Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings’ LaRavia Out At Least 7-10 Days With Thumb Injury

March 28th, 2025 at 2:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings forward Jake LaRavia underwent imaging on his injured left thumb and has been diagnosed with a bone contusion, the team announced today (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat). LaRavia’s injury occurred in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s loss to Oklahoma City when he took a hard fall under the basket (Twitter video link via Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento).

According to the Kings, LaRavia will be sidelined for the time being and will be reevaluated in approximately seven-to-10 days. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be ready to return at that time — just that he’ll be reassessed.

LaRavia, who was traded from Memphis to Sacramento at last month’s trade deadline, has played a regular rotation role off the bench for his new team. In 19 appearances since joining the Kings, he has averaged 6.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 19.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .438/.385/.579.

The timeline for LaRavia indicates he’ll at least miss the team’s next three games – on Saturday in Orlando, Monday in Indiana, and Wednesday in Washington – and could remain out for more beyond that. Saturday’s contest is the first of a six-game road trip that runs through April 7 before Sacramento returns home for its final three games of the regular season.

With LaRavia unavailable, forwards Trey Lyles, Isaac Jones, and Doug McDermott are among the candidates to pick up additional minutes in the Kings’ frontcourt.

International Notes: Sabonis, NBA Candidates, Canada, PSG

March 27th, 2025 at 8:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Kings star Domantas Sabonis is expected to miss this summer’s EuroBasket tournament due to personal reasons, sources tell BasketNews.com.

According to BasketNews, the Lithuanian big man is expected to inform Linas Kleiza — the GM of Lithuania’s national team — of his decision when Kleiza visits the United States. Kleiza will also meet with Matas Buzelis and Jonas Valanciunas during the trip, per the report.

Here are a few more international notes:

A handful of EuroLeague players could land NBA contracts this summer. Some hold previous NBA experience; others do not. According to EuroHoops.net, Anadolu Efes guard Darius Thompson is the strongest candidate to sign with an NBA club in the offseason. Veteran guards Tyler Dorsey and Nigel Williams-Goss are among the other players to watch.
Who will replace Jordi Fernandez as the next men’s head coach of Canada’s national team? Multiple sources have suggested to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca that Gordon Herbert is the frontrunner for the job. Herbert, a Canadian who played for the team that made the Olympics in 1984, is currently the head coach of Bayern Munich and recently coached Germany’s national team. Former NBA assistant Nate Mitchell and current Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela are among the other possible candidates, Grange reports.
Paris Saint-Germain has interest in joining the NBA’s European league, either by purchasing Paris Basketball or by starting a new team, according to Laurent Perrin and Julian Lesage of Le Parisien (hat tip to Sportando). Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday that the NBA and FIBA are moving forward on the possibility of a new European league, though he noted the process is still in the early stages.

California Notes: Luka, LeBron, Goodwin, Kings, Dunn

March 26th, 2025 at 11:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Following the Lakers‘ seventh loss in 10 games, a 118-106 defeat to Orlando on Monday, All-Star guard Luka Doncic took some accountability for the club’s recent struggles. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, Doncic believes that it falls to him and fellow All-Star LeBron James to lead the Lakers out of this stretch.

Both players missed multiple contests during this 3-7 run, which also included a rough slate of six games played in eight days. Doncic sat out two games due to an ankle ailment, while James was shelved for seven with a groin issue.

“I think me and Bron, think we should be the guys to do that,” Doncic said. “That’s on me. Obviously, I’ve got to do better, I’ve got to talk more. I talked in the first half, then just kind of [let my] voice down and I shouldn’t do that.”

Los Angeles got back in the win column on Wednesday, defeating Indiana 120-119 on the road with a buzzer-beating James tip-in off a Doncic miss. They’ll face off against Chicago on Thursday night in the second game of a back-to-back slate.

