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Warriors Among Teams Eyeing Matisse Thybulle

February 1st, 2023 at 7:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have had internal discussions about the possibility of trading for Matisse Thybulle, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who reports that Golden State likes the Sixers wing as a defensive stopper.

Marc Stein reported earlier in the week that the Kings are also among the teams with some level of interest in Thybulle, which Pompey confirms. A league source tells The Inquirer that Sacramento head coach Mike Brown is a fan of the 25-year-old.

Thybulle has made the All-Defensive Second Team twice in his first three NBA seasons, but has yet to develop into a reliable contributor at the offensive end. He’s averaging just 2.7 points in 12.1 minutes per night (45 games) for Philadelphia this season. The former 20th overall pick is also on an expiring contract and will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.

Multiple league sources tell Pompey that Thybulle’s inconsistent production and role in Philadelphia (he was out of the rotation earlier in the season) have hurt his trade value, suggesting he’s not worth a first-round pick at this point. As a result, Pompey wonders if the 76ers might be better off hanging onto the defensive ace, pointing out that the club has an 18-4 record when he plays at least 12 minutes and hasn’t lost any of the 10 games in which he has played at least 20 minutes.

It’s unclear what exactly the Sixers would be looking for if they traded Thybulle, who is earning $4.4MM in the final year of his rookie deal. If they talk to the Kings, Terence Davis could be one name who comes up — he’s rumored to be less than thrilled with his dip in playing time and is earning $4MM on an expiring contract. Philadelphia is also said to be in the market for a backup center, so Alex Len ($3.9MM) and Chimezie Metu ($1.9MM) may be of some interest, along with stretch four Trey Lyles ($2.6MM).

As for the Warriors, perhaps veteran stretch four JaMychal Green, who is on a minimum-salary contract and playing center in Golden State, would appeal to the Sixers. It’s hard to imagine Golden State parting with any of its recent first-round picks (James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, or Patrick Baldwin) in a deal for Thybulle. Wiseman would theoretically be an intriguing target for a Philadelphia team seeking size, but he can’t realistically be counted on for regular playoff minutes and his $9.6MM cap hit would complicate salary matching, as well as the Sixers’ reported desire to dip below the luxury tax line.

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And-Ones: Napier, All-Star Bonuses, Trade Proposals, Biggest Needs

January 31st, 2023 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Shabazz Napier has signed with Olimpia Milano for the remainder of the season, according to a team press release. Coach Ettore Messina said Napier will be thrown into the fray immediately against Baskonia, Allesandro Maggi of Sportando relays.

“Shabazz Napier had just one team practice, but we will use him, hoping for some minutes in a position where we need them badly,” he said.

Napier last appeared in the NBA during the 2019/20 season, when he played a combined 56 games for Minnesota and Washington.

We have more from the basketball world:

  • Several NBA players could cash in if they’re selected as All-Star reserves, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes. Among that group, the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown will earn a $1.5MM bonus if he’s chosen and also appears in 65 regular season games (he has missed six games so far). The Bucks’ Jrue Holiday will collect $324K if he’s chosen, while the Kings’ Domantas Sabonis will receive $1.3MM if he’s selected. The Knicks’ Julius Randle will get an additional $1.2MM if he gets the nod.
  • What are some of the bold moves that playoff contenders could make to improve their chances of success? The Ringer’s Michael Pina explores potential trades that could make the Suns, Clippers, Thunder, Lakers and Pelicans better.
  • The Bulls and Hawks need 3-point shooting.  The Nuggets need defensive help and the Warriors require a stretch wing. The Athletic’s staff runs down the biggest need for every team as the trade deadline approaches.
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Fox Happy Kings Extended McNair

