Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Vince Carter To Meet With Kings

July 3rd, 2017 at 7:49am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent swingman Vince Carter is scheduled to take a meeting with the Kings on Monday, league sources tell Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Carter, an eight-time All-Star, will turn 41 in January, but has shown no desire to call it a career quite yet. The 19-year veteran actually took on a larger role in Memphis in 2016/17 than he had in the previous two seasons, averaging 24.6 MPG in 73 regular season contests. For the year, Carter averaged 8.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 1.8 APG, shooting 37.8% from three-point range.

Given how their Western Conference rivals have loaded up this offseason, the Kings probably shouldn’t expect to be in playoff contention in 2017/18. However, the team could use a veteran presence like Carter to stabilize what figures to be a very young roster, headed by the likes of De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Willie Cauley-Stein, Justin Jackson, and Georgios Papagiannis.

The Kings also have no shortage of cap room to make Carter a solid contract offer. Even if Otto Porter were to accept the team’s reported max offer and the Wizards decided not to match it, Sacramento would still have plenty of cap space available. Still, it remains to be seen how interested Carter will be in spending the twilight years of his career with a probable non-contender.

Western FA Notes: Muhammad, Holiday, Young

July 2nd, 2017 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

A theme is developing in Minnesota as head coach Tom Thibodeau slowly molds the young Timberwolves into a modern day version of his old team. Consider Justin Holiday the latest former Bulls rotation piece that the T-Wolves have expressed an interest in, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders writes.

Holiday would join Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson with the Wolves, should the organization seek to sign the 28-year-old 3-and-D specialist.

The Bulls and Knicks, the team with whom Holiday averaged 7.7 points per game for in 2016/17, are both said to be interested in retaining the swingman’s services.

There’s more today as free agency rolls along:

The Timberwolves will likely have to renounce Shabazz Muhammad in the wake of today’s two-year, $28MM agreement with Taj Gibson, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. He adds that Muhammad’s representatives have been notifying teams that he is now an unrestricted free agent (Twitter link).
Nick Young has emerged as a candidate for the Warriors‘ $5.2MM exception, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Pelicans can offer more playing time and a larger role in the offense, notes David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link), but Young may opt for the chance for a ring.
Gordon Hayward will meet with Jazz officials in San Diego, not Utah, on Monday, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. Coach Quin Snyder, GM Dennis Lindsey and team president Steve Starks will be among Utah’s delegation.
The Rockets‘ interest in Cleveland’s Iman Shumpert is “basically dead,” according to Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). The teams had trade discussions regarding Shumpert on Saturday before Houston signed Tucker.

Kings Make Max Offer To Otto Porter

July 2nd, 2017 at 7:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:26pm: Porter will schedule meetings with two more teams, Chris Haynes of ESPN tweets. Then he’ll decide which offer sheet to sign.

5:03pm: The Kings offered a maximum deal today to Wizards forward Otto Porter, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. That would amount to a four-deal contract valued at about $106.5MM.

If Porter formally signs an offer sheet with Sacramento, Washington would have 48 hours to decide whether to match, beginning when the moratorium ends at 11 a.m. Central on Thursday.

The Wizards have proclaimed in the past that they intend to match any offer for Porter. However, he met with Washington officials early Saturday morning without reaching a new deal, indicating that the Wizards were reluctant to pay the maximum — or at least wanted to make sure he could get it on the open market.

The Kings still have more than $43MM in available cap space and a need for a small forward, notes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. They already missed out on two targets with Andre Iguodala re-signing with the Warriors and P.J. Tucker opting for the Rockets.

Clippers Considering Sign-And-Trade Offer For Gallinari

July 2nd, 2017 at 2:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are looking for a team with cap space that would be willing to facilitate a sign-and-trade with the Nuggets involving Danilo Gallinari, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.

Gallinari met with L.A.’s contingent Saturday night and hasn’t announced a decision yet on where he plans to sign. However, Amick states that the Clippers want to be ready with a trade offer for Denver in case he does opt to come to Los Angeles.

Nine teams expressed interest in meeting with Gallinari when free agency began, but it’s not certain how many face-to-face sessions he intends to have before making a final decision.

The Kings, who were among those teams, have apparently elected not to pursue Gallinari any more, Amick adds (Twitter link). A return to Denver remains in play for the 28-year-old forward.

The Celtics haven’t held a formal meeting with Gallinari, but they have made contact and consider him a backup plan in case Gordon Hayward signs elsewhere, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link).

Gallinari appeared in 63 games this year, the most since missing the entire 2013/14 season after surgery on his left ACL. He averaged 18.2 points per night and shot .389 from 3-point range, his best performance in that category since coming to Denver in 2011.

