Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Kings Notes: Physicality, Len, Fox, Monk, Giles

December 13th, 2023 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Kings have lost nine games so far this season, those losses have come against just four separate teams. Sacramento has lost to Pelicans three times and the Clippers, Warriors, and Rockets twice apiece — Tuesday’s defeat at the hands of the Clippers was the second time in two weeks that the Kings have fallen to L.A.

Speaking on Tuesday to reporters, including Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, head coach Mike Brown suggested that the Kings’ record so far indicates his club struggles to match up with the length and physicality of bigger teams.

“Houston’s big,” Brown said. “New Orleans is big. The Clippers are big, and obviously they’re different because some of them have scoring at four or five positions, but it’s about the level of physicality that our opponents have brought to the game when it comes to the common denominator for the losses.”

Besides being disappointed with the lack of physicality and grit his team showed on Tuesday, Brown was also perturbed by his players’ focus on addressing issues on the offensive end rather than prioritizing getting defensive stops.

“At the end of the first half, they shot 60% from the floor and scored 70 points, and throughout that whole first half, coming from our players, it’s ‘Hey, we’ve got to swing the ball. We’ve got to do this offensively. We’ve got to do that offensively,'” Brown said. “That can’t be our mindset, not when a team’s shooting 60% from the floor and scoring 70 points on you and getting 32 points in the paint in one half. Your mindset has to be: Somebody has to get a stop.”

Here’s more on the Kings:

Reserve center Alex Len, who is recovering from a high right ankle sprain, has resumed on-court activities but isn’t running or jumping yet, he tells Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The team initially announced on November 17 – nearly four weeks ago – that Len was expected to be sidelined for six-to-eight weeks, so his return is still a little ways off.
De’Aaron Fox reportedly turned down a two-year, maximum-salary extension offer from the Kings prior to the season in the hopes of landing a more significant payday in a year or two. So what might his next deal look like? Keith Smith of Spotrac digs into that topic, exploring a few different scenarios that depend on whether or not Fox qualifies for a super-max contract.
Kings guard Malik Monk was hit with a $2,000 flopping fine for a play that took place in Monday’s win over Brooklyn, per the NBA (Twitter link). The video of the play can be found right here.
Monday’s return to Sacramento was a “dream come true” for former first-round pick Harry Giles, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Now a member of the Nets, Giles spent his first three years in the NBA with the Kings and said he misses the fans in Sacramento. “I don’t know what it is. It just feels like home. It feels like we’ve known each other forever,” Giles told Anderson of The Bee. “Some people are just meant for you. Sacramento fans are meant for me and I’m meant for them. That’s a mutual thing we have in common. I feel like I’m from here almost.”

Charania’s Latest: Siakam, Bulls, Tucker, Vincent, Morant, Grizzlies

December 11th, 2023 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Rival teams believe Pascal Siakam is the most likely player to be traded if the Raptors decide to break up their core, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Charania identifies the Hawks, Kings and Pacers as “expected suitors” for either Siakam or OG Anunoby. Atlanta had “intense conversations” with Toronto during the offseason about a potential Siakam deal, and Sacramento and Indiana have both reached out to the Raptors about his availability over the past year, according to Charania. However, he adds that the Kings are becoming more confident that they can develop into a contender with their current roster and may be less likely to pursue a major trade.

Both players are headed toward free agency next summer, with Siakam on a $37.9MM expiring contract and Anunoby holding a $19.9MM player option for 2024/25 that he’s virtually certain to decline. Toronto’s front office might be more aggressive about seeking a trade after losing free agent Fred VanVleet this offseason, but a rival executive tells Charania to expect “a game of chicken” from the Raptors all the way to the deadline.

