Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Haliburton, Bagley, Robinson, LaVine

February 14th, 2022 at 10:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Getting traded so early in his career was an emotional experience for new Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, as he wrote in a Players Tribune post. He was caught by surprise when his agent informed him he might be traded and “started crying my eyes out” when Kings GM Monte McNair told the second-year guard he’d been dealt to Indiana.

After reflection, Haliburton felt much more comfortable about the deal.

“More than anything, though, right now it really does just feel good to be wanted,” he wrote. “And I can’t thank the Pacers enough for their belief in me. I’m humbled to have been traded for an All-Star player like Domantas (Sabonis), and I fully understand that this team wouldn’t trade away a player like him for someone to just come in and be so-so.”

We have more from the Central Division:

The addition of Marvin Bagley III was coupled with an admission from Pistons GM Troy Weaver that he made a mistake while building the roster, The Athletic’s James Edwards III notes. Detroit has been sorely lacking in an athletic big to give the rotation a different look than Isaiah Stewart and Kelly Olynyk while providing a lob threat for guards Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes. In Edwards’ estimation, it was worth a roll of the dice to bring in Bagley this season, even at the expense of two second-round picks, because he’s the best player in the Kings-Pistons portion of the four-team trade and Detroit got even younger.
The Bulls were among the teams interested in trading for Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson prior to the deadline, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. The Bulls viewed Robinson as a defensive center to back up offensively-skilled Nikola Vucevic for an extended playoff run, Berman adds. The Pistons were also among the teams who inquired about Robinson.
The Bulls didn’t make a significant move before the deadline and that’s fine with Zach LaVine, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. “They’re going to go out there and try to improve the team any way they can, you can’t get mad at that,” LaVine said. “It’s our job to come out here with the guys that we have, and when we were healthy, we were showing that we were always at the top and one of the best teams in the NBA. I think that’s what we’re hanging our hat on. When we get healthy, we’ll get back to what we do.” That’s a big if, now that LaVine is getting his ailing left knee re-examined this week.

Western Notes: Thunder, Jazz, Kings, Iguodala, Finney-Smith

February 14th, 2022 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

After mostly sitting out last week’s trade deadline – with the exception of a very minor deal involving KZ Okpala – the Thunder are still about $23MM below the $101.2MM salary cap floor for 2021/22, John Hollinger writes for The Athletic.

As Hollinger explains, the Thunder’s situation is a “very hot topic in the agent world,” since teams are required to either spend to the salary floor or pay the difference to their players. Assuming Oklahoma City doesn’t try to get to the floor by signing free agents to deals that include oversized first-year salaries, the team could end up paying about $1.5MM to each of its own players at season’s end.

Hollinger believes this latter scenario is more likely than the Thunder spending big on free agents in the next couple months. Recent European imports who have received big late-season free agent contracts, such as Gabriel Deck and Luca Vildoza, haven’t exactly worked out, and it’s not OKC will feel the need to be a major player on the buyout market.

More importantly, even if the team is required to pay its own players at the end of the season to reach the salary floor, those payments won’t count toward the cap. In other words, the Thunder could still take upwards of $31MM in cap room into draft night, giving them the ability to make trades in June that other clubs wouldn’t be able to accommodate.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Howard Beck of SI.com is the latest reporter to suggest that the alleged tension between Jazz teammates Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell hasn’t exactly dissipated. “I think they’re in trouble, because this thing has run its course and we know there are some tensions that are in that locker room,” Beck said on The Crossover NBA Show podcast with Chris Mannix (hat tip to HoopsHype). “And I’ve been told recently that they might be a little worse than we’ve even been led to believe. And so if this doesn’t end well this postseason, and there’s no reason to think that it will… those ‘Donovan Mitchell wants out’ rumors are going to be starting, like, as soon as the season is over.”
General manager Monte McNair felt that the players the Kings acquired at the deadline – including Domantas Sabonis, Donte DiVincenzo, and Justin Holiday – are good fits both on and off the court. “We want competitors, toughness,” McNair said over the weekend, per Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. “We need to improve our rebounding and defense. And I think all these guys that we’ve brought are not just great players, good talents, all that type of stuff, but guys that are going to fit into that type of culture we’re trying to build here.”
Warriors swingman Andre Iguodala, who has played just once since January 20, went through the team’s shootaround today, but will remain sidelined until after the All-Star break, per head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Iguodala is dealing with lower back tightness.
Dorian Finney-Smith‘s new four-year extension with the Mavericks is worth the maximum amount he was eligible for ($55,560,960) and includes a trade kicker of 5%, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Kings Notes: McNair, Fox, Sabonis, Haliburton, DiVincenzo

February 13th, 2022 at 4:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Kings team president Monte McNair is confident that new addition Domantas Sabonis will fit well alongside pricey star point guard De’Aaron Fox, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).