Central Rumors: Shumpert, Korver, Bulls, Forman

July 2nd, 2017 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

While trade talks between the Cavaliers and Rockets involving Iman Shumpert appear to have lost momentum, Cleveland continues to try to find a landing spot for the swingman, indicating that there are other possible trade partners, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. According to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net, the Raptors, Timberwolves, Lakers, and Kings have expressed some level of interest in Shumpert, though it’s not clear how many of those clubs remain in pursuit.

As we wait to see if the Cavs can find a taker for Shumpert, let’s round up a few more Central notes and rumors…

The Cavaliers have made a contract offer to Kyle Korver, according to Vardon. The terms of that offer aren’t known.
After a Saturday report indicated that the Bulls have conveyed interest in Justin Holiday, Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link) hears from a source that Chicago is one of the teams that has made Holiday a contract offer. The Knicks haven’t formally put an offer on the table for Holiday, but the situation is fluid, says Berman.
The Bulls may end up re-shuffling their front office this offseason, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. According to Cowley, GM Gar Forman could be the odd man out if the team restructures its management hierarchy, while John Paxson‘s brother Jim Paxson – the Bulls’ director of basketball operations – may take on more responsibilities.

Latest On Rudy Gay

July 2nd, 2017 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Rudy Gay‘s meeting with the Thunder has concluded, and Gay is leaving Oklahoma City this morning, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides are still looking for a “financial path” to a potential deal. OKC doesn’t have cap room available, and Wojnarowski suggests that a sign-and-trade with the Kings will be “difficult.”

While it sounds like there’s certainly mutual interest between the Thunder and Gay, the veteran forward is poised to continue exploring his options. According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Gay remains on the Clippers’ radar, and Los Angeles plans to meet with Gay – as well as Danilo Gallinari – within the next couple days.

When free agency first opened, a report indicated that Gay had meetings lined up with four teams, so the Thunder and Clippers aren’t his only suitors. One of those meetings was with the Kings, but it’s not clear if the other one has already happened, or if it remains on his schedule. The Spurs were reportedly in touch with Gay, and the Heat are believed to have some interest, but Miami’s interest will likely hinge on whether or not the team gets a commitment from Gordon Hayward.

Gay, who turns 31 next month, is coming off a torn Achilles, but is said to be making good progress in his recovery, and remains one of the most reliable scorers on the market. Over the last 10 years, he has never averaged fewer than 17.2 PPG in a season.

Free Agent Rumors: Ibaka, Bogdanovic, Knicks

July 2nd, 2017 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

Addressing NBA-wide speculation that he’s older than his listed age of 27, Raptors free agent big man Serge Ibaka issued a statement expressing disappointment with the media for “prejudices” based on his origin. Within his written statement, Ibaka suggested that he needs to take a stand against the “false assumption” that has been circulating.

“I was born in the capital of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville,” Ibaka wrote. “A city with a population bigger than 1 million. A city with hospitals, a civil registry, and an administration. I was born in a caring, loving and united family. I was not born in the jungle.”

Here’s more on free agency:

In addition to the Hawks, the Kings and Nuggets are among the teams showing legitimate interest in Wizards RFA sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. Bogdanovic landing in Sacramento would be a fun scenario for play-by-play commentators, since the Kings have already reached a deal with Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Multiple agents who have been in touch with the Knicks get the impression that the team wants to add younger players and is reluctant to spend big money on a single free agent, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. That could mean that New York’s reported interest in George Hill has waned.
As they explore the free agent market, the Pacers intend to target young players with upside who may not have reached their full potential with their previous teams, says Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star. Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis fit that bill, according to Taylor, who hears from a source that Pacers president Kevin Pritchard has “coveted Oladipo for years.”
Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald lays out why the Celtics badly need to land Gordon Hayward this week. As Bulpett explains, Boston’s cap room will no longer be available next summer when new deals are due for Isaiah Thomas and perhaps Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley as well, meaning 2017 is likely the team’s last and best chance to land a top-tier free agent.

Kings To Meet With Otto Porter

July 2nd, 2017 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are expected to meet with free agent forward Otto Porter today, reports Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link).

Porter, 24, is a restricted free agent, having received a qualifying offer last week from the Wizards. The 6’8″ forward met with Washington on Saturday, but the two sides left that meeting without an agreement in place, and it appears Porter’s camp is now seeking out an offer sheet.

