Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Poll: Ty Lawson’s NBA Future

September 6th, 2016 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Although Ty Lawson never earned an All-Star nod during his six years in Denver, he was playing at an All-Star level during his final couple seasons with the Nuggets. In 2013/14, the former first-round pick averaged a career-high 17.6 PPG to go along with 8.8 APG and 1.6 SPG. A year later, he increased his APG to 9.6 while chipping in 15.2 PPG and 1.2 SPG.

However, Lawson’s playing career was derailed by a series of off-court incidents, including multiple DUI arrests and a stint in an alcohol treatment facility. The Nuggets sent him to the Rockets, who eventually waived him. Lawson joined the Pacers for the end of the 2015/16 season and for the playoffs, but he looked like a shell of his former shelf in Houston and Indiana, setting new career lows in categories like PPG, FG%, 3PT%, FT%, and several others.

In 2016/17, Lawson will get a fresh start in Sacramento, having signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Kings. As Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders writes, many people close to Lawson believe he can bounce back and show that he’s capable of being a starting NBA point guard once again, while others around the league believe this might be his last shot to stick on an NBA roster.

The Kings lost starting point guard Rajon Rondo in free agency, and Darren Collison will almost certainly face a suspension from the league after agreeing to a plea deal in a domestic violence case. Sacramento has a couple other candidates for that point guard spot on its roster – including free agent signee Garrett Temple – but the door is open for Lawson to potentially earn the starting job to begin the regular season.

What do you expect from Lawson in Sacramento this season, and in general going forward? Will he bounce back from an awful year and recapture the form that made him a standout player in Denver? Is last year’s production the new normal for Lawson? Does he have a decent NBA future ahead of him, or was 2015/16 the beginning of the end? Weigh in below with your vote and your comments!

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Kings Sign Isaiah Cousins

September 6th, 2016 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

One of the final few unsigned picks from the 2016 draft has a new contract in place, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Charania reports that the Kings have signed 59th overall selection Isaiah Cousins to a partially guaranteed, one-year contract.

Cousins (no relation to DeMarcus) is a 6’6″ shooting guard out of Oklahoma who became the second-last player selected in this year’s draft. In his final year with the Sooners, Cousins averaged 12.6 PPG, 4.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, and 1.4 SPG in 37 contests. The senior also shot 41.1% on three-point attempts and made nearly two of them per game — his shooting percentage was better on three-pointers than on two-pointers for a second consecutive season.

With 14 guaranteed contracts on their books already, the Kings may not have room on their regular-season roster for Cousins. Unless the team waives another player, the 22-year-old rookie would have to beat out both Ty Lawson and Lamar Patterson – along with any other camp invitees – to grab a spot on the 15-man roster.

If Sacramento ultimately cuts Cousins before the regular season begins, the team would retain its D-League rights to him, and could assign him to the Reno Bighorns. However, if another NBA club wanted to sign Cousins to its 15-man roster, the Kings wouldn’t be able to stop that from happening.

With Cousins locked up, there are only two 2016 draftees – Daniel Hamilton of the Thunder and Tyrone Wallace of the Jazz – whose outlooks for 2016/17 remain uncertain. For a team to retain its NBA rights to a second-round pick, it must tender a one-year, minimum-salary contract offer by September 6, so it’s possible Hamilton and Wallace will have their situations resolved soon as well.

While Cousins’ contract will likely be a minimum-salary pact, the Kings still have their $2.898MM room exception available, so they could have offered more than the minimum.

Rudy Gay Will Likely Turn Down Player Option

September 4th, 2016 at 11:34am CST by ChrisCrouse

Rudy Gay will likely leave the Kings either via trade this season or in free agency next year, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes. Gay holds a player option worth slightly more than $14.26MM for the 2017/18 campaign and Kyler believes the forward turns it down in search of a long-term deal.

Darren Collison Agrees To Plea Deal

September 2nd, 2016 at 6:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The domestic violence case against the Kings’ Darren Collison has been resolved, with the point guard agreeing to a plea deal, James Ham of CSNBayArea.com reports. As part of the arrangement, Collison pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic violence, Ham notes. The 29-year-old received a 20-day jail sentence, which he will serve in an Alternative Sentencing Program, where he will work on community service projects overseen by Placer County. He will not spend any time incarcerated, per the scribe.

In addition to community service, Collison was also sentenced to three years of informal probation and he is required to attend a 52-week “Batterer Treatment” class, which is mandatory by the state of California in all domestic violence convictions, Ham relays.

