curious about the long-term ramifications of keeping De’Aaron Fox in Sacramento, you’re probably not wanting to move his best friend, who he recruited to join the Kings.”

Of course, Fox’s own long-term future in Sacramento isn’t certain either, so the Kings are a team worth watching closely in the coming weeks.

We have more items from around the Pacific:

The Suns are monitoring swingman Grayson Allen for a possible concussion, head coach Mike Budenholzer said after Saturday’s loss to Detroit (Twitter link via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports). “We’ll see how he is in the morning,” Budenholzer said of Allen, who took a Simone Fontecchio elbow to the head while battling the Pistons forward under the basket in the third quarter (video link).
Budenholzer and Kevin Durant engaged in a heated discussion during a timeout in the third quarter of Saturday’s loss, with the head coach appearing to call out Durant for a defensive mistake and the Suns star firing back. Both men downplayed the dispute after the game. “We know we got the microscope on us, so any little spat like that may be taken the wrong way, but coach respects my perspective,” Durant said (Twitter video link via PHNX Sports). “… When you look at it from the outside, the chemistry may look off, but I just think that’s part of great chemistry actually, when you can have those conversations in the heat of the moment and move on.” Budenholzer agreed with Durant’s assessment, as Bourguet relays (Twitter video link). “He’s a pro, he’s coachable,” Budenholzer said. “If you don’t have a few of those, there’s probably something wrong with your team. KD’s the best. He wants to be coached, and I love being around him.”
After starting six games in a row, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga came off the bench on Thursday in Memphis and Saturday in Minnesota. However, head coach Steve Kerr said that the experiment of having Kuminga in the starting five isn’t over, explaining that he started Kyle Anderson on Saturday because he liked how the former Timberwolf matched up against his old team (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN). It was Anderson’s first start of the season.

Spurs Positioning Themselves To Target De’Aaron Fox

December 21st, 2024 at 11:50am CST by Tristan Tucker

Star guard De’Aaron Fox‘s agent — Klutch Sports founder and CEO Rich Paul — met with Kings general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox on Thursday. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Anthony Slater, the meeting focused on what the long-term plan around Fox would be.

Fox declined a three-year, $165MM extension from the Kings in the offseason and isn’t interested in fighting for a lower-seed playoff spot for the rest of his career. He recently discussed the decision to turn down that extension, explaining that he wants the club to show it’s capable of seriously contending for a championship.

While Fox hasn’t asked for a trade, Amick and Slater write that the Kings star and his agent are reading the room to see what the Kings’ vision is. Fox has another year left on his deal and would qualify for a five-year, $345MM super-max contract if he makes an All-NBA selection this year.

The Kings aren’t a bad team, but they’ve been inconsistent in the first half and there’s little room for inconsistency in a competitive Western Conference, where they rank 12th at 13-15. Fox has stated multiple times that he likes the idea of spending his entire career with one franchise and he has been a major force in the local community. But with Sacramento stuck on the outside looking in for now, opposing teams have started to circle.

League sources tell Amick and Slater that the Spurs are “positioning themselves” to pursue a trade for Fox should he become available, eyeing him to be a long-term partner with Victor Wembanyama. Other teams would likely join San Antonio as suitors if Sacramento considers a trade.

While the Kings have shortened the rotation and their record isn’t inspiring thus far, they are still just three games out of a top-five seed in the West. They’re armed with proven NBA players like Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk, among others, and they’ve suffered several tight losses, with a 3-9 record in games decided by five points or less.

The Kings know they need an upgrade and are specifically targeting backup centers and wings. Among the names on their short list are Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Jazz forward John Collins, Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, and Nets forward Cameron Johnson, according to Amick and Slater. They’ve also expressed some lesser interest in Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, while a bigger trade for Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine seems unlikely at this juncture.

Fox is having one of his most productive seasons yet, averaging 26.2 points, 6.1 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. But while his production is up, head coach Mike Brown has challenged him to do even more. As Amick and Slater report, there’s some pressure on the Kings to further fortify their roster to convince him to re-up long term.