“We think [Sabonis’] skillset complements De’Aaron,” McNair said. “De’Aaron’s skillset complements him. And Domas’ skillset complements just about everybody.”

McNair discussed his decision to move promising young guard Tyrese Haliburton to the Pacers in a package for Sabonis, writes Anderson in a separate story.

“This was a unique opportunity to acquire a two-time All-Star and two veteran wings [in Justin Holiday and Jeremy Lamb], all [of] whom will help us, as we continue to build here in Sacramento,” McNair said.

Sacramento, which has not made an NBA postseason since 2006, is hoping that its new-look roster can at least lead it to the play-in tournament. The team’s current 22-36 record positions it just 1.5 games behind the current No. 10 seed, the Trail Blazers, with plenty of time to catch up.

There’s more out of Sacramento:

Domantas Sabonis is enjoying his tenure with the Kings thus far, writes Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. In two contests with his new club, both wins, the 6’11” power forward/center is averaging 19.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG, and 6.0 APG. “Since the second I made it to the NBA, I figured out the hard way it’s a business,” the two-time All-Star said after his first game. “I got traded on draft night, and then a year later, I got traded again. I’m just trying to find a home where I’m loved … and I feel like I found it here. I love it here.”
Not everyone is excited about the Kings’ decision to move on from an exciting young prospect like Tyrese Haliburton. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic tries to make sense of the Kings’ choice to trade the 6’5″ guard, who had been Sacramento’s top performer this year, to Indiana. Vecenie pegs the 21-year-old Haliburton as a future All-Star, one capable of doing well with or without the ball in his hands. Vecenie acknowledges that the pairing of Sabonis and Fox could help the team in theory, though Fox has regressed so far this season and Sabonis could reach free agency in 2024. As a second-year NBA player, Haliburton could have been under team control for significantly longer.
New Kings shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo is relishing his opportunity in Sacramento, writes Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. The Kings initially tried to land DiVincenzo in the scuttled sign-and-trade deal for Bogdan Bogdanovic at the start of the 2020/21 season, then finally got their man as part of a four-team deadline day trade. “It was meant to be,” DiVincenzo said. “That mutual respect and wanting to be here and them wanting me here, it’s a super good feeling and it makes you want to go out and play as hard as you can for not only the team, but also the organization.” Though DiVincenzo has had a down year after returning from a June left ankle surgery, the Kings are hopeful that he can return to being the solid two-way contributor he was with for Bucks during much of the 2020/21 season. “I think he’s a very versatile defender,” Kings interim head coach Alvin Gentry said. “We can play him on ones, twos, threes. I think he does a good job of getting into the ball. I think he understands rotations and things like that. “

Lakers Rumors: Westbrook, Hield, LeBron, Davis, Pelinka, Jordan

February 11th, 2022 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Last summer, the Lakers appeared to be on the verge of a deal with the Kings for Buddy Hield before pivoting and acquiring Russell Westbrook from Washington. Westbrook’s stint in Los Angeles hasn’t worked out like the Lakers have hoped, which apparently prompted the team to see if it could get a do-over of sorts on that offseason decision.

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, sources say that one Westbrook trade idea the Lakers discussed earlier in the season would’ve involved Hield coming to Los Angeles. Obviously, that idea didn’t get off the ground — Westbrook ultimately remained in L.A. through the deadline, while Hield was sent to Indiana in a six-player blockbuster.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

As we relayed on Thursday, Lakers VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said he had conversations with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading up to the trade deadline, suggesting there was “alignment” with the stars on the team’s decision to stand pat. However, a source familiar with James’ and Davis’ thinking who spoke to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin disputed that characterization. “Totally false,” that source told McMenamin (video link; hat tip to RealGM). “There was no conversation between Rob Pelinka, LeBron James and Anthony Davis on Thursday. There was no go-ahead of an OK to have inaction at the deadline.”
In a column on the Lakers’ trade deadline activity, Bill Oram of The Athletic suggests that rival teams may be leery of engaging in discussions with Pelinka due to his decision to pull out of what the Kings viewed as a trade agreement for Hield last summer.
As the Lakers peruse the buyout market in search of a player who could improve their roster, center DeAndre Jordan appears to be the most likely candidate to be waived, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Jordan is out of the team’s regular rotation and isn’t a fit with the Lakers’ “small-ball ethos,” Buha explains.

