Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings Sign Frank Kaminsky

November 26th, 2020 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 30: The deal is official, according to a press release issued by the Kings.

NOVEMBER 26: The Kings have agreed to sign free agent forward/center Frank Kaminsky to a one-year contract, his agent Kevin Bradbury tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Kaminsky’s one-year deal with Sacramento is non-guaranteed, per Jason Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Kaminsky, 27, averaged 9.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG on .450/.331/.678 shooting in 39 games (19.9 MPG) for Phoenix in 2019/20. A patella stress fracture shortened his season, however, and he played a very limited role during the Suns’ 8-0 run in the bubble at Walt Disney World. The team declined his $5MM option for 2020/21 last week.

Having lost Alex Len and Harry Giles in free agency, Sacramento has fortified its frontcourt by agreeing to a deal with Hassan Whiteside on Wednesday and now lining up a contract for Kaminsky.

The two incoming veterans will join a rotation that also features Richaun Holmes, Marvin Bagley, and Nemanja Bjelica up front.

Kings Re-Sign DaQuan Jeffries

November 26th, 2020 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 28: The signing is official, per team press release.

NOVEMBER 26: The Kings have agreed to re-sign guard/forward DaQuan Jeffries to a two-year, $3MM contract, his agents inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

It sounds like it’s a minimum-salary deal, which would be worth about $3.15MM over two years. Jeffries’ first year will be guaranteed, with a team option on year two, according to James Ham of NBC Sports California (Twitter link).

Jeffries, a former Tulsa standout, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Orlando in 2019 after going undrafted. He was released by the Magic before the regular season began, but was claimed off waivers by the Kings, who converted him to a two-way contract.

The 23-year-old played out the full season on that deal, averaging 3.8 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 13 games (10.8 MPG) for Sacramento. He saw more action for the club’s G League affiliate, recording 16.5 PPG and 6.9 RPG on .460/.342/.705 shooting for the Stockton Kings in 27 games (31.0 MPG).

Jeffries received a qualifying offer from Sacramento last week, which made him a restricted free agent. He wouldn’t have been able to sign outright with another team without the Kings getting a chance to match the offer.

Kings Sign Chimezie Metu To Camp Deal

November 25th, 2020 at 5:08pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 28, 12:55pm: Metu has officially signed with the Kings, according to a team press release.

NOVEMBER 25, 5:08pm: The Kings are signing former Spurs big man Chimezie Metu, according to James Ham of NBC Sports California (Twitter link). Although Metu will get a training camp deal, he’ll have a shot to earn a spot on Sacramento’s regular season roster.

Metu, a 2018 second-round pick, was never able to establish consistent playing time in San Antonio during his two years with the team. He appeared in 47 games over the last two seasons, averaging 2.3 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 5.3 minutes per contest.

The Spurs released Metu last week and he cleared waivers on Sunday, clearing the path for him to sign outright with the Kings.

In Sacramento, Metu will be competing to earn a depth spot in a frontcourt that currently features the likes of Richaun Holmes, Marvin Bagley, Nemanja Bjelica, and, as of today, veteran center Hassan Whiteside, who is reportedly signing a one-year deal with the Kings.

Hassan Whiteside Signs With Kings

November 25th, 2020 at 4:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

NOVEMBER 27: The Kings have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Whiteside.

NOVEMBER 25: Center Hassan Whiteside will reunite with his first NBA club. The big man is set to ink a one-year deal with the Kings, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets that the agreement is for a veteran’s minimum. Whiteside is coming off a four-year, $98.4MM maximum contract extension he signed with the Heat in 2016.

The Heat traded Whiteside to Portland in the summer of 2019 to clear cap space for incoming free agent Jimmy Butler. He had a productive year for the Trail Blazers, for whom he started during most of the 2019/20 season as center Jusuf Nurkic used most of the season to rehabilitate from compound fractures to the tibia and fibula of his left leg. In 30 MPG across 67 games with Portland (including 61 starts), Whiteside averaged 15.5 PPG, 13.5 RPG, and a league-leading 2.9 BPG, while shooting 62.1% from the field. Wojnarowski also notes that Whiteside’s 25.07 PER was good for the eighth best such stat in the NBA.

The 6’11” big man out of Marshall was initially drafted by Sacramento with the No. 33 pick in 2010. He spent his first two NBA seasons with the Kings from 2010-2012. Whiteside logged time in the NBA’s then-D League (now the G League) and overseas before Miami took a flyer on him in 2014, where he quickly developed into an athletic force at the next level.