Pacific Notes: James, Harden, Harkless, Fox, Schröder

December 19th, 2024 at 8:58pm CST by Tristan Tucker

LeBron James enters Thursday just 10 minutes from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most total minutes played in regular season NBA history after having passed him in total minutes (playoffs included) last year. He’s likely to set the regular season record against the Kings. James discussed the achievement with The Athletic’s Jovan Buha and Sam Amick.

“I just think it’s just a commitment to the craft and to the passion and love I have for the game,” James said. “I don’t take much time in the offseason. A little bit more time now, I didn’t take much time in the offseason, no matter if I was making the 10 Finals appearances back to back and just always trying to keep my body in tip-top shape.

“And I’ve been able to, like I said, play a lot of minutes and for the most part of my career be injury-free and be available. I don’t want to say injury-free. We all have our injuries in this league and in this sport. But to be available for the majority to my teammates, to the franchises, the three franchises I play for, is something I took very seriously.”

James has been rehabbing an injury over the past couple weeks, missing a pair of games last week. According to Buha and Amick, he’s open to resting down the line if it makes sense in the schedule.

“I’m just not a guy that likes to sit games, if I’m somewhat healthy,” James said. “It doesn’t matter. It’s just, it’s never been my thing. … If there’s an opportunity where it could benefit my body and benefit my play long-term for the better of the team, then I’m always open to having that conversation. So we’ll see what happens.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

As a result of Kawhi Leonard‘s knee injury and Paul George‘s free agency departure, James Harden has been the only member of the Clippers‘ former big three still standing this season and has continued to keep the team competitive by providing strong leadership and playing big minutes, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes. Harden is averaging 22.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game while shooting 35.3% from beyond the arc. The Clippers entered Thursday at 15-12. “If he has a bad shooting night, the next night he’s probably going to come back and play well,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “That’s what good players do. They bounce back. We’ve asked him to do a lot. He’s carried a load offensively, making the right passes, reads and also scoring the basketball. And at 35 years old, that can get tiring. So, we are asking a lot of him.“
Current San Diego Clippers guard Elijah Harkless is drawing NBA interest ahead of the G League Showcase, SNY’s Ian Begley reports (via Twitter). Harkless is averaging 15.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.6 steals per contest for L.A.’s G League club. He went undrafted in 2023 out of UNLV and spent back-to-back offseasons on a training camp deal with the Clippers.
The Kings have won three of their last four games and four of their past six, but they dropped some winnable games earlier in the season and are at an uneven 13-14, good for 12th in the Western Conference. Head coach Mike Brown challenged star De’Aaron Fox to help the team continue to lock in and focus on the details, according to FOX 40 Sacramento’s Sean Cunningham (Twitter link). “Fox has to step up,” Brown said. “He’s a great player, on the verge of being a superstar…you have a lot of responsibility if you’re that guy, and he’s that guy. And he can’t be a part of not being locked in and he damn sure can’t be a part of letting it go if we’re not [locked in] as a team.“
Dennis Schröder appeared in his first game as a member of the Warriors, starting on Thursday after being traded by the Nets. As observed by ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk (Twitter link), Jonathan Kuminga moved to the bench after having started each of Golden State’s past six games.

Fischer: Valanicunas Among Several Centers On Trade Block

December 19th, 2024 at 3:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Jonas Valanciunas of the Wizards may be the most “attainable” and desirable trade candidate among centers this season, but he’s certainly not the only big man who could be on the move prior to the February 6 deadline, league sources tell Jake Fischer (Substack link via The Stein Line).

According to Fischer, several teams are looking for help in the middle, including the Lakers, Clippers, Bucks and Pelicans. The Clips and Bucks are interested in reserve centers to complement their starters (Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez, respectively), with Lopez also drawing trade interest since last summer.

The Warriors are another team contemplating a trade involving big men, with Kevon Looney garnering “plenty of interest” from rival clubs, Fischer writes. Like Lopez, who earns $23MM in 2024/25, Looney is on an expiring contract ($8MM).

