- Even with De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton in their backcourt, the Kings need to find another play-maker, James Ham of The Kings Beat opines. Rookie Davion Mitchell, Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes are not suited for that role when both Fox and Haliburton are off the court, in Ham’s viewpoint, so Sacramento must go out and acquire another play-maker.
Kings head coach Luke Walton finds himself on the hot seat once again, according to Sam Amick and Shams Charania of The Athletic, who say the pressure is mounting on Walton amidst Sacramento’s current four-game losing streak.
Sources tell Amick and Charania that Walton’s job will likely be “in peril” soon if the Kings’ slump continues.
Walton faced some pressure last season as well, but ultimately held onto his job for a variety of reasons, including his approval rating in the locker room, his strong relationship with general manager Monte McNair, and the fact that he still had multiple guaranteed years left on his contract, per Amick and Charania.
According to The Athletic’s duo, Walton isn’t expected to given as much leeway this time around, since there’s increasing urgency for the Kings to snap their 15-year playoff drought. Amick and Charania add that the current roster is viewed internally as one capable of making the postseason.
The Kings’ current losing streak includes a home game vs. Indiana and road games in San Antonio and Oklahoma City, which are the types of contests that management and ownership would expect the team to win. Sacramento will play in Detroit on Monday night, and Amick and Charania note that a loss to the 3-9 Pistons certainly “would not aid Walton’s cause.”
Walton, who was hired by former Kings general manager Vlade Divac in 2019, led the team to consecutive 31-41 (.431) finishes in his first two seasons, and is off to a 5-8 start in 2021/22. He’s under contract for one more year beyond this season.
The Bulls have been subjected to frequent COVID-19 testing since they played the Sixers last week, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Nikola Vucevic is out at least 10 days after a positive test. The Sixers had several players test positive in recent weeks. “I feel like everybody has been pretty safe with us. We’ve been wearing our masks a lot,” Zach LaVine said. “Obviously, we have got a lot of tests done the last couple days and it seems like everybody has been safe. Fingers crossed.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Pistons reportedly have some interest in Kings big man Marvin Bagley III, the former No. 2 overall pick who has been benched most of the season. Their interest could heighten with Kelly Olynyk sidelined at least six weeks. The Athletic’s beat reporters for those teams, James Edwards III and Jason Jones, explore potential trade scenarios, suggesting that a package of Josh Jackson and Trey Lyles might work for both sides once Lyles, who was signed as a free agent this summer, becomes trade-eligible.
- Pistons coach Dwane Casey offered high praise for Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets. “The young man’s ceiling is off the charts, and not only that, he’s a great young man,” Casey said of the No. 3 overall pick. “He’s a student, he’s a sponge, he’s a quick-learner.” Mobley had 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks against Detroit on Friday, while top pick Cade Cunningham committed seven turnovers in Detroit’s 20-point loss.
- Kevin Love has been cleared to return to the Cavaliers but it’s uncertain when he’ll suit up again, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. Love entered the league’s health and safety protocols at the beginning of the month.
The Pistons are considered a team to watch as a possible suitor for Kings big man Marvin Bagley III, according to Marc Stein. Within his latest Substack column, Stein cites league sources who say Detroit has been tracking Bagley since last season, before the forward fell out of favor in Sacramento.
The second overall pick in the 2018 draft, Bagley had a promising rookie year for the Kings, averaging 14.9 PPG and 7.6 RPG in 62 games. However, his production hasn’t improved at all since then and his role has been reduced. Last month, the Kings informed Bagley that he wouldn’t be part of the club’s rotation to open the season, prompting agent Jeff Schwartz to put out a statement blasting Sacramento for its handling of his client.
“It’s clear they have no plans for him in the future, and yet, passed on potential deals at last year’s deadline and this summer based on ‘value,'” Schwartz said in that statement. “Instead they chose to bring him back but not play him, a move completely contradictory to their ‘value’ argument. This is a case study in mismanagement by the Kings organization.”
Bagley has appeared in just one game so far this season, logging 10 minutes of action on October 22 in a loss to Utah. A report earlier this week suggested that the 22-year-old refused to check into Monday’s game when head coach Luke Walton called his number.