Whiteside marks new Kings GM Monte McNair‘s first free agent addition to the Sacramento roster. Presumably Whiteside will be expected to add interior depth behind oft-injured starter Marvin Bagley. Earlier this week, the Kings opted not to match the four-year, $72MM offer sheet tendered to restricted free agent shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic by the Hawks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Blazers Notes: Jones, Carmelo, Covington, Elleby

November 25th, 2020 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Before he committed to the Trail Blazers, Derrick Jones had free agency meetings with the Kings and Timberwolves, as Jonathan Abrams of The New York Times details in an interesting blow-by-blow account of Jones’ night on November 20.

According to Abrams, Jones mostly listened and nodded during Sacramento’s eight-minute pitch, but was more engaged and asked questions on a call with Portland that lasted nearly an hour. Jones seemed ready to commit to the Blazers on the spot, but his agent Aaron Turner said they’d let the team know by the end of the night.

Jones was also impressed by the Timberwolves’ pitch that came next, but was still leaning toward Portland’s offer. The Blazers had said they’d be talking to other free agents over the course of the night and would sign the first one that called back to agree to their offer, so Jones had to make a fairly quick decision, Abrams writes.

After Turner called back the Wolves to see if they could increase their offer at all, he told them Jones would be signing elsewhere, and contacted the Blazers to accept their two-year offer worth the full mid-level.

“Getting a guy like Derrick — an elite athlete, protects the rim, great finisher, rates in the 80th percentile in blocks and steals — was a big win for us,” president of basketball operations Neil Olshey said of the signing this week, per Jason Quick of The Athletic.

Here’s more on the Blazers:

Before Carmelo Anthony agreed to re-sign with Portland, he and Olshey talked about his potential role, discussing the possibility that the 10-time All-Star could come off the bench this season. “Ideally, for him, he would still start. I think that’s where his mindset is — he’s never come off the bench,” Olshey told reporters this week, per Quick. “Obviously, that will be (coach Terry Stotts‘) call. But I think the conversation was, ‘Make the decision to come back based on the reality that you will likely come off the bench.'”
Olshey added that he believes it makes more sense to have Anthony as part of the second unit, since he can be a featured scorer off the bench, whereas newly-added forward Robert Covington doesn’t need the ball much, making him a “perfect complement” to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
One of the Blazers’ top offseason goals was to find someone who can be their fourth-best player behind Lillard, McCollum, and Jusuf Nurkic. As Quick writes, the Blazers believes Covington will be that player. “Now we know we have a fourth guy every night that can make a high enough impact that can give us a chance to win,” Olshey said.
Olshey expressed excitement about CJ Elleby, the No. 46 overall pick in the draft who has signed a guaranteed two-year, minimum-salary contract with the club. “I think he is a really good basketball player,” Olshey said, according to Quick. “I think we will all probably anticipate that this year will be an apprenticeship for him, but he will have a chance to compete every day with our younger players. He has a chance to have a very long career.”

Rockets, Kings Finalize Kenyon Martin Jr. Trade

November 25th, 2020 at 2:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 25: The Rockets and Kings have each sent out press releases confirming that the trade is complete. Houston officially acquired the rights to Martin in exchange for the Lakers’ 2021 second-rounder and cash, as detailed below.

NOVEMBER 18: The Rockets have agreed to reacquire their pick at No. 52 and used it to select Kenyon Martin Jr., tweets Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated.

In order to land Martin at No. 52, the Rockets sent $1MM in cash and the Lakers’ 2021 second-round pick to Sacramento, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).

Martin, the son of the first pick in the 2000 draft, played this year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, after originally committing to Vanderbilt. The 19-year-old was among the players selected for the NBA’s virtual draft combine.

The Rockets originally sent the pick to Sacramento in a three-way trade in 2019 to acquire Iman Shumpert.

Bucks Rumors: Bogdanovic, Giannis, Oladipo, DiVincenzo, More

November 25th, 2020 at 10:48am CST by Luke Adams

Bogdan Bogdanovic was considered Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s preferred target for the Bucks in free agency, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says that Thanasis Antetokounmpo had been in contact with Bogdanovic for months as the brothers attempted to lure the swingman to Milwaukee.

As Fischer explains, Giannis admires Bogdanovic’s “toughness and swagger” and considers him someone you could “go to war with in the postseason.” As a result, the Bucks pursued Bogdanovic aggressively, discussing sign-and-trade scenarios with the Kings in the hopes of effectively taking the RFA-to-be off the market before last Friday by agreeing to a deal with Sacramento.

