Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

California Notes: CP3, Curry, Kings, Sabonis

August 20th, 2023 at 2:16pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Longtime rival point guards Stephen Curry and Chris Paul are looking forward to their new status as teammates on a contending Warriors team this year, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

“It’s a beautiful thing about basketball, you can’t write these narratives,” Curry said. “To go full circle, we’ve had a lot of battles over the years. He’s in Year 18, I’m going into Year 15, it’s amazing we have an opportunity to play together, and hopefully win at the highest level. He’s super competitive, and so am I.”

“I’m excited about Steph, Draymond [Green], Klay [Thompson], all the different guys, Wigs [Andrew Wiggins],” Paul said. “I’m excited for us to get together and see what it looks like. It’s just crazy how life works. But when it comes to basketball, I’m probably closest to my happiest. I’m obviously happiest when I’m with my family, but basketball is my safe haven; it’s been that way for a long time.”

Paul, a 12-time All-Star, was sent from the Suns to the Wizards as part of the Bradley Beal trade earlier this summer. The Warriors then traded for the 38-year-old as the centerpiece of its deal to offload Jordan Poole and some other young players.

There’s more out of California:

The new-look Warriors will have to fight to stand out in a crowded Western Conference as they pursue another ring. Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area unpacks 10 key regular season bouts that he believes will serve as a critical proving ground for Golden State.
After finishing with the West’s third seed while returning to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years, the revitalized Kings be featured prominently on national TV this season. According to James Ham of ESPN 1320 (Twitter link), the club will play six regular season contests on TNT, five on ESPN and 11 on NBA TV. Ham adds (via Twitter) that 16 of those 22 national bouts will be played in Sacramento.
Kings All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis is looking forward to the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament, as he told Kyle Irving of The Sporting News. “It’s another chance to win something,” Sabonis said. “In international basketball, these cups in the middle of the season are big. They mean something. And then history happens and it’s important. “I feel like this year, if people aren’t on board at the moment, once that first champion wins, everyone is going to be like, ‘Oh, I want that next year.’ It’s only going to get better and better.”

Only Two NBA Teams Control Their Own 2024 Second-Round Picks

August 20th, 2023 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

As we noted earlier this week when we took a closer look at the 30 trades that have been completed so far during the NBA offseason, second-round picks have become a more popular form of currency than ever, with 54 second-rounders (50 unprotected) included in summer deals.

It’s perhaps no surprise then that nearly every NBA team has either traded away its 2024 second-round pick or could lose it or swap it if certain conditions are met.

The Magic and Kings are currently the only two NBA teams that fully control their own second-round picks in 2024.

The Sixers also haven’t traded away their own ’24 second-rounder, but will have to forfeit it as a result of an NBA investigation into free agency gun-jumping last year.

Of those two clubs that have unconditional control of their second-round picks in next year’s draft, Orlando is the only one that has never traded that 2024 second-rounder at any time. Sacramento sent its ’24 second-round selection to Detroit in a 2021 deal for Delon Wright, then reacquired it a year later in the trade that sent Marvin Bagley III to the Pistons.

Of the NBA’s 27 other teams outside of Detroit, Sacramento, and Philadelphia, a total of 22 will definitely send their second-round picks to another team next June, having traded them without protections or swap rights.

The Nets will, in all likelihood, join that group. They’d keep their own second-round pick if it ends up between Nos. 56 and 59, but if it’s in the top 55, it will be sent to Houston.

The Heat and Spurs, meanwhile, have traded away their 2024 second-round picks with protection. Miami will keep its second-rounder if it’s in the top 50, but would otherwise have to send it to Atlanta or New York. San Antonio will hang onto its ’24 second-rounder if it’s in the top 49, but would otherwise have to send it to Phoenix or Boston.

Given the expectations for those two teams in 2023/24, the Spurs appear far more likely than the Heat to hang onto their own pick.

Finally, the Pelicans and Pacers have given up swap rights to their second-round picks, but will still control a second-rounder, even if it’s not their own. New Orleans will receive the least favorable of its own ’24 second-rounder and Chicago’s pick. Indiana will end up with the least favorable of its own selection, Cleveland’s second-rounder, Utah’s second-rounder.

We’ll publish a full post this afternoon breaking down all the details on 2024’s traded second-round picks.

And-Ones: T. Davis, Player Tiers, 2025 FAs, R. Thompson

August 16th, 2023 at 7:19pm CST by Rory Maher

According to Arale Weisberg of Israeli outlet Walla Sport (Twitter link), Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona is keeping tabs on free agent wing Terence Davis, who spent the past two-and-a-half seasons with the Kings (hat tip to Dario Skerletic of Sportando).