Confirming a recent report from Stefan Bondy, Fischer says Knicks center Jericho Sims is viewed as a potential trade candidate due to his inconsistent playing time as a backup this season. Fischer also notes that New York gauged injured center Mitchell Robinson‘s trade value around this time last year.

Despite his lengthy injury history, Trail Blazers center Robert Williams may be the “most coveted” big man on the market outside of Valanciunas, but it’s no lock that Portland will end up moving him, according to Fischer’s sources. If the Blazers do trade a member of their frontcourt, expect it to come closer to the deadline, Fischer adds.

Here’s more from Fischer:

Like Clint Capela, whom we highlighted in another story, Nikola Vucevic is a starting center who could be on the move, but it’s unclear if the Bulls will be successful in their attempts to trade the two-time All-Star, in part due to his contract ($20MM in ’24/25, $21.5MM in ’25/26).
Valanicunas, Williams and Walker Kessler are among the big men on the Lakers‘ trade wish list, sources tell Fischer. However, the Jazz have declined multiple offers for Kessler, so it’s difficult to decipher if Utah is actually willing to trade him or is simply gauging what he might bring in return.
Chris Boucher (Raptors), Day’Ron Sharpe (Nets), Trey Lyles (Kings), Daniel Theis (Pelicans) and Nick Richards (Hornets) are also “known to be on the market,” according to Fischer.

Western Notes: T. Jones, Schröder, Lyles, Thybulle

December 18th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Spurs point guard Tre Jones has been cleared to return to action on Thursday vs. Atlanta after missing the team’s previous six games due to a left shoulder sprain, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). Having also been sidelined for 12 games earlier this season with an ankle injury, Jones admitted it has been a challenging fall.

“I’ve never sat out this much in this season before, so it’s definitely been tough,” Jones said. “But the guys have kept my spirits up. My family at home have kept my spirits up.”

Jones isn’t the only Spurs regular who has battled injuries this season. Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Victor Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson, and Zach Collins have all missed multiple games. Assuming San Antonio has better health luck going forward, Jones is optimistic about the team’s rest-of-season outlook.

“We feel like we’re in a great position right now,” Jones said. “We haven’t been necessarily healthy this year either yet, so hopefully we can maintain our health moving forward and we can continue to build. We’ve been throwing out a lot of different lineups and that can work to your advantage when guys are knowing that their name is going to be called. But, at the same time, we want to be able to kind of settle into our roles and what we expected coming into the season and be healthy.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Dennis Schröder and Draymond Green have had their share of on-court battles in the past, including in Game 6 of the second-round 2023 playoff series when they were hit with double technicals before Schröder’s Lakers eliminated Green’s Warriors (Twitter video link). But there’s no bad blood between them — in fact, playing with Green is one thing Schröder is looking forward to most as he prepares for his Warriors debut, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I feel really, really excited playing with Draymond,” Schröder said. “Like you guys seen, we were going at it. I knew him before. People were saying, ‘How’s it going to work?’ But we got a good relationship, even before that.”
Kings forward Trey Lyles is confident he’ll be cleared to return on Thursday vs. the Lakers, according to Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento (Twitter video link). Lyles has been on the shelf since November 25 due to a right calf strain.
Before he scored 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting vs. Portland on Sunday, Suns point guard Tyus Jones earned praise from Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, who referred to the situation in Phoenix as “tailor-made” for the veteran guard, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “He’s a big shot-maker when put in those positions, but he knows who he is, more than anything,” Billups said. “He knows who he’s playing with, and that’s what they needed. He’s also a very scrappy defender. He doesn’t get a lot of credit for that, but a lot of teams attack him and go after him, and you got a fight on your hands when you do that. I’m proud and happy for Ty and (the Suns) did it right when they got him.”
Billups provided a minor injury update on Matisse Thybulle on Tuesday, indicating that the injured Trail Blazers forward is doing stand-still shooting on the court but isn’t cleared for contact yet, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Thybulle’s season debut was delayed due to a right knee issue and he subsequently sprained his right ankle during the rehab process.

