Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Notes: Kings Trade Talks, C. Johson, Thomas, Sharpe, K. Johnson

January 8th, 2025 at 5:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jordi Fernandez‘s experience in Sacramento makes him a valuable resource for Nets general manager Sean Marks as he engages in trade talks with the Kings, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes in a subscriber-only piece. While the topics might include the future availability of De’Aaron Fox, the more immediate concern is Sacramento’s interest in Cameron Johnson, Lewis adds. The Post reported last summer that the Kings topped the list of teams hoping to acquire Johnson, and his trade value has only increased in the midst of a career-best season.

Brooklyn is believed to be asking for the equivalent of two first-round picks in exchange for Johnson. Lewis suggests that Sacramento could meet that price by offering rookie guard Devin Carter, along with a future first-rounder and other players to match salaries. That’s where input could be valuable from Fernandez, who spent two years as an assistant with the Kings before the Nets hired him as their head coach during the offseason, along with assistant coaches Deividas Dulkys and Dutch Gaitley, who also left Sacramento for Brooklyn.

“I look at the coaching staff and the front office — that relationship and that dynamic — as a partnership,” Marks said. “It’s not something where I’m telling you what to do and you go and do it, or vice versa. This is something that I should rely on them, because at the end of the day their experiences and their interactions with players — whether it’s from other teams or just being on the court — they’re up close. I’m not in the foxhole down on the court with them.

“So it would behoove me to talk to them and rely on their input. And I think, one, it’s being honest right off the get-go at the start of the season. And even before that when Jordi signed up. I mean, Jordi and I had heart-to-hearts of ‘hey, look, we’re going to build this and this is how we’re going to build it. We want to be a partnership together on this.’ So he’s been nothing but fantastic in that realm.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

In the same story, Cam Thomas talks to Lewis about the frustration of dealing with another strain of his left hamstring two games after returning from the first one. Thomas is guaranteed another long absence, as he won’t be reevaluated until January 19 when the Nets return from an upcoming six-game road trip. “Me dealing with what I’m dealing with is tough,” he said. “But we’ve still got enough guys in here to play; we’ve got to go out there and keep playing. I’m gonna keep fighting through, keep fighting through it. I’m going to just keep going.”
Day’Ron Sharpe posted season highs with 16 points and 13 rebounds in 22 minutes Monday night, Lewis states in a separate story. Sharpe, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, is averaging 9.5 points and 8.0 boards in his last four games while shooting 53.3% from the field. “I feel like I still got some room to go. I just feel like this is the start of it,” he said. “About three games ago, I feel like I really was starting to feel like myself again. Just coming back from the injury and not playing for months, I’m just still trying to figure my way out. And I feel like this is the start of it.”
It’s no secret that the Nets are tearing down their roster in hopes of landing a high lottery pick, but the players and coaches have offered a consistent public message throughout the process, per Bridget Reilly of The New York Post (subscription-only). “I wouldn’t say it’s hard. We all understand it’s part of the business, and that this is what we signed up for on Day 1,” said Keon Johnson, one of several young players getting increased minutes during the makeover. “But one thing we can control is what’s in front of us. Night in and night out, we don’t know who is going to be laced up. We don’t know who is going to be playing, but it’s just a better opportunity for everybody to be prepared and hope that your number is called.”

Fischer’s Latest: Butler, Grizzlies, Bucks, Suns, Beal, More

January 8th, 2025 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Exploring the Jimmy Butler situation in his latest Substack article for The Stein Line, Jake Fischer confirms that the Grizzlies and Bucks are among the teams that Butler’s camp has discouraged from trading for the Heat forward. Chris Haynes first reported that Memphis had been advised not to pursue Butler, while Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports later added that Milwaukee had received a similar message.

Fischer also confirms that the Suns clearly appear to be Butler’s preferred landing spot, not only because he wants to team up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker but because team owner Mat Ishbia has established himself as a free spender who would presumably give Butler the sort of contract extension he’s seeking.

If Phoenix makes a move for Butler, it would have to include Bradley Beal, but the Suns have no desire to broach the subject with Beal – who has a no-trade clause – unless they’re able to figure out a multi-team scenario that could work. Miami reportedly has no interest in taking on the well-paid veteran guard and his no-trade clause.

“You can’t bring anything to Brad unless there’s a deal on the table,” a veteran Eastern Conference executive told Fischer. “You can’t lose him until you know you’re going to move him.”

While they would like to land Butler, the Suns are also actively exploring other options on the trade market, gauging what sort of return they could acquire if they were to give up their 2031 first-round pick, which is their only tradable first-rounder, Fischer writes.

