- The Kings will work out Duke’s Harry Giles on Tuesday, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com tweets. The 6’11” center, whose lone college season was marred by knee injuries, is ranked No. 12 overall by ESPN’s Chad Ford, though he’s just No. 33 on DraftExpress’ board. Sacramento holds the No. 5, No. 10 and No. 34 picks in the draft.
While Andre Iguodala is no longer the All-Star caliber athlete capable of memorable dunks, he is a vital cog on both sides of the ball for the championship winning Warriors, Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
Iguodala, 33, has not averaged double-digits in points since joining Golden State in 2013 but his play in the 2015 NBA Finals, the first five games of last year’s series, and the first game of this year’s showdown displayed his value. As Letourneau mentions, had the Cavaliers not completed an improbable comeback last year, Iguodala may have been the NBA Finals Most Valuable Award recipient.
After knee and back troubles in recent years, Iguodala is now a key part of the Golden State bench. Following his seven points, three rebounds and two steals in 24 minutes on Thursday, the Warriors will look for similar contributions the rest of the series.“It’s only going to get harder from here,” Iguodala said. “We just have to stay locked in.”
Here are additional notes from the Pacific division:
- The Lakers are set to hold a pre-draft workout for several collegiate players this Monday, according to the team. The list of players scheduled for the workout includes Richmond forward T.J. Cline, Oklahoma State point guard Jawun Evans, Villanova guard Josh Hart, California’s Roger Moute a Bidias, Iowa State point guard Monte Morris, and Syracuse forward Tyler Roberson.
- Former Clippers teammates Glen Davis and Austin Rivers engaged in a mini-feud this week, starting with Rivers’ comments on FS1’s Undisputed that Davis was out of shape, constantly late, and struggled to remember players during his brief L.A. tenure (via NBC Sports). Davis subsequently shot back with an expletive-laden Instagram post, claiming that Rivers walked around with a cocky disposition and that he owes his career to his father.
- Coming off Achilles surgery, forward Rudy Gay was seen at Roc Nation Pro Day earlier this week and reportedly looked in good shape, per Jonathan Givony of Draft Express (via Twitter). Gay, 30, played in 30 regular season games with the Kings before suffering the injury and is expected to exercise his opt-out and hit free agency this offseason.
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes that Oregon’s Jordan Bell is an intruiging target for the Kings in the NBA Draft. Known for his toughness and defensive prowess, Bell could add a strong dimension to a Kings team in transition following the trade deadline trade sending DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans.
- Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic writes that SMU forward Semi Ojeleye is a good target for the Suns in the second round draft. A built body and athleticism give Ojelye a good shot to mold into a productive NBA player despite limited college experience.
Sacramento has waived Anthony Tolliver, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). Tolliver’s $8MM contract was only guaranteed for $2MM unless he remained on the roster past today, The Vertical’s Bobby Marks tweets. The Kings will save $6MM from the move.
Marks adds that the team could choose to stretch the $2MM cap hit over the next three seasons. In that scenario, the Kings would have approximately $667K on each season’s cap sheet.
Tolliver, who turned 32 today, signed a two-year, $16MM deal with the Kings last offseason. He played in 65 games, scoring 7.1 points per contest during his lone season in Sacramento.
- Sources familiar with the Sixers‘ thinking believe Malik Monk is high on Philadelphia’s board, according to Hamilton. Hamilton suggests it might make sense for the Kings and 76ers to explore a deal, with Sacramento moving up to No. 3 to land De’Aaron Fox and Philadelphia sliding down to No. 5 to nab Monk.
In a draft expected to be dominated by point guards, John Wall thinks De’Aaron Fox will be the best of the bunch, relays Chase Hughes of CSNMidAtlantic. Wall insists his opinion stems from watching Fox play and isn’t because they went to the same school. “A lot of people say it’s bias because he’s from Kentucky, but I think De’Aaron Fox might end up being the best point guard out of that class,” Wall said. “He reminds me of myself a lot, just a lefty.” Wall was the first player picked in 2010 and has been a four-time All-Star. Fox is widely projected to be taken early in the lottery, but after point guards Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball.
There’s more news as the draft looms three weeks away:
- Fox is the latest rookie to get a shoe deal before being drafted, tweets Nick DePaula of The Vertical. Fox, who was highly sought after by shoe companies, agreed to a multi-year deal with Nike.