Early discussions between the Kings and Bucks included Eric Bledsoe, according to Fischer, who points out that sending Bledsoe’s $16.9MM contract to Sacramento would have made it simple for Milwaukee to meet Bogdanovic’s asking price of $18MM per year. However, the Kings insisted on Donte DiVincenzo‘s inclusion on any deal and Bledsoe’s salary was required for Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday acquisition.

After they struck a deal for Holiday, the Bucks reached a tentative agreement with the Kings, but Bogdanovic’s camp insists it never discussed the particulars of a contract agreement with Milwaukee, per Fischer. Bogdanovic even phoned the Antetokounmpo brothers to reiterate that point, Fischer adds.

When at least one rival team filed a formal complaint about the fact that the Kings had seemingly lined up a deal for Bogdanovic days before the start of free agency, the NBA launched an investigation and essentially took Milwaukee off the table as a destination for the 28-year-old due to the risk that the league would block the deal, says Fischer.

Now, the Bucks will have to hope that their failed pursuit of Bogdanovic doesn’t cause Giannis to pass on their super-max offer. According to Fischer, the franchise had been very confident about the odds of reaching an agreement with Antetokounmpo, but there has been a “categorical step back in that confidence” since the Bogdanovic debacle. That doesn’t mean an agreement won’t be reached — just that the Bucks aren’t as sure about it as they once were.

Here’s more on the Bucks from Fischer’s article, which is packed with interesting details:

The Bucks and Pacers had conversations about a possible trade for Victor Oladipo, Fischer confirms, adding that a package of DiVincenzo, George Hill, and the No. 24 pick was discussed at one point. Like the Kings did, the Pacers insisted on DiVincenzo being included in any offer.
DiVincenzo ultimately remained in Milwaukee and the Bucks are still “bullish” on his potential, writes Fischer. They were willing to move him for Bogdanovic because the RFA was considered a “necessary target in line with Antetokounmpo’s wishes.”
Before the Bucks struck a deal for Holiday, the Hawks discussed a package that included the No. 6 pick, Kevin Huerter, and Dewayne Dedmon, says Fischer.

Kings Decline To Match Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic Offer Sheet

November 24th, 2020 at 11:26pm CST by Luke Adams

11:26pm: The Hawks have issued a press release officially announcing the addition of Bogdanovic.

“Bogdan has a great feel for the game, and we expect him to be a great fit for us with his high-level offensive skill set, experience and toughness,” team president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk said in a statement. “It’s no secret that one of our biggest areas of focus in free agency was adding shooting and quality depth. With Bogdan as part of our incoming group, we feel those are now areas of strength.”

8:03pm: The Kings have elected not to match Atlanta’s four-year, $72MM offer sheet for restricted free agent swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, clearing the way for him to join the Hawks, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Bogdanovic enjoyed arguably the best season of his three-year NBA career in 2019/20, averaging 15.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.4 APG on .440/.372/.741 shooting in 61 contests (29.0 MPG). He earned a promotion to the starting lineup in January, displacing Buddy Hield, and helped lead the Kings to a 16-12 record during his 28 games as a starter.

While the Kings’ roster moves at last season’s trade deadline – which included dumping some 2020/21 salary – indicated they were prepared to retain Bogdanovic in restricted free agency, the team underwent a front office overhaul after the season, with Monte McNair replacing Vlade Divac as Sacramento’s general manager.

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the new front office, led by McNair, “labored” over whether or not to match Bogdanovic’s four-year offer from the Hawks, which includes a fourth-year option and a 15% trade kicker. Ultimately, Woj says, the Kings prioritized retaining roster flexibility and felt that bringing back Bogdanovic would hinder their ability to continue building around cornerstones De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley, and Hield.

Wojnarowski says (via Twitter) that the Tyrese Haliburton pick in last week’s draft was a factor in Sacramento’s decision too, since the No. 12 pick gives the franchise another long-term building block in the backcourt.

The Kings also had the Hield/Bogdanovic dynamic to consider. Hield, who is just starting a lucrative four-year extension himself, didn’t appear thrilled to be moved to the bench last season, and Bogdanovic was believed to be seeking a change of scenery, having reportedly felt that he had been “de-prioritized” in recent months by the Kings. Bringing back both players may not have been great for team chemistry.