Here’s more from Fischer:

Although the Suns‘ decision to remove Beal from their starting lineup has been widely viewed as an attempt to encourage him to waive his no-trade clause, sources tell Fischer the team is hoping the move to the second unit will “spark more of an aggressive output” from the guard as a “microwave scorer.” Of course, there’s no reason that both explanations can’t be true.
The Grizzlies have made Luke Kennard, John Konchar, and draft capital available as they seek an upgrade on the trade market. But even if Butler were open to moving to Memphis, it’s unclear if the team would have an appetite for a bigger deal that would involve Marcus Smart and Brandon Clarke, according to Fischer, who hears from sources that the Grizzlies highly value both of those players.
The Thunder and Kings opened up roster spots on Tuesday by waiving Branden Carlson and Orlando Robinson, respectively. Those roster spots may come in handy on the trade market, but if they’re still open after the deadline, Ajay Mitchell and Isaac Jones are worth monitoring as candidates to be promoted from two-way contracts, says Fischer.

California Notes: Curry, Warriors, Kings, Vanderbilt

January 7th, 2025 at 10:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Warriors continue trying to thread the needle between building toward a future without aging All-Star guard Stephen Curry and looking to win while he’s still performing at a high level. Curry, who turns 37 in March, is aware that his time as an All-NBA talent could be fairly finite, notes Tim Keown of ESPN.

“I want to do this for as long as I can,” Curry said. “But the clock’s ticking. We all know that.”

Keown notes that Golden State’s success very much hinges on Curry being able to knock down jumpers. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is conserving Curry’s minutes with an eye towards keeping him healthy late into the year, even though he’s aware it could ironically cost the team a shot at the postseason.

At 18-17, the No. 8-seeded Warriors are currently just one game clear of the No. 11 Kings and two ahead of the No. 12 Suns.

“For me, it’s more like this: We want to put ourselves in position to give him a chance in the playoffs,” Kerr said. “We did that when we won the title in ’22; we caught lightning in a bottle and the matchups worked our way and Steph does what Steph does. We want to give him that chance again. We want that at-bat.”

There’s more out of California:

Steve Kerr said on Tuesday that injured Warriors guards Brandin Podziemski and Gary Payton II are traveling with Golden State on its current four-game road trip, with an eye towards returning to action at some point during the trip, reports Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Kings rallied on Monday from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit without All-Star De’Aaron Fox to pick up their fifth straight win, and are now 5-1 under interim head coach Doug Christie, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I just kept telling them to believe,” Christie said. “You can do this. You’ve got to believe you can do it. You need to get stops. You need to fly around. You need to have each other’s back.”
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt continues to inch closer to making his 2024/25 season debut. Head coach JJ Redick has revealed that the 6’8″ vet played 5-on-5 against the team’s coaches in a workout, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Redick added that Los Angeles wants Vanderbilt to participate in 5-of-5 scrimmages against players, either with the NBA team or the G League’s South Bay Lakers. Vanderbilt will be playing on a minutes restriction to start his season, according toMcMenamin (Twitter links), who adds that the Lakers will reassess Vanderbilt in a week.

Kings Waive Orlando Robinson

January 7th, 2025 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

4:45 pm: The Kings have officially waived Robinson, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

1:57 pm: The Kings, who entered the day with four players on non-guaranteed contracts, will retain three of those players and waive one, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Sacramento is cutting center Orlando Robinson, but will hang onto veteran forwards Doug McDermott and Jae Crowder, guaranteeing their full-season salaries. Defensive ace Keon Ellis also technically had a non-guaranteed deal, but was never in danger of being released.

Robinson, 24, joined the Kings as a free agent over the summer to provide depth at center behind Domantas Sabonis and Alex Len. However, the former Heat big man has appeared in just nine games, averaging 2.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per contest. Sacramento has primarily used Len and power forward Trey Lyles to back up Sabonis.

By waiving Robinson, the Kings will take on a dead-money cap hit of $959,779, which is also the salary he’ll earn for the time he spent with the team.

Retaining McDermott, Crowder, and Ellis will mean locking in cap charges of $2,087,519, $1,655,619, and $2,120,693, respectively. McDermott ($3,303,771) and Crowder ($2,620,232) will earn salaries exceeding their cap hits because the NBA reimburses a team for a portion of a player’s salary if he has more than two years of experience and signs a one-year, minimum-salary contract.

