Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Rumors: Doncic, Kings, Porter, Brunson

June 18th, 2018 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

While Luka Doncic is no longer considered a lock to be a top-three pick, the Suns, Kings, and Hawks have each traveled to Europe recently to meet him, league sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Doncic’s eventual landing spot remains a mystery, as Phoenix is widely expected to select Deandre Ayton with the No. 1 overall pick and Sacramento has focused on adding a perimeter big throughout the pre-draft process, Charania writes.

As Charania notes, the Kings view last year’s top-five pick, De’Aaron Fox, as their point guard of the future. While Doncic won’t necessarily slot in at the point once he arrives in the NBA, that’s the position he views as the best fit for himself.

“Honestly, I really prefer to play point guard, to have the ball in my hands and play for other people,” Doncic told Charania. “Playing from the one to the four, that’s the strength that I have over everyone. I want to play for my teammates and make them better. I really prefer to have the ball in my hands, and play for everybody else. I will do anything for my team. I’m happy when I can play point. It’s easier for me. I can fight more in the post and create for my teammates.

“From the beginning when I came to Real Madrid, I saw that I loved to create for others,” Doncic continued. “I like to play pick-and-roll with the ball and pass from everywhere. From the beginning, I wanted to be the point guard.”

Here are more draft notes and rumors, with the big night just three days away:

The Kings continue to be one of the draft’s biggest wild cards, with Marc Stein of The New York Times tweeting that rival teams believe Sacramento is still strongly weighing taking Michael Porter Jr. at No. 2. Responding to Stein’s tweet, Sam Amick of USA Today confirms (via Twitter) that the Kings are “definitely” still considering it.
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News identifies 13 players, coaches, executives, or groups who have the most at stake in Thursday’s draft.
Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN.com single out 10 prospects who are unlikely to be drafted until the second round – if at all – but who could end up being steals.
Givony is hearing that Villanova guard Jalen Brunson has “a great chance” to become a first-round pick on Thursday night (Twitter link). Brunson is currently the No. 35 prospect on Givony’s big board at ESPN.com.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer makes the case for why he feels that Wendell Carter Jr. is a better NBA prospect than his former Duke teammate Marvin Bagley III.

Draft Notes: Mavericks, Robinson, Smith

June 17th, 2018 at 9:54pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Mavericks hold the No. 33 pick in the upcoming draft and the team feels there will be players available who provide great value at that spot, as Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News passes along.

“It’s a really good area,” president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. “If you look at the area from 15 to 40, you may be getting the same guy.

“You may not be able to draft for a position, but you can get a good player. And there’s a number of point forwards. You may be looking at an athlete or a shooter or a point guard. At that spot, you take the best player on the board. The difference is not that much honestly.”

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

There’s a growing belief that Boston College’s Jerome Robinson will be selected in the middle of the first round, multiple league sources tell Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The scribe adds that organizations are impressed by Robinson’s scoring skills as well as his character.
It will be hard for the Mavericks to pass up on Michael Porter Jr. if he falls to No. 5, especially if the forward checks out medically, Sefko writes in a separate piece. Sefko adds that Porter is seen as one of the biggest risk/reward prospects in the draft.
Rafael Uehara of Real GM breaks down the game of Texas Tech’s Zhaire Smith, speculating that the combo forward could be versatile enough to play center at the next level. Smith sits at No. 16 on ESPN’s latest top 100 rankings.

Leonard Trade Rumors: Lakers, Kings, Knicks, Celtics, Odds

June 15th, 2018 at 7:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It would be a tight squeeze financially but the Lakers could conceivably acquire Kawhi Leonard in a trade and sign both LeBron James and Paul George as free agents, according to Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com. Leonard’s desire to be traded from the Spurs, with Los Angeles being his preferred destination, was made public on Friday. The trade would have to be completed before any free agent signings and the Spurs would have to be willing to take back Luol Deng‘s bad contract, Pelton continues. A package of either Lonzo Ball or Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma might be enough to entice the Spurs to do that, though a third team might be needed in order to match up salaries. The Lakers could then sign James and George, and fill out the roster using their room mid-level exception along with veterans agreeing to minimum contracts, Pelton adds.