Lowe’s Latest: Gasol, Bucks, Suns, Pacers, Kings, Sixers, More

February 11th, 2022 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

With Brook Lopez sidelined indefinitely, the Bucks and center Marc Gasol, who is currently playing for Girona in Spain, had discussed the possibility of a possible late-season deal, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link). However, Lowe suggests that a union “does not appear to be in the cards” now that Milwaukee has acquired Serge Ibaka.

It’s worth noting that the Bucks have three open spots on their 15-man roster following the trade deadline, so there still could be room for Gasol down the road, and it’s not like he and Ibaka haven’t had success teaming up in the past — the two vets played key roles for the 2019 champion Raptors. Still, Milwaukee may be looking to address other positions with those open roster spots, and there’s no guarantee Gasol will look to return to the NBA when his season is over in Spain.

Here are a few more highlights from Lowe’s post-deadline roundup:

Sources confirmed to Lowe that the Suns and Pacers had brief discussions about Deandre Ayton and Domantas Sabonis, which was first reported by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Fischer suggested the two teams might be exploring the idea of an offseason sign-and-trade involving Ayton, and Lowe agrees that the talks seem to have been just exploratory and informal, possibly aimed at the future rather than present. Indiana subsequently traded Sabonis to Sacramento, which could eliminate the possibility of any future deal with Phoenix for Ayton, but Lowe points out that the Suns’ willingness to consider shaking up their roster – even in the offseason – is noteworthy.
Before acquiring Sabonis, the Kings approached the Hawks about John Collins, but they didn’t discuss Tyrese Haliburton or De’Aaron Fox in that context, says Lowe.
Lowe expects the Sixers to explore the buyout market for a backup center, since there’s no guarantee that Paul Millsap will bounce back in Philadelphia and Charles Bassey is unproven.
The Spurs explored ways to move up in last year’s draft, according to Lowe, who notes that San Antonio has since gained more draft ammo to potentially revisit that idea going forward.
Lowe contends that Kristaps Porzingis should take his trade to the Wizards “as a huge slap in the face,” given the modest return the Mavericks received. As Lowe writes, Dallas appeared to be trying to gain more flexibility for future moves by taking back two (relatively) smaller contracts for Porzingis’ max deal, which could pay off down the road. But it “seems to be selling unthinkably low” on Porzingis, Lowe says.

Leftover Deadline Rumors: Raptors, Rockets, Lakers, Nuggets, Knicks

February 11th, 2022 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors considered a series of potential trade scenarios before they agreed to send Goran Dragic and a draft pick to San Antonio for Thaddeus Young, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

According to Grange, Toronto had hoped the Hawks would make Bogdan Bogdanovic available, viewing the veteran wing as someone who could help the team in both the short- and long-term. However, Atlanta didn’t budge on Bogdanovic, forcing the Raptors to look elsewhere.

The Raptors inquired on Pistons forward Jerami Grant and Kings forward Harrison Barnes, sources tell Grange, but the price tags for those players were high. As previously reported, there were also discussions about a three-team deal that would’ve sent Talen Horton-Tucker and Nerlens Noel to Toronto, but Grange suggests those talks never gained serious traction.

Here are a few more leftover rumors on trades that didn’t get made on deadline day:

The Rockets never made real progress on a John Wall trade with the Lakers, who were unwilling to attach a first-round pick to Russell Westbrook, but a few days before the deadline, Houston got much closer to moving Wall to another team, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. That proposed deal ultimately fell through, per Feigen, who doesn’t specify which team the Rockets were talking to.
During a TV appearance, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (video link) said one concept that “could have been discussed” by the Rockets and Lakers before the deadline, “depending on who you believe,” was a swap of Westbrook, Horton-Tucker, and draft capital for Wall and Christian Wood. It doesn’t sound like those talks, if they even occurred, advanced at all.
After agreeing to acquire center Jalen Smith from Phoenix, the Pacers explored flipping him to a new team, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Fischer says the Nuggets were among the clubs in the mix for Smith, but Indiana didn’t find a deal it liked and ended up hanging onto the third-year big man.
The Knicks didn’t make a deal on deadline day, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Sources tell Steve Popper of Newsday that the club was willing to move just about anyone on its roster, but had trouble finding trade partners for many of its top trade candidates, including Kemba Walker and Noel. According to Popper, his sources suggested there was a “universal lack of interest in the Knicks’ talent and contracts.”

DiVincenzo To Kings, Bagley To Pistons In Four-Team Trade

February 10th, 2022 at 7:14pm CST by Luke Adams

7:14pm: The four-team deal is official, according to a Kings press release.

A press release from the Clippers notes that L.A. also received the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic from Sacramento in the deal, sending the draft rights to David Michineau to the Kings. The cash going to Milwaukee in the trade comes from the Clippers.