The transaction will leave the Kings with an open spot on their 15-man roster. The team is unlikely to fill that spot immediately, since it could be useful in trade season and keeping it open for the time being will give the club a little extra breathing room below the luxury tax line. Sacramento will be about $3.2MM below the tax line once the move is official, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Trade Rumors: Collins, Hachimura, Knecht, Johnson, Kings, Nets

January 7th, 2025 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Big man John Collins is having a strong season for the Jazz, averaging 17.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, with career highs in assists (2.5) and steals (1.1) per game, as well as three-point percentage (43.8%).

While Collins’ contract – which includes a $26.58MM salary this season and a 2025/26 player option worth the same amount, will limit his value on the trade market, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) hears the 27-year-old has drawing interest from several teams.

However, the Suns aren’t one of those clubs — there have been no talks between Phoenix and Utah about Collins, Gambadoro reports. That’s not a surprise, given Phoenix’s apron-related constraints.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

Rival executives have told Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report that the Lakers have shown no interest thus far in discussing deals that would involve forwards Rui Hachimura and/or Dalton Knecht. That lines up with reporting from Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who suggested last month that the team viewed Knecht as a long-term keeper and wouldn’t be eager to part with Hachimura.
Within the last few weeks, the Lakers, Grizzlies, Kings, Thunder, and Pacers are among the teams that have been mentioned as potential suitors for Nets forward Cameron Johnson. According to Net Income and Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily, one well-placed source said that much of what’s been written about Johnson recently is “completely incorrect.” However, that source didn’t offer any further specifics, per NetsDaily’s duo, who note that there’s plenty of time for the situation to develop before the February 6 trade deadline. NetsDaily also hears from sources that Sacramento has been willing to offer at least one first-round pick for Johnson, but Brooklyn is seeking a more significant return.
In a separate story, NetsDaily stresses that the Nets continue to focus on maximizing their cap room for 2025 and aren’t interested in taking on multiyear money in trades. That means, for instance, if the Kings wanted to make a Johnson trade that included Kevin Huerter (who has an $18MM guaranteed salary for 2025/26), it would likely require a third team.
In a pair of ESPN articles for subscribers, Brian Windhorst examines the biggest roster holes for 15 potential contenders and explores the odds of each of those clubs making a significant trade, while Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton identify one trade candidate to watch from all 30 NBA teams.

Kings Notes: DeRozan, Carter, Monk, Fox

January 6th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Mike Brown‘s firing was surprising and controversial, but the Kings are looking like a different team since Doug Christie took over as head coach, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Playing Sunday without De’Aaron Fox, they won by 30 points at Golden State as the players displayed a renewed enthusiasm for the game.

“I would say it’s that more than anything, just going out there and playing freely with joy and for one another,” DeMar DeRozan responded when asked to explain the change. DeRozan clarified that he didn’t mean to imply there wasn’t freedom and joy with Brown in charge, but the team has responded to the challenge of an in-season coaching shakeup.

“Whenever you’re going through any type of ups and downs, when the downs come, everything just feels extremely bad,” he added. “Everything is just heightened to another level. I think with so much going on, it kind of hit the fan with having a coaching change in the middle of the season. So much was going on that we could just sit there and kind of sob in our sorrows and let things get worse. I think we just pulled together and pulled ourselves out of that more so than anything.”

Sacramento lost its first game after Christie took over, but has since won four in a row against pretty good competition, defeating the Mavericks, Sixers, Grizzlies and Warriors. One difference has been the addition of first-round pick Devin Carter, who posted 13 points and seven rebounds Sunday in his second game since returning from offseason surgery on his left shoulder. The positive energy he and Christie have provided seems to have changed the team’s outlook.

“I think it’s contagious,” Carter said. “Once one person sees somebody else doing it, then the next person, the next person, and it just trickles down the line, so I just think it’s contagious. Obviously, we want to keep on winning. Wins are contagious. Good vibes in the locker room, good vibes in practice, and just go from there.”

There’s more on the Kings:

Malik Monk took on a larger role Sunday with Fox sidelined, finishing with 26 points, 12 assists and four steals, Anderson adds. Christie said during his time as an assistant, he often encouraged Monk to be more fearless in his approach to the game. “Before I was sitting in this seat, we’ve had multiple conversations just about everything, and I’ve always told him, ‘Believe in yourself. I believe in you. You are a tremendous, fantastic player, and play through your mistakes.’” Christie said. “… He is just about as free as I’ve ever seen him. We’ll live with some of the things he does and his greatness will continue to shine because the kid is great.”
Carter had a memorable NBA debut, with his father, former NBA player Anthony Carter, on the opponent’s bench as a Grizzlies assistant coach, Anderson states in a separate story. “It’s just a blessing, especially to play my first NBA game in front of him,” Devin Carter told reporters before the game. “It’s something you dream of as a kid, and the moment is here, so I’m not going to shy away from the moment.”
The Kings haven’t determined if Fox will be available for Monday’s game against Miami, Anderson notes in another piece. He was ruled out Sunday with a right glute contusion after being undercut on a dunk attempt late in Friday’s contest.