- Ball may need an exceptional workout with the Lakers to be the No. 2 pick, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who notes that L.A.’s interest is growing in Fox and Kansas forward Josh Jackson. Ball’s camp, which once said he would only meet with the Lakers, is now willing to hold meetings, but probably not workouts, with the Sixers and Kings.
- Donovan Mitchell is a non-traditional point guard who may be a steal for somebody in the middle of the draft, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Louisville product is celebrated for his defense, but doesn’t possess great passing skills.
- Oregon guard Dylan Ennis has been among the most active prospects in pre-draft workouts, tweets Oliver Maroney of Dime Magazine. Ennis has already worked out for the Thunder, Raptors and Celtics, and has sessions with the Clippers, Kings and Spurs set for next week. He is listed by DraftExpress as a long shot to be selected.
- Pitt’s Jamel Artis will work out for the Magic on Thursday, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
- Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan was the top name at Tuesday’s Raptors workout, tweets Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic. Swanigan was joined by Virginia’s Austin Nichols, Dayton’s Scoochie Smith, Houston’s Damyean Dotson, North Carolina’s Nate Britt and Southeast Missouri’s Antonius Cleveland.
- The Knicks welcomed six players on Tuesday, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. At the workout were Kentucky’s Isaiah Briscoe, South Carolina’s Sindarius Thornwell, Duke’s Amile Jefferson, Colorado’s Derrick White, Florida’s Canyon Barry and Columbia’s Luke Petrasek.
The Suns potentially have a difficult decision to make when they find themselves on the clock with the fourth overall pick, writes Doug Haller of AZCentral Sports. Three talented freshman small forwards could be available: Josh Jackson, Jonathan Isaac, and Jayson Tatum. Defense and three-point shooting are likely the Suns’ two most glaring weaknesses, and one of these athletes could certainly help.
Haller writes that Jackson’s real impact could come defensively. The scribe adds that, while Tatum is nowhere near the defender that Jackson is, the Duke freshman may be the most polished scorer in the draft. As for Isaac, he can play both forward positions, with many believing that he will also be able to man the center position when his body fills out. Furthermore, the departing Seminole would contribute defensive versatility, having defended all over the floor for Florida State.
Here are some more pertinent notes from the Pacific division:
- On Tuesday, the Suns were set to host two pre-draft workouts, per the club’s official Twitter page. The announced participants were Zak Irvin, Wesley Iwundu, Luke Kornet, Kennedy Meeks, Semi Ojeleye, Devin Robinson, and Jarrett Allen.
- The Kings will hold two pre-draft workouts on Wednesday, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. The first group is full of big names: Justin Jackson, Jordan Bell, Frank Mason, Kyle Kuzma, London Perrantes, and Devin Robinson. Jones points out that, prior to last year’s draft, the Kings convinced just once first-round pick to visit the team, even though Sacramento held the eighth overall selection. To find out which players are part of the second group that is working out for the Kings on Wednesday, check out Jones’ full story.
- Ivan Rabb does not regret returning for his sophomore season at Cal despite falling from a likely lottery pick in the last draft to an expected low first-round selection this time around, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. On the contrary, Rabb believes that staying in school an additional season will help him at the next level. Rabb was one of six players to work out for the Lakers on Tuesday. The others were Jaron Blossomgame, Sterling Brown, Tyler Dorsey, Cameron Oliver, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes.
- Klay Thompson‘s historic Game 6 against the Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals had a transformative effect on basketball history, chronicles Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News. Although Thompson’s performance that night did not lead to a second-straight Warriors championship, without it, Kevin Durant very well may not have joined Golden State during the ensuing offseason.
There are a number of potential player/team matches in the top 10 of this year’s draft that might make sense on paper, but should be avoided in reality, according to the staff at The Ringer. Danny Chau identifies De’Aaron Fox as a less than ideal fit for the Sixers, while Jonathan Tjarks makes the case for why the Knicks should steer clear of Dennis Smith Jr.
Other picks to be avoided, in the views of The Ringer’s NBA writers? The Mavericks and Lauri Markkanen; the Kings and Jayson Tatum; and the Magic and Jonathan Isaac.
Here are a few more draft-related items from around the basketball world:
- Former North Carolina swingman Justin Jackson is scheduled to work out for the Knicks on June 13, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York has the No. 8 pick, and most experts don’t expect Jackson to come off the board quite that early, but the ACC Player of the Year is viewed as a potential lottery pick.
