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Knicks, Lakers Top Forbes’ NBA Franchise Valuations

February 15th, 2017 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have been one of the NBA’s most dysfunctional teams this season. On the court, the team has gone just 23-33, with $72MM man Joakim Noah failing to make a significant impact, and Jeff Hornacek and Phil Jackson not always on the same page when it came to the use of the triangle. Off the court, things have been even worse, with Jackson criticizing star forward Carmelo Anthony, and owner James Dolan at odds with former Knicks star Charles Oakley.

On the west coast, the Lakers haven’t been much better, racking up a 19-38 record, good for the No. 14 seed in the West. The team hasn’t made as many off-court headlines, but the structure of the front office is currently up in the air, with new advisor Magic Johnson publicly declaring that he wants to be the one calling the shots on roster decisions.

Despite the problems in New York and Los Angeles, the Knicks and Lakers remain the NBA’s two most valuable franchises, according to a report from Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes. The Knicks and Lakers are the only teams valued at more than $3 billion by Forbes.

Team valuations are up around the league, with the Warriors leading the way among this year’s increases — according to Forbes, the Dubs are 37% more valuable that they were at this time in 2016. In total, 18 teams have a valuation exceeding $1 billion, which is up from 13 teams last year and just three teams in 2015. The average NBA franchise is now worth $1.36 billion, according to the report.

Here’s the full list of NBA franchise valuations, per Forbes:

New York Knicks: $3.3 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $3 billion
Golden State Warriors: $2.6 billion
Chicago Bulls: $2.5 billion
Boston Celtics: $2.2 billion
Los Angeles Clippers; $2 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $1.8 billion
Houston Rockets: $1.65 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $1.45 billion
Miami Heat: $1.35 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $1.2 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $1.175 billion
Toronto Raptors: $1.125 billion
Phoenix Suns: $1.1 billion
Sacramento Kings: $1.075 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $1.05 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.025 billion
Washington Wizards: $1 billion
Orlando Magic: $920MM
Utah Jazz: $910MM
Detroit Pistons: $900MM
Denver Nuggets: $890MM
Atlanta Hawks: $885MM
Indiana Pacers: $880MM
Philadelphia 76ers: $800MM
Memphis Grizzlies: $790MM
Milwaukee Bucks: $785MM
Charlotte Hornets: $780MM
Minnesota Timberwolves: $770MM
New Orleans Pelicans: $750MM

For comparison’s sake, Forbes’ 2016 valuations can be found right here.

Kings Make Several Players Available

February 14th, 2017 at 10:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Kings have made several players available, including Darren Collison. The point guard, who will be a free agent after the season, has seen an expanded role on the team since Rudy Gay injured his Achilles, as I wrote in this week’s Fantasy Hoops.

[SOURCE LINK]

Afflalo Playing An Unfamiliar Position

February 12th, 2017 at 10:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings guard Arron Afflalo is getting some minutes at point guard due to injuries, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. Afflalo has not played the point since high school but is unfazed by the situation, Jones adds. “It’s not really that much different; it’s just making sure the team gets into a play, into a set,” Afflalo told Jones. “I’m pretty familiar with the sets, and a lot of our spots are interchangeable.”

Cousins Faces One-Game Ban, Plus Unrelated Fine

February 7th, 2017 at 4:48pm CST by Austin Kent

For the fourth time in five seasons, DeMarcus Cousins has received enough technical fouls to warrant a one-game suspension. The NBA announced the punishment along with a punishment for a separate incident in a press release earlier today (Twitter link). The big man was issued his 16th technical on Monday night against the Bulls and will miss Wednesday night’s game between the Kings and Celtics as a result.

The second incident mentioned in the press release – an inappropriate gesture and remark – took place after the Kings’ overtime win over the Warriors on Saturday night and has cost the big man a $25K fine. Though not specifically mentioned in the official press release, a video of Cousins in a Golden 1 Center tunnel after the game quickly surfaced online.

This isn’t Cousins’ first brush with controversy this season. In December the All-Star was fined $50K by the Kings for his role in an altercation with a member of the media. Still, thanks in part to the career high 27.9 points per game he has been averaging, Cousins’ status in Sacramento is as stable as it has been in years.

Though Cousins will likely remain the subject of intense trade speculation, he and the Kings are reported to be on track for a $200MM-plus, max contract extension that he would sign this summer. Just yesterday, Kings general manager Vlade Divac said explicitly that they will not trade him.

Darren Collison, Kosta Koufos Could Be On Move This Month

February 7th, 2017 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

There’s a “growing sense” that the Kings might move Darren Collison, as well as Kosta Koufos, by the trade deadline, per Kyler.

[SOURCE LINK]

Divac: Kings Won’t Trade DeMarcus Cousins

February 6th, 2017 at 9:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Kings deny that any members of front office are advocates of dealing away DeMarcus Cousins and GM Vlade Divac told Marc Stein of ESPN.com that a trade is simply not going to happen.

“We’re not trading DeMarcus,” Divac said. “We hope he’s here for a long time.”

The team recently met face-to-face with Cousins and his representatives to make it clear that the big man would not be dealt and Divac encouraged them to ignore any media speculation leading up to the deadline, Stein adds.

