Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: McClung, Comanche, Maluach, Draft, Team USA

December 19th, 2023 at 9:09am CST by Luke Adams

Although he’s not currently under contract with an NBA team, Mac McClung has been invited by the NBA to take part in the 2024 Slam Dunk Contest and defend his title, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

McClung remains undecided, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), though he says many people believe the G League guard will accept the invitation.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

C.C. McCandless of FOX5 in Las Vegas has obtained the arrest report for former Stockton Kings player Chance Comanche and shares several disturbing new details about the alleged plot to kidnap and kill Marayna Rodgers, who police believe was killed on the night of December 5, when the Kings‘ G League team was in town to face the G League Ignite. Comanche – one of two suspects facing an open murder charge – disclosed several details in an interview with investigators, including identifying on a map where Rodgers body was buried, which allowed detectives to locate her remains.
Standout prospect Khaman Maluach, a 7’2″ center from South Sudan, has elected to graduate high school in 2024 and will be eligible for the 2025 draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The 17-year-old is still weighing his options for the 2024/25 season, including attending a U.S. college or taking a professional route like the G League Ignite or Australia’s Next Stars program.
In the latest 2024 mock draft from Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports, Alexandre Sarr is the first player off the board, while USC’s Isaiah Collier – the top prospect on ESPN’s top 100 – drops to No. 8.
USA Basketball has announced its coaching staff for the AmeriCup qualifying team that will begin competing in February. Dave Joerger, previously reported to be the head coach for the U.S. squad, will be joined by veteran assistants Jerome Allen and Melvin Hunt, per a press release.
Australia’s national team is in advanced talks to play exhibition games against the U.S. and Serbia ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Team USA already has a pair of exhibition contests against South Sudan and Germany on its July schedule.

Trade Rumors: LaVine, Kings, Raptors, Anunoby, Murray

December 18th, 2023 at 12:49pm CST by Rory Maher

Previous reporting indicated that Bulls guard Zach LaVine prefers to end up with the Lakers if he’s traded, but his agent Rich Paul says that’s not the case.

“It’s not one team,” Paul told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I don’t have a specific destination for Zach. I want what’s best for Zach and his family. When you have a guy playing the game, you want him to be able to play the game happy, whether that’s in Chicago or somewhere else.”

Paul pointed out that his agency — Klutch Sports — has players on 24 of the league’s 30 teams. LaVine is currently sidelined with a foot injury that’s expected to keep him out for at least a couple more weeks. The priority for now is to get the two-time All-Star healthy, Paul told Amick.

Here are some more trade rumors from Amick:

The Kings have been linked to Raptors forwards Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby several times in the past, and while their stance might change, the cost of trading for either player might be too exorbitant for Sacramento, according to Amick. As Amick explains, the Kings likely wouldn’t be willing to make a massive offer with both players possibly hitting unrestricted free agency next summer; Siakam is on an expiring contract, while Anunoby is “widely expected” to turn down his 2024/25 player option (which is worth $19.9MM). Amick hears that Anunoby, in particular, “does not appear to be of significant interest” to Sacramento.
His injury and expensive contract long-term contract would almost certainly dampen what they’d willing to offer, but Amick suggests the Kings could be interested in LaVine if the price is right. Sacramento went into the offseason focused on improving its defense, Amick writes, and the team has been pretty successful on that front, going from 24th in ’22/23 to 14th in ’23/24. However, after having the NBA’s best offense last season, the Kings are 14th on that end right now too, and Amick suggests they’re focused on adding more shooting and scoring — LaVine’s best attributes. Sources tell Amick that LaVine would be “very amenable” to teaming up with De’Aaron Fox — another Klutch client — in the Kings’ backcourt. That aligns with a report last month from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Both Amick and Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee confirm the Kings are highly unlikely to trade second-year forward Keegan Murray, who just erupted for a career-high 47 points on Saturday, becoming the first player in NBA history to make 11 consecutive three-pointers in a single game. As Anderson writes, Murray set multiple franchise records in the victory over Utah: Points in a quarter (26), threes made in a quarter (seven) and threes made in a game (12). He finished a remarkable 12-of-15 from long distance.

