According to ESPN.com's Chad Ford, there's very little consensus on this year's draft class beyond the top six prospects -- Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore, Victor Oladipo, Alex Len, Anthony Bennett, and Otto Porter. It seems likely those six players will be selected in some order to start the draft, which means the Kings, picking 7th overall, could be the draft's first real wild card. As we look forward to see what the new regime in Sacramento decides to do with that pick, let's round up a few items out of the Pacific Division....

• While some fans and onlookers may be surprised to see the Clippers pull away from trade talks with the Celtics, Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com explains why it makes some sense for Los Angeles. As Arnovitz writes, there's no real rush for the Clippers, since they could theoretically still work out a deal for Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers after July 1st. Arnovitz also thinks the Clippers are right to be protective of their first-round picks, since those selections are more valuable under the new CBA.
• For years, the Suns have employed general managers who didn't get to hire a head coach of their choosing, or coaches who weren't hired by the current GM. But having hired Ryan McDonough and Jeff Hornacek this offseason, there's a feeling of synergy and energy in Phoenix, as president Lon Babby tells Bob Young of the Arizona Republic. "It’s palpable," Babby said. "You can feel it through the whole organization. We always envisioned it working this way, and we have a chance now to make it work."
• Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times explains in detail why the Lakers are extremely unlikely to acquire a player via sign-and-trade this summer.
• Although his lengthy run as the Kings' head of basketball operations came to an end this year, Geoff Petrie is happy to see the franchise stay in Sacramento, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. "That's where my heart was in the whole thing," Petrie said. "In spite of being grateful to the Maloofs and working for them all those years, I had really strong feelings that the team needed to stay here. My hat's off to those people." Petrie also spoke to Jones about sticking around the team helping with draft preparation over the last several weeks, even as his contract is set to expire on June 30th.

Dwight Howard is keeping mum on what his plans might be after July 1st, but if you're one for reading between the lines, yesterday's comments to T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times could carry some weight.  The prized free agent referred to his time with Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni in the past tense. "He's a great person and I'm glad we had the opportunity to be together," Howard said.  Here's more out of the Pacific Division..

• Pau Gasol said he hasn't talked to Dwight Howard this offseason and won't try to convince him to return, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.  "He has to make the decision," Gasol said.  Gasol wants Howard back like everyone else on the Lakers but he wants to give him space out of respect for him.
• Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie is still playing a key role with the team even as he knows he’s in his final month with the franchise, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Sulia link). Until the Kings hire a new GM, Petrie and his staff are running all the preparations and research leading up to the NBA Draft on June 27. 
• Until Kings ownership settles on a new general manager, new coach Michael Malone is leaning on Petrie, Jones writes. “I just told (Petrie) how much I appreciate him sticking around because he knows the draft a lot better than I do,” Malone said. “He’s been studying these guys … And he also can offer great insights to the current players on our roster as to what their strengths, weaknesses are and personalities. But I’m still going to keep an open mind and form my opinion on these guys.”
• Kobe Bryant doesn't envision Mike Krzyzewski talking him into playing in the 2016 Olympics, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA.com.
• With Jason Kidd retiring, Steve Nash is now the NBA's oldest player under contract for next season, notes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.

A little more than 12 hours after we heard that Vivek Ranadive's Sacramento investment group and the Maloof family had struck an agreement to transfer ownership of the Kings, the city of Sacramento held a press conference today to formally announce the good news. Mayor Kevin Johnson praised the city for never giving up on the Kings, and also confirmed that Chris Hansen isn't involved in the deal, so he won't be a minority owner of the team (Twitter link via Chris Daniels of KING5). As the new ownership group prepares to officially take over the Kings, here's a number of other items related to the sale and to the team:

• Assuming Keith Smart is not retained as the Kings' head coach by the new ownership group, Warriors assistant Michael Malone is expected to be a top candidate, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick also points to Chris Mullin as a potential front office candidate, with Geoff Petrie likely on the way out.
• The Sacramento Bee's initial story on the agreement between the new ownership group and the Maloofs has been updated with plenty of additional details, identifying a number of the investors in Ranadive's group.
• Chris Mannix of SI.com reports (via Twitter) that the NBA's 30 owners offered to repay the $30MM non-refundable deposit Hansen's Seattle group made to the Maloofs, but Hansen declined. Mannix adds (via Twitter) that Hansen and Co. don't intend to file any lawsuits related to the Kings situation.
• The 7% share of the Kings that Hansen bought in bankruptcy, pending NBA approval, will likely be auctioned off again, tweets Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee.
• In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Kevin Pelton examines the next steps for the Kings.