There’s more out of California:

Lakers two-way guard Jordan Goodwin reached his active game limit on Tuesday vs. Indiana, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Marks observes that Goodwin’s deal will need to be converted to L.A.’s standard roster if the contending club wants him to suit up in any more regular season or postseason contests. All 15 standard roster spots are occupied, meaning the Lakers would need to cut a player to promote Goodwin.
After losing four straight and eight of their last 10, the Kings are struggling to finish their 2024/25 regular season strong. Pricey new trade acquisition Zach LaVine called out the energy in the team’s locker room earlier this week, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “The vibe is not good,” LaVine said following a Monday defeat to Boston. “It shouldn’t be. We’re not happy with the way we’ve been performing individually and as a group.” Interim head coach Doug Christie disagreed with LaVine’s characterization of the vibe in the locker room. “He was incorrect,” Christie said. “I think when you ask a question like that when you go through a little bit of a losing streak, it’s more about not being happy that you lost, like I’m upset that I lost.”
Clippers reserve guard Kris Dunn is bringing the same acumen he displayed as an on-ball defensive specialist with lottery-bound Chicago and Utah clubs to a fringe West contender, as he tells Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda. “I think it’s probably just being on a bigger stage,” Dunn said. “I’ve done this in Chicago, I’ve done this in Utah. I think also me being healthy plays a part in that — from my earlier years to now, I’ve been doing the same thing for sure.”

Kings Exec Wes Wilcox Named University Of Utah GM

March 26th, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

March 26: The Utes have formally announced Wilcox as their new general manager.

March 25: The University of Utah is targeting Kings assistant general manager Wes Wilcox as the new GM of its men’s basketball program, reports Pete Thamel of ESPN.

While nothing’s official yet, Thamel says the two sides are expected to reach a deal in the near future. James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link) confirms that Wilcox is expected to leave Sacramento for the Utes.

Wilcox initially joined the Kings under general manager Monte McNair in 2020 and was signed to a contract extension in 2023. Prior to his stint in Sacramento, Wilcox held front office jobs in Cleveland and Atlanta, including serving as the Hawks’ GM from 2015-17. He also worked for the Heat and Pelicans earlier in his career.

According to Thamel, if Wilcox officially joins the Utes, he would become the highest-ranking sitting NBA front office executive to accept a college front office job.

This sort of NBA-to-NCAA move is becoming increasingly common due to the ongoing professionalization of college sports, Thamel writes, adding that schools are expected to be able to pay athletes directly through revenue sharing beginning next season.

The University of Utah reached a deal earlier this month to hire Mavericks assistant Alex Jensen as the team’s new head coach. Wilcox hired Jensen as the head coach of the G League’s Canton Charge back when he worked in the Cavaliers’ front office, Thamel notes.

And-Ones: Gores, WNBA, Micic, Bibby, Williams, NIL

March 24th, 2025 at 9:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A new development plan for the Detroit riverfront includes building a multi-sports complex that would support the city’s bid to gain a WNBA franchise, JC Reindl of the Detroit Free Press reports. Pistons owner Tom Gores and a team of local investors plan to use the site to host the team’s practice facility and headquarters. The Pistons and their G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, play their games in downtown Detroit.

Reports surfaced in late January that Detroit was one of the cities bidding for a new WNBA franchise.

We have more from around the international basketball world:

Anadolu Efes guard and former NBA player Shane Larkin said that Suns guard Vasilije Micic could wind up in the EuroLeague next season, as Eurohoops.net relays. “Me and Vasa talk all the time. He’s one of my good friends,” Larkin said, per Meridian Sports. “Obviously we have a lot of history together. And, you know, he’s happy where he’s at, but he’s definitely open to opportunities.” Micic has appeared in just two games with Phoenix since he was traded by Charlotte. Phoenix holds an $8.1MM option on Micic’s contract for next season, which is a virtual lock to be declined.
Mike Bibby, a 14-year NBA veteran, has agreed to become the head coach at Sacramento State, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. Bibby played the prime of his career with the Kings.
Kam Williams of Tulane will test the NBA draft waters, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. The 6’8” wing was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team after averaging 9.3 points per game and shooting 41% on 3-point tries in his first college season.
Writing for The Stein Line (Substack link), Jake Fischer interviews agent Daniel Poneman regarding the NIL and how it impacts the NBA draft and college basketball.

Domantas Sabonis Makes Quick Return From Ankle Injury

March 24th, 2025 at 5:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings big man Domantas Sabonis will return to action on Monday against Boston, Sam Amick of The Athletic tweets.