Still, it’s somewhat surprising that the Kings are letting a talented young player walk for nothing. They had hoped to salvage some value in a sign-and-trade, having initially reached an agreement with the Bucks last week that would have sent Bogdanovic and Justin James to Milwaukee for Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson, and Ersan Ilyasova. However, a couple days after it was first reported, that deal fell apart amid rumors that Bogdanovic himself hadn’t agree to sign with Milwaukee.

Since word of the agreement broke several days before free agency opened, there was speculation that the NBA may have intervened due to perceived tampering and/or circumvention. That hasn’t been confirmed at all, though the league did open an investigation into the situation. In any case, the Kings moved onto other sign-and-trade possibilities when free agency opened on Friday, but the Hawks had the cap room necessary to sign Bogdanovic without requiring Sacramento’s cooperation.

The Kings’ loss will be the Hawks’ gain, as an eventful week in Atlanta continues with the addition of the 28-year-old Serbian. We heard last month that the Hawks – who entered the offseason with the most cap space in the NBA – intended to be aggressive this fall, since they badly want to make it back to the playoffs next season. They’ve delivered on that promise.

After drafting USC center Onyeka Okongwu with the No. 6 pick in last Wednesday’s draft, the Hawks reached free agent agreements with Danilo Gallinari, Kris Dunn, Rajon Rondo, and Solomon Hill. Now they’ll add Bogdanovic to that group.

[RELATED: 2020 NBA Free Agent Tracker]

Atlanta’s new additions will join a core headed by Trae Young and John Collins, along with promising youngsters Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, and Kevin Huerter. Clint Capela will also be joining the mix — the former Rockets center was acquired at last season’s deadline but has yet to appear in a game for the Hawks due to a foot injury.

With Bogdanovic now officially off the board, there are only four restricted free agents who have yet to secure new deals, and all four are two-way players. There are also only three players on our list of top 50 free agents who have yet to strike deals — and one of those three, Anthony Davis, is a lock to return to his current team. The other two are Hassan Whiteside (No. 17), who has reportedly received interest from the Kings, and Reggie Jackson (No. 50).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kings Targeted Younger Free Agents

November 24th, 2020 at 12:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

New Kings general manager Monte McNair looked for versatile players in the draft and tried to alter the roster to better fit De’Aaron Fox‘s timeline, writes Greg Wissinger of The Sacramento Bee. That’s why he pursued 25-year-old Wesley Iwundu and 26-year-old Willy Hernangomez, although both signed with other teams.

Free Agency Rumors: Bogdanovic, McLaughlin, Baynes, More

November 23rd, 2020 at 11:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings will have to make a decision on Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s offer sheet with the Hawks on Tuesday, and as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes, there are pros and cons the team must consider as it weighs its options.

Matching Bogdanovic’s four-year, $72MM offer sheet would mean not losing him for nothing, and the contract doesn’t look particularly onerous — it’s unlikely that it will become an albatross within the next year. Bogdanovic would have veto power on any trade for the next year if Sacramento matches his offer, and the deal includes a 15% trade kicker, but there’s a good chance the club could eventually move him for positive value.

Still, while the Kings had originally budgeted for a $15-18MM annual salary for Bogdanovic under former GM Vlade Divac, per Anderson, the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the salary cap coming in $6MM lower than anticipated may make the team nervous about a long-term deal at the upper end of that range.

Additionally, sources have suggested to Anderson that Bogdanovic would prefer a change of scenery and that the swingman feels he has been “de-prioritized” by the Kings. Sacramento already may have to deal with one disgruntled wing in Buddy Hield — carrying two of them, and having them eat into each other’s minutes, may not be an ideal situation for the club.

Here are a few more notes and rumors related to free agency:

The Timberwolves and restricted free agent guard Jordan McLaughlin are engaged in ongoing talks about a new contract, a source tells Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. McLaughlin was on a two-way deal last season as a rookie, but is due for a promotion to a standard contract after averaging 7.6 PPG and 4.2 APG on .489/.382/.667 shooting in 30 games (19.7 MPG).
Before he committed to the Raptors, free agent center Aron Baynes gave serious consideration to joining the Warriors, a league source tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Alex Len, another center who agreed to a deal with Toronto, generated interest from the Lakers, Sixers, Bucks, and Kings during free agency, according to Scotto. The Raptors used their mid-level exception to give Len slightly more than his minimum salary.
The Hawks and Pistons were among the teams that expressed interest in Damyean Dotson before the free agent guard committed to Cleveland, reports Scotto. Dotson’s two-year, $4MM deal with the Cavaliers is worth more than the minimum and the club is still weighing whether to use its mid-level exception or bi-annual exception to complete the signing, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.