Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Huerter, Murray, Jokic, Lewis, Mavs

October 8th, 2022 at 10:37am CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings coach Mike Brown is leaning strongly toward Kevin Huerter as his starting shooting guard, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reports. Acquired from Atlanta this summer, Huerter is competing with Malik Monk and Terence Davis for the starting nod.

“The more I watch, I just think Kevin might be the right fit at that two-guard spot,” Brown said. “But for me, right now, that power forward spot can be wide open.”

The list of the candidates at the ‘four’ spot includes lottery pick Keegan Murray. KZ Okpala, Trey Lyles and Chimezie Metu are the other options.

We have more info from the Western Conference:

The Nuggets got a scare on Friday when Jamal Murray exited early with an apparent thigh injury. However, Murray just dismissed it as a cramp, he told Mike Singer of the Denver Post. “It was frustrating, but it’s OK,” Murray said. “It’s just a cramp. It’s not like it was a pull. Nothing serious. My body hasn’t had this much since training camp, three-hour practices and all that. I guess I’m just adjusting to the workload, that’s all.”
Nikola Jokic didn’t even go to Chicago for the game due to a sprained right wrist. An MRI came back clean and coach Michael Malone is optimistic Jokic will soon return, according to Singer. “The word back in Denver is that he had a good day,” Malone said. “He’s getting more movement, more function with that wrist. We’ll get home late (Friday), we’ll figure out what the plan is (Saturday). Can he practice? Do we need to hold him out further? Come Monday, we’ll make a decision if he’ll be available for the Phoenix Suns game.”
Pelicans guard Kira Lewis continues to progress in his rehab of a torn ACL. He has been cleared for 3-on-3 scrimmages, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez tweets. Lewis tore his ACL last December and the recovery period for a torn ACL is typically 12-plus months.
The Mavericks are playing three preseason games, the fewest of any team in the league, and that’s by design, according to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News. Coach Jason Kidd wants to keep his team fresh and healthy for the regular season. “I wanted to see less preseason games just to have the data to see how we handle it,” Kidd said. “A lot of teams are playing four, five or six, so I went on the other side to see if we can play three. … It could be something that we don’t ever do again, or if the players say they like it, it’ll be something we’ll do again.”

Okpala & Murray Battling For Starting Power Forward

October 7th, 2022 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Huerter is expected to be the Kings‘ starting shooting guard when the regular season tips off, but the starting power forward job remains up for grabs, head coach Mike Brown told reporters today (Twitter link via Sean Cunningham of FOX40 Sacramento). KZ Okpala and No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray appear to be the top contenders for that spot.
According to Cunningham, the Kings aren’t expected to make any cuts until after their second preseason game on Sunday. The team has just 12 players on guaranteed contracts, with five veterans and rookie Chima Moneke in camp on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deals, vying for back-end roster spots.

Kings Pick Up Davion Mitchell’s Option For 2023/24

October 5th, 2022 at 5:53pm CST by Rory Maher

The Kings have picked up their 2023/24 team option for guard Davion Mitchell, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Mitchell will earn a guaranteed $5,063,640 in ’23/24, his third season.

The No. 9 overall pick in 2021 after helping Baylor win the NCAA Tournament, Mitchell had a big role as a rookie, averaging 11.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG and 4.2 APG on .418/.316/.659 shooting in 75 games (19 starts, 27.7 MPG). He ranked 10th among rookies in both PPG and MPG, and fifth in APG, the team noted in its press release (Twitter link via James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com).

A talented defensive player, Mitchell also posted a solid 2.75-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in ’21/22. He is part of a revamped backcourt that includes De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk, with the latter two being offseason acquistions (via trade and free agency, respectively).

The Kings are trying to break their 16-season playoff drought, which is an NBA record. They have some talented players on the roster to aid in that effort, including the aforementioned backcourt rotation, this year’s No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray, veteran Harrison Barnes, and two-time All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis.

Kings Notes: Starting Lineup, Barnes, Sabonis

October 4th, 2022 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

While De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Harrison Barnes are locked in as starters, two spots in the Kings‘ starting lineup remain up for grabs, head coach Mike Brown said this weekend.

“Obviously, Fox is going to start for us. Domas is going to start for us. HB is going to start for us,” Brown said, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “But we’re kind of up in the air a little bit with the two and the four spot, and there are some guys that we feel have a real good chance to start for us in those spots, but we’re going to keep mixing those two spots around to see what we can get.”

Kevin Huerter started as shooting guard during the Kings’ presseason opener vs. the Lakers on Monday, while KZ Okpala got the nod at power forward. However, neither player had a big night, while Malik Monk and Keegan Murray – two other contenders for those starting spots – combined for 24 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals.

Brown won’t make any decisions based on one night, but with the start of the regular season just two weeks away, every preseason game will be an important one as the Kings consider their options.

Here are a few more notes out of Sacramento:

Barnes, who is entering the final season of a four-year deal, isn’t oblivious to the fact that his name has popped up frequently in trade rumors over the last year or two, but he’s preparing to spend his full contract year in Sacramento, Anderson writes for The Sacramento Bee. “You know how the NBA is,” Barnes said. “I check Woj. I check Shams. They’ve still got me here, so as far as I’m concerned, this is where I’m supposed to be and I’m going to give it my best effort.”
Speaking to Mark Medina of NBA.com, Sabonis discussed the Kings’ playoff chances, his chemistry with Fox, and how having the defensive-minded Brown on the sidelines will impact the team. “He’s a defensive coach, and he’s definitely trying to make life easy for us in terms of the terminology,” Sabonis said of Brown. “The defensive stuff we’re doing is going to help us out. It’ll depend on us. He’s giving us all the answers and the system of how we want to play as a team. Defense is about effort and competing. If we compete every game, it’s going to be tough.”
Making the play-in tournament is a “completely reasonable goal” for the Kings, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who previews Sacramento’s season and projects the team to finish 10th in the Western Conference with a 37-45 record.

Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Ham, Davis, Ryan

October 4th, 2022 at 1:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hours after the release of a story revealing how close he came to being traded to the Pacers, Russell Westbrook was in the Lakers‘ starting lineup Monday night for their preseason opener, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Woike confirms that the team has been considering trades for the embattled guard all summer, but it’s not willing to part with unprotected first-round picks in both 2027 and 2029.

Speaking after Monday’s game, Westbrook sounded ready to accept his future, whether it’s with the Lakers or another team.

“I’m super blessed and thankful for what I have and what I’ve been given,” he said. “I’ve got an unbelievable support system, family, leaning on my faith. Everything else will take care of itself. So, all summer, my whole life, I’ve been hearing the stories about myself. That’s not going to change today. So, nothing new for me. I’m going to continue to keep my head down, focus on competing. And everything else will take care of itself.”

Amid the offseason trade talks, the Lakers have been publicly supportive of Westbrook as he enters his second season with the organization. New head coach Darvin Ham said Westbrook has been doing everything he’s asked to in practice, including finding ways to contribute without the ball in his hands.

“Any outside noise, that’s par for the course,” Ham said. “I mean, it comes with the business. But he’s a Los Angeles Laker, the last time I checked. And I’m really not mad at that. And he showed tonight, like, he’s gonna thrive in this system.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Ham made his head coaching debut Monday, and it came against one of his mentors, who was also coaching his new team for the first time, notes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Kings coach Mike Brown gave Ham his first coaching opportunity, hiring him as an assistant on his staff with the Lakers in 2011. “Throw the coaching out and the other stuff, a fantastic human being that deserves a chance and I’m glad he got a chance,” Brown said. “The Lakers gave him an opportunity and knowing him, he’s going to fight, claw, do whatever he needs to do to make this thing right for him, his family, the organization and the city.”
Ham sees a healthy season from Anthony Davis as vital to making the Lakers a playoff team again, tweets Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. Injuries have limited Davis to 36 and 40 games the past two seasons. “None of this works if he’s not available and he’s not hitting on all cylinders,” Ham said. “He’s a big piece. The biggest piece of our success.”
In a separate story, Lakers camp invitee Matt Ryan talks to Woike about the unusual preparations he had to take to get ready for the NBA after COVID-19 interrupted his final season in college.

Mitchell Could Have Breakout Year

October 1st, 2022 at 11:15am CST by Dana Gauruder

Davion Mitchell‘s defensive prowess, paired with his budding talent as a creator, could lead to a breakout season for the Kings’ second-year guard, Ethan Fuller of Basketball News writes.

Ranadive Says He's Happy With Job McNair Has Done

September 30th, 2022 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

With Monte McNair entering the final year of his contract, Kings owner Vivek Ranadive said on Wednesday that he’s happy with the job the general manager has done, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. However, the two sides have been “too focused on the season” to discuss a possible contract extension, according to Ranadive. “Monte, (assistant GM) Wes (Wilcox), the whole front office, the coaches they hired, the coaching staff, the process they went through, the trades they made, the rookie they picked, I’m very pleased with everything that’s happened,” Ranadive said. “I think right now the focus is: Let’s win.”

Vezenkov Happy He Stayed Put

September 27th, 2022 at 10:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings expressed some interest in European star Sasha Vezenkov this offseason but he decided to stay at least for one more season with Greece’s Olympiacos. Vezenkov, a 2017 second-round pick, believes he made the right move, according to Achilleas Mavrodontis of Eurohoops.net. “It was the first summer in a long time that there was some solid talk, and the Kings showed interest,” he said. “Based on the information, what I heard, and what I had on the table, I decided that the best option for me was Olynpiacos. I don’t look back. I always stand by my decisions. I’m trying to prove that it was the best choice.”

McNair Deflects Questions About Contract; Murray Preparing For High Expectations

September 27th, 2022 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Kings general manager Monte McNair expressed confidence in the team’s new-look roster and brushed off questions about his contract situation as he enters the final season of a three-year deal. “Is my deal, like, on the internet or something?” McNair joked, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “Look, for me and my group, we’re excited about what we’ve done. We’re excited that coach (Mike) Brown is in here. I’m the GM right now and I’ve got a bunch of work to do, so I’m going to do that until they kick me out, and I hope I’m here for a long time.”
Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee takes a look at how No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray is dealing with high expectations as he joins a Kings team attempting to snap a 16-year playoff drought.

Brown Wants Uptempo Attack

September 26th, 2022 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Kings coach Mike Brown wants to play with pace and he believes there’s enough shooting around their dynamic point man to aid that cause, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. “We want to play fast and give (De’Aaron Fox) an opportunity to get downhill,” Brown said. “If we’re asking Fox to get downhill, he needs space to do it. In order to create space around him, you need shooters. When you’re talking about Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes, Terence Davis, Trey Lyles, you’re talking about some high-level shooters.”