While the Kings would presumably welcome the opportunity to trade Bagley, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, Stein says a deal is unlikely to be made until sometime after December 15, when more players become trade-eligible.
It’s unclear what the Pistons would be willing to give up for Bagley. The team only has three players earning over $6MM this season — Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk, and Cade Cunningham. Grant and Cunningham obviously wouldn’t be in play for Bagley, and I doubt the team would want to give up Olynyk just months after making a significant commitment to him in free agency.
In order to match Bagley’s $11.3MM salary then, the Pistons may have to package a couple lesser-paid players, including perhaps Hamidou Diallo ($5.2MM), who doesn’t currently have a regular role in the club’s rotation. Diallo can’t be dealt until January 15.
Kings coach Luke Walton refused to comment on speculation that Marvin Bagley III refused to check into Monday’s game against the Suns, tweets Sean Cunningham of KXTV in Sacramento. Cunningham posted a video clip of Bagley walking away from coaches and shaking his head during a timeout. Cunningham was told by multiple sources that Bagley turned down Walton when he was told to enter the game.
“Anything that happens within our group, that’s between our group,” Walton responded when reporters asked him about the incident. “So the thing that matters is people know what’s expected and we continue to move forward tonight” (Twitter link from Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee).
Bagley has repeatedly expressed frustration about his situation with the Kings, as have his agent and his father. He has only played once in the team’s first 11 games.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Anthony Davis is determined to prove that he can lead the Lakers with LeBron James sidelined, per Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Davis overcame a lingering stomach illness Monday night to push L.A. to an overtime victory against the Hornets. “(Carmelo Anthony) is in my ear a lot about leading the team and just controlling the team, especially with (James) out,” Davis said. “We don’t have all our guys yet, so guys are playing a lot of minutes now, but it’s my job to make sure I stay in command of the team.”
- Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers didn’t make a splashy trade during the offseason, but all his smaller pick-ups have worked out, observes Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area. Myers filled the roster with Andre Iguodala, Nemanja Bjelica and Otto Porter Jr., all of whom have contributed to the team’s league-best 9-1 start.
- Defense was among the many topics that Clippers guard Reggie Jackson wanted to talk about after Tuesday’s win over the Trail Blazers, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. He said everyone has bought into the scheme, enabling L.A. to rank in the top three in team defense despite playing without Kawhi Leonard. “(Ivica Zubac) and myself and a few of us have actually been joking about (Luke Kennard’s) willingness to play defense, honestly,” Jackson said. “He’s been such a threat on offense and now the way that he’s locking in on defense and giving his best effort, he understands what we’re trying to get accomplished, he understands where help’s coming from, where he needs to be at in help and it’s just getting contagious. Like, this is fun. It’s fun figuring it out.”
The Kings hired Monte McNair as general manager 14 months ago with a mission to end their long postseason drought, and he believes the best approach is patience rather than splashy moves, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. In a lengthy interview, McNair explains his philosophy on team building and delves into several other topics.
McNair didn’t arrive in Sacramento with a desire to put his “stamp” on the organization, Amick notes. That’s why he has chosen to build through the draft and minor deals, rather than taking a big swing on a risky talent like Ben Simmons.
“One thing that’s really helped us is (that) we have a very, very clear goal,” McNair said. “We want to get this organization back to the playoffs. We want to get back there (and) that helps (that) we have a singular focus.”
The Kings are off to a 5-6 start that has put them in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race. McNair has drafted well, landing Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell in the last two lotteries, and was able to keep Richaun Holmes in free agency, re-signing him to a four-year deal over the summer.
While Sacramento’s management team has sometimes been chaotic over the past decade and a half, McNair believes the current group works well together and will ultimately be successful.
“The thing we are definitely all doing is rowing the boat in the same direction,” he said. “Now we want to row as fast as we can and as straight as we can. … But we are for sure rowing in the same direction, and that makes it a lot easier. We’ve got a great group. And so now, it’s just, ‘Can we do it?’”