As we previously relayed, the Kings waived Jahmi’us Ramsey and Robert Woodard to complete the move.

10:47am: The Kings are trading former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III to the Pistons, sources tell Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), that move will be part of a four-team trade that sends Bucks wing Donte DiVincenzo to Sacramento.

The Clippers will be the fourth club involved in the deal, as Charania reports (via Twitter) that big man Serge Ibaka is headed to Milwaukee. Los Angeles is acquiring swingman Rodney Hood and forward Semi Ojeleye from the Bucks, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

Sacramento is receiving Pistons forwards Josh Jackson and Trey Lyles along with DiVincenzo, per Charania (via Twitter), while Detroit is also sending out multiple second-round picks, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Woj (via Twitter) breaks the deal down as follows:

Kings acquire DiVincenzo, Jackson, and Lyles.
Pistons acquire Bagley.
Clippers acquire Hood and Ojeleye.
Bucks acquire Ibaka, two second-round picks, and cash.

The Kings continue to reshape their roster after acquiring Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, and Jeremy Lamb in a trade with the Pacers Tuesday. DiVincenzo ($4.7MM this season) is eligible for restricted free agency in 2022 if Sacramento chooses to give him a qualifying offer, while Jackson ($3MM) is on an expiring deal. Lyles, however, earns $2.5MM this season and has a club option for next season at $2.6MM, giving the Kings some added flexibility.

DiVincenzo has been a solid defender, rebounder, and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He’s had a slow start to this season after recovering from ankle surgery and then entering the health and safety protocols, but he’s a young, controllable asset who likely won’t be too expensive going forward. Sacramento tried to acquire him prior to last season in the botched sign-and-trade that would have sent Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Bucks, but the deal was nullified due to “gun-jumping.” The Bucks ended up forfeiting a second-rounder in the process.

The Kings had reportedly been shopping Bagley for well over a year, as he was drafted by the previous front office regime and was publicly unhappy with the franchise. As a three-for-one trade, the Kings will have to waive two players, unless they make subsequent moves prior to the deal becoming official.

The Pistons are taking a gamble on Bagley, a good athlete who failed to develop in his time in Sacramento. Still just 22, Bagley could have untapped upside and figures to see more minutes on a rebuilding Pistons team. Like DiVincenzo, Bagley will be a restricted free agent in 2022. He’s earning $11.3MM in the final year of his rookie contract this season.

James Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link) reports that the Pistons will be sending Sacramento’s 2024 second-round pick and either Cleveland’s or Golden State’s 2023 second-rounder (whichever is less favorable) to the Bucks.

For the Clippers, it’s a cost-cutting move that will save them approximately $30MM in luxury tax payments, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). In order for the deal to work, Ibaka will need to amend a portion of his 15% trade bonus, Marks tweets, which Los Angeles will be responsible for.

Greif reports (Twitter link) that the Clips have been interested in Hood and Ojeleye in the past. Both players are on veteran minimum deals that expire this summer. Moving Ibaka gives more clarity to a crowded center rotation featuring Ivica Zubac, Isaiah Hartenstein, and newly-acquired Robert Covington (in small-ball looks).

By adding Ibaka’s $9.7MM contract and sending out three players, the defending champion Bucks will have three open roster spots (not including Greg Monroe, who’s on a 10-day deal) and add $6MM towards the luxury tax, Marks tweets. The cash they’re receiving will help offset the additional luxury tax payment. The Bucks had been searching for a center for a few months due to Brook Lopez‘s back injury; their starting center has suited for just one game this season.

Ibaka is having a down year after undergoing back surgery himself last summer, but he’s a smart, proven veteran who can space the floor and protect the paint when healthy. The two-second round picks will be key assets for a Bucks team that could be facing the repeater tax for multiple seasons as they contend for more titles.

Rory Maher contributed to this story.

Kings To Waive Jahmi’us Ramsey, Robert Woodard II

February 10th, 2022 at 2:49pm CST by Rory Maher

The Kings have informed Jahmi’us Ramsey and Robert Woodard II that they’ll be waived to make room for the newly-acquired trio of Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Jackson, and Trey Lyles, per James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link).

Ramsey, 20, was the 43rd overall pick of the 2020 draft after one collegiate season at Texas Tech. As a raw rookie last season, he struggled at both the NBA and G League level, receiving sparse playing time. He still hasn’t played much for the Kings in his second season, but he’s performed well for the team’s G League affiliate in Stockton, averaging 19 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on .549/.500/.833 shooting through eight games (32.6 minutes per game).