The Lakers held on to their half-game lead for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference with a two-point win against the Grizzlies last night, and if L.A. makes the postseason, they could get some reinforcements. Coach Mike D'Antoni revealed that Metta World Peace could be back by the end of the month, knocking two weeks off the original six-week timetable for his recovery from a left knee injury, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Jordan Hill tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News he's seeking medical clearance to return at about the same time, though D'Antoni is skeptical about that. Either way, there's reason for optimism in a season that's left Lakers fans with little of it. Here's more on the purple and gold and other news from the Pacific:

• Most signs, including the three years left on D'Antoni's contract, point to him returning to coach the Lakers next season in spite of the team's disappointing play, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein also suggests that while Dwight Howard may have sway over D'Antoni's future if the big man threatens to sign elsewhere, Howard won't have nearly the clout that fellow soon-to-be free agent Chris Paul will wield on the Clippers' coaching situation. 
• Regardless of who's in charge of the Kings next season, the "leaguewide presumption" is that neither GM Geoff Petrie nor coach Keith Smart will return, Stein adds in the same piece.
• Kendall Marshall wasn't among the 10 players I mentioned yesterday when I examined 2012 first-round picks who've seen limited action this season, but his 568 total minutes would make him the 11th player on the list. He's been seeing more action of late with the Suns, and Marshall tells Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic that he's finally starting to feel comfortable.

The possibility of the Sacramento Kings moving to Seattle appears to have taken a big step forward, as news broke last night that the Maloofs have reached an agreement to sell the franchise to the Seattle group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer. According to various reports, the Seattle group will buy 65% of the franchise for about $340MM, with the total valuation of the team at $525MM. Sacramento and mayor Kevin Johnson will still receive an opportunity to present a counter-offer to the NBA Board of Governors, but it sounds as if it may be a long shot. Here are the latest details on the team's potential sale and move:

• Hansen and the Seattle Center are already working toward preparing the KeyArena for the fall, tweets Chris Daniels of KING 5 TV in Seattle.
• According to Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter), the Maloofs approached Larry Ellison about the $525MM price, but Ellison wasn't interested. Ellison was involved in the bidding when the Warriors were sold, and reportedly inquired about buying the Grizzlies as well.

Earlier updates:

• Hansen and the Maloof family have each released official statements confirming the agreement between the two sides. Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee shares Hansen's statement and the Maloofs' statement via Sulia.
• The NBA confirmed this morning that it has received an "executed purchase and sale agreement" for the transfer of the Kings' controlling interest. The statement reads: "The proposed transaction is subject to the approval of the NBA Board of Governors and has been referred to the Board's committee process for review" (link via Sam Amick of USA Today).
• The relocation committee has been briefed several times on the possible move to Seattle, and is fully behind it, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. An official announcement detailing the agreement is expected to happen this week.
• Wojnarowski also reports that the Seattle group is already targeting candidates to run the team's front office, including the Spurs' R.C. Buford and former Pacers president Larry Bird. With Hansen's group expected to overhaul the front office, current Kings president Geoff Petrie will likely retire at season's end, says Wojnarowski. Peter Vecsey also throws Phil Jackson into the mix as a possible candidate to run Seattle's basketball operations (Twitter link).
• While the Hansen/Ballmer group has agreed to buy just 65% of the franchise initially, the group would like to buy out the remaining 35% in the near future, reports TNT's David Aldridge on NBA.com. According to Aldridge, the final agreement was signed by the Maloofs and Hansen late Saturday night.
• Given the transition in ownership, the Kings aren't expected to be active at this season's trade deadline, but could make "major changes" in the summer, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
• In an Insider-only FAQ for ESPN.com, Kevin Pelton rounds up the key details on the potential sale of the Kings.
• ESPN.com's latest 5-on-5 discussion focuses on the Maloofs' agreement with the Seattle group.

The latest piece from Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio is brimming with juicy material, so let's dive right in.

• Even though the Grizzlies are reportedly in a "holding pattern" regarding trades, Memphis is still talking to other teams about moving Rudy Gay. The clubs engaged most heavily in those discussions are the Bobcats, Timberwolves, Suns and, more recently, Hawks. Nonetheless, a source tells Amico not to expect a Gay trade until after the All-Star break.
• Speaking of holding patterns, that appears to be the current state of any potential Kings sale, Amico writes. Whatever happens, it's "pretty clear" this is the final season for Geoff Petrie as GM. He's in the final year of his deal, and the 64-year-old reportedly wants to retire.
• We heard Friday about the Nets' possible interest in Paul Millsap, and Amico confirms Brooklyn, along with the Bucks and Nuggets, are among teams that could make a push for Millsap at the deadline. Most of the teams in that mix would want to offer Millsap an extension immediately upon acquiring him, since he's in the final year of his contract.  
• Like Millsap, David West is another power forward set to hit the unrestricted free agent market, but the Pacers are confident they can re-sign him, Amico reports. That's why the team is largely ignoring trade offers for him.
• Greg Oden hopes to sign with a team around the All-Star break or right after the trade deadline. Interested clubs include the Celtics, Heat, Mavericks and Cavaliers.

Although a report surfaced recently suggesting that Royce White could explore the possibility of playing in Europe, where he wouldn't have to fly to games, the Rockets rookie insists that's not the case. He announced today via Twitter that he expects to play for Houston "once this current situation is resolved." White turned down a D-League assignment earlier this week, citing a lack of a mental health protocol.