Less than a week ago, the team announced Sabonis would be out at least 10 days due to a moderate right ankle sprain. That timetable came after Sabonis underwent an MRI.

After missing the last three games, Sabonis was surprisingly listed as questionable to play against the Celtics after fully participating in practice on Sunday.

He’ll now suit up for the Kings, who currently hold the ninth spot in the Western Conference standings with a 35-35 record. Sabonis is averaging 19.2 points, an NBA-leading 13.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game in 58 outings.

If Sabonis appears in seven more games, he’ll be eligible for postseason awards. Whether that provided any additional motivation for him to return quickly is unknown, but the club has lost its last two games to the Bulls and Bucks without his inside presence, so the team’s tenuous hold on a play-in spot is probably the more pressing concern. The Kings also have a home game against Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

Contract Details: I. Jones, Bradley, Knox, Warriors

March 24th, 2025 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The two-year deal that Isaac Jones signed with the Kings when he was promoted from his two-way contract over the weekend is a minimum-salary agreement that will pay him $152,957 for the rest of this season, Hoops Rumors has confirmed.

The second year of Jones’ contract is a minimum-salary team option that would be worth $1,955,377 if it’s exercised.

Picking up that option in June is one path Sacramento could take if the team decides it wants to keep the rookie forward/center around beyond this season. The other would be to decline the option and then issue Jones a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent — in that scenario, the club could attempt to negotiate a longer-term contract with him.

Here are more details on some recently signed contracts:

Tony Bradley‘s new minimum-salary standard contract with the Pacers isn’t just a rest-of-season arrangement. It includes a 2025/26 team option worth $2,940,876. By tacking on an extra year to that deal, Indiana will carry a ’24/25 cap hit of $330,394 for Bradley. If the center had signed a one-year contract, that cap charge would’ve been $263,939, with the NBA reimbursing the Pacers for the remainder of his $330,394 salary.
Kevin Knox‘s standard contract with the Warriors is a one-year, minimum-salary contract. That means Knox’s cap hit is just $263,939, though his salary is $330,394. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
After officially signing Knox, the Warriors remain below their first-apron hard cap by approximately $257K. A rest-of-season minimum-salary contract signed on Monday would carry a cap hit of $251,942, so Golden State could technically add a 15th man to its roster at any time between now and the end of the season. However, there’s probably no rush to do so quite yet.

Injury Notes: Sabonis, Davis, Maxey, Walker, Harden

March 24th, 2025 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings announced on March 18 that center Domantas Sabonis, who was diagnosed with a moderate right ankle sprain, would be reevaluated in 10 days. However, just six days later, Sacramento has listed Sabonis as questionable to play on Monday vs. Boston.

As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes, the Kings announced that Sabonis has made significant progress in his recovery from the ankle sprain and fully participated in Sunday’s practice. It seems possible that an injury initially expected to sideline the big man for at least six games might only cost him three. Teammate Malik Monk predicted that outcome on the night Sabonis injured his ankle last Monday.

“It looked pretty bad,” Monk told reporters at the time. “But Domas (is) strong. He’ll probably be back sooner than we think.”

