Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agency Rumors: Ibaka, Iwundu, Hernangomez, Bazemore

November 22nd, 2020 at 8:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Big man Serge Ibaka was not bereft of contending suitors in free agency, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto notes that the Raptors, the team with whom Ibaka spent most of the last four seasons, apparently offered a one-year, $12MM deal to Ibaka for an encore appearance in 2020/21. Toronto was believed to be unwilling to offer multiple years, which would have cut into the team’s projected 2021 cap space.

The Nets also wanted Ibaka, but could only afford a taxpayer mid-level exception, which would have started at $5.7MM this season. Ibaka ultimately inked a two-year, $19MM contract with the Clippers.

Here are more free agency rumors:

Though swingman Wesley Iwundu ultimately opted to sign a two-year, veteran’s minimum contract with the Mavericks, the Hawks, Pelicans and Kings were also in the running for Iwundu’s services this offseason, Scotto reports in the same piece.
The Mavericks and Kings also considered adding reserve center Willy Hernangomez before he agreed to terms with the Pelicans on a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal, per Scotto. Hernangomez’s 2019/20 club, the Hornets, also apparently wanted to re-sign the 26-year-old big man.
Scotto reports that former Kings wing Kent Bazemore also found himself in high demand this offseason before agreeing to a one-year veteran’s minimum deal with the Warriors. The Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, Celtics, Suns, Knicks, Nets, and Hornets were all interested in adding the three-and-D vet this offseason.

Hawks Sign Bogdanovic To Offer Sheet; Kings Leaning Toward Not Matching

November 22nd, 2020 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 24, 7:05pm: The Kings are still discussing whether to match Atlanta’s offer sheet but are leaning strongly towards not matching, Amick tweets.

NOVEMBER 22, 12:11pm: The Hawks have sent Bogdanovic’s signed offer sheet to the Kings, who will now have until Tuesday night to decide whether or not to match it, reports Amick (Twitter link).

The deal includes a fourth-year player option and a 15% trade kicker, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. That trade kicker is structured so that the team trading away Bogdanovic while he’s on this contract would have to pay the bonus, Stein adds (via Twitter).

NOVEMBER 22, 11:17am: The Hawks are submitting an offer sheet for Kings restricted free agent swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link). Emiliano Carchia of Sportando first reported on Friday that Atlanta was expected to sign Bogdanovic to an offer sheet.

The deal will be worth $72MM over four years, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter link). That’s the exact price we’d heard connected to Bogdanovic for the last several days.

Once Bogdanovic officially signs the offer sheet, the Kings will have two days to make a decision on whether or not to match it. As Amick notes (via Twitter), the Hawks likely wouldn’t be prepared to move forward on the offer sheet unless they felt pretty confident about its chances of not being matched.

Earlier this week, it appeared that Bogdanovic would join the Bucks in a sign-and-trade agreement that packaged him 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 deal 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.

The Bucks ultimately moved on from their pursuit of Bogdanovic, opening the door for the Hawks – one of the few teams with significant cap room – to make a run at him. Atlanta has already had a successful free agency period, having struck deals with Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo, and Kris Dunn. If they can land Bogdanovic, it would represent another upgrade on a core that already features Trae Young, John Collins, and Clint Capela.

While there’s still a chance the Kings could match the Hawks’ offer so as not to lose a key asset for nothing, the team may have tipped its hand when its reported agreement with the Bucks broke. That deal was a signal that Sacramento wasn’t necessarily intent on retaining the RFA swingman, who would add another expensive multiyear contract to a cap sheet that already features pricey long-term deals for Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield, and – starting in 2021/22 – De’Aaron Fox.

After their deal with the Bucks was scuttled, the Kings reportedly explored other sign-and-trade scenarios involving Bogdanovic, with the Lakers and Pacers among the teams believed to have interest. However, any deal would’ve come with cap- and compensation-related challenges, whereas Atlanta had the flexibility to simply sign Bogdanovic outright to an offer sheet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bogdan Bogdanovic Receiving Interest From Pacers?

November 22nd, 2020 at 12:40am CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 22, 12:40am: A source with knowledge of the situation tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) that the Pacers “aren’t engaged” in sign-and-trade talks with the Kings on a deal that would involve Bogdanovic and Turner.

Anderson clarifies in a follow-up tweet that there’s room for interpretation regarding the Pacers’ level of interest in Bogdanovic, but his source “flatly rejected” the idea of Turner being involved in a deal.

NOVEMBER 21, 10:00pm: The Pacers weren’t able to complete a sign-and-trade deal with Boston to land Gordon Hayward, but the Celtics forward apparently wasn’t the only sign-and-trade target on the team’s radar.

Sources tell James Ham of NBC Sports California that Indiana has shown interest in Kings restricted free agent Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is also drawing interest from the Hawks.

Atlanta has the cap room necessary to sign Bogdanovic to an offer sheet. In that scenario, the Kings would have to elect whether or not to match the offer, and would lose the talented swingman for nothing if they decline to match.

