Kings Notes: Cousins, Free Agents, Rookies
The Kings and DeMarcus Cousins are reportedly on track to work out a long-term extension during the offseason. Cousins was asked about the breaking news after the team’s win over the Pistons on Tuesday and he responded by expressing his desire to remain with the franchise, as Sean Cunningham of ABC10 Sacramento passes along (Twitter video link).
“I love Sacramento,” Cousins said. “It’s where I want to be.”
The big man could make upwards of $209MM with a new extension, though the exact figures won’t be known until the salary cap for the 2017/18 campaign is determined.
Here’s more from Sacramento:
- The Kings will likely never be a free-agent destination for the league’s top stars, but in signing Cousins to a long-term deal, the franchise could be appealing to second-tier free agents, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer contends. O’Connor notes that the team could have as much as $50MM in available cap space this summer.
- If the Kings and Cousins end up working out a long-term contract, the organization will end up regretting the deal, Mitch Lawrence of The Sporting News argues. Lawrence continues to question Cousins’ leadership ability and he doesn’t believe the team can become a contender with the big man as its franchise player.
- Sacramento’s quest to make the playoffs this season has led to less playing time for the team’s young prospects, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. The Kings are utilizing their D-League in order to give their rookies court-time and they are making communication a priority as well. “We keep tabs on them,” coach Dave Joerger said. “We watch their games and make sure we reach out to them and say, ‘Hey, we watched the game last night.’ So that there’s always a connection when you’re out there.”
Lakers Rumors: Young Core, Millsap, Noel, Odom
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak indicated last month that he’d be perfectly happy not to make a trade this season, since he’s pleased with the young talent on his roster. So far, the Lakers’ discussions with teams have reflected that stance. League sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that Los Angeles hasn’t included Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, or D’Angelo Russell in any trade talks, and that isn’t expected to change in the coming weeks. According to Deveney, young role players like Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson are also unlikely to be moved.
While the Lakers aren’t eager to break up their young core, there are indications that the team is still exploring possible trade options. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Lakers were among the clubs to express interest in Paul Millsap before Atlanta pulled him off the market. L.A. would also have interest in Nerlens Noel if and when the Sixers get serious about moving him, Deveney writes. For now though, the club appears content to exercise some patience and move forward with its current roster.
Here’s more from out of L.A.:
- One Western Conference scout who spoke to Deveney had high praise for the Lakers’ young trio of Ingram, Randle, and Russell. “If you made a list of the 20 best players who are 22 or under, I think you’d have to have all three of the Lakers’ young guys on there,” the scout said. “They’re three of the best young guys in the league. There’s really not a lot of teams can say that, and I think a lot of mediocre teams would like to swap rosters with the Lakers right now.”
- Asked by TMZ about whether he had any interest in returning to the NBA as a coach, former Lakers forward Lamar Odom admitted that he has thought about it, acknowledging that he even contact head coach Luke Walton to convey his interest.
- The idea of Odom joining the Lakers’ staff under Walton probably isn’t a realistic one at this point, according to Mark Medina of The Orange County Register, who notes that the team is mindful of Odom’s continuous recovery. Nonetheless, Walton isn’t shutting that door. “Lamar would be great,” the Lakers’ head coach said of his former teammate. “Anyone who knows Lamar, when he’s right, he is one of the most likeable people they’ve been around. He has a great knowledge of the game and has a great way of communicating with people.”
Allen Iverson Commits To New BIG3 League As Player/Coach
Hall-of-Famer Allen Iverson has committed to join the new BIG3 basketball league debuting this summer, and will serve as both a coach and a player, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Wojnarowski first reported last month that entertainer Ice Cube and former NBA player Roger Mason were working together to launch the league, having secured commitments from several retired NBA veterans.
[RELATED: New Pro League For Retired Players To Debut In 2017]
“I thought of this concept as a fan who got sick of seeing his heroes retire and not play anymore,” Ice Cube said at the time. “A lot of these guys can still play once they retire – just not the back-to-backs or four games in five nights.
“Not only do we get a chance to see these guys keep playing, but we give guys who retired who still got some game – who don’t want to pick up a [microphone] on TV and who don’t want to go overseas to play … some of these guys still want a stage to play on.”
Kenyon Martin, Rashard Lewis, Jermaine O’Neal, Stephen Jackson and Jason Williams were among the former NBA players initially reported to have committed to the BIG3, a half-court, three-on-three professional basketball league. In his latest report, Wojnarowski adds Chauncey Billups to that list of players.
According to Wojnarowski, Iverson will be one of eight dual head coaches/players in the league, which will feature eight teams. In his December report, Wojnarowski indicated that Gary Payton had agreed to be one of the coaches, though it’s not clear if The Glove would be a player as well.