McNair covers several other issues in the interview, including:
The decision to draft Mitchell when the Kings already had plenty of guards:
“Certainly, when you just look at the team we had and who we had drafted the year before and Tyrese and who we already had on the team with De’Aaron (Fox), and you say, ‘Why would you draft another point guard?’ (But) this is where we talk about being a best player available in the draft. And it’s a hard thing to do sometimes, but we truthfully sit here and try to (draft) best player available. And when Davion is sitting at the top of our board, we do not hesitate to draft him.”
The relationship with Buddy Hield after he was nearly traded to the Lakers over the summer:
“Yeah, we had some (trade) conversations over the offseason. I don’t want to go into too much detail there, but (the approach was to) treat Buddy like the adult that he is and I think he appreciated that. He does the same with me. And I said, ‘Look, you know, obviously your name has been out there. But if it doesn’t work out, if nothing happens, you come back, you’re expected to let it fly.’ And he’s been doing that.”
The status of Marvin Bagley III, who has complained about how the franchise has handled him after drafting him second overall in 2018. Bagley has only appeared in one game this season and is on track for restricted free agency after not receiving an extension offer:
“Marvin has been putting in the work and staying ready. And just like we tell all our guys, when your number’s called, you go in, and you help us win. It’s a long season. We’re gonna need — we’ve (got) 17 guys now on the roster and we’re gonna need all of them at some point. And you know, Marvin as well as everybody else is going to be ready when they’re called.”
- Kings big man Richaun Holmes has been fined $15K for throwing his headband into the spectator stands against the Pelicans on Wednesday, the league announced (Twitter link). The incident caused Holmes to receive his second technical foul of the game, leading to an ejection.
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2021 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s offseason moves and look ahead to what the 2021/22 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Sacramento Kings.
Free agent signings:
Note: Exhibit 9 and 10 deals aren’t included here.
- Richaun Holmes: Four years, $46.52MM. Fourth-year player option. 15% trade kicker. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Maurice Harkless: Two years, $8.91MM. Re-signed using Non-Bird rights.
- Terence Davis: Two years, $8MM. Re-signed as restricted free agent using Early Bird rights.
- Alex Len: Two years, $7.65MM. Signed using mid-level exception.
Trades:
- Acquired Tristan Thompson from the Celtics in a three-team trade in exchange for Delon Wright (sent to Hawks).
Draft picks:
- 1-9: Davion Mitchell
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $20,951,517).
- 2-39: Neemias Queta
- Signed to two-way contract.
Contract extensions:
- None
Departing players:
- Kyle Guy
- Justin James
- Hassan Whiteside
- Delon Wright
Other offseason news:
- Team owner Vivek Ranadivé bought out shares of multiple minority stakeholders.
- Hired Doug Christie and Mike Longabardi as assistant coaches; lost assistant coaches Rex Kalamian and Jesse Mermuys.
Salary cap situation:
- Remained over the cap and below the tax line.
- Carrying approximately $130.4MM in salary.
- $5,804,000 of non-taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($3,732,000 used on Alex Len).
- Full bi-annual exception ($3,732,000) still available.
- Two traded player exceptions available, including one worth $3.6MM.
The Kings’ offseason:
The most notable aspects of the Kings’ offseason were the things they didn’t do. They tried to pull off a blockbuster deal with the Lakers involving Buddy Hield, who had just completed the first year of a four-year, $94MM contract extension. However, Los Angeles shifted gears when Russell Westbrook became available and moved some of the pieces that may have gone to Sacramento — including Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell — to Washington.
The Kings also explored trades for colossally disappointing Marvin Bagley III, the No. 2 pick of the 2018 draft. They couldn’t move the oft-injured Bagley, then declined to pursue a rookie scale extension with the young big. He’s currently buried on Luke Walton’s bench.
Re-signing center Richaun Holmes was a priority, but heading into free agency it was anticipated that the Kings would be priced out of his market. Speculation was that Holmes would command between $15-$20MM annually, so Sacramento was pleasantly surprised to retain his services for four more seasons at less than $12MM per year.
