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Jimmy Butler Rumors: Thibs, Kings, Nets, Pistons

September 24th, 2018 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Although Jimmy Butler didn’t participate in the Timberwolves‘ Media Day on Monday, he was in Minnesota and took his physical, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. As Reynolds relays, head coach Tom Thibodeau – who said that Butler could be about a week from being ready to play – also sounded like a man who was open to the idea of dealing his All-Star wing.

“We’re not going to make a bad deal,” Thibodeau said. “If it’s a good deal, we’re interested.”

According to Thibodeau, last week’s trade request from Butler was the first time the 29-year-old had taken such a stance, forcing the situation to come to “a head” (Twitter link via Chris Hine of The Star Tribune). Thibodeau also acknowledged that there was risk involved in acquiring Butler last year, but said he thought the Timberwolves would have a good chance to lock him up long-term. “It didn’t work out,” Thibodeau said today (Twitter link via Jerry Zgoda).

After making it clear that the Wolves will consider potential trades with teams besides the ones on Butler’s wish list, Thibodeau added that if Minnesota can’t make a deal in the next week and Butler is done with his conditioning and rehab work, the All-NBA swingman will be expected to rejoin the team (Twitter links via Michael Rand and Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune).

Here’s more on Butler:

  • Thibodeau said today that he isn’t worried about his own authority – or job – as a result of the Butler situation. “Not at all. I never worry about that,” Thibodeau said (Twitter link via Michael Rand). “[The] important thing is to understand … what your job is. Your job is to acquire best talent to help your team win.”
  • Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) believes a trade will happen “sooner rather than later,” though probably not today.
  • League sources maintain to David Aldridge of NBA.com that the Timberwolves will hold out for at least one first-round pick as part of a Butler trade, and will also want some “young vets” who can grow with the club’s remaining core.
  • The Kings are on the list of teams interested in discussing a possible Butler trade with the Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
  • As of late Sunday night, the Nets weren’t negotiating with the Timberwolves on a Butler deal, according to Newsday’s Greg Logan, who believes Brooklyn isn’t eager to sacrifice a ton of assets for the Timberwolves wing (Twitter links).
  • Don’t count on the Pistons swinging a blockbuster trade for Butler, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
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Tyler Ulis Signs Camp Deal With Warriors

September 24th, 2018 at 11:03am CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 24: The Warriors have officially signed Ulis, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 21: Point guard Tyler Ulis will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Warriors, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. The former Suns guard will join them in camp, though he’ll likely wind up with the team’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, Anthony Johnson of 2Ways10Days tweets.

Ulis also had similar offers from the Rockets and Kings, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets.

The Suns waived Ulis at the end of June, ending his disappointing stint with the club. The 2106 second-rounder out of Kentucky started 58 games in his two seasons with Phoenix and appeared in 132 games overall but the front office didn’t see him in its future plans. He was cut loose before his modest $1.54MM salary for the upcoming season became guaranteed, a move that upset star shooting guard Devin Booker.

Ulis has been seeking new employment ever since and had a workout with the Cavaliers earlier this month. The Warriors already have Shaun Livingston and Quinn Cook as options behind starting point guard Stephen Curry, so Ulis can be viewed as an insurance policy if an injury strikes.

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Kings Waive Deyonta Davis

September 22nd, 2018 at 4:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings have waived center Deyonta Davis, who was acquired from the Grizzlies in July, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN. The team has confirmed the move on its website.

Davis was waived because Kings officials want to spend training camp focusing on players who are likely to make the final roster or play for their G League team in Stockton, Spears adds (Twitter link). Davis didn’t appear ticketed for either destination.

Sacramento sent Garrett Temple to the Grizzlies on July 17 in exchange for Davis, Ben McLemore and cash. Memphis took Davis with the 31st pick in the 2016 draft, but he was a disappointment in his two seasons there, averaging 4.3 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 98 games.