Ramsey’s contract for 2022/23 was non-guaranteed, but Sacramento will be on the hook for the remainder of his $1.5MM salary this season.

Woodard was the 40th overall selection of the 2020 draft after two seasons at Mississippi State. Like Ramsey, he’s barely played in the NBA, logging a total of 87 minutes across 25 games the past two seasons. In six games with Stockton this season, the 22-year-old averaged 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists on .523/.313/.571 shooting.

Woodard had a partial guarantee of $300K on his deal for 2022/23, so the Kings will still have to pay him that amount plus the remainder of the $1.5MM he’s owed this season.

Since neither player received regular minutes this season, waiving them won’t have an impact on Sacramento’s rotation. Ramsey or Woodard could catch on at the G League level or draw interest from NBA teams looking to take fliers on young players with upside. At 20 and 22, respectively, they still have plenty of time to develop.

Trade Rumors: Mavs, R. Lopez, Hawks, Wizards, Pistons, More

February 10th, 2022 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have made Dwight Powell available, but they remain uninterested in moving Jalen Brunson or Dorian Finney-Smith, reports Matt Moore of ActionNetwork.com. If those two players are off the table, Dallas may have a hard time finding a deal that significantly upgrades its roster.

According to Moore, Tim Hardaway Jr., who is out indefinitely due to a foot injury, is the player the Mavericks have shopped most aggressively. Hardaway was having a down year prior to his injury and is on a sizable long-term contract ($53.7MM for three years after this season), so his value will be limited.

Still, Moore notes that Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is a big fan of Hardaway, whom he coached in Dallas. Moore has also heard that the Wizards and Mavericks discussed a deal involving Hardaway and Spencer Dinwiddie, though a source tells Moore that the two sides didn’t make much progress.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Magic have been willing to discuss center Robin Lopez, but are apparently asking for a first-round pick, according to Moore. I’d be surprised if a team is willing to meet that price.
The Hawks may have a quiet deadline, with John Collins appearing increasingly unlikely to be dealt, but they remain on the lookout for a backup point guard, Moore reports.
Within his trade-rumor roundup, Moore also says the Wizards have been willing to discuss anyone besides Bradley Beal or Kyle Kuzma, and adds that Pistons guard Cory Joseph is “gettable.” Moore has received mixed intel on whether Detroit is interested in moving Kelly Olynyk.
Pacers center Myles Turner appears less likely to be dealt now that the team has moved Domantas Sabonis, but the Knicks continue to pursue Turner, a league source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. The big man is dealing with a foot injury that may sideline him until at least March.
With Harrison Barnes looking like a good bet to stay with the Kings through the deadline, Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III are the Sacramento players most often identified by rival teams as candidates to be moved in the next few hours, says Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Knicks Rumors: Reddish, Fournier, Burks, Randle

February 9th, 2022 at 10:48pm CST by Rory Maher

Despite trading a protected first-round pick for Cam Reddish last month, the Knicks haven’t shut down inquiries about their new young wing, as Ian Begley of SNY.tv relays. Reddish was brought up in trade discussions with at least one other team, although it’s not clear who initiated the conversation.

As Begley notes, at 24-31 and having lost 10 of their last 12 games, nothing should be considered off the table for the Knicks, so they’re likely just seeing how other teams value Reddish.

Because he was just traded, Reddish can’t be aggregated with another player in a larger deal for salary-matching purposes — he could still be dealt in a multi-player trade, but New York wouldn’t be able to add his salary to another player’s within that trade in order to acquire a higher-salaried player.

Begley believes the Knicks are unlikely to flip Reddish at the deadline unless they receive a “significant player” on a similar contract.

Here’s more from New York:

In a separate article for SNY, Begley writes that the Knicks have had trade discussions involving Evan Fournier. The Knicks and Pelicans had dialogue about Fournier with New Orleans receiving draft compensation, but the talks fell apart. The Pelicans have since traded for CJ McCollum, so they’re likely no longer interested in Fournier.
The Knicks called the Trail Blazers about McCollum prior to him being traded, but were unable to provide the cap relief Portland was after, Begley surmises.
Begley notes that Alec Burks continues to be involved in trade calls. It’s unclear which teams might be interested in his services.
For his part, Fournier hopes the Knicks stand pat at the deadline, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “I really do believe we have the right pieces. We have talent, we have toughness, we have everything. And we’re not that far from playing better and getting wins. It’s just about finding a way to play and sticking with that and building confidence and all that,” Fournier said after the Knicks were blown out by the Nuggets Tuesday.
Several teams, including the Kings, have been interested in Julius Randle, but after the Domantas Sabonis trade, Randle would be redundant in Sacramento, writes Begley.