The BIG3 conducted its first official press conference today, fielding questions about the league and introducing Iverson, Lewis, Martin, and Mason (Twitter link via Ian Begley of ESPN.com). A tweet from the BIG3 indicated that the league is expected to launch on June 24, shortly after the NBA Finals end.
Knicks Rumors: Rose, Carmelo, Noah, Jackson
In the wake of his return to the Knicks on Tuesday, Derrick Rose addressed his teammates and coaches, as well as GM Steve Mills and president Phil Jackson, and the point guard says that “everybody’s on the same page” (Twitter link via Ian Begley of ESPN.com). The Knicks do appear ready to move on, with head coach Jeff Hornacek telling reporters today that Rose will start tonight against Philadelphia, per Frank Isola of The New York Daily News (Twitter link).
Still, there should be lingering concern in New York about the situation. According to a report from Isola, during Rose’s absence, the former NBA MVP briefly “talked about walking away from basketball for an extended period of time to clear his mind.” Two independent sources who spoke to Isola described Rose as an emotional wreck on Monday afternoon.
Two days later, Rose claims he’s in a good place mentally and that he would have asked the Knicks for more time if he felt like he needed it (Twitter link via Isola). But the point guard’s future in New York – both in the short- and long-term – still appears very uncertain.
Here’s more on Rose and the Knicks:
- There’s probably no quick fix for the Knicks, who are currently 17-21 and 11th in the East, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Kyler doesn’t expect any team to offer anything of real value in a trade for Rose, and hears from a source that Carmelo Anthony remains unwilling to approve a trade out of New York, in spite of the club’s recent slide. Joakim Noah also has little to no value as a trade piece, though Knicks sources tell Kyler that the former Bull has at least been a strong locker room influence so far.
- Within a piece about Rose’s future – or lack thereof – in New York, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports that some Knicks players have privately expressed frustration with the team’s defensive schemes. Begley also confirms that some members of the Knicks organization were led to believe during Rose’s absence that the 28-year-old was considering a lengthy absence from basketball.
- According to Begley, some people close to Rose have told friends that the point guard will be looking for a maximum salary contract this summer. While that may be true, it’s hard to fathom Rose landing anything close to that at this point.
- Phil Jackson needs to start providing some answers regarding his struggling club, rather than silently watching as it burns to the ground, opines Kevin Kernan of The New York Post.
Central Notes: Griffin, Korver, Rondo, Leuer
Within a piece exploring a handful of David Griffin‘s underappreciated moves for the Cavaliers, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes that the Cavs general manager will get right back to work after consummating a pair of deals last week. Having landed a veteran sharpshooter in Kyle Korver, Griffin will move on to the next item on the team’s wish list: a backup point guard.
Perhaps more interestingly, Windhorst also passes along a detail on Griffin’s contract, reporting that it’s set to expire at season’s end. Given the fact that he won a championship last year and has built a roster that looks capable of contending for years to come, Griffin shouldn’t be in any danger at all, so it will be interesting to see if he and the Cavaliers work out an extension anytime soon.
Here’s more out of the Central on the Cavs and some of their division rivals:
- Korver didn’t have a memorable debut for the Cavaliers on Tuesday night, scoring just two points in 18 minutes. Still, he’s excited about his new home, calling Cleveland the “most talented team I’ve ever been on,” as Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal details. LeBron James gave some advice to his new teammate this week, telling Korver he wants to see him shoot early and often, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
- After sharing some candid thoughts on Tuesday about his recent benching, Rajon Rondo returned to the court for the Bulls later in the night, playing for the first time in 2017. As K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune reports, Rondo played well enough that head coach Fred Hoiberg said he expected the point guard to remain in the rotation going forward — for now, at least.
- Jon Leuer, who had been starting for the Pistons, left Sunday’s game with a knee injury, and while Stan Van Gundy indicated it’s likely not serious, Leuer may miss a few games. Rod Beard of The Detroit News, who notes that rookie Henry Ellenson may receive some more minutes in Leuer’s absence, has the details and quotes.
Alexis Ajinca Frustrated With Role For Pelicans
The Pelicans have shuffled their frontcourt rotation in recent weeks, resulting in a significant reduction in playing time for big men Alexis Ajinca and Omer Asik. In fact, Ajinca hasn’t seen the court for the team since December 23, and admitted recently in a conversation with French publication L’Equipe that he’s not thrilled to spend so much time on the bench (hat tip to The Bird Writes).
“It’s very frustrating because I want to play, bring something to the team,” Ajinca said (his comments have been translated from French). “I worked a lot and got back into shape early in the season. It was noted by the coaches and the general manager. And then it came overnight … At first, I was told it was [due to] matchups and then afterwards, I was a little forgotten. Afterwards, when I play, it’s for five minutes and it’s hard to do a lot of things.”
