Glenn Robinson III Rumors

Kings Notes: Robinson, Fox, Schedule, Walton

February 24th, 2021 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Glenn Robinson III, who was waived today before the league-wide contract guarantee kicked in, agreed not to pursue any remaining salary that he might have collected because of a knee injury, sources tell Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement allows players who are injured to earn their full base compensation until they’re healthy enough to play again. Robinson missed Saturday’s game due to right knee soreness, but his absence on Sunday and Tuesday was attributed to personal reasons.

“I’ve been told that it’s personal matters, and when it comes to personal matters I don’t really pry,” Kings coach Luke Walton said earlier this week. “I’m very big on us being close and open, but I also respect everybody and what people are going through. … My understanding is it’s been personal reasons and that’s why he’s not with our team.”

The Kings gave Robinson a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a small partial guarantee in free agency, hoping he would be an effective backup to small forward Harrison Barnes. He averaged 5.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 23 games, but Anderson said the team may want to create more playing time for DaQuan Jeffries, who has been impressive since returning from an ankle injury.

There’s more from Sacramento:

De’Aaron Fox turned to his fiancée to help him improve his shot after the Kings failed to make the playoffs during the restart, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Recee Caldwell, a former WNBA player and the daughter of former Texas Tech assistant coach Ray Caldwell, introduced Fox to shooting drills she learned from her father. “My dad made sure that I was able to shoot it from legitimately anywhere on the floor,” she said. “So the fact that I could mix in what I was raised on, with De’Aaron’s speed and natural talent, I was like, ‘Wow, we can really make a monster.'”
After facing the league’s most difficult schedule during the first half of the season, the Kings will get a break in the second half, according to James Ham of NBC Sports. Sacramento projects to have the seventh-easiest schedule once play resumes March 10, which provides hope for a team that is slipping out of the playoff race after dropping eight straight games.
After the Timberwolves replaced Ryan Saunders this week, Walton is the co-favorite to be the next coach to lose his job, according to Sportsbook.AG (hat tip to Jas King of Sactown Royalty). Walton has two more years remaining on his contract after this season, but he was hired by former general manager Vlade Divac.

Kings Release Glenn Robinson III

February 24th, 2021 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

3:58pm: The Kings have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve waived Robinson.

3:36pm: The Kings intend to waive forward Glenn Robinson III, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The move will open up a spot on Sacramento’s roster, which is currently full.

Robinson, 27, signed a one-year, non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract with the Kings during the offseason after playing for the Warriors and 76ers in 2019/20. The veteran won the team’s final roster spot in training camp and appeared in 23 games for Sacramento, averaging 5.3 PPG and 2.0 RPG on .424/.364/.913 shooting in 16.0 minutes per contest.

Robinson is currently away from the Kings for personal reasons and was reportedly anticipating his release, since today is the deadline for teams to waive players on non-guaranteed deals and avoid paying their full-season salaries.

As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee noted earlier, Robinson has been dealing with a minor knee issue and the Kings would have to continue to pay him until he’s healthy enough to play, but that injury isn’t believed to be serious.

Assuming Robinson goes unclaimed on waivers, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on Friday, while Sacramento carries a cap hit of at least $930,930 on their books.

Pacific Notes: GRIII, Lakers, Whiteside, George, Warriors

February 24th, 2021 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Glenn Robinson III, who is currently away from the Kings for personal reasons, may not return to the team, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Robinson’s salary for 2020/21 is non-guaranteed, and teams must waive players on non-guaranteed contracts today in order to avoid taking on their full-season cap hits.

According to Anderson, Robinson is believed to be anticipating his release, but the Kings hadn’t communicated their intentions as of Tuesday night.

As Anderson explains, the situation is somewhat complicated by the fact that Robinson is dealing with a knee injury. A team that waives an injured player who is on a non-guaranteed deal must continue paying him until he’s healthy enough to return or until his contract expires, whichever comes first. Robinson’s knee issue doesn’t appear serious, but it will be a factor for the Kings to consider as they mull their options.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Jovan Buha of The Athletic explores how waiving Quinn Cook gives the Lakers even more options on the buyout market, while Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times identify Kings center Hassan Whiteside as one frontcourt player the team could pursue either via trade or buyout.
Clippers forward Paul George was pleased to earn All-Star honors, but is among the players who don’t believe the game should be played at all this season, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN details. George told reporters that he was fined earlier in the season for having a teammate over to his house, which is one reason why he questions the decision to bring 24 players from all over the league to Atlanta for the All-Star Game.
The return of Stephen Curry (37 points) made the biggest impact in the Warriors‘ win over New York on Tuesday, but head coach Steve Kerr was also pleased to have centers James Wiseman and Kevon Looney available again, telling reporters that Wiseman looked “great” and that Looney “makes the game easier for everybody else” (link via Nick Friedell of ESPN). Wiseman missed 11 games with a wrist injury, while Looney was out for 10 games due to an ankle sprain.

Pacific Notes: Curry, Wiseman, Looney, Cousins, Lakers, Robinson

February 22nd, 2021 at 9:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors could have most of the regulars back in action on Tuesday against the Knicks. Stephen Curry missed Saturday’s loss to Charlotte but practiced on Monday and is expected to play Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Nick Friedell. Coach Steve Kerr also indicated big men James Wiseman and Kevon Looney could play after participating in the practice. Looney has been out since February 2 with an ankle sprain. Wiseman, the No. 2 pick in the draft, has been sidelined since January 30 with a wrist injury.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Executives whom Heavy.com Sean Deveney spoke to believe that DeMarcus Cousins would be a bad fit for the Lakers. Cousins is being held out of action as Houston seeks to deal him. Cousins hasn’t shot it well this season and his diminished mobility makes him a liability on defense. The team also has limited salary available to add another player.
The absences of Anthony Davis and Dennis Schröder are taking a toll on the Lakers and the schedule isn’t helping, Jovan Buha of The Athletic notes. They had lost two straight heading into Monday’s game against Washington while struggling to find offensive answers. They also play four teams with winning records before the All-Star break.
Kings swingman Glenn Robinson III is not currently with the team due to personal reasons, James Ham of NBC Sports California tweets. Robinson has appeared in 23 games, averaging 5.3 PPG in 16.0 MPG. Sacramento must decide this week whether to fully guarantee Robinson’s $2MM contract.

