Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: McCants, Llull, D-League, Trades

October 6th, 2016 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Former UNC standout and 2005 lottery pick Rashad McCants hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since 2009, but he has played in Puerto Rico, China, Brazil, Lebanon, the Philippines, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic since then. Could his next stop be back in America? According to Chris Reichert of Upside and Motor (Twitter link), McCants may sign with the D-League in the hopes of making his way back onto an NBA roster.

While we wait to see what McCants’ future holds, let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the league…

According to a report from Marca in Spain (translation via Sportando), Sergio Llull‘s buyout with Real Madrid was increased from five million euros to 12 million euros in his most recent contract extension with the team. This runs counter to a 2015 report that suggested Llull’s NBA buyout had been reduced with his new deal. If it’s true, it will make a signing even trickier for the Rockets, who would like to bring the Spanish star to Houston in 2017.
The NBA D-League is making changes to the way it populates its pool of draft-eligible players. Adam Johnson of D-League Digest has the details, along with his thoughts on the adjustments.
Kenneth Faried, who reportedly remains on the trade block in Denver, is one of the Western Conference players most likely to be traded this season, according to Kevin Pelton and a group of ESPN.com writers (Insider-only link). In addition to Faried, the list also features multiple Suns and Kings veterans.
ESPN.com’s NBA Insiders also took a look at the Eastern Conference players most likely to be traded this season, including Jaylen Brown, Mario Hezonja, and a pair of Sixers bigs.

Temple Ready For Increased Role During Collison Suspension

October 5th, 2016 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

After pleading guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic battery, Darren Collison was suspended eight games by the NBA, a penalty that will cost him nearly $400K in salary. However, as Kings general manager Vlade Divac tells Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee, the discipline from the league for Collison could have been harsher.

“These are serious matters,” said the Kings GM. “It goes against all the values our organization wants to represent. But I think it’s fair. The (Placer County District Attorney’s Office) did their investigation and made their decision, and the league did their own investigation as well. And the fact Darren cooperated right from the start, I believe, really helped him.”

Although he stands 6’6″, Garrett Temple has always made an effort to be a versatile player, which has meant spending some time at the point guard position. As Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes, Temple could be an important piece for the Kings, as a veteran who can play alongside another point guard or run the point himself when necessary.

Kings Notes: Lawson, Collison, Cauley-Stein

October 3rd, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

After four arrests for driving under the influence, the most significant obstacle for Ty Lawson as the guard tries to revive his career on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Kings is himself, Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes. Lawson’s presence is vital for the Kings, who learned Sunday that Darren Collison will be suspended for eight games to start the season following his arrest on misdemeanor domestic violence charges, Voisin adds. What’s more, the Kings lost Rajon Rondo in free agency, which ultimately led to taking a chance on Lawson, as Voisin points out.

“We went over the (free agent) list and evaluated everybody and in terms of talent, nobody was close to Ty,” Kings GM Vlade Divac said. “But we needed to meet with him and talk about a few things before we offered a contract.”

Here’s more out of Sacramento:

Collison’s eight-game suspension represents just a fraction of the 24 games Jeff Taylor received in 2014 for his misdemeanor domestic violence arrest. However, a person with knowledge of the investigation tells Sam Amick of USA Today that the same domestic violence experts consulted in the Taylor decision were used in the Collison case.
While it seems to be an unlikely pairing, Kings big man Willie Cauley-Stein tells James Ham of CSNBayArea.com that Peja Stojakovic, the team’s VP of player personnel and development, has been mentoring him in preparation for the 2016/17 season. “Especially in the summer time, I did a lot of work,” Cauley-Stein said. “Our goal every day was to make 700 shots. So by the end of the week, we were making thousands of shots.”
The Kings will play in the brand-new Golden 1 Center this season, an arena owner Vivek Ranadive calls “the world’s best,” per USA Today (video link). Former commissioner David Stern, who played a significant part in overseeing the sale of the Kings to Ranadive, vowed in a Sacramento Bee interview that he’ll be there for the team’s home opener.

Will Joseph contributed to this post.

League Suspends Darren Collison

October 2nd, 2016 at 3:04pm CST by Will Joseph

Kings point guard Darren Collison has been suspended for the first eight games of the regular season, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports, citing league sources (on Twitter). Collison can play in preseason games and participate in all practices, Stein adds (Twitter link).

Collison was arrested on misdemeanor domestic violence charges stemming from an incident in May involving his wife. He agreed to a plea deal in early September and as part of the arrangement, Collison pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic violence. The 29-year-old received a 20-day jail sentence, which he was scheduled to serve in an Alternative Sentencing Program, working on community service projects.

The Kings, who missed out on Rajon Rondo in free agency, signed Ty Lawson as insurance in case Collison received a long suspension. Coach Dave Joerger said last week that the uncertainty which was surrounding Collison was not having an impact on the team. Joerger also hoped for a ruling sooner rather than later in order for that to remain the case, which the Kings received.