A starter for New Orleans earlier in the season, Ajinca has averaged 4.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and a .465 FG% in 20 games so far. All of those marks are his worst since joining the team for the 2013/14 season. However, he remains under contract for two more years beyond this one, as his deal runs through 2018/19. Ajinca has a $4.638MM cap hit this season, and that figure will increase in each of the next two years.
In Ajinca’s view, a trade or even a buyout could be a realistic outcome. The veteran big man told L’Equipe that he remains motivated to handle the new role professionally and to give 100% effort when given the opportunity, because he doesn’t want potential suitors to be turned off by his attitude.
“I have to stay very professional because everyone talks in the league,” Ajinca said in French. “If a franchise inquires, they will ask how I behave when I do not play, etc. So we cannot have certain attitudes like being angry at the coach or others even if we are frustrated. … I try to stay myself and work. I’m arguing with my agent right now. We’ll see what happens.”
DeMarcus Cousins, Kings On Track For Offseason Extension
A report last week indicated that the Kings are prepared to offer DeMarcus Cousins a designated veteran extension when the new CBA goes into effect this summer, and it seems the All-Star center is receptive to that idea. Barring a late change in direction by the player and the team, Cousins and the Kings intend to work out a long-term, maximum-salary extension during the offseason, a league source tells James Han of CSN California.
Under the NBA’s old Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Kings would still have been in a position to offer Cousins in an extension this summer, but the team can put a far more tantalizing proposal on the table under the new CBA. The new agreement between the NBA and NBPA will introduce the “designated veteran extension,” which allows for players who meet certain criteria to sign extensions that start at 35% of the salary cap. If Cousins were to be traded, he wouldn’t be eligible for such an extension, which is one reason why the trade rumors surrounding him have died down in recent weeks.
The designated player extension is only available to certain players who are coming off an All-NBA season, or who have made an All-NBA team twice in the last three years. Because Cousins has earned an All-NBA nod in each of the last two seasons, he doesn’t have to earn that honor again in 2016/17 to qualify for the designated player extension, though he’s on track to do so anyway.
Heading into tonight’s game, Cousins had averaged a career-high 28.1 PPG to go along with 9.9 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.4 BPG, and 1.4 SPG in 36 contests. The longtime King has even become a threat from beyond the arc — his .372 3PT% and 1.8 3PG are both career bests.
The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement won’t go into effect until July 1, so the Kings and Cousins won’t finalize anything before then, and it’s possible one side or the other could have a change of heart over the next several months. Still, while the relationship between the franchise and the former fifth overall pick hasn’t always been perfect, it’s hard to imagine Cousins turning down a designated player extension if the Kings put it on the table, since he could earn far more from Sacramento than from any other team.
The exact value of that extension won’t be known until the salary cap is set for the 2017/18 season, but based on the NBA’s latest projections, a five-year extension would be worth upwards of $209MM. In Cousins’ case, it would go into effect for the 2018/19 campaign, tacking five new years onto his current deal, which is set to expire in ’18.
Fantasy Hoops: Hawks, Carroll, Hardaway
The 2016/17 campaign is nearing the half-way mark and Hoops Rumors is examining the fantasy basketball landscape in order to help you dominate the competition. Check back weekly for more fantasy basketball analysis.
Atlanta’s 60-Win Quintet No Longer Makes Music
The Hawks have been pretty busy recently. They traded away Kyle Korver and fielded calls for Paul Millsap over the last week, though it was reported today that the team has informed the power forward that he will not be dealt. Millsap is the last remaining starter from Atlanta’s tremendous 2014/15 team that led the Eastern Conference with 60 wins.
Let’s examine how each starting member of that team is doing this season and rank them according to their fantasy basketball value.
- Paul Millsap (Remains with the Hawks): The 31-year-old leads this list because of his ability to reliably contribute in a number of categories. He’s in the top-10 in points, rebounds and assists per game among power forwards and he’s only slightly outside the top-10 in free throw percentage and blocks per game. Draymond Green is the only big man to average more steals per game than him. Factor in his 3-point shooting (making over a shot per game from behind the arc) and his solid field goal percentage overall, and you’ve got one of the most well-rounded fantasy options in the league.
- Jeff Teague (Traded to the Pacers during the offseason): Teague took a while to get acclimated to the Pacers, but he’s playing well lately. Entering Tuesday, he’s averaging 17.4 points and 10.1 assists per game while shooting 48.0% from the field over his last 11 contests. He’s in a great situation playing in Indiana’s fast paced offense and he’s on pace to have one of his best seasons as a pro.