The Kings still must pay Davis his $1,544,951 salary for the upcoming season. The move leaves them with 17 players on the roster heading into training camp.

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Southeast Notes: Dedmon, Anderson, Wade, Pope, Hornets

September 20th, 2018 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Center Dewayne Dedmon and swingman Justin Anderson will not be cleared for Hawks training camp, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. Dedmon suffered an avulsion fracture in his left ankle earlier this month and shed his walking boot last week. Dedmon, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, will be reevaluated next week, Vivlamore continues.  Anderson had surgery June 29th on his left leg due to recurring tibial stress syndrome. Anderson, who was acquired from the Sixers in a three-team deal in July, will be re-evaluated in two weeks, Vivlamore adds.

We have more from around the Southeast Division:

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Southeast Rumors: Waiters, Dedmon, Pope, Satoransky

September 14th, 2018 at 5:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat shooting guard Dion Waiters may not be ready for the beginning of the regular season, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Teammate Briante Weber told Jackson that Waiters, who underwent ankle surgery in January, has not participated in any contact work or pickup games with his teammates. With Dwyane Wade continuing to waffle on whether he’ll re-sign with the team, Miami could pursue other free agent options, Jackson adds, with Jamal Crawford, Mario Chalmers and Joe Johnson among a pool of potential targets.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon, who suffered an avulsion fracture in his left ankle last week, has shed his walking boot, according to a team press release. He will now participate in weight-bearing rehabilitation and then be re-evaluated in two weeks. Dedmon, who will make $7.2MM this season, will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
  • The Magic are close to hiring Bill Pope as their director of pro personnel, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Pope currently holds a similar position with the Kings.
  • Tomas Satoransky will enter camp as the Wizards’ backup point guard but there’s no guarantee he’ll remain in the rotation, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes in a player profile. Satoransky had trouble holding onto that spot last season and newcomer Austin Rivers and Troy Brown Jr. can play the point behind John Wall if needed. There’s also more depth at the wing, reducing the chances of Satoransky seeing action at those positions, Hughes adds.
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Skal Labissiere Has Best Offseason Yet

September 12th, 2018 at 4:04pm CST by Austin Kent
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How Yogi Ferrell Fits In With The Kings

September 9th, 2018 at 1:52pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

By waiting out the initial wave of free agency, the Kings were able to add another young rotational player in the backcourt, further bolstering their depth at guard, writes James Ham of NBC Sports. In Ham’s training camp profile on Yogi Ferrell, he notes that Ferrell’s speed, quickness and knack for scoring make him one of the team’s significant additions in the offseason.

Ferrell initially agreed to a deal to return to the Mavericks, but backed out and signed a two-year, $6.2MM deal with the Kings, the second year being non-guaranteed. The 25-year-old, who is entering his third season in the league, is coming off a solid – if unspectacular – season with the Mavericks in which he averaged 10.2 points, 3.o rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, playing a career-high 27.8 minutes per game.

While the Kings have several capable guards to fill backcourt minutes, Ferrell should open the season as the team’s primary backup point guard and may fill in at both guard positions if injuries strike. With De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Frank Mason, Ben McLemore and Bogdan Bogdanovic all capable of playing in the backcourt, Ferrell will likely see a decrease in minutes and usage this season.

In a pinch, Ferrell can be the spark-plug scoring guard off the bench, a role Sacramento could certainly use in the upcoming season. With the additions of Nemanja Bjelica and Marvin Bagley alongside Ferrell, the Kings were able to add to their young core and boost their offensive potential in the offseason.

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Team USA Announces Camp Roster For September World Cup Qualifiers

September 3rd, 2018 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Fourteen players will participate in a Las Vegas training camp beginning this Thursday, USA Basketball announced today in a press release. Of those 14 players, 12 will be named to Team USA’s roster for the club’s upcoming qualifying games for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

This set of games – the first window for the second round of qualifiers – will take place later this month. Team USA will face Uruguay on September 14, then play against Panama on September 17.

