Kings Rumors

2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Sacramento Kings

The Kings entered the 2017/18 season looking set to straddle the line between developing young players like De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Buddy Hield, and potentially pushing for the eighth seed in the West led by veterans like George Hill. However, Hill struggled mightily in Sacramento and the team quickly fell out of contention, shifting the focus exclusively to player development by the second half. Barring an unexpected splash in free agency this summer, the focus will likely remain on those young prospects heading into 2018/19.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Kings financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $21,562,883

  • Our cap projection for the Kings includes their nine guaranteed contracts, the cap hold for their lottery pick, and all three player options. While it’s possible that one or more of Shumpert, Koufos, or Temple opts out to explore free agency, they seem unlikely to top their player-option salaries for 2018/19, making them decent bets to opt in. Taking into account all those salaries and cap holds, and assuming all free agents are renounced, the Kings’ total team salary adds up to $79,437,117.
  • If any of those player options are declined, or the Kings make a trade or two, they could create more cap room. However, the club doesn’t look ready to contend, and may exercise restraint in free agency after last year’s big veteran investment (Hill) backfired.

Footnotes:

  1. Hayes’ exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
  2. The Kings are seventh in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking as high as No. 1 ($8,095,595) or as low as No. 10 ($3,522,533).

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Player Options That Look Like Locks To Be Exercised

As we recently detailed when we previewed this summer’s player option decisions, those options have been overwhelmingly declined over the last two offseasons.

Over the last two years, only eight of 53 veterans who held player options on their contracts have actually exercised those options. Half of those eight players (Tim Duncan, Caron Butler, Mo Williams, and Spencer Hawes) haven’t played a single NBA minute since picking up their options, having either retired or been waived. Another one of the eight (Chris Paul) only opted in because it cleared the way for him to be traded to his preferred destination.

However, those opt-outs came at a time when NBA free agent spending was at an all-time high, primarily due to the substantial salary-cap jump in the 2016 offseason. For most players with an opportunity to reach the open market, it made sense to test free agency rather than playing out a contract that had been negotiated when the cap was far lower.

That may not be the case this summer though. The increases in the salary cap have become more modest, with the cap for 2018/19 projected to only be about $2MM higher than this year’s figure. With fewer teams armed with cap room and less money available in free agency, many of the player options for 2018/19 don’t look too bad.

I expect more than five player options to be exercised this offseason, but here are five that look like virtual locks to be picked up:

  1. Carmelo Anthony, Thunder ($27,928,140): Our list starts with a player option that’s technically not a player option. Anthony actually has an early termination option, which essentially gives him the same rights as a player option would — he’ll simply have to waive his ETO in order to opt in and finish out his current contract. Given Anthony’s underwhelming season in Oklahoma City, which saw him set new career lows in PPG (16.2) and FG% (.404), opting in looks like an easy call. If the Thunder lose in the first round and Paul George departs in free agency, it will be interesting to see how enthusiastic Anthony is about remaining in OKC. This situation reminds me a little of Dwyane Wade‘s in Chicago a year ago, when Wade exercised his $23MM player option, then surrendered a big chunk of it as part of a buyout agreement.
  2. Wesley Matthews, Mavericks ($18,622,514): Matthews has already indicated he plans to opt in, so it’s probably cheating a little to include him here. Still, his case is an interesting one. Matthews is still capable of being a useful wing who can make three-point shots — that could make him more valuable to a contender than to the rebuilding team, and an $18MM+ expiring salary would also look appealing to a club looking to clear cap room for 2019. If and when Matthews officially picks up the option, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Mavs explore the trade market for him, likely expressing a willingness to take on longer-term money.
  3. Iman Shumpert, Kings ($11,011,234): Shumpert’s player option decision figures to hinge on money rather than destination. After an injury-plagued season in which he played in just 14 games, the veteran swingman won’t come close to matching his $11MM option salary, so it’s the right move to opt in and then see what happens. The rebuilding Kings, who held onto vets like Zach Randolph and Vince Carter for the entire 2017/18 season, could try the same approach with Shumpert next year, but I’d expect him to become a buyout candidate sooner or later — assuming he’s not traded first.
  4. Darrell Arthur, Nuggets ($7,464,912): In Denver, Wilson Chandler‘s player option decision will be a tougher one than Arthur’s, which looks like a mere formality. Ongoing knee issues – as well as a deep Nuggets roster – resulted in Arthur appearing in just 19 games and playing 141 total minutes in 2017/18. If he were to opt out, he’d almost certainly be looking at a minimum-salary offer, so picking up his option makes sense.
  5. Ron Baker, Knicks ($4,544,400): It’s hard to call a contract worth less than $10MM in total a disastrous signing, but the Knicks’ decision to commit their entire room exception to Baker last offseason on a two-year deal was immediately panned, and it doesn’t look any better now. Like other players on this list, Baker didn’t play a whole lot in 2017/18 due to injuries – and to not having a permanent spot in the rotation – which would limit his value significantly if he were to hit free agency. He’s recovering from shoulder surgery now, making his option decision an easy one.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bogdan Bogdanovic Undergoes Knee Procedure