“Words cannot describe the feelings and regret that I have been experiencing the last few months,” Collison said in a statement. “My family and I found ourselves in such an unfamiliar situation and it has been a difficult few months. This is far from who I am as a person and not something I am proud of. I take full responsibility for my actions. I have apologized to my beautiful wife that I have known and loved since high school. I appreciate and am thankful for the love and understanding from my family, friends and supporters. Now it is time to put this behind us and move forward.”

The Kings also released a statement on the matter, which read: “Domestic violence is a serious issue across our nation and one that runs contrary to our organization’s values. We’re disappointed by Darren’s behavior and today he accepted full responsibility for his actions. He is committed to using this incident to help raise awareness through education of this critical issue in the community. We’re working with Darren and the NBA on the appropriate next steps.”

With Collison now officially convicted of a crime, he will almost assuredly be facing a suspension by the NBA. The previous precedent established for what Collison and Sacramento could be facing was when Jeff Taylor pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor domestic assault charge back in 2014 and received a 24-game suspension from the NBA as a result.

Kings Notes: Arena, Thompson, Lawson

September 1st, 2016 at 9:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The estimated cost of the new Kings’ arena has risen by approximately $79MM to $556.6MM, Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee reports. The Golden 1 Center, which is scheduled to open in a month, was originally projected to cost $447MM, a figure that was revised to $477MM during groundbreaking in October 2014, Kasler continues. The latest estimate represents a $21.7MM increase in just the past month, though the additional costs must be paid by Kings chairman Vivek Ranadive and the other team owners, according to Kasler. The city’s subsidy for the arena was capped at $255MM. The construction of a downtown practice facility, and reconfiguring of the original design to create more lower bowl seats, were among the reasons for the additional costs, Kasler adds.

In other developments concerning the Kings:

The club will work out swingman Mychel Thompson, brother of Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson, international journalist David Pick tweets. Mychel Thompson has played parts of the last three seasons with the D-League Santa Cruz Warriors. He also appeared in 14 games with Pallacanestro Varese of Italy last season before rejoining Santa Cruz.
Point guard Ty Lawson made a foolhardy decision last summer when he consented to give up $13.2MM in salary non-guaranteed to facilitate a trade from the Nuggets to the Rockets, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders points out (Twitter links). Lawson was subsequently waived and wound up with the Pacers, where he played 13 games. He couldn’t find a team before he signed a $1.3MM summer contract with the Kings on Wednesday that offers him no salary protection, even if he’s injured.

Rudy Gay's Option Creates Complication In Trade Talks

September 1st, 2016 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

Rudy Gay‘s 2017/18 player option has been a complication in trade talks, since some potential suitors don’t want to take on that option, and others would want assurances he’ll opt in, per Kyler. Still, the Kings appear ready to move on, with Kyler suggesting it’s probably “a matter of when rather than if” Gay gets traded.

[SOURCE LINK]

Kings Sign Ty Lawson To One-Year Deal

August 31st, 2016 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 31: The Kings have officially signed Lawson, the team announced today in a press release. According to a report from CSNCalifornia.com, the point guard’s one-year deal isn’t guaranteed, so the team won’t be on the hook for his full salary if he’s cut before January 10.

AUGUST 28: The Kings have reached an agreement with free agent point guard Ty Lawson, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Sacramento is signing Lawson to a one-year contract for the coming season.

Lawson visited the Kings on Saturday and ultimately decided to sign with the team despite having also received “serious interest” from the Pelicans, tweets Wojnarowski. The 28-year-old has seen his career trajectory change significantly within the last couple years, after he was arrested multiple times on DUI charges and spent time in rehab.

A 2009 first-round pick, Lawson became the Nuggets’ full-time starting point guard during the 2011/12 season, and averaged 16.4 PPG to go along with 8.0 APG over the next four years. However, Denver sent him to the Rockets last July, and Houston subsequently waived him. Over the course of the 2015/16 season, Lawson appeared in 66 total regular-season games, averaging 5.7 PPG and 3.6 APG in part-time roles for the Rockets and the Pacers, who signed him late in the season.

The Kings had been on the lookout for point guard help this offseason, having lost Rajon Rondo in free agency. Rondo’s departure left Darren Collison as the team’s de facto starter at the point, but Collison is facing domestic violence charges, which could eventually lead to a suspension depending on how the case plays out.

While Sacramento added Garrett Temple in free agency and Isaiah Cousins in the draft, Temple is more of a combo guard than a pure point guard, and Cousins was a late second-rounder who has yet to sign a contract.