Kings’ De’Aaron Fox Discusses Decision To Hold Off On Extension

December 18th, 2024 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox had the opportunity to sign a three-year, $165MM extension this past offseason, but chose to put off contract talks until the 2025 offseason.

Fox will be eligible for a bigger payday in 2025. His maximum standard extension at that time would be worth a projected $229MM over four years. He could also qualify for a super-max extension worth up to $345MM over five years if he earns an All-NBA spot this season.

While Fox’s decision to bypass an extension this year was considered at least somewhat financially motivated, he also made it clear in an October interview that while he loves playing in Sacramento, he wants to make sure the Kings are committed to “competing at a high level” and “not just fighting for a playoff spot.”

The star guard reiterated that stance in the latest episode of Draymond Green‘s podcast (YouTube link) when the Warriors forward asked him why he decided not to extend his contract this year.

“It has all to do with just the team, the organization,” Fox said (hat tip to RealGM). “Where are we going? I want to make sure that we’re in a position to try to win in the future because that’s ultimately what I want to do. I know I’ll make enough money regardless of where I play or what I do, I’m going to be fine. God forbid, knock on wood, you have a career-ending injury. But aside from that, I feel like I’m continuing to get better as a player every year.

“But for me, it’s: Are we looking like we’re continuing to get better year after year and are we going to be able to compete at a high level? … If we can show that this year, you sign an extension now. If not, obviously I still have another year, but that’s where my mindset is. At some point, will we be able to compete for a championship or really compete at a high level for a long time? That’s where I’m at.

“I love the city. I love being here and I’ve raised my family here. We’ve got the kids’ grandparents here. I would love to be here and retire here. How many people can say they played for one organization for their whole career? I want to be a part of that select few people, but at the end of the day I also want to win.”

After finishing in the lottery in each of Fox’s first five NBA seasons, the Kings won 48 games and snapped a 16-year postseason drought in 2022/23. However, the club was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and then failed to make it out of the play-in tournament in ’23/24 after winning 46 regular season games.

Sacramento’s front office showed in the offseason that it wasn’t willing to stand pat and hope for internal improvement — the team went out and acquired six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan via sign-and-trade, awarding him a three-year, $73.7MM contract.

However, the Kings have struggled to string together wins this fall and currently have a 13-14 record, making them the No. 12 seed. They’re 1.5 games back of the No. 10 Lakers for the final play-in spot, though they’re just two games behind the No. 6 Suns for the final guaranteed playoff spot in a congested Western Conference.

There’s an expectation that the Kings will return to the trade market ahead of the February 6 deadline, armed with Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, and future draft picks as potential trade chips as they look to further upgrade their roster. While Fox didn’t explicitly call for the front office to continue making moves, his comments to Green suggest he certainly wouldn’t be opposed to it.

“They know I’m going to give all I got, but at the end of the day the organization has also got to give all they got,” Fox said. “That’s where we are right now.”

Fox’s current contract pays him about $34.8MM this season and $37.1MM next season before expiring in 2026. He can’t sign an extension during the current season, but will become extension-eligible again next summer.

Warriors Remain Atop 2024 NBA Franchise Valuations

December 18th, 2024 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors remain the NBA’s most valuable team, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, who unveiled the website’s updated NBA franchise valuations for 2024 on Wednesday.

Badenhausen projects the Warriors’ value at $9.14 billion, making them one of three teams to surpass the $8 billion mark this year. The Knicks have a projected worth of $8.3 billion, while the Lakers come in at $8.07 billion, per Sportico. Only the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys – at $10.3 billion – have a higher valuation than Golden State among North American sports teams, says Badenhausen.

While Sportico’s figures suggest the Warriors, Knicks, and Lakers are worth significantly more than the fourth-place team (the Nets at $5.7 billion), the average value of an NBA franchise is up to $4.6 billion, with no team worth less than $3 billion.

That average has increased by 15% since Sportico released its 2023 valuations last December and has nearly doubled since the site published its first NBA franchise valuations four years ago, when the average was $2.37 billion.