APRIL 25: The Kings have confirmed that Bogdanovic underwent his meniscus debridement procedure, announcing that he’ll resume full basketball activities in about eight to 10 weeks.

APRIL 24: Kings shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has been diagnosed with a slight tear of the medial meniscus in his left knee, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Kings, Bogdanovic is undergoing a “minimally invasive” debridement procedure on his knee on Tuesday to address the issue.

Sacramento’s season is over, so Bogdanovic will have several months to recover and rehab following the surgery. The Kings expect him to make a full recovery, indicating they’ll provide an update on his timeline when it becomes available.

Bogdanovic, not to be confused with Pacers wing Bojan Bogdanovic, had a successful rookie season in Sacramento in 2017/18, appearing in 78 games (53 starts) for the team and averaging 11.8 PPG on .446/.392/.840 shooting.

Because Bogdanovic was a draft-and-stash prospect, he isn’t on a standard four-year rookie contract, but he remains under Sacramento’s control for the next two years. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency in 2020 and remains a key part of the Kings’ core going forward, so the club will closely monitor his recovery process this offseason.

Bogdanovic has been a member of the Serbian national team for the last several years, representing his country in 2017’s EuroBasket tournament. Today’s procedure figures to compromise his availability for Serbia this summer.

Waived Players Add To Cap Room

  • The Kings have $5.4MM in cap room to use by the end of June, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. They increased it by $2MM through the set-off in the waived contracts of Anthony Tolliver and Arron Afflalo, Marks adds. The new cap year begins in July.

Kings Enter Offseason With Unusual Stability

  • There is an unusual sense of stability for the Kings as they enter the offseason, which has not been the case in a long time, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. It does not appear that the team will look for a new head coach or endure another front office overhaul. Therefore, building the roster and continuing development will be the primary goal.

Kings’ G League Affiliate Becomes Stockton Kings

The Reno Bighorns are no more, as the Sacramento Kings’ NBA G League affiliate has officially re-branded in advance of its 2018/19 relocation. As detailed in a press release, Sacramento’s NBAGL team will be known as the Stockton Kings going forward.

We heard earlier this month that the Kings planned to move their G League affiliate closer to home, relocating the club from Reno, Nevada to Stockton, California. Before that move could become official, a vote by the Stockton City Council was required. That vote took place on Tuesday night, and the City Council unanimously authorized the city to move forward with a lease agreement between the Kings and Stockton Arena.

While the Stockton Kings haven’t yet unveiled their new logos and uniforms, the G League franchise has updated its name on Twitter and other social media platforms, and launched its new website at StocktonKings.com.

The team formerly known as the Reno Bighorns is the second G League squad to re-brand itself in recent weeks. The Sixers’ NBAGL affiliate is remaining in Delaware, but is changing its name from the Delaware 87ers to the Delaware Blue Coats for the 2018/19 season.

The Bighorns were initially established in 2008 and have been affiliated with the NBA’s Kings since their inception. Sacramento has been the only NBA team affiliated with the G League franchise since 2013, and bought the team outright in 2016.

Garrett Temple Hasn't Decided On Player Option

  • Veteran Kings forward Garrett Temple hasn’t decided what to do regarding his $8MM player option for the 2018/19 campaign yet but did enjoy his role as an on-court leader this past season, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. In a Free Agent Stock Watch article in January, I argued that the 31-year-old would be wise to accept the option rather than test the market.

2018 NBA Draft Order Tiebreaker Results

After a series of tiebreakers were conducted Friday night, the lottery odds for the NBA Draft have been finalized. Similarly, the draft order for teams outside of the lottery has been decided as well.