January 31st, 2023 at 6:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Guard De’Aaron Fox is pleased the Kings reached a three-year contract extension with GM Monte McNair, he told Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. “It’s great. Just to have consistency throughout the organization, you want that to be the last thing you’re worried about is no extension,” Fox said. “Just from top to bottom, I feel like everybody wants to know that they have a little bit of security. I feel like you do your job better when you’re secure.”
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NBA Announces Player Pool For Rising Stars Event

January 31st, 2023 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA officially unveiled the 28-player pool for this year’s Rising Stars event on Tuesday, making the announcement via the NBA App. The following players made the cut:

Rookies:

Sophomores:

G League players:

As was the case last season, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, coached by longtime NBA guard Jason Terry. The other 21 players will be drafted to three squads coached by former NBA stars Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, and Deron Williams.

The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.

All three contests will take place on Friday, February 17 as part of All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City. The NBA’s full press release with more information on the event can be found right here.

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Stein’s Latest: Thybulle, Kings, Hyland, Raptors, Kyrie

January 31st, 2023 at 8:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are believed to be keeping an eye on Sixers wing Matisse Thybulle, according to Marc Stein, who reports in his latest Substack story that Sacramento is mulling the possibility of pursuing a defensive-minded player on the perimeter.

Thybulle certainly fits that bill — he has made the All-Defensive Second Team twice in his first three NBA seasons. However, his offensive game is extremely limited. He’s averaging just 2.7 points in 12.1 minutes per night (45 games) for Philadelphia this season. The 25-year-old is also on an expiring contract and will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.

Here’s more from Stein:

  • Bones Hyland‘s name has popped up in an increasing number of trade rumors as of late, and Stein suggests that the Nuggets guard has emerged as one of the players most likely to be dealt on or before the February 9 deadline. League sources tell Stein that concerns about Hyland’s defensive limitations and some recent “tensions” about his playing time are factors in Denver’s decision to make him available.
  • Stein’s podcast partner Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report said on the first episode of their #thisleague UNCUT podcast that he has heard rumblings all season about certain Raptors players being unhappy with their situations or roles. Stein has heard those same rumblings and says that’s why there has been some curiosity around the NBA about the status of head coach Nick Nurse going forward.
  • Some league observers believe the fact that the Nets haven’t had any substantive extension talks with Kyrie Irving is because they’re not feeling much pressure to lock him up early, according to Stein. The thinking is that Irving may need Brooklyn’s help to go to a desired location via sign-and-trade in the offseason, since the teams with significant cap room will be non-contenders.
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G League Team Releases Josh Jackson

January 30th, 2023 at 6:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • The G League’s Stockton Kings released former lottery pick Josh Jackson over the weekend, the team tweets. Jackson appeared in a combined 51 NBA games with Detroit and Sacramento last season. He joined the G League team last week, but appeared in one game.
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Kings Part With PJ Dozier, Give 10-Day Deal To Deonte Burton

January 30th, 2023 at 11:48am CST by Arthur Hill

JANUARY 30: Burton’s signing is official, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

JANUARY 28: The Kings won’t re-sign guard PJ Dozier, whose second 10-day contract expired on Saturday night, tweets Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee.

The open roster spot will go to Deonte Burton, who is currently with the team’s G League affiliate in Stockton. Burton will receive a 10-day contract that will begin Monday to make him eligible for that night’s game at Minnesota.

A 28-year-old swingman, Burton spent two seasons with the Thunder before becoming a free agent in 2020. The former Iowa State standout has been in the G League since then, playing last year with the Maine Celtics before joining Stockton prior to the start of this season. Burton appeared in 71 total games for Oklahoma City, averaging 2.6 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per night.

Dozier got into four games during his time with Sacramento and played 10 total minutes. Because players are limited to two 10-day contracts with one team, the Kings would have needed to sign him for the rest of the season to keep him on the roster.

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Scotto’s Latest: Reddish, Bucks, Holmes, Russell, Suns

January 28th, 2023 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

After reporting earlier in the week that the Knicks had expressed interest in acquiring Bucks guard Grayson Allen in a possible Cam Reddish trade, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says Milwaukee continues to resist the idea of including Allen in any deal for Reddish.