The NBA’s new $77 billion media rights deal and a 15% increase in team sponsorship are among the factors contributing to the rising valuations of the league’s franchises, according to Badenhausen, who notes that a post-COVID boom in concerts and other major events has been good news for team owners who also control their arenas.

NBA team owners operated 10 of the world’s 20 highest-grossing concert venues in 2024, with the Nets’ Barclays Center coming in at No. 1, says Badenhausen. The Nets’ valuation is up 43% this year, per Sportico, easily the largest year-over-year increase among the 30 NBA franchises.

When Forbes put out its NBA franchise valuations in October, it pegged the average value of a team at $4.4 billion. In the past, we’ve used Forbes as our primary source for NBA franchise valuations, but with Badenhausen making the move from Forbes to Sportico in recent years and the outlet establishing itself as a go-to resource for sports business news, we begun highlighting Sportico’s projections as of 2023.

Of course, it’s worth noting that figures from Sportico, Forbes, or any other media outlet are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands. But these projections are usually in the right ballpark and remain useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.

Here’s Sportico’s full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2024:

Golden State Warriors: $9.14 billion
New York Knicks: $8.3 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $8.07 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $5.7 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $5.68 billion
Boston Celtics: $5.66 billion
Chicago Bulls: $5.56 billion
Miami Heat: $5 billion
Houston Rockets: $4.77 billion
Toronto Raptors: $4.66 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $4.57 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $4.46 billion
Phoenix Suns: $4.32 billion
Sacramento Kings: $4.11 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $4.07 billion
Denver Nuggets: $4.06 billion
Washington Wizards: $3.98 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $3.95 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $3.91 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $3.79 billion
Indiana Pacers: $3.74 billion
Utah Jazz: $3.67 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $3.6 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $3.55 billion
Orlando Magic: $3.46 billion
Detroit Pistons: $3.45 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $3.39 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $3.29 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $3.09 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $3.06 billion

As Badenhausen notes, Sportico’s projections are based on a control sale price, rather than limited stake purchases. No NBA franchise saw its majority control change hands in 2024, but that could change in 2025, with control of the Celtics up for sale.

According to Badenhausen, team executives and investors have predicted a sale price ranging from $4.5 billion to $6.5 billion for the Celtics. The final valuation will be determined by a number of factors, including how many bidders are on the mix, what percentage of the team they can buy, and whether current governor Wyc Grousbeck insists on remaining in that role until 2028, which he has indicated is his goal.

Stein’s Latest: Schröder, Johnson, Pelicans, Lakers, Kings, Reed

December 15th, 2024 at 7:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors acquired a valuable rotation piece in Dennis Schröder this weekend, but it’s possible he won’t last the season with his new team. Schröder can traded again this season and could be part of a package to get a star-level player before February’s trade deadline, according to Marc Stein in his latest Substack post.

Miami’s Jimmy Butler could be among the players targeted by the Warriors, whom many rival teams believe will make a splashier move this season. Stein notes the Warriors aggressively pursued Lauri Markkanen and Paul George during the offseason.

The timing of the Warriors’ trade for Schröder was significant. The latest CBA instituted a new exception that allowed players who are traded by Dec. 16th to be aggregated in another deal before the trade deadline.

Golden State had interest in trading for Nets’ forward Cameron Johnson as well as Schröder but would likely have needed to include Jonathan Kuminga in a deal for both players, Stein suggests.

Here’s more from Stein:

The Pelicans aren’t inclined to trade young pieces Herbert Jones, Yves Missi and Trey Murphy but they are open to trade inquiries for virtually anyone else on the roster.
The Lakers aren’t looking to make a blockbuster move but they’d like to add depth and are expected to make at least one trade.
The Kings are dangling the contracts of Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles in order to upgrade the roster.
The Sixers have some interest in a reunion with Paul Reed, who waived by the Pistons on Saturday. However, it’s unlikely they’d attempt to add him prior to the trade deadline in order to maximize their roster and cap flexibility. Reed was waived by Philadelphia during the offseason.