In 64 regular season games (13.1 MPG) with Sacramento in 2022/23, Davis averaged 6.7 PPG and 2.2 RPG on .423/.366/.791 shooting. In total, the 26-year-old has appeared in 227 games over four seasons with the Raptors and Kings.

A handful of NBA teams were rumored to be interested in Davis once free agency got underway on June 30, but he has yet to find another club. The Kings renounced his rights in order to maximize their cap space this summer.

As Skerletic notes, Barcelona — which recently signed Jabari Parker — would likely have to give Davis a contract in the range of Parker’s deal to entice him to come to Europe. Parker will reportedly receive a one-year, $2MM contract that includes an NBA opt-out clause.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Earlier this week, Seth Partnow of The Athletic released his first two player tier rankings ahead of the 2023/24 season. Roughly ranking the top-125 players in the league, tier five consisted of 45 players, while tier four contained 41. His latest installment — tier three — includes 21 players, such as Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, and Kings guard De’Aaron Fox. Partnow’s top two tiers will feature 18 total players.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes an early look at the potential 2025 free agent class, with Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo ranked No. 1 overall. Wizards guard Landry Shamet rounds out Gozlan’s top-65 list.
Former Indiana forward Race Thompson, who went undrafted earlier this summer, recently revealed that he sustained a right tibia plateau fracture a couple months ago, as Kyler Staley of Hoosier Illustrated relays. Thompson had reached an agreement to play for the Knicks in Summer League action, but obviously the injury prevented that from happening.

And-Ones: Washington, Available FAs, Player Tiers, CBA

August 15th, 2023 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

Exploring possible destinations for some of the top remaining free agents, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report suggests that many people around the league think that P.J. Washington – the only standard restricted free agent still on the board – will eventually accept his qualifying offer from the Hornets. Pincus also confirms that the Lakers have conveyed interest in big man Christian Wood.

In considering a potential landing spot for Kelly Oubre, who averaged more than 20 points per game last season, Pincus notes that Memphis makes some sense. While it’s not clear if the Grizzlies have actually expressed interest in Oubre, Pincus points out that they haven’t really replaced Dillon Brooks at forward and have some young players – such as Ziaire Williams or Josh Christopher – who might appeal to the Hornets in a sign-and-trade scenario.

Here are a few more odds and ends from the league:

Seth Partnow of The Athletic has published the first two installments of his player tier rankings for the 2023/24 season. Breaking down the top 125 players of the league into five tiers, Partnow lists 45 players in tier five – including Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes – and 41 more in tier four, such as Kings center Domantas Sabonis, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, and Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns. Partnow’s top three tiers will consist of 39 players and will presumably be posted later this week.
Now that hoarding cap room into the regular season is no longer a viable strategy, Rob Mahoney of The Ringer wonders how the new Collective Bargaining Agreement will change the way that rebuilding teams approach future offseasons.
With no sign that the Damian Lillard or James Harden situations will be resolved anytime soon, John Hollinger of The Athletic questions whether the NBA’s player empowerment era has reached its ceiling. During the last several years, stars who ask for trades have sought increasingly specific destinations despite having less and less leverage, Hollinger observes, adding that the outcomes for Lillard and Harden could create new benchmarks for future star trade requests.

Queta, Noel Headed For Camp Battle

August 14th, 2023 at 9:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A training camp roster battle is on tap between Kings big men Neemias Queta and Nerlens Noel, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat.

Queta Has Partially Guaranteed Contract For Upcoming Season

August 11th, 2023 at 1:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings signed Neemias Queta to a two-year, $4.2MM contract, according to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype (Twitter link). The first year is partially guaranteed and the second season salary is non-guaranteed. Queta, who played with Sacramento on a two-way contract last season, signed a standard contract earlier this week. According to Ricardo Brito Reis (Twitter link), Queta’s $2,019,706 salary for next season includes a $250K guarantee. It’s guaranteed for $500K if he’s on the Opening Day roster and becomes fully guaranteed on Jan. 10. His 2024/25 salary of $2,196,970 becomes guaranteed for $1,098,485 on July 10 and fully guaranteed on Jan. 10, 2025.