According to Scotto, the Bucks have instead proposed a trade structure that would be centered around a 2023 second-round pick and salary filler. That “salary filler” could consist of veteran guard George Hill and big man Serge Ibaka, Scotto adds.

As for the second-round pick, the Bucks control both their own 2023 second-rounder and the least favorable of the Cavaliers’ and Warriors’ selections. Both Milwaukee and Cleveland currently have top-seven records, so those picks would both be in the 50s.

Here’s more from Scotto:

  • Marc Stein previously reported that rival teams were monitoring Kings center Richaun Holmes as a potential buyout candidate if he’s not moved at the trade deadline. However, league sources tell Scotto that a buyout won’t happen for Holmes this season. That’s no surprise — as I previously noted, Holmes is still owed $12MM in 2023/24 and $12.9MM on a ’24/25 player option after this season, while buyouts typically occur when a player is on an expiring deal.
  • Rival executives still believe that the Timberwolves will explore trading point guard D’Angelo Russell before the deadline, says Scotto. There were rumblings in December that the Heat and Wolves had at least a conversation about a swap involving Russell and Kyle Lowry, according to Scotto, but with Miami playing better, the team isn’t looking to move Lowry at this point.
  • Former Thunder VP and chief of staff Paul Rivers and former NBA point guard Mateen Cleaves have been mentioned by multiple NBA executives as candidates to join the Suns‘ organization, Scotto reports. Cleaves played with incoming Suns owner Mat Ishbia at Michigan State.
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Pacific Notes: Moneke, Barnes, Wiseman, Suns

January 25th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending four professional seasons playing for teams in France and Spain, forward Chima Moneke got his first opportunity with an NBA team this past fall when he received a partially guaranteed contract from the Kings and made their regular season roster.

Although he was on Sacramento’s roster until early January, Moneke logged just eight total minutes in two games at the NBA level. The 27-year-old – who spent most of his time in the G League, appearing in 18 total contests for the Stockton Kings – admitted in a conversation with Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops that his NBA experience was a bit of a letdown.

“It wasn’t what I expected and it was disappointing, because I feel like up until the training camp started, at the end of September, I was there for two months and I was playing open gym with them, working out. I felt like I was really gonna be given an opportunity,” Moneke said. “But when the whole team got there and the training camp started, I felt like I wasn’t.

“… Getting sent to the G League… I tried to be positive about it, but in my heart, I knew that I just didn’t want to be there. I just wasn’t having fun playing in a big cold hockey arena with 20 people watching the game when I could have been playing in Europe with fans who care about the sport. Every time I was there it really hurt me. I tried to be positive but I knew in November that I didn’t want to be there.”

Waived by the Kings about three weeks ago before his 2022/23 salary became fully guaranteed, Moneke has since returned to Europe, completing a deal last week with AS Monaco.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Having been the subject of trade rumors while playing for losing Kings teams over the last few seasons, veteran forward Harrison Barnes tells Anthony Slater of The Athletic that it has been especially rewarding to see the team turn the corner this year. “A lot of these guys — Malik (Monk), Kevin (Huerter), Keegan (Murray) — just walk in here and all (they) know with Kings basketball is us winning a bunch of games, playing winning basketball,” Barnes said. “… But at the same time, you know how fragile that is. You have to continue to work to not get back to the other side.”
  • After missing the Warriors‘ last 11 games due to a left ankle sprain, center James Wiseman should be available on Wednesday. He’s listed as probable vs. Memphis, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
  • In the wake of the news that incoming Suns owner Mat Ishbia is expected to officially purchase the team in early February, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype explores what that could mean for the team at the trade deadline. Gozlan argues that Phoenix is in position to be one of the NBA’s biggest in-season buyers, since the club hasn’t traded away any of its future first-round picks.
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