In other notes involving Leonard trade chatter:

The Kings could be a darkhorse to land Leonard, Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports tweets. Sacramento is desperately seeking a star-level talent and is willing to part with the No. 2 pick in the draft to get one, according to Mannix.
The Knicks would have to part with Kristaps Porzingis to have any chance of securing Leonard, Marc Berman of the New York Post speculates. The only other major assets the Knicks possess are their lottery pick (No. 9 overall), their potential lottery pick in 2020 and last year’s lottery selection, point guard Frank Ntilikina. But the Knicks could only trade one of those picks under CBA rules and they’d also have to give up another big salary to make the trade work, Berman notes.
The Celtics are expected to express interest in Leonard in their quest to land superstars, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reports. However, a league source told Himmelsbach that the timing of the leak might actually be a negotiating ploy to secure a five-year, $219MM maximum extension from the Spurs.
The Lakers are the heavy favorites to land Leonard, according to the Bovada Sportsbook as relayed by Adam Zagoria of the New York Times (Twitter link). The Lakers are less than even money at 5-7 to have Leonard in their opening-night lineup. The Celtics are rated at 15-4, a little less than 4-1, to acquire Leonard. The Sixers and Spurs are next as 5-1 proposition, followed by the Cavaliers and Clippers at 10-1.

Kawhi Leonard Rumors: Sixers, Celtics, Lakers, Kings

June 15th, 2018 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA offseason is officially in full swing, with word breaking today that Kawhi Leonard is looking to be traded out of San Antonio. Interestingly, Leonard’s camp seemingly leaked the news to several outlets at once, but hadn’t yet directly informed the Spurs of the star forward’s desire to be traded.

Despite today’s reports, the Spurs won’t rush into anything, and will consider all their options thoroughly before they start fielding inquires on Leonard. However, it’s hard to imagine the former Defensive Player of the Year wearing a Spurs uniform when the 2018/19 season gets underway.

Here are a few of the latest rumors and notes on the Leonard situation:

Expect the Sixers, Celtics, Lakers, and Clippers to be the primary contenders for Leonard, tweets Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. O’Connor notes that teams with high 2018 draft picks could enter the mix, but it would be a significant risk for those clubs with Leonard just one year away from reaching unrestricted free agency.
Sacramento is one team with a top pick that could make a play for Leonard, with multiple reports indicating that the Kings – who have the No. 2 selection – will express interest. However, James Ham of NBC Sports California would be surprised if the Kings are really willing to make that sort of gamble.
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News makes a case for why it’s the right time for the Lakers to be aggressive in their pursuit of Leonard.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter) suggests the Spurs – like the Pacers a year ago with Paul George – will probably have little interest in making a trade with the Lakers. In Wojnarowski’s view, the Celtics could offer the best building blocks for San Antonio.
Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link) is reluctant to draw a direct line between Leonard’s situation and George’s in 2017, noting that the Thunder went all-in without any long-term assurances from PG13 because they wanted to convince Russell Westbrook to sign a long-term extension. As Goodwill observes, the Celtics and Sixers won’t be as desperate.

Kawhi Leonard Wants Out Of San Antonio

June 15th, 2018 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Star forward Kawhi Leonard wants the Spurs to trade him, league sources tell Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. Multiple outlets have confirmed the news, with Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports writing that Leonard has “grown uncomfortable” in San Antonio and would like a change.

Sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that while it seems clear Leonard wants a change of scenery, he has yet to express anything directly to the Spurs about his future, and the team won’t rush the process.

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Leonard – a Los Angeles native – has L.A. “at the center” of his preferred landing spots. While the Clippers could offer a compelling trade package and plan to pursue Leonard aggressively, per Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link), the Lakers are atop his wish list, Wojnarowski adds.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Ian Begley reports (via Twitter) that people close to Leonard have expressed a desire for the 26-year-old to play in New York, though the Knicks might have trouble putting together a viable trade package without including Kristaps Porzingis. Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports adds the Kings to the list of teams who could kick the tires, tweeting that Sacramento has talked to teams about the No. 2 overall pick and “desperately” wants an established star.

The Sixers have also been cited as an asset-rich team with interest in acquiring Leonard, and the Celtics would fit that bill too. Boston reportedly made an offer for Leonard at the 2018 trade deadline, and Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that the C’s still have interest.

Leonard is just a year away from being able to reach unrestricted free agency, so he should be able to assert some leverage in the process depending on how willing – or unwilling – he is to commit long-term to certain teams. However, as we saw last summer with Paul George, who also wanted to join the Lakers, there will likely be clubs willing to roll the dice on a player of Leonard’s caliber without any assurances that he’ll stick around for longer than one year.

Of course, in George’s case, he was coming off a healthy, productive season, which can’t be said for Leonard. As we’ve written throughout the 2017/18 league year, Leonard and the Spurs were at odds this season over the diagnosis and treatment of a troublesome quad issue, with Leonard’s own doctors disagreeing with team doctors about the nature of the injury. That disagreement has been a source of tension between the Spurs and Leonard’s camp. The veteran was also reportedly put off by having his status questioned during a players-only meeting.