Ex-G Leaguer Comanche Faces Open Murder Charge

December 17th, 2023 at 5:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Kings NBA G League player Chance Comanche faces an open murder charge in Las Vegas, according to a press release from the Las Vegas Metro police department, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets.

Comanche, who had been playing for the Kings‘ G League affiliate in Stockton, was released by the team on Friday. He was arrested by the California FBI Criminal Apprehension Team in Sacramento on Friday as a person of interest in the case.

Comanche’s girlfriend, Sakari Harnden, was arrested in Las Vegas on Wednesday on kidnapping charges. Comanche was also charged with kidnapping and is pending extradition to Nevada.

The case involved the Dec. 5 disappearance of Marayna Rodgers. Her remains were discovered in a desert area in Henderson, Nevada “based on information obtained after the arrest of Harnden and Comanche,” according to the release.

Detectives determined that Harnden and Comanche “were responsible for the murder of Rodgers,” per today’s announcement. Charges against them will be amended to open murder.

Comanche played in one game for the Trail Blazers last season, which was his lone NBA appearance. He signed with Sacramento this summer on an Exhibit 10 contract before being waived ahead of the season. He joined the Stockton Kings after clearing waivers.

JTA Happy To Get A Chance With Kings; Team Won't Consider Trading Keegan Murray

December 16th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Juan Toscano-Anderson is thrilled to be back in the NBA after signing with the Kings on Friday, tweets Marc J. Spears of Andscape. The veteran swingman, who had been with the G League’s Mexico City Capitanes, sees numerous ways he can help his new team. “I’m just hella grateful and blessed to get another opportunity,” Toscano-Anderson said, before listing the attributes he brings to the club. “Leadership. Energy. Toughness. Versatility. Camaraderie. Defense.”
If the Kings make a trade before the February 8 deadline, it’s extremely unlikely to include second-year forward Keegan Murray, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat. A source tells Ham that Murray hasn’t been included in any trade talks is “considered part of the franchise’s foundation moving forward.”

Pacific Notes: Comanche, Ellis, Warriors, Lakers

December 16th, 2023 at 12:03pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Center Chance Comanche, who had been playing for the Kings‘ G League affiliate in Stockton, was released by the team on Friday after he was arrested as a person of interest in an out-of-state FBI investigation, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.

According to Anderson, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office helped the FBI apprehend Comanche, who is being held without bail in the county’s main jail. Jail records show Comanche’s felony arrest fell under a California penal code provision allowing peace officers to arrest a person “charged by a verified complaint… with the commission of any crime in any other state.”

His first appearance before a judge is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday in Sacramento Superior Court, per Anderson. It’s not clear what charges he faces in another state or where in Sacramento County he was apprehended.

Comanche played in one game for the Trail Blazers last season, which was his lone NBA appearance to date. He signed with the Kings this summer on an Exhibit 10 contract before being waived ahead of the season.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Two-way wing Keon Ellis had his best game in a Kings uniform on Friday against the Thunder, writes The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson. Ellis scored 17 points, hitting five of his seven three-point attempts, and added six rebounds and three assists. “Keon was big. He’s been big ever since we gave him minutes,” head coach Mike Brown said. “He just doesn’t seem to get rattled out there. … We have faith or confidence — or however you want to call it — in him, especially when his feet are set and he’s shooting wide open catch-and-shoot 3s. Heck of a game from him on both ends of the floor. He could’ve easily gotten the Defensive Player of the Game [crown].” Ellis is averaging 4.5 points in 16 games (two starts) on a two-way contract.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. was adamant the next 15-20 games, many of which will be played without Draymond Green, will impact the direction the team takes at the trade deadline. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater explores what that span of time could look like, writing the team could continue to rely on younger players, such as Trayce Jackson-Davis, in the short term.
The Lakers are 13-5 in their last 18 games and have multiple players performing at a high level. Outside of the usual star-level play from LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves is establishing Sixth Man of the Year candidacy, Cam Reddish is announcing himself as a top-level defender and players like Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent will soon return to the lineup, The Ringer’s Seerat Sohi writes. Still, the Lakers have room to improve on offense and Sohi explores what the team needs to do between now and the trade deadline.