While the Wizards are expected to match any offer Porter receives up to the max, he has to find a team willing to give him that sort of offer sheet first, which won’t necessarily be a slam dunk. ESPN’s Zach Lowe suggests (via Twitter) that the RFA market has been “frigid” so far, and if teams expect Washington to match any offer, there’s little incentive for those teams to spend time negotiating with Porter and focusing on him as a potential target.

Still, the Kings have the cap room necessary to make Porter a big offer, and could test the Wizards’ willingness to go up to the max. The Nets have also frequently been mentioned as a suitor for the former third overall pick.

Porter had his best year as a pro in 2016/17, averaging career bests in PPG (13.4), RPG (6.4), and SPG (1.5), while posting an incredibly efficient .516/.434/.832 shooting line. I ranked him eighth overall in Hoops Rumors’ list of this year’s top 50 free agents.

Western FA Rumors: Gay, Wolves, Rondo, Kings

July 2nd, 2017 at 12:16am CST by Luke Adams

Thunder big man Enes Kanter created a stir on Twitter earlier tonight when he published a photo that showed neighboring lockers featuring Russell Westbrook‘s and Rudy Gay‘s nameplates. While Gay was in Oklahoma City meeting with the Thunder today, Kanter’s tweet doesn’t mean the two sides have an agreement in place, according to Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Young says that league sources were confident as of Friday night that OKC was in a strong position with Gay, adding that the Thunder made a “strong impression” during Saturday’s meeting (Twitter link).

With no deal in place yet, Gay continues to draw interest from other teams. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets that the Timberwolves remain on the lookout for a free agent who can play power forward and shoot, and gave Gay a call today. Wolfson classifies the contact as “just a check-in call,” however.

Here are more free agent rumors from around the Western Conference:

Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) has heard that Rajon Rondo would have interest in joining the Clippers. As Kennedy notes, Rondo has friends on the team and has a history with Doc Rivers from their Boston days.
In a separate tweet, Alex Kennedy passes along an update on free agent big man Thomas Robinson, reporting that the Timberwolves have expressed some interest in the former lottery pick.
The Kings are “very interested” in signing Zach Randolph, league sources tell Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento saw a pair of its free agent targets land elsewhere late on Saturday night, as Andre Iguodala committed to the Warriors and P.J. Tucker agreed to sign in Houston. The Kings had offered Iguodala a two-year deal in the range of $16MM annually, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
With other restricted free agents set to receive larger offers, Suns center Alex Len may be a more attainable target for teams, and is discussing scenarios with a few potential suitors, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.

Rockets Sign P.J. Tucker To Four-Year Deal

July 1st, 2017 at 11:52pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6, 10:29am: The Rockets have jumped the gun a little on the end of the July moratorium, issuing a press release announcing Tucker’s signing about a half-hour before the moratorium ends.

JULY 1, 11:52pm: The Rockets are expected to sign Tucker using their mid-level exception, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Assuming the team uses part of its MLE on Zhou (as noted below) and offers the rest to Tucker, the veteran’s contract could be worth up to about $32.6MM.

11:36pm: The Rockets have reached a deal with free agent forward P.J. Tucker, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Tucker had met with the Raptors when free agency opened, and had a sit-down with the Kings scheduled for Sunday, but it appears that meeting will be canceled now that Tucker has committed to Houston on a four-year, $32MM deal, per Charania (Twitter link).

Tucker, who started the 2016/17 season in Phoenix, was traded to the Raptors in a deadline deal and was a key piece for a Toronto team that was eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals. For the season, Tucker averaged a modest 6.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.4 SPG in 81 games (27.6 MPG), providing value with his tough defense and his ability to make the occasional three-pointer (.357 3PT%).

The Rockets had been on the lookout for a defensive-minded wing who could complement the team’s backcourt of James Harden and newly-acquired Chris Paul. Houston reportedly made an offer to Andre Iguodala today, but Iguodala elected to remain in Golden State. The Rockets were also said to be in serious talks with the Cavaliers for Iman Shumpert, though it’s possible their deal with Tucker could make the Rockets pump the brakes on those Shumpert discussions.

Based on the reported terms of the Tucker deal, the Rockets may be committing the rest of their mid-level exception to the 32-year-old after agreeing to sign Zhou Qi using part of it. However, there are multiple ways Houston could complete the deal. A sign-and-trade is another possibility, if the Rockets don’t need to use their non-guaranteed contracts in a Shumpert trade with Cleveland. A Tucker sign-and-trade could – in theory – create a trade exception for Toronto and would allow the Rockets to retain most of their MLE.

A report earlier today suggested that the Raptors weren’t overly confident about their chances of retaining Tucker, but remained optimistic about bringing back Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.