There was a belief that the Spurs and Leonard would look to mend fences this offseason, especially since the former first-round pick is eligible for a “super-max” extension that would start at 35% of the cap and would pay him well over $200MM for five seasons. San Antonio is the only team eligible to sign Leonard to such a deal, though there was no guarantee that the club would put that offer on the table. If Leonard is traded, he’d be eligible next summer to sign a five-year contract worth up to 30% – rather than 35% – of the cap.

According to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Leonard isn’t worried about the possibility of missing out on the super-max. Haynes adds that there’s a “feeling of betrayal” on Leonard’s side that at this point appears irreparable, as the two-time Defensive Player of the Year feels like the franchise turned on him after he sought a second opinion on his quad.

Per Haynes, Leonard and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich have been in touch in recent days, but have yet to speak in person.

Although a number of teams figure to be in the mix for the former NBA Finals MVP if and when San Antonio begins taking calls, it’s hard not to see the Lakers as an ideal fit, assuming the Spurs aren’t committed to sending him to the Eastern Conference.

Besides being Leonard’s preferred destination, L.A. also has several young players that could intrigue the Spurs in a trade, and has indicated that none are untouchable. The Lakers would still have more than enough cap room to add another star in free agency after taking on Leonard’s $20MM salary for 2018/19. They’re also projected to be so far below the cap that they wouldn’t necessarily need to match salaries in a deal after July 1.

When the Lakers weighed a George trade a year ago, one key question they had to answer was how much they were willing to surrender for a player who might simply head to L.A. as a free agent 12 months later. The franchise figures to face a similar dilemma this offseason as it considers trading for Leonard. If the Lakers are confident they can land another star or two, it may make more sense to go all-in for Leonard than it did with George in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Wendell Carter Jr. To Visit Kings

June 14th, 2018 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings will be bringing in Duke big man Wendell Carter Jr. for a visit on Saturday, the team announced today. As Sean Cunningham of ABC10 notes (via Twitter), Carter won’t work out during that visit, since Sacramento already saw him work out in Los Angeles last month.

Strained Hip Caused Porter To Cancel Workout

June 14th, 2018 at 1:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

1:11pm: Porter’s representatives sent out a statement this afternoon to teams planning to attend his workout, Givony tweets. “Porter will be evaluated again tonight and if the doctor feels Michael is moving well enough to go through the medical evaluation tomorrow, then we are going to proceed with the evaluation at 3pm CST tomorrow,” it read.

Also from Porter’s camp: “After being shut down to do strengthening/core stabilization work for his first 4 weeks in Chicago, and then being ramped up as hard as he was the last 3 weeks, Michael developed some inflammation that wrapped around his nerve and caused massive spasms. After being shut down to do strengthening/core stabilization work for his first 4 weeks in Chicago, and then being ramped up as hard as he was the last 3 weeks, Michael developed some inflammation that wrapped around his nerve and caused massive spasms.” (Twitter links)

12:21pm: Porter underwent an MRI that showed no physical problem and he is feeling better, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. A decision is expected later today on whether his workout will be rescheduled.

JUNE 14, 10:40am: Michael Porter Jr. called off Friday’s scheduled pro day in Chicago after suffering a strained hip, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Porter was experiencing muscle spasms yesterday and was unable to get out of bed.

The planned workout could be rescheduled, depending how Porter responds to treatment, but Givony notes that time is running short with just a week left before the draft. Several lottery teams that planned to attend the event were notified of the cancellation Wednesday afternoon. They were going to bring their own medical staffs to examine Porter, which is an unusual move for a pro day.

Porter has been zooming up draft boards lately and now appears likely to be taken in the top seven, according to Givony. The Kings, Grizzlies and Mavericks appear to be the most interested teams, and the Bulls appear ready to grab him at No. 7 if he falls that far.

Medical concerns have haunted Porter since the college season began in November. He injured his back in his first game with Missouri, prompting microdiscectomy surgery that sidelined him until the SEC tournament. He refused to undergo medical examinations at the draft combine, and his first pro day was delayed a week to give him more time to heal.

Porter stopped all basketball activity once the season ended, Givony adds, and concentrated on rehab. He lost strength due to the injury, especially in his left leg, and received medical clearance to play just two weeks before the first pro day on June 8. He reportedly felt just “50%” physically for that session, but impressed scouts with his shooting and overall performance.

The Bulls conducted a medical exam on Porter, with the results released to all 30 NBA teams. Givony relays that multiple team representatives have said there are no major causes for concern in the report.

“There doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with him right now,” an unidentified executive said. “But a conservative doctor could still [be concerned about] what might happen down the road.”

Draft Updates: Porter, Doncic, Bagley, Bamba

June 14th, 2018 at 9:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Teams that had planned to attend Michael Porter Jr.‘s workout tomorrow are being told it will be held at another time, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Porter’s representatives canceled the session late Wednesday night without providing an explanation.