Suns’ Bradley Beal Exits Friday’s Game With Ankle Injury

December 15th, 2023 at 10:25pm CST by Rory Maher

In just the second game featuring all of the members of Phoenix’s “big three,” Suns guard Bradley Beal sustained a right ankle injury in the first quarter of Friday’s contest against New York, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (all Twitter links here).

Beal appeared to be in a lot of pain after attempting a shot and having Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo step under his foot as he landed, which caused him to roll his right ankle (video link). DiVincenzo received a Flagrant 1 foul on the play.

Beal stayed in the game to shoot free throws and was able to walk off the court without assistance, but he seemed to have a limp and immediately headed back to the locker room. The Suns later ruled him out for the remainder of the contest, Bourguet adds.

It’s a tough setback for Beal, who was making just his sixth appearance of the 2023/24 season after battling a back injury for much of the fall, which caused him to miss 19 games. Phoenix’s other two stars — Kevin Durant and Devin Booker — have also missed time this season due to various injuries (four absences for Durant, nine for Booker).

As Bourguet tweets, the sample size is extremely small, but the Suns are plus-15 in the 23.8 minutes the trio have shared the court together thus far.

Hopefully the injury turns out to be minor, though it certainly looked like a bad sprain. Despite dealing with several injuries, the Suns have held their own to this point and had a 13-11 record entering Friday’s game.

Here are a few more injury notes on the Suns:

Sharpshooter Grayson Allen was questionable heading into the game but he returned from a three-game absence on Friday after dealing with a right groin strain, as Bourguet relays (via Twitter). Allen, who was acquired via trade in the offseason, is averaging career highs in several statistics, including points (12.3), rebounds (4.5), assists (2.9) and three-point percentage (46.8) through 19 games, all starts.
Josh Okogie missed his second straight game on Friday with a right hip injury, but it’s not a long-term concern, head coach Frank Vogel told reporters, including Bourguet (Twitter link). The 25-year-old is in his second season with the Suns after re-signing on a two-year deal in free agency over the summer.
Forward Nassir Little, who was acquired in the same blockbuster trade as Allen, recently returned from an orbital fracture, which requires him to wear a face mask on the court. He thinks the play he was injured on (video link) was a “dirty” one by Kings center JaVale McGee, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). “I feel like it was a dirty play, I watched it over and over,” Little said. “He had hooked my arm … I could have broke my arm.”

Kings Sign Juan Toscano-Anderson

December 15th, 2023 at 3:47pm CST by Tristan Tucker

DECEMBER 15: The Kings have officially signed Toscano-Anderson, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. His contract is non-guaranteed, per James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link).

DECEMBER 14: The Kings are signing Juan Toscano-Anderson to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Toscano-Anderson, 30, had stints with the Warriors, Lakers and Jazz and will now fill Sacramento’s final open roster spot after impressing with the G League’s Mexico City Capitanes.

In 11 Showcase Cup games with the Capitanes, Toscano-Anderson averaged 19.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks. He holds career averages of 4.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 1.9 APG in 191 career NBA appearances (37 starts).

Toscano-Anderson worked out with the Warriors this offseason, but ultimately didn’t come away with a deal of any sort. However, Andscape’s Marc J. Spears tweets Kings head coach Mike Brown had strong interest in bringing Toscano-Anderson to training camp this offseason, though that never materialized.

As The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson notes (Twitter link), Brown and Toscano-Anderson have familiarity with each other. Toscano-Anderson played for the Warriors for three seasons while Brown was lead assistant, and the duo won a championship together in 2021/22.

The Kings opened up a spot on their 15-man roster last month when they waived Filip Petrusev, who they acquired for cash after he was sent to the Clippers in the James Harden blockbuster. After surveying its options, Sacramento landed on signing Toscano-Anderson.