Defense-oriented veteran wing Maurice Harkless re-signed at a reasonable price and Sacramento retained young shooting guard Terence Davis, who was acquired from Toronto for a second-round pick prior to last season’s trade deadline.
The Kings also brought back center Alex Len for a second stint. Len was with the club during the 201920 season. He and Tristan Thompson will provide depth in the middle behind Holmes.
Thompson was the only player Sacramento wound up acquiring via the trade route — his expiring $9.72MM contract may be more valued by the front office than whatever he’ll add on the court.
Draft night produced Sacramento’s biggest offseason addition. The Kings surprised a lot of people by adding Baylor star Davion Mitchell to their backcourt with the No. 9 pick. Mitchell’s perimeter defense and winner’s mentality were coveted by an organization lacking in both areas. His ability to distribute the ball and knock down 3-pointers added to his appeal.
The Kings’ season:
In an ironic twist, the Kings are trying to end their 15-year postseason drought by emphasizing continuity. Walton is in his third year as head coach and the club has a quality, youthful backcourt rotation led by De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton and rookie Mitchell. Re-signing Holmes provided some stability to the big man rotation.
A trip to the playoffs should certainly be the expectation for this group, since it’s had ample time to build chemistry. Finding a new home for Bagley would be a bonus — the current situation doesn’t seem particularly healthy for either party. A strong season from Hield, who has become a high-priced sixth man, is also a necessary ingredient for a playoff push. Sacramento thus far is off to a 4-4 start with Harrison Barnes showing signs that he might have a career year.
If the Kings come up short again, there will certainly be many more changes made next offseason, or perhaps even before this season’s trade deadline if things go sour this winter.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post. Luke Adams contributed to this post.
There are currently 30 players on standard NBA contracts whose 2021/22 salaries aren’t yet fully guaranteed. In most cases, those players will receive their full guarantees if they remain under contract through January 7. Because the league-wide salary guarantee date is January 10, a player must clear waivers before that date if a team wants to avoid being on the hook for his full salary.
A handful of players have earlier trigger dates, however. Those players will receive either full guarantees or an increased partial guarantee on certain dates before January 7.
These dates are fairly malleable — if a player and team reach an agreement, they can be pushed back. The Raptors took that route with Isaac Bonga and Sam Dekker, for example. Both players were originally on track to have their full minimum-salary contracts for 2021/22 become guaranteed if they made the team’s opening-night roster. However, they agreed to push their guarantee dates back a few weeks, to November 6.
Those agreements between a player and team aren’t always reported right away, so our list of early salary guarantee dates is a tentative one, based on information from Basketball Insiders, Spotrac, and HoopsHype, as well as our own data.
Here are the salary guarantee dates to watch prior to January 7:
November 6:
- Isaac Bonga (Raptors): Partial guarantee ($250,000) increases to full guarantee ($1,729,217).
- Sam Dekker (Raptors): Partial guarantee ($350,000) increases to full guarantee ($1,789,256).
December 1:
- Chimezie Metu (Kings): Partial guarantee ($881,398) increases to full guarantee ($1,762,796).
December 11:
- PJ Dozier (Nuggets): Partial guarantee ($400,000) increases to full guarantee ($1,910,860).
December 15:
- DeAndre’ Bembry (Nets): Partial guarantee ($750,000) increases to larger partial guarantee ($1,250,000).
- Kenrich Williams (Thunder): Partial guarantee increases to full guarantee ($2,000,000).
- Note: Williams’ partial guarantee is based on a salary of about $11,494 per day. For instance, 30 days into the regular season, he’ll have earned $344,828.
- The Kings‘ young backcourt of De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, and Davion Mitchell was viewed as one of the team’s primary strengths entering the season, but veterans Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes have been the team’s most reliable contributors so far this season, says Alex Didion of NBC Sports Bay Area. Barnes – who has two years left on his current contract – is averaging 23.3 PPG and 10.3 RPG with a .455 3PT%, while Holmes – who signed a new four-year deal this summer – has put up 16.3 PPG and 10.5 RPG with a .714 FG%.