- The Suns are kicking off their pre-draft workouts today by taking a look at a handful of intriguing prospects, including Kyle Kuzma (Utah), Johnathan Motley (Baylor), Kobi Simmons (Arizona), and Josh Hart (Villanova). Troy Caupain (Cincinnati) and Tidjan Keita (France) round out the team’s Monday workout group (Twitter link).
- Another Pacific team, the Lakers, is working out a handful of draft prospects on Memorial Day. According to a press release from the club, the Lakers are taking a closer look at Dwayne Bacon (Florida State), Jordan Bell (Oregon), Amida Brimah (Connecticut), Kennedy Meeks (UNC), Derrick Walton Jr. (Michigan), and local prospect Bryce Alford (UCLA).
After flirting with possible playoff contention in the first half, the Kings opted instead for a full rebuild, sending DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans over the All-Star break for what was widely considered to be an underwhelming trade package. But with Buddy Hield playing well down the stretch and the Pelicans’ pick turning into a top-10 selection, the return on Cousins doesn’t look too bad anymore — and some lottery luck ensured that Sacramento will also have a top-five pick in June. Hitting on those two lottery selections would help get the Kings’ rebuild get off to a great start.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Kings financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:
Guaranteed Salary
- Kosta Koufos ($8,393,000)
- Garrett Temple ($8,000,000)
- Willie Cauley-Stein ($3,704,160)
- Buddy Hield ($3,675,480)
- Georgios Papagiannis ($2,301,360)
- Matt Barnes ($2,133,542) — Waived via stretch provision.
- Anthony Tolliver ($2,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.1
- Malachi Richardson ($1,504,560)
- Arron Afflalo ($1,500,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.2
- Skal Labissiere ($1,312,611)
- Caron Butler ($517,220) — Waived via stretch provision.
- Total: $35,041,933
Player Options
- Langston Galloway ($5,434,000)
- Total: $5,434,000
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Arron Afflalo ($11,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.2
- Anthony Tolliver ($6,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.1
- Total: $17,000,000
Restricted Free Agents
- Ben McLemore ($4,187,598 qualifying offer / $10,022,205 cap hold)
- Total: $10,022,205
Cap Holds
- Rudy Gay ($20,000,000) — Player option declined.
- Tyreke Evans ($15,991,931)
- Darren Collison ($9,935,963)
- No. 5 overall pick ($4,609,200)
- No. 10 overall pick ($3,057,240)
- Ty Lawson ($1,471,382)
- Bogdan Bogdanovic ($1,423,560)
- Total: $56,489,276
Trade Exceptions
- Omri Casspi TPE ($2,963,814) — Expires 2/20/18
Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000
Maximum Cap Room: $55,844,782
- The Kings have cap holds for a pair of top-10 draft picks to account for, but their guaranteed contracts don’t amount to much. Taking into account their draft picks, guaranteed salaries, and three cap charges for empty roster spots, the Kings would have just $45,155,218 in team salary. However, that would hinge on Galloway turning down his player option, Afflalo and Tolliver being waived, every free agent leaving, and Bogdanovic not being signed this season, so Sacramento is unlikely to have quite that much room heading into free agency.
Footnotes:
- Tolliver’s salary reportedly becomes fully guaranteed after June 1.
- Afflalo’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 23.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.
Bogdan Bogdanovic would have been a top-15 pick in this year’s draft had he entered it this season, sources within the league tell Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee. Bogdanovic entered the 2014 draft and was selected by Phoenix. The Kings acquired his rights in a 2016 draft night trade.
Bogdanovic will be free to negotiate with Sacramento without the rookie scale restrictions come July since it has been three years since he was drafted. Voisin adds that he is expected to garner an annual salary between $5MM and $10MM.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- In the same piece, Voisin adds the organization has a different vibe this offseason—the first since the Kings traded away DeMarcus Cousins. The team’s younger players are actually staying in Sacramento and working out at the facility, something that hasn’t happened in quite some time.
- Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic wonders if the Suns will pass on Josh Jackson because of his off-court issues. Jackson’s two-way game makes him a great fit for the team and he could easily to be available at No. 4.
- Haller (separate piece) takes a look at several prospects whom could be fits for the Suns in the second round. In addition to owning the No. 4 overall pick, Phoenix has the No. 32 and No. 54 selections.
- The Kings are targeting a point guard and small forward with their two top-10 picks, Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes. GM Vlade Divac is high on De’Aaron Fox, who was reportedly eyeing the franchise before it moved up in the draft lottery. Jonathan Givony of Draft Express ranks Fox as the fifth-best prospect in the upcoming draft class.