The over-the-cap Pacers would have to negotiate a sign-and-trade with Sacramento in order to give Bogdanovic a contract that reflects his market value (believed to be in the range of $18MM annually). If Indiana is willing to make a player like Myles Turner available in that scenario, that would certainly appeal to the Kings more than the prospect of losing Bogdanovic for nothing, Ham writes.

There would be some cap-related hurdles to overcome in any deal between the Kings and Pacers. And, of course, as the Bucks and the Kings were reminded earlier in the week, Bogdanovic himself would have to sign off on the idea of joining the Pacers over Atlanta or another team. Still, it’s certainly a possibility worth keeping an eye on.

For what it’s worth, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports that the Pacers – as well as the Rockets – expressed some exploratory interest in a possible sign-and-trade for free agent guard Fred VanVleet before he committed to re-sign with the Raptors.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, KCP, Haliburton, Suns, Warriors

November 21st, 2020 at 8:34am CST by Luke Adams

After crunching the numbers, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says (via Twitter) the most the Lakers can offer free agent wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for 2020/21 is about $12MM. That would give the team just enough money to fill out the roster with players on minimum-salary contracts and remain under the hard cap of $138.93MM.

The Lakers’ other free agent options are somewhat limited now that they’ve committed their full mid-level exception to Montrezl Harrell and their bi-annual exception to Wesley Matthews. However, a sign-and-trade remains an option for Los Angeles – since the team already hard-capped – if enough salary can be sent out.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

After ESPN’s Jonathan Givony suggested on Zach Lowe’s Lowe Post podcast that Tyrese Haliburton‘s camp may have had a hand in orchestrating his draft-day slide to the Kings at No. 12, Haliburton was asked about that possibility and neither confirmed nor denied it, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I don’t know about all the behind-the-scenes stuff that really goes on,” Haliburton said. “But I do know that Sacramento was a perfect place for me and somewhere that we really looked at and thought it would be a perfect fit, somewhere where we felt I would have an opportunity right away.”
Suns officials confirmed to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic that the organization is enacting furloughs on some employees and pay cuts for many others. Sources tell Rankin that more than 30 employees have been furloughed due to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, while remaining employees within all departments are taking 20% pay cuts.
In a pair of articles for The Athletic, Anthony Slater examined what’s next for the Warriors in the wake of Klay Thompson‘s second consecutive season-ending injury and explored how James Wiseman can help the team right away.
The Clippers will have a new advertisement patch on their jersey for 2020/21, announcing in a press release that they’ve reached a deal with L.A.-based technology company Honey.

Knicks, Hawks, Hornets Still Have Cap Room Available

November 21st, 2020 at 7:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks, Hawks, and Hornets are the only teams that still project to have cap room available after the first day of free agency, tweets Keith Smith of RealGM.

Smith estimates that New York has about $29MM or so left to spend, with Atlanta around $25MM and Charlotte at about $19MM. Cap exceptions, minimum deals, and sign-and-trades will be the only way for other teams to add free agents, barring cost-cutting moves to get under the cap, Smith notes.

We may find out as early as today what each of those three Eastern lottery teams intends to do with its cap room.

The Knicks are reportedly in the running for free agent forward Gordon Hayward, but could turn their attention elsewhere if Hayward agrees to re-sign with the Celtics or reaches a sign-and-trade deal with the Pacers. Fred VanVleet, who is reportedly meeting with interested teams today, might be one option.

The Hawks are believed to have their sights set on Bogdan Bogdanovic and Rajon Rondo, with a report yesterday indicating that the team was confident it will be able to land at least two players from a group of free agents that included those two and Danilo Gallinari (who is finalizing a three-year deal with Atlanta).

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer says Atlanta is considered the frontrunner to land Bogdanovic, but notes that the Lakers remain in pursuit. Getting something back from L.A. in a sign-and-trade may appeal more to the Kings – who still hold Bogdanovic’s RFA rights – than losing him for nothing if the Hawks use their cap room to sign him to an offer sheet they won’t match.

As for the Hornets, I expect they’ll use a chunk of their cap room to fortify their frontcourt. A report on Friday night indicated they made Montrezl Harrell a bigger offer than the two-year, $19MM deal he ultimately accepted from the Lakers.

Besides VanVleet, Hayward, and Bogdanovic, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Serge Ibaka, Jae Crowder, and Hassan Whiteside are among the best free agents still available from our top-50 list. Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram also technically haven’t agreed to deals with their respective teams, but are considered virtual locks to re-sign with the Lakers and Pelicans.

Kings Sign De’Aaron Fox To Five-Year Max Extension

November 20th, 2020 at 6:55pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 25: The Kings have officially locked up Fox to his new five-year extension, per the NBA’s transactions log. He’ll earn just over $8MM in 2020/21 before his new deal begins in ’21/22.

NOVEMBER 20: The Kings and De’Aaron Fox have agreed to a five-year, maximum-salary contract extension, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). The new deal will go into effect starting in 2021/22, with Fox playing out the final year of his rookie contract in ’20/21.