Charania offers an inside look at several other teams:

The Bulls have won four straight games without Zach LaVine, but his injury setback is expected to slow down any progress toward a trade. Charania identifies the Lakers and Sixers as potential destinations, but adds that both teams are being patient while considering their options. Several teams have called about Alex Caruso, league sources tell Charania, but Chicago’s front office has no interest in moving him.
P.J. Tucker is unhappy with his current situation, and the Clippers are working with him to resolve it, either by giving him a larger role or moving him elsewhere, according to Charania. Tucker, who came to L.A. in the James Harden trade, hasn’t played since November 27 and is mainly serving as a mentor to the team’s younger players. Charania hears that multiple contenders are keeping an eye on Tucker’s potential availability.
The Lakers could have Gabe Vincent back on the court by next Monday, sources tell Charania. After signing as a free agent this summer, Vincent has been dealing with a left knee effusion that has limited him to four games.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant “looks good” as he prepares to return from his suspension, according to Charania’s sources. Commissioner Adam Silver said over the weekend that Morant “has complied with everything he’s been asked to do.” He could be cleared to return as early as December 19 for a game at New Orleans.
The Grizzlies will have to remove someone from their roster when Morant is reinstated, and they would prefer to keep veteran center Bismack Biyombo, according to Charania. Memphis signed Biyombo to a one-year, $5MM contract after an injury sidelined Steven Adams for the season, and he has been a capable fill-in, averaging 6.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.25 blocks in 15 games. Sources tell Charania that Memphis has been active in trade talks around the league involving other players on its roster.

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Turner, Trade Options, J. Smith

December 8th, 2023 at 7:24am CST by Rory Maher

One of the highlights of the NBA’s new in-season tournament has been the emergence of Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has taken his game to new heights under the bright glare of the national spotlight. After defeating the favored Celtics in the quarterfinals on Monday, Indiana dispatched the Bucks — another Eastern contender — in the semifinals on Thursday to earn a spot in Saturday’s final, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

“Tyrese is just one of those transcendent players that with him on the court, anything is possible,” head coach Rick Carlisle said.

Haliburton’s impact on the franchise has been “rejuvenating,” according to Myles Turner, who was dissatisfied with his role in Indiana prior to the six-player February 2022 trade that sent Domantas Sabonis to Kings and Haliburton to the Pacers. Nearly two years later, Turner says that blockbuster deal with Sacramento was a win-win for the two franchises, though he gives the edge to Indiana, per Sam Amick of The Athletic.

“I think we won the trade personally, but I’m biased of course,” Turner told Amick. “I think it was mutually beneficial. (Kings guard De’Aaron) Fox got something that he needed, and I got the point guard that I needed.”

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Trading for Haliburton in February 2022 convinced Indiana to cater to his strengths by playing at an extremely fast pace, per Wes Goldberg of RealGM. “Coach allows my personality and who I am as a player to flow into our offense,” Haliburton said. “We lead the league in assists and that starts with me, but I think it’s everybody sharing the ball and wanting to see others succeed.” The Pacers currently have the top offense in the league, Goldberg notes.
Haliburton hopes to emulate Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose presence in Milwaukee put the Bucks in a better position to attract stars to a non-marquee market, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Thursday’s broadcast (Twitter video link). “As Haliburton said to me, ‘I’m going to get you shots, I’m going to make life easy for you, and we are going to win,'” Wojnarowski said. “And that is really Haliburton’s mission right now, is to use this tournament – use this season – to start making the case to star players around the league, ‘Come play with me in Indiana.'”
According to Wojnarowski, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard has shown interest in players like Raptors forwards Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby within the last year. Indiana has the NBA’s lowest payroll this season, with plenty of moveable draft assets, and could have maximum-salary cap room in 2024, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), so roster upgrades are possible. Still, one Pacers staffer who spoke to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports wondered if “this experiment is too fresh and too positive to mess with its current chemistry,” Fischer writes.
Jalen Smith, who has been battling a left knee bone bruise, will remain sidelined through Saturday’s final, Dopirak tweets. Carlisle said Smith has been limited to light running to this point. The 23-year-old backup center is having a strong season, averaging 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 70.7% from the field through 14 games (15.4 MPG), and he could hit free agency in 2024 if he declines his $5.4MM player option for next season.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Kings Offered De’Aaron Fox Extension Before Season

December 6th, 2023 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings offered guard De’Aaron Fox a two-year, maximum-salary extension prior to the start of the 2023/24 season, according to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report. Haynes discussed the offer on the latest episode of his #thisleague UNCUT podcast with Marc Stein.