Davion Mitchell Sees De'Aaron Fox As An MVP Candidate

August 10th, 2023 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox is coming off his best NBA season, and teammate Davion Mitchell believes he’s ready to become an MVP candidate, per Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. Mitchell touted Fox’s credentials during a recent appearance on the “Deuce and Mo” podcast. “He’s talking more. He’s being a leader,” Mitchell said. “We already know what he can do on the floor, he’s playing defense more, he’s guarding the best players, he’s doing that type of stuff. And when you got a player like that at that level, playing a lot of minutes, a young player, I think we’re going to be tough to beat. He’s shooting the ball really well, little things like that that he’s added to his game that makes him a top player in our league.”

Kings Re-Sign Neemias Queta On Standard Contract

August 8th, 2023 at 9:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

9:40pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

7:35pm: The Kings are re-signing Neemias Queta to a standard contract, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets.

Queta has been on Sacramento’s roster the past two seasons, appearing in a total of 20 NBA games. The 7’0” Queta was a second-round pick in 2021 out of Utah State.

Queta entered the summer as a restricted free agent after finishing last season on a two-way deal. He was eligible for another two-way contract but ineligible for a two-way qualifying offer after having played on a two-way with the Kings for consecutive seasons.

As a result, Queta’s qualifying offer was equivalent to a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a $75K partial guarantee. It’s unclear whether he’s accepting that QO or if he negotiated different terms with Sacramento.

Queta’s health is a question mark. He was diagnosed with a stress reaction and a metatarsal capsule sprain in his right foot last month. That injury occurred during a Summer League game against the Clippers.

Queta only appeared in five NBA games for Sacramento last season, but thrived at the G League level, earning a spot on the All-NBAGL First Team and finishing second in MVP voting. He averaged 16.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.9 blocks in 27.7 minutes per game across 29 regular season appearances for the Stockton Kings.

Prior to the agreement with Queta, Sacramento had 13 players on guaranteed deals and another — Nerlens Noel — on a partially guaranteed contract.

Pacific Notes: Davis, LeBron, Alapag

August 6th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Lakers star center Anthony Davis‘ new three-year maximum extension, projected to be worth $186MM, effectively makes him the full-fledged face of the team, opines Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times.

The 6’10” big man is now under team control until the 2027/28 season, when he will turn 35. As Plaschke notes, Davis has already had major injury problems during three of his four seasons with L.A.

After he proved to be the club’s most essential player in leading the Lakers back to the Western Conference Finals this spring, Davis earned the vote of confidence, in Plaschke’s view. That said, Los Angeles will now rise and fall with Davis. Though his offense can be somewhat inconsistent, he remains one of the league’s best defenders. When healthy, he has helped L.A. reach two Western Conference Finals and win one title.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

The Davis signing seems to indicate that the Lakers hope to retain 38-year-old All-Star forward LeBron James even beyond his current contract, which takes him through the 2024/25 season, per Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. James has a player option for the last year of that deal, his age-40 season. “Nothing happens in a vacuum in all this,” a Western Conference executive told Deveney. “You sign AD to this deal, there is the Klutch connection there, and LeBron has a certain level of responsibility for what Davis does with the Lakers. So of course, there is communication there.” Deveney notes that James is widely anticipated to remain a Laker for the rest of his playing career.
Following a two-season stint with the Kings‘ NBAGL affiliate in Stockton, Jimmy Alapag has been promoted to a player development coaching gig with Sacramento and will join the coaching staff of reigning Coach of the Year Mike Brown, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Alapag, who was an 11-time All-Star while playing for the Philippine Basketball Association, initially coached in that league before joining the Kings’ Summer League bench in 2019.
In case you missed it, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has suggested that Golden State is amenable to four-time champ Andre Iguodala playing for a 20th season – and a ninth with the Warriors – but the club is not counting on his return like it did last summer. Iguodala, 39, only appeared in eight contests last year due to injuries. He has yet to officially retire.

Vancouver, Montréal To Host October Preseason Games

August 3rd, 2023 at 12:41pm CST by Rory Maher

The Canadian cities of Vancouver and Montréal will each host one preseason game in October as part of the NBA’s ninth Canada Series, the league announced in a press release.

According to the NBA, the Raptors and Kings will face off on October 8 in Vancouver, while Montréal will host the Thunder and Pistons on October 12.

Three Canadians will take part in the games — Trey Lyles (Kings), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Luguentz Dort (Thunder). Dort will be playing in his hometown.

“After growing up and learning to play the game of basketball in Montréal, it will be a special experience to play a preseason game in my hometown,” Dort said. “Canada and Montréal are home to some of the best basketball fans in the world, and I’m looking forward to taking the floor at Bell Centre.”

The Canada Series has featured 15 NBA teams in 16 preseason games across six cities since it launched in 2012. The 2023/24 regular season tips off on October 24.