The following players will be vying for Team USA roster spots for these qualifying contests:

In the first round of qualifying games for the 2019 World Cup, Team USA was made up predominantly of G League players. That’s the case to some extent again this time, with guys like Hearn and Warney returning. However, many of the players this time around are currently under contract with NBA teams, including Bacon (Hornets), Ellenson (Pistons), Hicks (Knicks), Mason (Kings), Trice (Bucks), and White (Spurs).

“With our September second-round games marking the start of the most critical part of the World Cup Qualifying, I think it is imperative for us to look for players who possess mental fortitude, who are tough, and who have experience,” said Team USA head coach Jeff Van Gundy. “All of our second-round games are going to very, very difficult and competitive battles. Argentina, Panama and Uruguay are all really good and well coached.”

The second round of the World Cup qualifiers will take place over three windows of competition in September, November, and February. Team USA will play two games apiece vs. Argentina, Panama, and Uruguay during that stretch.

Having posted a 5-1 record during the first round of qualifiers, Team USA is tied for first with Argentina in Group E, which is made up of six teams. If Team USA remains in the top three of the Group E standings by the end of February’s games, the squad will qualify for the 2019 World Cup, which will take place in China next September.

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Former Kings Employee Accused Of Stealing Funds

August 30th, 2018 at 5:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jeffrey R. David, the former chief revenue officer for the Kings, is under suspicion of diverting $13.4MM from two team sponsors, according to Sam Stanton and Darrell Smith of The Sacramento Bee. David allegedly used the money to buy beachfront property in Southern California.

David is being investigated by the FBI and federal prosecutors, who say he set up a money-laundering scheme that took $9MM from the Golden 1 Credit Union and an additional $4.4MM from Kaiser Permanente Foundation.

No criminal charges have been filed, and the reporters weren’t able to get a comment from David. However, the Kings issued a statement confirming the investigation.

“Last week, we alerted federal law enforcement to suspicious financial transactions involving a former Kings employee, Jeff David,” the team said in its statement. “That investigation is underway and on Monday, U.S. Department of Justice authorities began the formal process of recovering and seizing the properties involved in the investigation.

“We appreciate the swift action on behalf of the officials at the FBI and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California McGregor Scott as they work to complete this investigation and we will take all appropriate action once it is complete.”

David left the team June 1 when his position was eliminated. He currently serves as chief revenue officer for the Heat.

William Portanova, an attorney for the Kings, said the organization contacted federal officials as soon as it became aware of the situation. He offered assurances that all the missing money is being recovered. Team officials are expected to brief their ownership group on the progress of the investigation tomorrow morning.

Two sources told The Sacramento Bee that the cash in question was part of advertising contracts the companies signed with the team, including naming rights for the Golden 1 Center. David, who was in charge of negotiating ad contracts and corporate partnerships, allegedly asked for advance payments from the two companies and diverted that money into a company he set up called Sacramento Sports Partners LLC.

The Heat also issued a statement today and have placed David on leave while the probe continues, relays Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link).

“We are aware of the investigation of Jeff David, which focuses on events that took place prior to his joining our team,” the statement read. “We are fully cooperating with the authorities. Jeff David is on leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.”

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Front Office Hires Announced

August 28th, 2018 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • The Kings announced a number of hires to the front office staff in a team press release. Teena Murray has been named Senior Director of Athlete Health and Performance. Other hires to the training staff include Mike Roncarati as Head of Prevention and Reconditioning; Joe Resendez as Head Athletic Trainer; Jesse Green as Performance Analyst. Other additions and promotions include Elizabeth Ramsey as Director of Basketball Operations and Intelligence; Gene Cross as Director of Amateur Scouting; Chris Alpert and Acie Law as regional scouts; and Robbie Lemons as Scouting Coordinator.
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