According to Charania, the deal will start at 25% of the cap unless Fox meets certain Rose Rule criteria, in which case it could be worth up to 30% of the cap. ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link) reports that the Rose Rule terms in Fox’s new deal call for a starting salary of 26% of the cap if he makes the All-NBA Third Team, 28% for All-NBA Second Team, and 30% for All-NBA First team.

The exact value of Fox’s new contract will depend on where the 2021/22 cap lands. If it increases by 3% over this year’s figure, which is currently the expectation, Fox would earn $163MM over five years on the standard max, or up to $195.6MM if he meets his Rose Rule criteria.

For the Kings, it’s a massive investment in their cornerstone player, who averaged a career-best 21.1 PPG to go along with 6.8 APG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.5 SPG in 51 games (32.0 MPG) last season. While it will be interesting to see how lottery pick Tyrese Haliburton fits alongside Fox, Sacramento is making it clear with this move that the Haliburton pick has no impact at all on Fox’s long-term future with the franchise.

The Kings will now have three players earning more than $20MM annually beginning in 2021/22, though Harrison Barnes‘ and Buddy Hield‘s futures in Sacramento are far less certain than Fox’s.

Fox is one of a handful of players eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason who is expected to receive the max. Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell are also in line for maximum-salary deals.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agency Rumors: Whiteside, Favors, Clarkson, Bertans

November 20th, 2020 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have interest in free agent center Hassan Whiteside, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said today on The Jump (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). James Ham of NBC Sports California confirms (via Twitter) that he has heard similar whispers, though he cautions he’s not sure how serious that interest is.

Here are more free agency rumors:

Free agent center Derrick Favors is expected to have contact with his current team – the Pelicans – and his old team – the Jazz – as free agency opens, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link). Other teams will also kick the tires on Favors, Jones adds.
The Jazz are making re-sigining Jordan Clarkson their top priority in free agency, tweets Tony Jones.
The Wizards are meeting with Davis Bertans as free agency opens, according to Chris Miller of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link). Re-signing the stretch four has long been considered Washington’s top priority this offseason.

Free Agency Rumors: Lakers, Hornets, Pelicans, Baynes, Bazemore

November 20th, 2020 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers anticipate being “first in line” to talk to two of their veteran free agents, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley, when free agency opens, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Howard and Bradley are expected to draw interest from multiple other clubs, including perhaps the Warriors, but it sounds like L.A. has interest in bringing back both of them. The Lakers and veteran forward Jared Dudley also have mutual interest in a new deal, Scotto adds.

Here’s more from Scotto on free agency:

The Hornets are expected to be in the market for a free agent center, according to Scotto, who notes that the team will likely lose Bismack Biyombo and Willy Hernangomez in free agency.
Scotto echoes a rumor we heard earlier in the week, writing that the Pelicans are expected to show interest in free agent center Aron Baynes.
The Kings and Kent Bazemore are expected to have mutual interest in reaching a new deal, according to Scotto, who notes that the free agent swingman will likely speak with a number of teams once free agency begins.

Bucks Moving On From Bogdanovic Pursuit

November 20th, 2020 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks are moving on from their pursuit of Kings RFA Bogdan Bogdanovic, sources tell Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Bogdanovic saga is the early frontrunner for the oddest story of free agency. Late on Monday night, reports indicated that a sign-and-trade agreement had been reached that would have sent Bogdanovic to Milwaukee along with Justin James for Donte DiVincenzo, Ersan Ilyasova, and D.J. Wilson. However, two days later, word broke that the deal was falling apart, having apparently never received approval from Bogdanovic himself.

There was some speculation that the NBA had stepped in due to the perception of tampering or circumvention, and that the Bucks and Kings had to act as if there was no deal in place until free agency opened.

However, now it appears all parties are indeed moving on, clearing the path for Bogdanovic to explore the market for an offer sheet, while the league has opened an investigation into the reported sign-and-trade deal that is no longer happening.

Bogdanovic is one of the fall’s top free agents. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested on an episode of his Hoop Collective podcast this week that “word on the street” is that the Kings swingman is hoping secure a deal of up to four years in the range of $18MM annually (hat tip to RealGM).

Kings Guarantee Nemanja Bjelica’s 2020/21 Salary

November 19th, 2020 at 11:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings opted not to waive Nemanja Bjelica before his salary guarantee deadline today, locking in his $7.15MM cap hit for the 2020/21 season, reports James Ham of NBC Sports California (via Twitter).

Bjelica, 32, had his best season as a pro in 2019/20, starting 67 of 72 games at power forward for the Kings. The veteran stretch four established new career highs in PPG (11.5), RPG (6.4), APG (2.8), 3PT% (.419), and several other categories, and Sacramento was better with him on the court than off it.

With free agency around the corner, the Kings could have some moves up their sleeves that would shake up their depth chart and affect Bjelica’s playing time — he could even end up on the move in a trade himself. For now though, he appears to be on track to reclaim his role as a regular rotation player in Sacramento, even with a healthy Marvin Bagley back in the mix.

Bjelica will be an unrestricted free agent in 2021.