The terms of Lawson’s contract aren’t yet known. Sacramento doesn’t have any cap room left, but the team has yet to use its $2.898MM room exception. So the veteran point guard could either get a minimum-salary deal or something slightly larger, if the Kings dip into that room exception.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kings Were Reportedly Targeting Rubio

August 30th, 2016 at 5:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Kings have likely found their starting point guard to begin the season in Ty Lawson, who agreed to a one-year deal with the team earlier this week. Prior to Lawson coming aboard, Sacramento had been close to acquiring a point guard via trade, with the Wolves‘ Ricky Rubio the most likely target, according to Sirius XM NBA Radio host Mitch Lawrence (Audio link). It appears the addition of Lawson has put a halt to any trade talks for Sacramento at this time, Lawrence adds. There has been some speculation that Minnesota’s addition of rookie point guard Kris Dunn would ultimately lead to Rubio being dealt.

Ty Lawson Had Planned To Meet With Pelicans

August 29th, 2016 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

After visiting the Kings on the weekend, free agent point guard Ty Lawson had planned to meet with Pelicans officials early this week, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. However, Lawson ultimately cancelled that meeting when Sacramento made a contract offer, which he accepted.

Within his initial report on Lawson’s deal with the Kings, Wojnarowski noted that the Pelicans had “serious interest” in the 28-year-old. Lawson has significant upside, but is coming off the worst season of his career and has dealt with off-field problems in recent years, as he was arrested multiple times on DUI charges and spent time in rehab.

The Pelicans are currently poised to enter the season with Jrue Holiday as their starting point guard and Tim Frazier backing him up. Other backcourt players, such as Tyreke Evans and Langston Galloway, could occasionally handle the ball, but aren’t really point guards. As such, Lawson probably would have had to battle Frazier for the No. 2 spot on the point guard depth chart if he had landed in New Orleans.

The path to playing time might be a little simpler for Lawson in Sacramento, where Rajon Rondo is no longer manning the point. Darren Collison looks like the Kings’ starter, with Garrett Temple backing him up. However, Collison is facing domestic violence charges and Temple – while capable of playing the point – isn’t really a pure point guard.

Terms of Lawson’s new deal with the Kings aren’t yet known, but it will be interesting to see if Sacramento offered him more money than New Orleans would have been able to, in order to convince him to cancel that meeting. The Pelicans used most of their $2.9MM room exception on Frazier, and would have had to offer Lawson a minimum-salary deal, while the Kings still have their full room exception available.

Poll: DeMarcus Cousins’ Future

August 26th, 2016 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

DeMarcus Cousins has been a popular topic of trade speculation for multiple seasons, which comes as no surprise. Cousins is one of the NBA’s more talented big men, but his Kings haven’t won more than 33 games in a season during the six years he has been in Sacramento, and he hasn’t always seen eye-to-eye with the team’s head coaches.

With another new coach – Dave Joerger – taking over for 2016/17, the Kings and Cousins have agreed to take a “fresh-start approach” to their relationship, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who noted this week that Cousins liked the hiring of Joerger. As Kyler details, Sacramento has been turning away any inquiries from rival teams on Cousins, and expects to play out the ’16/17 season with Cousins as the cornerstone of the roster.

Still, Cousins is only under contract with the Kings for two more years, and if the team doesn’t become a playoff contender soon, that summer of 2018 could begin looming larger and larger. As Zach Harper of CBSSports.com writes, many people around the NBA believe Cousins will leave Sacramento when his contract expires, and think the Kings need to seriously consider moving him at some point before then.

“They’re fooling themselves if they think he’s sticking around,” one league executive said to Harper. “The good news for them is his value will always be high. There isn’t a point of no return in which you’re not getting high value for him. Teams will bid against each other in the trade market. Maybe [Cousins] doesn’t go for the biggest money in free agency, but you’d love to have that card to play.”

As dysfunctional a franchise as Sacramento has been for the last several years, Joerger is a well-respected coach, and the team made some solid moves this offseason, inking veteran free agents Arron Afflalo, Matt Barnes, Garrett Temple, and Anthony Tolliver to multiyear deals, and adding three first-round prospects in Georgios Papagiannis, Malachi Richardson, and Skal Labissiere. If the Kings start playing well, Cousins trade rumors figure to remain on the back burner for the foreseeable future. But if the team struggles out of the gate, the rumor mill figures to be more active than ever.

What do you think Cousins’ future holds? Will the Kings ultimately decide to trade him? Will he leave in two years as a free agent? Or will Cousins remain in Sacramento long-term after a rocky first few years with the franchise? Vote in our poll, and weigh in below in our comment section with your thoughts on the All-Star big man.

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