Anderson notes in a piece detailing the move that the Kings needed to address their wing depth after experiencing matchup difficulties in recent losses to the Pelicans and Clippers, and signing the Marquette product should help with those issues.

It’s unclear how much playing time Toscano-Anderson will receive right away but its possible the veteran could make an immediate impact on the rotation. Players like Keon Ellis, Jalen Slawson, Colby Jones and Kessler Edwards make up Sacramento’s forward and wing depth on the deep bench.

Western Rumors: Markkanen, Giddey, Mann, Kings, Lofton

December 15th, 2023 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

After Marc Stein reported that teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports says that several clubs have already contacted Utah to inquire on Markkanen.

Fischer stresses that the Jazz are “by no means expected” to trade Markkanen, who is a favorite of team officials. However, opposing executives have gotten the sense that the All-Star forward is no longer quite as untouchable as he was in the past.

“Do I expect Utah to trade Lauri? No,” one general manager told Fischer. “But they are saying they’re willing to listen. They are willing to listen to calls on everyone, but it’s a matter of meeting their price like Minnesota did for Rudy [Gobert].”

As Fischer notes, even if a deal is unlikely, the fact that the Jazz are open to listening on Markkanen means that there will continue to be plenty of buzz around him as the trade deadline nears. League personnel believe that the Kings, Hawks, and Thunder are among the teams that would have the most interest in the Finnish star, Fischer adds.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Rival teams had begun to zero in on Thunder guard Josh Giddey as a possible trade target before the NBA and California police began looking into allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor, per Fischer. Depending on the outcome of those investigations, Giddey may still draw interest ahead of the trade deadline. Oklahoma City also explored moving Tre Mann prior to the start of the season, Fischer adds.
If the Kings pursue either Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby, the Raptors are expected to ask for Keegan Murray in return, which may be a non-starter for Sacramento, Fischer writes, since the Kings view Murray as an important piece in both the present and the future. However, another former lottery pick, Davion Mitchell, is considered a “strong” trade candidate, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
The Grizzlies have made calls to potential trade partners to gauge those teams’ interest in some of Memphis’ reserves, but if a deal doesn’t materialize in the coming days, the expectation is that the team will probably waive Kenneth Lofton Jr. to open up a roster spot to activate Ja Morant next week, says Fischer. We took a closer look at Memphis’ looming roster decisions earlier in the week.

Eastern Rumors: LaVine, Bulls, Raptors, Pacers, Sixers

December 15th, 2023 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

It has been difficult to sift through the noise in the rumor mill to determine which teams might actually be legitimate suitors for Zach LaVine, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who notes that while the Sixers and Lakers have frequently been mentioned as possibilities, their level of interest in the Bulls guard is unclear.

Teams like the 76ers, Knicks, and Heat haven’t seriously engaged or shown real interest in LaVine, says K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times reported this week that the Lakers are believed to be LaVine’s preference in the event of a trade, but we don’t have a sense of whether that interest is reciprocated.

As Fischer writes – and as Cowley previously suggested – if the Bulls are going to move LaVine, they’d ideally like to do it well in advance of February’s deadline in order to give them time to evaluate their new-look roster before deciding on whether or not to trade more players, such as DeMar DeRozan or Alex Caruso.

However, LaVine’s injury history was already considered a red flag for potential suitors, and the fact that he’s currently on the shelf due to a foot issue only lends credence to that concern, Fischer notes. On top of that, the Bulls’ asking price is believed to be high, consisting of an established starter, a young player with upside, and first-round draft capital, sources tell Fischer. It remains to be seen whether any team is willing to put a package like that on the table.

According to Fischer, the Bulls have also explored the possibility of trying to move LaVine in a deal for another All-Star level player. They attempted to pitch the Cavaliers on a swap that would have sent point guard Darius Garland to Chicago, sources tell Yahoo Sports. Presumably, Cleveland didn’t have much interest in that concept.