If Sabonis is able to return sooner rather than later, it would bode well for his potential end-of-season award eligibility — he needs to play at least 20 minutes in seven of the Kings’ remaining 12 contests to meet the requirements for the NBA’s 65-game rule. Sacramento also remains in the midst of a battle for a play-in spot. At 35-35, the team is ninth in the Western Conference standings, 1.5 games ahead of the Suns and Mavericks, who have matching 34-37 records.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Mavericks have upgraded big man Anthony Davis from doubtful to questionable for Monday’s game in Brooklyn, tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. NBA insider Marc Stein previously reported that Davis was targeting Tuesday’s game in New York for his return from an adductor strain. I wouldn’t expect the Mavs star to play both ends of the back-to-back set, but it certainly sounds as if he could be back in action either today or tomorrow.
There had been a belief that Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain/finger sprain) might return on the Sixers‘ current road trip, but it doesn’t appear that will happen after all. The trip will wrap up in New Orleans on Monday and head coach Nick Nurse said on Sunday that he wasn’t expecting to have Maxey back for that game, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I do expect him back (before the end of the season),” Nurse said. “But I don’t think he’s going to make it for today or tomorrow, I’ve been told.”
Sixers guard Lonnie Walker, who missed four games while in the concussion protocol, had to depart his first game back on Friday due to a headache. He sat out Sunday and the expectation is that he’ll miss Monday’s game too. “He just didn’t feel great,” Nurse said on Sunday, per Pompey. “And they just wanted to, with an abundance of caution, pull him back out of there. So they are going to take a look at him. He’ll be out tonight and tomorrow for sure. Then we will see where we go from there.”
After injuring his foot in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to Oklahoma City, James Harden was able to finish the game, but the ailment seemed to be affecting him down the stretch and in the locker room afterward, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Harden was playing some of his best basketball of the season as of late, having averaged 29.2 points per game with a .396 3PT% in the Clippers‘ last nine outings (including eight wins) entering Sunday, so the team will be holding its breath as it evaluates his foot, Murray notes.

Kings Promote Isaac Jones To Standard Contract

March 22nd, 2025 at 6:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:18pm: Jones’ new contract is official, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat.

6:14pm: The Kings will convert two-way center Isaac Jones to a standard contract covering two years, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Jones, 24, reached his active-game limit on Wednesday after playing four minutes in a victory over Cleveland. As a two-way player who has been with his team since the start of the season, Jones was eligible to be on the active roster for 50 games, whether he played or not.

Jones will be able to resume playing immediately, starting with tonight’s home game against Milwaukee, assuming the new contract is finalized in time. The deal also enables him to participate in the postseason, including play-in games.

Jones signed the two-way contract in July after going undrafted out of Washington State. He has appeared in 31 games in his rookie season, averaging 3.7 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per night and shooting 67.6% from the field. He has also played 11 regular season games with the team’s G League affiliate in Stockton.

Jones provides interior depth while starting center Domantas Sabonis is sidelined with a sprained right ankle. Sabonis is expected to remain out of action for at least another week.

Sacramento has an opening on its 15-man roster, so another move won’t be necessary before Jones can be promoted. The Kings won’t be able to add someone else to replace him because the deadline for signing two-way players was March 4.

And-Ones: Rebuilding Teams, Free Agency, Flagg, NBL

March 21st, 2025 at 9:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Among 11 NBA teams in various stages of their respective rebuilds, the Spurs are best positioned for the long run, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link). San Antonio’s place atop the rankings has a lot to do with the presence of Victor Wembanyama on the roster, but Bontemps points to Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and recently acquired point guard De’Aaron Fox as other likely core pieces for the Spurs, who could end up with two more lottery picks this spring.

Interestingly, Bontemps places the Hornets and Wizards at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, on his rebuild rankings, praising Charlotte in particular for its promising collection of young talent. The Trail Blazers and Bulls come in at 10th and 11th on Bontemps’ list, largely because there are questions about whether either team has a franchise player to build around and whether they’ll be in position to land one in the draft anytime soon.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

John Hollinger of The Athletic highlights several of the challenging situations that teams will face in free agency this summer, including the Cavaliers with Ty Jerome, the Nuggets with Russell Westbrook, the Kings with Jake LaRavia, and the Sixers with Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele. Many of those clubs will be limited in what they can offer their free agents, either due to a lack of full Bird rights or tax/apron concerns.
Meanwhile, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) looks ahead to 2026 and explains why next year’s star-studded free agent class will likely be something of a mirage, given all the contract extensions likely to be signed between now and then.
ESPN draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (Insider link) spoke to 10 NBA executives about projected No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, surveying those execs on the Duke freshman’s strengths and weaknesses, his odds of winning a title with the Blue Devils, and whether there’s any chance he decides to stay in school for another year. “I can’t remember a No. 1 pick deciding to go back to school,” one Eastern Conference scout told ESPN.
Ahead of the NBA playing its first games in Australia this fall, a battle over the ownership of the country’s National Basketball League appears to be brewing. Olgun Uluc of ESPN Australia has the story.