While a total of four two-way ties and one four-way tie were all broken by coin toss, the biggest winner of the night would have to be the Mavs who will now officially boast the third-greatest odds when the lottery is drawn on May 15.

Although the Hawks equaled Dallas in futility, both teams limited to 24 wins on the year, they’ll slot in one spot behind them at No. 4. That means, if neither team secures a top-three pick when the lottery results are revealed, they’ll just pick after them, the same as if they had won one more game. Both teams, however, will have nearly identical odds (13.7% versus 13.8%) of securing a top-three pick in the lottery.

The Bulls also won big today, edging out the Kings for the No. 6 spot. Sacramento will have an identical shot at landing at top-three pick, however.

The four-way tie between Utah, New Orleans, Oklahoma City and Indiana ended with the Thunder at No. 20, the Jazz at No. 21, the Pelicans at No. 22 and the Pacers at No. 23.

That Oklahoma City pick will head to Minnesota while the 22nd pick will go straight to the Bulls as part of the Nikola Mirotic deal.

The Heat won the tiebreaker for the the 16th pick, ahead of the Bucks, and will send that to Phoenix as part of the Goran Dragic trade back in 2015.

Milwaukee claiming the No. 17 pick is particularly interesting since, had they won the tiebreaker, they would have had to flip the pick to the Suns as part of the Greg Monroe trade. Since they didn’t, they’ll keep the pick and send a protected first-rounder in 2019, so long as it falls between 4-16.

The Spurs won the coin toss between themselves and the Timberwolves and will now pick at No. 18. Minnesota’s 19th pick will go to Atlanta as part of a 2015 Adreian Payne trade.

As is always the case, the loser of any tiebreaker will end up with the better pick in the second round. In the event of the four-way tie, all four teams will simply be flipped, giving the Pacers the 50th pick and so on.

Here’s a rundown of what the draft order currently looks like, prior to the results of the May lottery.

Pick Team
1 Suns
2 Grizzlies
3 Mavs
4 Hawks
5 Magic
6 Bulls
7 Kings
8 Cavaliers
9 Knicks
10 76ers
11 Hornets
12 Clippers
13 Clippers
14 Nuggets
15 Wizards
16 Suns
17 Bucks
18 Spurs
19 Hawks
20 Wolves
21 Jazz
22 Bulls
23 Pacers
24 Trail Blazers
25 Lakers
26 76ers
27 Celtics
28 Warriors
29 Nets
30 Hawks

Coaching Rumors: Rivers, Joerger, Clifford, Magic

With the 2017/18 season now in the books for the Clippers, Doc Rivers has one year remaining on his contract with the team and sounded uncertain before Wednesday’s finale about what exactly his future holds.

“I love what I do, but that doesn’t mean that you keep doing it every year, do you know what I mean?” Rivers said, per Elliott Teaford of The Daily Breeze. “I can’t even answer the question. I love where we’re at as a franchise. I will say that. I would honestly say that a year ago I don’t know if I would have had that same feeling. So, we’ll see.”

Despite Rivers’ uncertainty, he’s expected to return to his job next season, league sources tell David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). We’re not even 12 hours into the 2018 offseason, so it’s possible the outlook for Rivers and the Clippers could change once the two sides formally meet, but based on Aldridge’s report, it doesn’t sound like the franchise is eager to move on from the veteran head coach.

According to Aldridge, Dave Joerger is also expected to return to his position as the Kings‘ head coach next season.

Here are a few more coaching notes and rumors from around the NBA:

  • Hornets head coach Steve Clifford will meet with new president and GM Mitch Kupchak on Friday in Charlotte, tweets Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. According to Mannix, Clifford figures to push for a decision on his status, since he’s highly regarded in coaching circles and could draw interest for other openings around the NBA if Charlotte lets him go.
  • Mannix also weighs in on the newly-opened Magic job, tweeting that Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov could be a dark horse candidate to replace Frank Vogel. Current Orlando GM John Hammond helped bring Kokoskov to the NBA, Mannix notes.
  • Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders relays what he has heard on head coaching situations around the NBA. Besides examining the five teams without a permanent coach in place, Kyler also takes a look at the Hawks, Hornets, Pistons, and Clippers.

Details On Traded Picks, Upcoming Draft Tiebreakers

With the 2017/18 NBA regular season in the books, the postseason matchups are set in both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.