Here are a few more rumors from around the Eastern Conference, courtesy of Fischer:

Given that the 2024 draft class is considered relatively weak, there’s a sense that teams in search of roster upgrades might be more inclined to move their ’24 first-round picks in trades this season, but there’s not yet a long list of sellers. According to Fischer, league personnel believe the Raptors will be more inclined to join that group of sellers this winter than they have been in past years, after they saw Fred VanVleet walk in free agency over the summer. “Toronto’s going to be forced to make a decision,” one GM said to Yahoo Sports.
Pascal Siakam is considered the more likely trade candidate than Raptors teammate OG Anunoby, but a couple of the clubs believed to have interest in Siakam – the Pacers and Kings – seem “more vested” in the idea of landing Anunoby, Fischer writes.
Speaking of the Pacers, rival executives think they’ll be aggressive in exploring ceiling-raising trades that would consolidate some of their depth pieces, though Fischer is unconvinced the team is prepared to do anything substantial quite yet. Veteran backup point guard T.J. McConnell continues to draw interest from playoff teams seeking backcourt help, Fischer adds.
The Sixers aren’t expected to pursue any major roster changes until much closer to February’s trade deadline, according to Fischer.

Warriors, Knicks, Lakers Top Latest NBA Franchise Valuations

December 13th, 2023 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors remain the NBA’s most valuable team, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico (subscription required), who unveiled the website’s updated NBA franchise valuations for 2023 on Wednesday.

Badenhausen projects the Warriors’ value at $8.28 billion, making them one of three teams to surpass the $7 billion mark this year. The Knicks have a projected worth of $7.43 billion, while the Lakers come in at $7.34 billion, per Sportico.

As Badenhausen details, Sportico spoke to more than 30 team executives, owners, investors, bankers, consultants, and lawyers in compiling their latest NBA franchise valuations. According to Sportico, the average value of an NBA team is up 33% from a year ago and 70% from when the site first started publishing valuations three years ago.

A combination of factors are contributing to the soaring value of NBA franchises, says Baudenhausen. Those factors include national media deals, international opportunities, scarcity (ie. only 30 teams are available), and an equal 1/30th stake in the league.

In the past, we’ve used Forbes as our primary source for NBA franchise valuations, but with Badenhausen making the move from Forbes to Sportico in recent years and the outlet establishing itself as a go-to resource for sports business news, we’re highlighting Sportico’s projections in 2023.

Of course, it’s worth noting that figures from Sportico, Forbes, or any other media outlet are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands. But thse projections are usually in the right ballpark and remain useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.

Here’s Sportico’s full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2023:

Golden State Warriors: $8.28 billion
New York Knicks: $7.43 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $7.34 billion
Boston Celtics: $5.12 billion
Chicago Bulls: $4.83 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $4.56 billion
Miami Heat: $4.17 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $4.13 billion
Toronto Raptors: $4.11 billion
Houston Rockets: $4.05 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $4.03 billion
Phoenix Suns: $4 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $3.98 billion
Sacramento Kings: $3.46 billion
Denver Nuggets: $3.4 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $3.35 billion
Washington Wizards: $3.33 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $3.29 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $3.28 billion
Indiana Pacers: $3.27 billion
Utah Jazz: $3.24 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $3.22 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $3.2 billion
Orlando Magic: $3.12 billion
Detroit Pistons: $3.1 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $3.08 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $3 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $2.94 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $2.82 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $2.72 billion

For the most part, the most significant valuation increases (by percentage) within the last year belonged to the teams on the bottom half of this list. Besides the Bucks, whose projection rose by 32%, every franchise in the bottom 10 received at least a 50% bump from Sportico’s 2022 valuations.

The Nuggets, who cracked the top half of this list following their 2023 championship, were another big riser — their valuation increased by 60% and they moved up six spots.

It’s worth noting that the Mavericks‘ reported valuation in Mark Cuban‘s sale to the Adelson and Dumont families reportedly came in around $3.5 billion, well below Sportico’s valuation.

However, more recent reporting has suggested the final valuation will be closer to $4 billion when the transaction closes. That was also a unique situation since Cuban is retaining control of basketball operations as part of the sale agreement, despite surrendering majority control of the business. He’ll hang onto about 25% of the franchise, according to Sportico.