The move has led to speculation that Porter’s surgically repaired back may be bothering him, but it’s also possible he has received a guarantee that would make a group workout unnecessary. Porter’s camp may be rethinking his status and devoting time just to teams at the top of the draft, according to Tom Ziller of SB Nation, who adds that they now believe he will be taken in the top four.

There’s “a very real chance” that the Kings will use their No. 2 pick on Porter, Amick adds, but it’s not certain at this point whether last night’s news will impact their decision. The organization may request more medical information and take another look at Porter in action before making a commitment.

There’s more draft-related news this morning:

The Kings, who were among the teams slated to attend Friday’s workout, have been interested in Porter for weeks, according to James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area. They have also spent a lot of time looking at Luka Doncic, visiting him twice in the past three weeks, and Marvin Bagley III, who was in town Monday for a workout. Ham, who covers the Kings on a regular basis, moved Porter up to second in his most recent mock draft.
The Hawks, who hold the No. 3 pick, will host Bagley and Texas center Mo Bamba for separate individual workouts today, the team announced in an email.
The Spurs are hoping to schedule a second workout for Villanova’s Omari Spellman, reports Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio views Spellman, who shot 43% from 3-point range in college, as a potential stretch four.
The Sixers plan to bring in Kentucky’s Kevin Knox for a pre-draft workout, possibly by Friday, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Oklahoma State’s Jeff Carroll worked out Monday for the Knicks and has sessions scheduled with the Pistons, Wizards and Bucks, relays Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog (Twitter link).
The Wizards will welcome six players for a workout today, tweets ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. On the schedule are Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop, Seton Hall’s Khadeen Carrington, Wake Forest’s Bryant Crawford, UNLV’s Brandon McCoy, Wake Forest’s Doral Moore and Murray State’s Jonathan Stark.
The Raptors will host Rhode Island’s Jared Terrell, New Mexico State’s Zach Lofton, North Carolina’s Theo Pinson, Seton Hall’s Desi Rodriguez, Wyoming’s Hayden Dalton and Kentucky’s Wenyen Gabriel today, the team tweeted.

Kings, Mavs Open To Trading Down In Draft?

June 12th, 2018 at 1:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings and Mavericks are open to the possibility of moving down in the draft, multiple NBA front-office executives tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Sacramento holds the No. 2 pick, while Dallas owns the No. 5 overall selection.

As O’Connor observes, the Kings are in the “asset-stacking business,” so if they can still nab a player they like with a later pick and acquire an extra asset or two in the process, that could appeal to them. Sacramento has shown a willingness to move down in each of the last two drafts, trading the No. 8 pick in 2016 and the No. 10 pick in 2017. The Kings have also reportedly shown “significant interest” in Michael Porter Jr. over the past year, and Porter isn’t expected to go as high as No. 2.

As for the Mavericks, they’ll be trying to compete for the playoffs next season, according to O’Connor. I get the sense that Dallas would be happy to keep that No. 5 pick to pair Dennis Smith Jr. with another potential franchise cornerstone, and GM Donnie Nelson has suggested as much. However, it sounds like the Mavs wouldn’t rule out trading down if the right offer came along.

We’ve now heard rumors that all five teams picking in the top five might be open to moving down. A May report indicated that the Grizzlies would listen to offers for the No. 4 pick, and the general managers in Phoenix and Atlanta have both left the door open to potential deals for No. 1 and No. 3, respectively.

As ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz wrote today, while Deandre Ayton is the strong frontrunner to be picked first overall, there are several prospects at the top of this year’s draft class that certain teams are very high on. Givony notes that some clubs love Luka Doncic, for instance, while others only have him sixth and seventh on their boards. “You hear similar things about [Mohamed] Bamba, [Jaren] Jackson, [Marvin] Bagley, Porter and even Ayton at times,” Givony writes.

In other words, the possibility that a team picking in the top five might view a top prospect much differently than a team outside the top five could create some interesting trade opportunities next week.

Teams Angling To Move Up, Grab Jaren Jackson

June 11th, 2018 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Numerous teams outside the top four in the lottery are trying to move up in order to draft Michigan State freshman forward Jaren Jackson Jr., Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Jackson was extremely impressive in a workout on Sunday for the Suns, who own the top pick, Wojnarowski continues. The teams in the next three slots — the Kings, Hawks and Grizzlies — could receive some increasingly attractive offers due to Jackson’s rising stock, Wojnarowski adds.

Jackson has the size, length, shot-blocking ability and shooting range to be a force at both ends of the floor. He averaged 10.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 3.0 BPG in his lone college season with the Spartans. The 6’11” Jackson also made 39.6% of his 3-point attempts.

Jackson is currently ranked No. 4 by ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony.