Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns To Interview Fernandez, Vogel Over Next Couple Days

May 24th, 2023 at 5:48pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns plan to interview Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez on Thursday and former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel on Friday, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix (Twitter links).

There have been conflicting reports on whether or not Vogel was a finalist for the Suns’ head coaching position, which opened after the team fired Monty Williams 10 days ago. Phoenix lost in embarrassing fashion in consecutive second-round elimination games the past two postseasons.

Williams was coming off Coach of the Year in 2021/22 after leading the Suns to the league’s top record. He helped turn around a long history of the franchise missing the postseason, the highlight being an NBA Finals appearance in 2020/21.

Vogel was previously head coach of the Pacers (2011-2016), Magic (2016-18), and Lakers (2019-22), recording a .526 career regular-season winning percentage and a .557 mark in the playoffs. He coached the Lakers to a championship in 2020 and was dismissed after the 2021/22 season. Vogel has reportedly interviewed or was expected to interview for the coaching vacancies in Houston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Phoenix this spring.

Fernandez interviewed with Toronto in late April and was mentioned as a candidate when the Hawks fired Nate McMillan in February. After spending six years as an assistant in Denver, Fernandez came to Sacramento as associate head coach last offseason when Mike Brown was hired.

The other reported finalists have been former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, former Magic, Celtics, Clippers and Sixers head coach Doc Rivers, and Suns assistant Kevin Young. However, another reporter, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT, cited sources who said the interview process isn’t in its final stage and that Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee and Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson are still in the running.

Nurse, Vogel, Rivers Among Finalists For Suns’ Job

May 23rd, 2023 at 9:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns have narrowed their list of head coaching candidates to five — Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel, Doc Rivers, Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez and Suns assistant Kevin Young, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

The five finalists will meet with new owner Mat Ishbia, team president James Jones and other team executives in Michigan this week, according to Charania (Twitter link). Ishbia is a Michigan native and played basketball for Michigan State. His mortgage lending company, United Wholesale Mortgage, is also based in Michigan.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that there are four finalists, omitting Vogel.

Phoenix dismissed Monty Williams after its second-round playoff exit.

Nurse has seemingly positioned himself to get another coaching job quickly after parting ways with the Raptors after the season. He’s also a finalist for the Bucks’ head coaching job and a candidate for the Sixers’ head coaching vacancy.

Vogel, who coached the Lakers to a championship in 2020, interviewed for the Sixers’ job on Tuesday. Vogel was also linked to the Bucks’ job but isn’t among the reported finalists.

Rivers was fired just a week ago by the Sixers but was said to be open to coaching again next season if the right opportunity arose.

Fernandez, who served as Mike Brown‘s top assistant with Sacramento this season, is also a candidate for Nurse’s former job. Young was a candidate for the Bucks’ job, but didn’t make the final cut.

One prominent name not included on the Suns’ list of finalists is former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported earlier today that Budenholzer wasn’t considered a leading candidate in Phoenix.

Coaching Rumors: Mazzulla, Bucks, Williams, Suns, Raptors, Nash

May 23rd, 2023 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics staffers, including president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, have shown “unwavering support” this season for head coach Joe Mazzulla, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says the sentiment as recently as last week was that Mazzulla would get plenty of runway to continue growing into the role he was thrust into following Ime Udoka‘s suspension last fall.

While it’s possible the Celtics could have a change of heart and decide to make a coaching change if the team is eliminated from the postseason in embarrassing fashion on Tuesday – or in the coming days – it would be a “stark change of direction” from the team’s original plan, Fischer writes.

While Fischer considers it unlikely that Mazzulla is replaced this offseason, he suggests that the Celtics’ coaching staff could undergo some significant changes, with multiple current assistants considered candidates to join Udoka with the Rockets. Frank Vogel and Stephen Silas are among the former head coaches who have been linked to the Celtics as possible assistant coach targets, Fischer notes.

Here’s more on the NBA’s coaching carousel from Fischer:

With the Bucks still focused on contending for championships with rosters built around Giannis Antetokounmpo, there’s some skepticism that Adrian Griffin – the only one of their three finalists without previous head coaching experience – will ultimately claim that job. However, Fischer acknowledges that Griffin has “certainly impressed” Bucks management during the interview process. Milwaukee’s search is expected to conclude this week, Fischer reports.
Many people around the league thought Monty Williams would be a serious candidate for the Bucks‘ coaching job and were surprised that he wasn’t a finalist in that process, per Fischer. The Pistons registered some interest in Williams, but he doesn’t appear to be in the mix for that job either and seems likely to take next season off, Fischer adds. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic also said Williams may not coach anywhere in 2023/24, which shouldn’t come as a surprise — he’s still owed $21MM by Phoenix, so it’s not as if he needs to rush into another position.
Former Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers is expected to receive consideration from the Suns, but Mike Budenholzer isn’t viewed as a likely candidate for Phoenix, Fischer writes.
The Raptors continue to take their time with their head coaching search, bringing back several candidates – including Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez and Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic – for second interviews, says Fischer. Many of the team’s initial meetings took place on Zoom, according to Fischer, who identifies Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as a name to watch in Toronto’s search.
Steve Nash, who interviewed for the Raptors’ vacancy, is “determined to learn from his shortcomings” following his first coaching stint in Brooklyn and has a strong desire to earn another head coaching job at some point, Fischer writes.

Kings Expected To Renew Talks With EuroLeague MVP

May 22nd, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings are expected to renew contract talks with EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov in the coming weeks, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.

After ending their playoff drought this season, the Kings are in position to add another key piece to become a more serious title contender. Vezenkov is under contract with Olympiacos beyond this season, but has a buyout clause believed to be worth approximately 1.5 million Euros.

The 6-foot-9 Vezenkov averaged 17.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists during his MVP season while shooting 53.6% from the field, 37.8% from 3-point range and 87.9% at the free-throw line. He continued his stellar play in the postseason, scoring a championship-game record 29 points along with nine rebounds and four assists in a 79-78 loss to Real Madrid.

Sacramento acquired his rights from the Cavaliers in exchange for the 49^th overall pick in last year’s draft. The Kings negotiated with Vezenkov last summer but couldn’t reach an agreement.

Prior to the EuroLeague playoffs, Sacramento coach Mike Brown said the Kings are eager to bring in Vezenkov.

“We’ll let him finish the season out and then we’ll talk to him, but we’ve obviously been highly, highly intrigued with him,” Brown said. “We made a trade to get his rights last year. … For us, the interest is at a high level, but we’ll let him finish the season and then he’ll make decisions as well as us when it’s time.”

Technically, teams must wait until after this year’s draft to begin negotiations with unsigned draft picks, including those from prior years, Anderson points out.

Those negotiations could impact whether the Kings re-sign unrestricted free agent Harrison Barnes. Last year’s lottery pick, Keegan Murray, had a solid rookie campaign and started 78 of 80 games at the other forward spot.

Sasha Vezenkov Comments On Sacramento's Season

May 20th, 2023 at 11:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

As he arrived in Lithuania for the Final Four, EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov didn’t address his NBA future, but he showed that he has been following the Kings, who own his rights, per a EuroHoops story. “In the playoffs, they did their best, but they were facing a superstar like Steph Curry,” Vezenkov said. “The competition in the NBA is really hard, there are so many superstars and ultimately only one gets the rings. However, the Kings had a great season.”

Moneke Expects Vezenkov To Join Kings

May 19th, 2023 at 7:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chima Moneke, who played two games with the Kings this season before signing with AS Monaco in the EuroLeague, fully expects league MVP Sasha Vezenkov to play for his former NBA team next season, Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net writes. Sacramento holds Vezenkov’s NBA rights. “I know that they love him over there. They’re really excited to bring him over,” Moneke said. “I believe they’re going to do what it takes to implement him on the team. I think he can contribute in a lot of ways.”

Suns Get Permission To Interview Assistant Coaches

May 18th, 2023 at 8:56am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns have begun the process to replace head coach Monty Williams, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who states that they have received permission to interview several assistants, including the Kings‘ Jordi Fernandez, the Bucks‘ Charles Lee and the Grizzlies‘ Darko Rajakovic.

Lee has been reported as one of the finalists to fill the Pistons‘ head coaching vacancy, along with former UConn and Overtime Elite head coach Kevin Ollie and Pelicans assistant Jarron Collins. Detroit narrowed its list to three nearly two weeks ago, but may be waiting to see if Williams is interested before making a final decision.

Lee also interviewed for the opening with the Raptors and is considered to be a candidate to replace Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee.

Fernandez interviewed with Toronto in late April and was mentioned as a candidate when the Hawks fired Nate McMillan in February. After spending six years as an assistant in Denver, Fernandez came to Sacramento as associate head coach last offseason when Mike Brown was hired.

Rajakovic is also on the Raptors’ list of coaching candidates. He has been in Memphis since 2020 after spending time as an assistant with the Thunder and Suns.

Sasha Vezenkov Named 2022/23 EuroLeague MVP

May 18th, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

Kings draft-and-stash prospect Sasha Vezenkov has been named the Most Valuable Player in the EuroLeague for the 2022/23 season, the league formally announced today.

Vezenkov, a 6’9″ forward, was the EuroLeague’s leading scorer this season, averaging 17.2 points per game with an impressive .538/.385/.879 shooting line in 38 contests for the Greek team Olympiacos. He also grabbed 6.8 rebounds and handed out 1.8 assists per night.

Vezenkov’s strong play helped earn Olympiacos a spot in the EuroLeague Final Four, where they’ll face AS Monaco on Friday for the right to take on either Barcelona or Real Madrid for the EuroLeague championship on Sunday.

The Nets drafted Vezenkov with the 57th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, but his rights were flipped to Cleveland in the 2021 James Harden blockbuster and then to Sacramento last June in exchange for the No. 49 overall pick in the 2022 draft.

If Vezenkov is going to sign an NBA contract, he’ll have to do so with the Kings, and it sounds like there’s mutual interest between the two sides in making that happen this summer. The 27-year-old is under contract with Olympiacos beyond this season, but has a buyout clause in his deal that’s believed to be worth approximately 1.5 million Euros.

Draft Rumors: Blazers, Mavericks, Pacers, Kings

May 17th, 2023 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

While it’s safe to assume the Spurs will be hanging onto their No. 1 overall pick, a number of other first-round picks could be up for grabs following Tuesday’s lottery. Here are a few early reports on some selections that are worth keeping an eye on:

The Trail Blazers‘ move to No. 3 “raised eyebrows all over the league,” according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com (Insider link), who says rival executives think Portland will explore the possibility of trading that pick for win-now help. The Blazers, who are expected to be in the market for wings and big men, may not get a difference-making veteran for the No. 3 pick on its own, but attaching a player like Anfernee Simons to it would make for an intriguing package, Lowe notes.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports also touches on the possibility of the Trail Blazers making that third overall pick available via trade, pointing out that there’s a consensus on the top three prospects in this draft. In other words, Portland could hold a “bidding war” on either Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, depending on which of them is drafted second overall, Fischer writes.
The Mavericks, who are eager to build a contender around Luka Doncic, are considered likely to gauge the trade value of the No. 10 overall pick, according to both Fischer and Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Pacers control five picks in this year’s draft, including three first-rounders and four in the top 32. They already explored the idea of trading for veteran talent prior to February’s deadline and may revisit that possibility this summer, says Fischer.
According to Fischer, the Kings are another team to monitor for first-round trade possibilities. Sacramento holds the No. 24 overall selection.

Matthew Dellavedova Agrees To Two-Year Deal With Melbourne United

May 16th, 2023 at 5:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent guard Matthew Dellavedova, who played for the Kings in 2022/23 but was unavailable in the playoffs after undergoing finger surgery, has agreed to a two-year contract with Melbourne United, Australia’s National Basketball League announced in a press release.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Dellavedova spent most of his career with Cleveland, winning a championship with the Cavs in ’15/16. He also played for the Bucks from 2016-18.

The 32-year-old played for Melbourne United in his native Australia during the ’21/22 season, so it’s a reunion between the two sides.

“I’m really excited to be coming back to Melbourne United,” Dellavedova said. “I want to come back and win a championship here. It’s a great club that has a really strong culture and I’m happy to be back a part of it.

“I had a lot of fun the year I was here. There’s excitement about getting to play with a lot of those same guys we had success with a year ago. It was a great group of guys, some I knew and some I grew close with.”

Dellavedova was on a minimum-salary contract this season for Sacramento and was mostly used for emergency depth, appearing in 32 games for an average of just 6.7 minutes per contest. He has a shared history with Mike Brown, having played for the Kings’ head coach with the Cavs when he was a rookie.

Long known for his hustle, competitiveness and determination, Dellavedova holds career averages of 5.2 points and 3.5 assists in 479 regular season games (93 starts, 19.4 minutes).