Stein’s Latest: Johnson, Vucevic, Poeltl, Brown, Olynyk, Ball

January 5th, 2025 at 9:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets have already dealt Dennis Schröder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. Could forward Cameron Johnson be next?

Citing league sources, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article that the Pacers are a team to watch in terms of Johnson’s next destination. Brooklyn is looking to clear as much salary as possible for the offseason and Johnson is in the second year of a four-year, $94.5MM contract.

Johnson, who is averaging career highs in points (19.5) and assists (3.0) per game, could fortify the Pacers at the wing position. The Grizzlies have also been mentioned as a likely Johnson suitor, though Stein notes that they might not be inclined to deal with the Nets. Memphis had extensive talks with the Nets regarding Finney-Smith before he was dealt to the Lakers and there were said to be “hard feelings” between the two teams about how those discussions played out.

The Kings have held trade talks with the Nets regarding Johnson, but aren’t willing to part with rookie guard Devin Carter, who made his NBA debut on Friday after recovering from a shoulder injury.

Here’s more from Stein:

The Raptors have turned aside inquiries regarding center Jakob Poeltl, Stein reports. The big man is averaging career-bests in both scoring (15.4 PPG) and rebounding (10.7 RPG) and is signed through at least 2026, with a player option for ’26/27. Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk are considered the veterans that Toronto is most open to trading prior to the February deadline.
While it’ll be difficult to move Zach LaVine‘s contract, the Bulls are expected to deal center Nikola Vucevic and possibly Lonzo Ball prior to the deadline, says Stein. Vucevic is averaging 2o.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, while Ball is on an expiring contract and has made a respectable comeback from his long-term knee issues. As Stein notes, the Bulls have incentive to tank. If they finish with the league’s sixth-worst record or below, it’ll guarantee that they’ll hold onto their pick in this year’s June draft. Chicago owes a top-10 protected pick to San Antonio.

Warriors Unlikely To Pursue Jimmy Butler Before Deadline

January 4th, 2025 at 11:06am CST by Rory Maher

Although the Warriors would love to find a second star to pair with Stephen Curry, that player is unlikely to be Jimmy Butler, team and league sources tell Anthony Slater, Marcus Thompson II and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

The Warriors were previously identified as a team high on Butler’s list of preferred destinations, though ESPN recently reported that the 35-year-old is open to joining any team after requesting a trade from the Heat. Miami subsequently suspended Butler for seven games for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.”

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Miami prefers to trade Butler “as soon as possible,” and his time with the Heat has almost certainly come to an end.

However, Golden State is not currently viewed as a viable landing spot for the five-time All-Defensive forward, and there have been “no substantive talks or traction” on a possible trade between the Warriors and Heat, a source close to Butler tells The Athletic.

As The Athletic’s authors explain, there are several complicating factors in a potential deal. For starters, Butler’s rift with the Heat centered on his desire to receive a maximum-salary extension, which Miami showed no interest in offering. A Butler extension is also unappealing to the Warriors, according to The Athletic.

Butler’s age, injury history, and another messy impending divorce with his current club are more reasons a trade is unlikely. But his contract makes a deal an “untenable option,” per The Athletic’s trio.

To match Butler’s incoming $48.8MM cap hit, Golden State would have to combine multiple salaries, starting with either Draymond Green ($24.1MM) or Andrew Wiggins ($26.3MM), with the latter considered more likely. However, Wiggins has had a bounce-back season and is popular within the organization. The Warriors prefer to keep him alongside Curry and Green.

Jonathan Kuminga has been floated as a possible candidate to be moved alongside Wiggins for Butler. While the impending restricted free agent isn’t untouchable in trade talks ahead of the February 6 deadline, the Warriors aren’t interested in moving their two best wings for Butler, according to The Athletic.