Here are a few more Thursday updates out of the Western Conference:

• Patrick Beverley is still expected to sign with the Rockets, once he receives FIBA clearance, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Beverley's deal, which we heard about back in December, will mean the Rockets will have to release another player to clear a roster spot.
• Josh Childress isn't interested in a 10-day contract at this point, so the Timberwolves or any other team would have to give him a full-season guarantee if they were to sign him, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
• According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, word in NBA circles suggests that "major change" is coming to the Kings next summer when Geoff Petrie's contract ends and new management is brought in.
• DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans are among the names Ian Thomsen of SI.com thinks will be dangled before the trade deadline, suggesting that if the Kings are considering a "major house-cleaning," both players could be moved.

Last night, we heard from Sam Amick of USA Today that there's a growing belief in some circles that Geoff Petrie, the NBA's longest-tenured GM, won't be back with the Kings next season. Additionally, the decision to reinstate DeMarcus Cousins two days into his "indefinite" suspension was made unilaterally by ownership, against the wishes of the front office. Amick, a former Kings beat writer, has passed along even more rumblings out of Sacramento, so we'll round them up right here:

• Even if the Maloofs were to offer Petrie a new deal, one source close to the 64-year-old says he's "99.9% sure [Petrie] wouldn't take it," since he wants to retire soon.
• According to Amick, the Maloofs continue to discuss the possibility of relocation with several cities, and have let it be known that they believe bidding should start at $500MM. Amick calls that figure "astounding," noting that the last two NBA teams to be sold, the Hornets and Grizzlies, were in the $330-380MM range.
• Amick hears from multiple sources close to the situation that a trade to the Wizards would be considered ideal for Cousins and new agent Dan Fegan, since it would reunite the big man with Kentucky teammate and Fegan client John Wall.
• Amick writes that the Nuggets, Pistons, Rockets, and Celtics have shown interest in gambling on Cousins in the past, though it's not clear whether all those teams would still have interest now. We heard yesterday from ESPN.com's Marc Stein that the Pistons and Celtics, at least, are still thought to be very interested.
• It was "strongly suggested" to Cousins that he see a psychologist, a request he declined, which was his prerogative -- the NBA's collective bargaining agreement doesn't allow players to be forced into mental health counseling, as Amick explains.
• Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes that Petrie's refusal to meet with the media regarding Cousins' suspension speaks to his increasingly strained relationship with the Maloofs. According to Voisin, the Kings should resolve their front office issues before the trade deadline, and hang on to Cousins.

• Sam Amick of USA Today writes that some people close to both Kings GM Geoff Petrie and the Maloof brothers do not think that Petrie's 19-year run with the organization will extend beyond this season. Going further, Amick also writes about how the unilateral decision by ownership to reinstate DeMarcus Cousins went against the wishes of the front office, and that Petrie was not part of the reinstatement process.   
• Stan Van Gundy says that Dwight Howard has not "looked himself" this season, specifically noting the lack of explosiveness and quickness that he had shown before, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. However, the former Magic head coach believes that Howard is more than capable of adjusting to his situation and insists that the two are in good standing with each other.
• Pau Gasol has seemingly found his rhythm within Mike D'Antoni's offense, and the addition of a potent three-point shot has certainly helped expedite that process, writes Janis Carr of the Orange County Register.  
• Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times believes that the Clippers and their 16-game winning streak face a tough test ahead of them, with four of the next five games against above .500 opponents.

We're about a quarter of the way through the NBA regular season, which is enough of a sample size that we can say certain teams have underperformed so far. Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today take a look at the coaching situations for a few of those teams in their latest piece, examining whether any head coaches are in danger of being let go. We touched on Dwane Casey's situation with the Raptors in a post this morning, but here are the rest of Amick's and Zillgitt's updates:

• After Suns owner Robert Sarver told ESPN.com's Chris Broussard yesterday that Alvin Gentry wasn't on the hot seat, Amick and Zillgitt spoke to Sarver as well. Sarver's vote of confidence in this case was even stronger, as he told USA Today that Gentry's job is safe for the rest of the season.
• Like the Raptors, the Suns may explore an on-court change rather than a coaching move, with Michael Beasley a candidate to be involved -- according to USA Today, there's some disagreement between the team and player about what his role should be. However, Sarver still hopes Beasley will work things out in Phoenix: "We're working with him. He's working hard, and we still expect to be able to (salvage the situation)."
• The Wizards are still paying their last head coach, Flip Saunders, so they're unlikely to replace Randy Wittman this year, since it would mean paying three different coaches.
• Pistons owner Tom Gores has high expectations for his club, and wants to see some progress toward the playoffs this year in Detroit, making it a potential make-or-break season for Lawrence Frank.
• Keith Smart's job with the Kings appears safe, though team president Geoff Petrie's future isn't quite so clear.
• The Nets still have faith in Avery Johnson and expect some peaks and valleys with the team's overhauled roster. However, there's an expectation that the team will not only qualify for the postseason but be in position to "make an impact once they get there."
• Despite a slow start for the Pacers, there's still hope in Indiana that Frank Vogel is around to coach the team for years to come.