- Al Horford (Signed with the Celtics during the offseason): Horford also had an adjustment period with his new team this season, a situation that was compounded when he missed nine games because of a concussion. He’s appears to have grown more comfortable in his new home, though his field goal percentage remains an issue. He’s only making 45.2% of his attempts this season, which is his lowest mark since his rookie campaign. That’s due in part to an increase in 3-point attempts, as he’s chucking a career-high 4.4 shots per game from behind the arc. He’s making 1.5 3-pointers per contest, the second highest mark in the league among centers (Brook Lopez is knocking down nearly two per night). The increased usage on the perimeter has hurt his rebounding totals over the last few seasons and this year, it’s impacting that category yet again, as he’s grabbing a career-worst 6.7 rebounds per game.
- DeMarre Carroll (Signed with the Raptors during the 2015 offseason): Carroll is a fantasy asset when he’s both healthy and receiving a full complement of minutes. He’s missed over 51% of his games due to injury since signing with Toronto and he’s been limited in many others. However, it appears the team is starting to feel comfortable giving him a full workload, as he’s averaging 37.3 minutes per game over his last four contests. He was particularly impressive over his last two games, where he’s made a total of 10 3-pointers and shot 50.0% from the field.
- Kyle Korver (Traded to the Cavs last week): The 35-year-old shooting guard will come off the bench for the defending champs and don’t expect him to contribute much in terms of fantasy. He saw 18 minutes of action in tonight’s loss to Jazz, but only made one of his five field goals. Beyond an occasional spot start, it’s best if he’s left on the waiver wire.
Here’s more fantasy analysis and notes from around the league:
- Kent Bazemore re-signed with the Hawks on a massive $70MM deal during the offseason, but he has failed to live up to expectations. Don’t expect his fantasy value to rise too much with Korver out of the picture. Bazemore’s problem isn’t opportunity, it’s a lack of efficiency. He’s shooting the ball more this season than he was last year, though he’s only making a career-low 37.0% of his attempts. Despite the potential for a slightly bigger role, he’s not worth a valuable roster spot at the moment.
- Tim Hardaway is the player most likely to benefit from the Korver trade. He’s seeing about four more minutes per game than he was prior to the deal and he’s averaging 17.2 points per game over his last five contests. He’s not a must-own player, but he’s serviceable as a streaming option. He’s available in over 88% of ESPN leagues.
- Keep tabs on Clint Capela. The center fractured his left fibula in mid-December and was expected to miss 4-6 weeks. The projected timeline puts him at about halfway through his recovery, though it could take longer for him to regain the role he had with the Rockets prior to being injured. Capela had the third best field goal percentage and had the 10th most blocks per game among centers during the first two months of the season, as I mentioned in a previous edition of Fantasy Hoops.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/10/17
Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
10:40 pm:
- The Nets have recalled Chris McCullough from their D-League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, according to a team press release. The power forward played seven games with Long Island during his latest stint, averaging 18.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest.
3:17 pm
- The Kings have sent 2016 first-round pick Malachi Richardson to the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). In 11 games so far this season for the Reno Bighorns, Richardson has averaged 21.0 PPG and 4.3 RPG.
- The Pelicans have re-assigned rookie forward Cheick Diallo to the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Interestingly, after being assigned to San Antonio’s affiliate twice earlier in the season, Diallo joined the Long Island Nets this time around. New Orleans doesn’t have its own NBADL squad, so the club needs to rely on other affiliates, using the flexible assignment rule.
- Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee have been assigned to the D-League, according to a tweet from the Knicks. Both players are expected to suit up tonight for the Westchester Knicks, New York’s NBADL affiliate.
Heat Open To Dealing Hassan Whiteside?
10:14 pm: A team spokesperson denies the ESPN report, telling Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) that the center is not available in trade talks.
9:45 pm: No player on the Heat is untouchable in trade talks, including Hassan Whiteside, Zach Lowe reports in his latest podcast. Lowe added that he believes the team is “open for business” regarding its willingness to shake things up.
It was previously reported that there’s a growing sense that the franchise will seriously explore moving Goran Dragic and other veterans prior to the deadline. However, Marc Stein of ESPN reported last week that the asking price for the point guard remains “too high to encourage any serious trade discussions.”
Whiteside signed a four-year, $98MM deal with Miami over the offseason and despite putting up impressive stats, he hasn’t been able to elevate the team in the win column. It remains to be seen what the team would want in return for the 27-year-old, though I speculate it would take at least an unprotected first-round pick or a promising player on a rookie deal to pry him from South Beach. The Blazers and Mavs were among the teams to show interest in the big man during free agency.
Miami currently owns the second spot in our Reverse Standings, which means if the season ended today, the franchise would have a 19.9% chance at the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The Heat are in good position to angle for that top pick by executing a tanking strategy, though there has been no indication that they plan on taking that route at this time.