Here are a few more Warriors rumors from Slater, Thompson and Amick:

A deal for a maximum-salary player like Butler seems unlikely, but the Warriors have expressed interest in players on mid-sized contracts. They already pulled off a trade for such a player in Dennis Schröder, whose $13MM expiring contract could be aggregated in another deal starting on Feb. 5.
Cameron Johnson would seem to be a good fit for Golden State, but the Nets have a high asking price for the sharpshooting forward. The Kings and Thunder are believed to be showing more interest in Johnson than the Warriors at the moment, per The Athletic.
Team and league sources tell The Athletic that Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is viewed as an attractive trade option due to his ability to space the floor and the fact that he likely won’t cost as much to acquire. As the authors note, Golden State has multiple ways to match Vucevic’s $20MM cap hit without exceeding the first tax apron, which is the team’s hard cap. One example provided is Gary Payton II, Kyle Anderson, Lindy Waters and unknown draft capital.

Kings’ Devin Carter Available To Make NBA Debut

January 3rd, 2025 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings lottery pick Devin Carter has been cleared to make his NBA debut, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. According to Charania (via Twitter), the rookie guard will be available to play on Friday when Sacramento hosts the Grizzlies, whose coaching staff includes Anthony Carter, Devin’s father.

The younger Carter was the 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft after enjoying a big junior year last season at Providence, where he averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals in 35.3 minutes per game across 33 outings (all starts). He made 47.3% of his shot attempts from the floor, including 37.7% of 6.8 three-pointers per contest, and claimed Big East Player of the Year honors.

However, Carter’s NBA debut was delayed due to a left shoulder injury. He underwent surgery in July to repair a torn labrum, which prevented him from suiting up in Summer League, the preseason, or the first part of the NBA season.

Carter spent over five months recovering from the surgery and rehabbing, then made his G League debut for the Stockton Kings last Saturday. In a pair of appearances for Sacramento’s NBAGL affiliate, the 22-year-old racked up 46 total points, making 10-of-19 three-pointers (52.6%). He also filled up the box score by averaging 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game.

It’s unclear whether Carter will immediately earn rotation minutes for the Kings, who have relied on De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk this season to run the point and initiate the offense. DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis also spend a good deal of time with the ball in their hands, with backup point guard Jordan McLaughlin playing a relatively limited role.

Whether or not he gets regular playing time right away, having a healthy Carter available off the bench will give new interim head coach Doug Christie one more option in his backcourt.

Western Notes: Nurkic, Fox, Davis, Blazers, Harden

January 2nd, 2025 at 11:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite a report to the contrary, the Suns aren’t actively shopping Jusuf Nurkic, a source tells Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link).

While the distinction may matter to Nurkic himself, the question of whether or not the veteran center is being “actively shopped” likely comes down to semantics, since it’s clear Phoenix would move him if the right opportunity arises.

However, it won’t be easy to find that right opportunity. Nurkic, who has one more guaranteed year left on his contract after this season, will have limited value on the trade market and may be easier to trade in the offseason, Bourguet notes. The Suns also can’t aggregate salaries in a trade since they’re operating over the second tax apron, meaning Nurkic can’t be dealt for a player earning more than he is ($18.13MM).

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Weighing in on the De’Aaron Fox situation in Sacramento, Marc Stein (Substack link) covers many of the same bases that Sam Amick of The Athletic did earlier today, writing that teams are keeping a close eye on the situation even though the Kings aren’t yet willing to entertain the idea of trading their star point guard. Discussing the possibility of the Rockets pursuing Fox, Stein cautions not to assume Houston will be in the mix, even though the 27-year-old fits the team’s timeline better than previously rumored targets like Jimmy Butler or Kevin Durant. Rockets officials like how the current roster looks and may not zero in on Fox as the player they want to sacrifice several valuable assets to acquire, Stein writes.
The Lakers held Anthony Davis out of action on Thursday vs. Portland due to a left ankle sprain. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays (via Twitter), head coach JJ Redick said before the game that the Lakers want to “be smart” about Davis’ lingering ankle soreness and pointed out that the team faces a challenging January schedule, with 17 games in the next 30 days.
In a preview of what 2025 holds for the Trail Blazers, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link) reiterates a point he has made before, writing that it’s “hard to picture” a scenario in which Chauncey Billups is still coaching the Blazers by the time the 2025/26 season tips off. Highkin also explores where things stand with Portland’s top trade candidates and the Blazers’ ownership situation, among other topics.
Clippers star James Harden was downgraded to questionable and then ruled out for the team’s Thursday game vs. Oklahoma City due to groin soreness. As Law Murray of The Athletic tweets, Harden also missed one game last month due to a groin issue — if the ailment isn’t any more serious this time around, it shouldn’t cause him to miss much – if any – additional time.