Collison Ruling Awaited: Replacements For Gay Considered

September 28th, 2016 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kings coach Dave Joerger said the uncertainty surrounding point guard Darren Collison isn’t affecting the team yet, but he hopes for a ruling from the league soon, relays Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Collison is likely to be suspended after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery involving his wife. He was sentenced to three years of probation and 20 days in jail, which can be served through alternative sentencing. “If it lingers on two more, three more weeks, it’ll have an effect,” Joerger said. “But for now, it’s so much basic stuff anyways, foundation stuff, it’s general.” The Kings recently signed Ty Lawson as insurance in case Collison receives a long suspension.

If the Kings trade Rudy Gay, there are limited options on the roster to take his place as the starting small forward, writes James Ham of CSNBayArea. Trade rumors are swirling around Gay again after he announced last week that he plans to opt out of his contract next summer. Ham believes Gay will be dealt before February’s trade deadline, and the Kings aren’t guaranteed to get a small forward in return. If that happens, Omri Casspi, Matt Barnes and Garrett Temple are most likely to take his place.

Rudy Gay Confirms Opt-Out Decision

September 27th, 2016 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

A report last week indicated that Rudy Gay will opt out of his contract with the Kings in 2017, and the veteran forward confirmed as much when he spoke to reporters on Monday. “I made the decision to opt out,” Gay said during the club’s media day, per Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. “Whether I sign here, whether I’m here the rest of the season or whether I start here, it’s really not up to me. Wherever I am, I’m going play to the best of my ability.”

While Gay has not explicitly requested a trade, his comments on Monday, and throughout the offseason, suggest he’s not overly excited about spending another season with the Kings, so it will be interesting to see how aggressive the team is as it explores potential trade scenarios in the coming weeks or months.

Ty Lawson is hoping to rebuild his image and his NBA career with the Kings this season, per Michael Wagaman of The Associated Press (link via The Denver Post). “I think I’ve grown a lot and I’m just ready to move forward,” Lawson said. “I heard a GM said, ‘I think he lost a step. He can’t shoot anymore.’ I’ve got a lot to prove and I got a chip on my shoulder to prove it.”

Barnes Hopes To Improve Chemistry

September 25th, 2016 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

As he gets ready for his first training camp with the Kings, one of Matt Barnes‘ objectives will be to improve team chemistry, relays Andy Furillo of The Sacramento Bee. The 36-year-old Barnes agreed to a two-year, $12MM contract this summer to come to Sacramento. He joins an organization that was beset by internal problems last season, especially between star big man DeMarcus Cousins and former coach George Karl. “I’ve never been a star player, so to speak,” Barnes said, “but I’ve been one of the leaders, one of the voices of reason, and I have, I think, an uncanny ability to be able to get through to everybody, and not so much by talking. I lead by example, so that when I do talk, people listen, and I’m respected.”

Kings Rumors: Point Guards, Gay, McLemore

September 23rd, 2016 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

As Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes in his latest piece, most NBA teams avoid making trades in training camp, preferring to wait until at least December to give their rosters a chance to mesh. However, the Kings still have multiple trade candidates on its roster, and they don’t have much depth at point guard, so it’s not out of the question that the team could make a move within the next month or so.

Here are a few of the highlights from Jones:

Currently, the Kings have 14 players on guaranteed salaries, and the team’s 15th man is expected to be a point guard — likely either Ty Lawson, Jordan Farmar, or Isaiah Cousins. According to Jones, the decision on which point guards make the regular-season roster could end up being tied to a possible Rudy Gay trade.
Sacramento has made Ben McLemore available in trade discussions for months, but Jones suggests (via Twitter) that the coaching staff has really connected with the fourth-year guard and is excited to see how he performs this season. At one point it seemed like a lock that McLemore would be dealt, but he has impressed the Kings lately, says Jones.
One another Kings veteran expected to be traded this summer was center Kosta Koufos, Jones notes. Koufos, whose name was connected to trade rumors in July and August, is fairly affordable at $8MM, given the free agent prices this offseason, but Sacramento has yet to find an acceptable deal.

Isaiah Cousins Gets $100K Guarantee

September 23rd, 2016 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

Although he may not make the Kings‘ regular-season roster, second-round guard Isaiah Cousins received a $100K guarantee on his one-year, minimum-salary contract, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). If Sacramento waives Cousins at the end of the preseason, the club will lose his NBA rights. However, the Kings will be able to hold onto his D-League rights and assign him to the Reno Bighorns. That $100K guarantee may make Cousins more willing to accept a low-paying D-League assignment rather than seeking out a job overseas.

Jordan Farmar Gets No Guaranteed Money From Kings

September 21st, 2016 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

Despite his extensive NBA experience, Jordan Farmar didn’t get any guaranteed money from the Kings, signing a minimum-salary summer contract with the team, according to Pincus. Farmar and Ty Lawson essentially have the same non-guaranteed one-year deal with Sacramento, so the team will likely end up carrying just one of those two players into the regular season.