More importantly for fans of most non-playoff teams, the end of the regular season means that the 2018 NBA draft picture is clearer than ever. The 2018 draft order is close to being set and – with a small handful of exceptions – most of this year’s traded draft picks with protections on them have now officially changed hands or officially stayed put.

However, there are still some major question marks surrounding the draft order, since several clubs finished the regular season with identical records, and draft tiebreakers don’t work like playoff tiebreakers do. In order to break these ties, the NBA will conduct random drawings this Friday, as Jonathan Givony of ESPN notes (via Twitter).

[RELATED: 2017/18 NBA Reverse Standings]

For lottery teams, such as the 24-58 Mavericks and Hawks, who finished tied for third in the lottery standings, the implications of those drawings are huge. Whichever team wins that tiebreaker will have ever-so-slightly better odds at the first overall pick (13.8% to 13.7%), and will be in position to claim the higher first-round pick if neither team lands in the top three.

For instance, if the Suns and Grizzlies remain at No. 1 and No. 2 in the lottery and another team leapfrogs the Mavs and Hawks, the winner of the tiebreaker between Dallas and Atlanta would claim the No. 4 overall pick — the loser would get No. 5. For the second round, the loser of the tiebreaker would receive the higher selection.

Here are the draft tiebreakers that will be conducted on Friday:

  • Mavericks vs. Hawks for Nos. 3, 4.
  • Kings vs. Bulls for Nos. 6, 7.
  • Bucks vs. Heat for Nos. 16, 17.
  • Spurs vs. Timberwolves for Nos. 18, 19.
  • Pacers vs. Pelicans vs. Thunder vs. Jazz for Nos. 20-23.

Several of those tiebreakers will also affect this year’s traded picks. Most notably, the Bucks/Heat drawing has massive implications for Milwaukee and Phoenix — the Bucks’ first-round pick will head to the Suns if it lands at No. 16, but Milwaukee would keep it if it ends up at No. 17. In other words, each team has a 50/50 shot at the pick. If the Bucks keep it, they’d owe their 2019 first-round selection to Phoenix, albeit with somewhat similar protections.

Here’s a breakdown of the traded first-round picks for 2018. A check mark indicates the pick will definitely be sent to the indicated team:

  • Nets pick to Cavaliers (✔️): Eighth in lottery standings
  • Lakers pick to Sixers (97.1%) or Celtics (2.9%): 10th in lottery standings
    • Note: Celtics will receive pick if it lands at No. 2 or No. 3 via the lottery.
  • Pistons pick to Clippers (97.5%): 12th in lottery standings
    • Note: Pistons will keep pick if it lands in top three via the lottery.
  • Heat pick to Suns (✔️): No. 16 or 17 (tie)
  • Bucks pick to Suns (50%): No. 16 or 17 (tie)
    • Note: Bucks will keep pick if it lands at No. 17 via a random drawing.
  • Timberwolves pick to Hawks (✔️): No. 18 or 19 (tie)
  • Thunder pick to Timberwolves (✔️): No. 20, 21, 22, or 23 (four-way tie)
  • Pelicans pick to Bulls (✔️): No. 20, 21, 22, or 23 (four-way tie)
  • Cavaliers pick to Lakers (✔️): No. 25
  • Raptors pick to Nets (✔️): No. 29
  • Rockets pick to Hawks (✔️): No. 30

Here’s a breakdown of the traded second-round picks that will change hands in 2018:

  • Bulls pick to Knicks (✔️): No. 36 or 37 (tie)
  • Nets pick to Sixers (✔️): No. 38
  • Knicks pick to Sixers (✔️): No. 39
  • Lakers pick to Nets (✔️): No. 40
  • Hornets pick to Magic (✔️): No. 41
  • Clippers pick to Nuggets (✔️): No. 43
  • Bucks pick to Nets (✔️): No. 45 or 46 (tie)
  • Heat pick to Rockets (✔️): No. 45 or 46 (tie)
  • Nuggets pick to Lakers (✔️): No. 47
  • Trail Blazers pick to Mavericks (✔️): No. 54
  • Cavaliers pick to Hornets (✔️): No. 55
  • Celtics pick to Thunder (✔️): No. 57
  • Warriors pick to Nuggets (✔️): No. 58
  • Raptors pick to Suns (✔️): No. 59
  • Rockets pick to Sixers (✔️): No. 60