As Haynes outlines, since Fox had three guaranteed years left on his current contract entering this season, a two-year extension was the best offer Sacramento could make when he became eligible for a new deal over the summer. However, the Kings recognized the guard likely wouldn’t sign a new agreement at this time and weren’t bothered by the fact that he passed on their offer, Haynes adds.

Fox is one of several players who can become eligible for a super-max contract extension by making an All-NBA team in 2024. That’s one important reason why it makes sense for him to wait on his next deal, especially since an All-NBA spot is hardly a far-fetched goal for the Kings star — he made the Third Team this past spring and has increased his scoring average this fall to a career-best 30.3 points per game through 14 contests (36.6 MPG).

If Fox qualifies for a super-max extension, he would be eligible to sign a contract that begins at up to 35% of the salary cap (instead of 30%). In that scenario, he would also be permitted to sign for six total years (instead of five), which means he could add four years to the two still left on his current deal.

The exact value of the two-year extension the Kings offered is unknown, as is the value of a hypothetical super-max extension, since either deal would start in 2026/27 and would be based on a percentage of that season’s cap. However, the gap between the two would be significant. If we were to assume a $160MM cap for ’26/27, a super-max offer would be worth nearly $251MM over four years, whereas the two-year extension Sacramento proposed prior to this season would be worth about $100MM.

Fox isn’t permitted to sign a new deal between now and June 30, since he’s not on an expiring contract, but he’ll become extension-eligible again next July, regardless of whether or not he meets the super-max criteria.

While Haynes and Stein stress that Fox and the Kings are interested in a long-term partnership, it will be interesting to see if the two sides reach an extension agreement next summer if the guard doesn’t make an All-NBA team. Fox, who will turn 26 next month, would have another opportunity to qualify for a super-max contract by earning an All-NBA spot in 2025 if he doesn’t sign a new contract during the ’24 offseason.

Tournament’s Final Four Set, Regular Season Schedule Finalized

December 6th, 2023 at 7:08am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks and the Lakers earned quarterfinal victories on Tuesday night, joining the Pacers and Pelicans as the final four teams that will head to Las Vegas to compete for the championship in the NBA’s first-ever in-season tournament.

Milwaukee pulled away from New York in the second half in Tuesday’s early game, with superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combining for 63 points in the 146-122 victory.

In the late game, the Lakers benefited from a generous timeout call in the closing seconds (Twitter video link) and eked out Phoenix in a 106-103 nail-biter, led by LeBron James‘ 31 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, and five steals.

The schedule for Thursday’s semifinals at T-Mobile Arena is as follows:

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers (4:00 pm Central time)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans (8:00 pm CT)

The winners of those semifinal matchups will square off in the in-season tournament final at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday at 7:30 pm CT.

Players on standard contracts with the Bucks, Pacers, Lakers, and Pelicans have now secured bonuses worth at least $100K (two-way players will earn half that amount). A semifinal victory would increase those bonuses to at least $200K, while the champs will earn $500K apiece.

The Celtics, Knicks, Kings, and Suns, meanwhile, will come away with bonuses worth $50K per player for making the knockout round, but won’t get the opportunity to head to Vegas for the tournament’s final stage.

Instead, the Knicks will travel to Boston on Friday, while the Kings will visit Phoenix on the same night. Those newly added regular season contests represent the 82nd game on each team’s schedule. Thursday’s semifinals will also count toward the NBA’s regular season standings, but Saturday’s final won’t, since that will be the 83rd game on those teams’ schedules.