It was previously reported that Sacramento is planning to make Cousins a maximum Designated Player extension offer this offseason once the new CBA becomes effective. Divac confirmed the report, telling Stein that the team is “going in that direction” in regards to offering Cousins the new contract. The extension is estimated to be worth roughly $209MM over five seasons, depending on where the salary cap is set for 2017/18.

Cousins has expressed his desire to stay in Sacramento long-term. The Kings haven’t made the playoffs in the six seasons since they drafted the Kentucky product with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 draft. Sacramento owns a record of 20-31 this year and it sits 2.5 games behind the Nuggets for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

Papagiannis Developing Rapidly In D-League

February 5th, 2017 at 8:44pm CST by Austin Kent

The Kings have benefited substantially from their D-League affiliation with the Reno Bighorns, writes Chris Reichert of The Step Back, and nowhere is that more evident than in the development of lottery pick Georgios Papagiannis. The club is able to work with Papagiannis and stay involved with his growth as a player in ways that they never would be able to had he been stashed abroad.

Kings Notes: Cousins, McLemore, Casspi, Richardson

February 5th, 2017 at 11:55am CST by Arthur Hill

Kings GM Vlade Divac should be calling all interested parties to make the best possible deal for DeMarcus Cousins before the February 23rd deadline, writes Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Voisin argues that the franchise doesn’t have enough assets in place to build a contender around Cousins, who will become a free agent in the summer of 2018, and mentions the Celtics, Lakers, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Suns and Magic as possible destinations. Phoenix owns two first-round picks from Miami and has $13MM in available cap space, and GM Ryan McDonough has said he wants to acquire a star. Voisin believes the Kings should insist that Devin Booker be part of any deal with the Suns.

There’s more news out of Sacramento:

Injuries to Rudy Gay and Garrett Temple have given fourth-year shooting guard Ben McLemore another chance to prove himself, notes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. McLemore returned to the Kings’ starting lineup Friday after losing that position last month and put up a season-high 18 points. He is hoping to finish the season strong before heading into free agency this summer. “Once I knew I was going to get the starting spot, I knew I was prepared,” McLemore said. “But now I’ve just got to go out there and perform and not worry about making mistakes and stuff like that. I’ve been working real hard, and it showed out there on the floor [Friday].”
The Kings expect to be without forward Omri Casspi until after the All-Star break, according to Matt Kawahara of The Sacramento Bee. Casspi was projected to miss one or two weeks after straining the plantaris tendon in his right calf during a January 16th practice. He was re-evaluated last week and hoped to play this weekend, but coach Dave Joerger said Saturday that the return could take much longer. “I don’t think we’re going to see Omri ’til after the All-Star break,” Joerger said. “That could change, but we’d rather be a little conservative with him.” Casspi has appeared in just 22 games this season, averaging 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds.
The injuries have also created an expanded role for first-round pick Malachi Richardson, writes James Ham of CSNBayArea. Richardson has spent much of the season in the D-League, but has been used by Joerger in the past eight games.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/4/17

February 4th, 2017 at 4:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls:

The Celtics assigned power forward Jordan Mickey to their affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Mickey has appeared in 14 games with the Celtics but didn’t get any playing time in the last three games.
The Hawks recalled rookie forward Taurean Prince from the Long Island Nets, according to a press release from the D-League team. Prince played for the Nets’ affiliate on Friday under the flexible assignment rule and tallied 16 points, four rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes at Greensboro. He’s played five games for the Nets’ D-League club and 29 games for the Hawks, averaging 3.4 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 10.1 MPG.
The Kings recalled center Georgios Papagiannis from their affiliate in Reno, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets. The 7’2” center is averaging 12.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 2.3 BPG in 18 D-League games.
The Spurs recalled guards Bryn Forbes and Dejounte Murray from their affiliate in Austin, according to a team press release. The duo was sent down to get some game action. Forbes had 20 points and seven rebounds against Rio Grande on Friday night, while Murray racked up 19 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
The Bulls recalled rookie guard Denzel Valentine from the Windy City Bulls, according to a team release. Valentine averaged 30.5 PPG, 12.0 RPG and 7.0 APG in two games with Windy City.

Kings’ Temple Out Two To Three Weeks

February 1st, 2017 at 7:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kings guard Garrett Temple will miss two to three weeks with a partially torn hamstring, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com. Temple suffered the injury in Tuesday’s loss at Houston.

The 30-year-old swingman has been a reliable bench player for Sacramento for most of the season and moved into the starting lineup after Rudy Gay‘s Achilles tear last month. Temple is averaging 7.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 49 games.

“I got a strip on James [Harden] and pushed off to go grab it and felt it right away,” Temple told Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. “I knew it wasn’t a cramp. I knew what it was right away.”

Temple has experience with hamstring tears, and says this one isn’t as severe as one he suffered a couple of seasons ago when he played for the Wizards. That kept him out of action for about a month, as he aggravated it in his first practice when trying to return.

The Kings are already shorthanded at the wing position with injuries to Gay and Omri Casspi, so until Temple recovers, they will have to rely on rookie Malachi Richardson along with Ben McLemore, who played Tuesday for the first time in six games.

“Guys are going to step up,” Temple said. “I have a lot of faith in Malachi, Ben, and when Omri gets back, we can still bounce back and hopefully I’ll be back sooner than later.”