Kings Notes: Bagley, Walton, Robinson, G League

January 30th, 2021 at 7:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings are encouraged by Marvin Bagley III‘s performance through the first quarter of the season, but mostly they’re happy he has been able to avoid injuries, writes James Ham of NBC Sports. Bagley has appeared in all 18 of Sacramento’s games so far after being limited to 13 last year by a variety of mishaps.

“Just being able to be there for my team — available, that’s something that I wanted to do and I did everything in the offseason to make sure I was ready for that,” Bagley said. “I’m feeling good.”

There has been a cloud hanging over Bagley’s career, not only due to injuries but because of the Kings’ decision to draft him ahead of Luka Doncic and Trae Young, who have already been to All-Star games. Sacramento hopes better health will lead Bagley on a similar course.

“We have to be patient,” coach Luke Walton said. “He hasn’t had the experience he needs. He’s still a very young player. He’s a very willing learner. He’s a very talented player and it just takes time.”

There’s more from Sacramento:

Walton probably won’t have to worry about his job for a while, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. New general manager Monte McNair is still assembling his long-term roster, and Anderson thinks McNair will want to see what Walton can do with that group before making a decision on his coach. Anderson points out that the Kings have been through 10 head coaches in the past 15 years.
Glenn Robinson III is one of several NBA players with a father who played in the league, notes Alex Kramers of NBA.com. The swingman, who’s in his first year with the Kings, said he has learned to rely on that connection. “Throughout the years and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve appreciated my dad more and more,” Robinson said. “Obviously, we both have the same career, and I’m able to call him and get advice, on and off the court. That’s something that I can never replace. I’m forever grateful for that.”
Sacramento has assigned two players to the G League bubble, Anderson writes in a separate story. Because the Kings’ affiliate isn’t participating, they sent Jahmi’us Ramsey to play for the Clippers’ team (Agua Caliente) and Robert Woodard to the Spurs’ squad (Austin). Both are rookies who were selected in the second round of November’s draft.

Pacific Notes: Robinson, Guy, Harrell, Housen, Clippers Staff

January 4th, 2021 at 9:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With rookie Tyrese Haliburton out due to a wrist injury, the Kings are using Glenn Robinson III and Kyle Guy to fill in those minutes, James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Robinson played 21 minutes and Guy saw the court for six minutes during the Kings’ game against Houston on Saturday. Robinson is playing on a contract that doesn’t fully guarantee until late February, while Guy is on a two-way deal.

We have more from around the Pacific Division:

The Lakers’ star players LeBron James and Anthony Davis are well-known clients of Klutch Sports but Montrezl Harrell, another client, insists that had nothing to with his decision to join the team, Lakers beat writer Harrison Faigen tweets. “First of all, my agency has nothing to do with my decision (to join the Lakers),” Harrell said. Harrell signed a two-year contract in November while jumping from one Los Angeles team to another.
Warriors executive Eric Housen has been stuck in Detroit since the middle of last week due to the league’s COVID-19 protocols, as Marcus Thompson of The Athletic details. Housen, the team’s VP of team operations, was forced into a seven-day quarantine due to contact tracing.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said that seven staff members who have been placed under quarantine restrictions in Los Angeles are doing well, according to Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register. “(They are) healthy and feeling pretty good, that’s the most important thing,” Lue said. A Clippers staff member tested positive in Salt Lake City and contact tracing led to the quarantine. Lue indicated it didn’t affect preparations prior to the team’s game in Phoenix on Sunday. “We have the ample amount of staff that we need,” he said.

Kings Waive Frank Kaminsky

December 19th, 2020 at 4:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

DECEMBER 20: The move is official, tweets James Ham of NBC Sports.

DECEMBER 19: The Kings will release center/power forward Frank Kaminsky, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Kaminsky signed a one-year deal with the team earlier this month that carries a $50K guarantee.

Kaminsky, 27, got into 39 games with the Suns last season, averaging 9.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in about 20 minutes per night. He was the ninth pick in the 2015 draft and spent the previous four years in Charlotte.

The Kings are now down to 17 players on their camp roster and will need to make at least one more move before Monday’s deadline. They have 14 fully guaranteed contracts, along with Glenn Robinson III, Chimezie Metu and one player on a two-way deal.

Robinson will make the final roster, according to James Ham of NBC Sports (Twitter link), so Sacramento may decide to waive Metu and re-sign him to fill the other two-way slot. Metu’s contract isn’t an Exhibit 10 deal, so it can’t be directly converted into a two-way contract.

Kings Notes: Bogdanovic, Hield, GRIII, Kaminsky, Whiteside

December 4th, 2020 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

After reporting earlier today that the Kings passed on a Hawks sign-and-trade offer for Bogdan Bogdanovic that would have allowed Sacramento to acquire either a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick or two future second-rounders in exchange for the restricted free agent, Sam Amick of The Athletic has updated his story with some new intel.

As Amick explains, that Hawks offer came with caveats. Atlanta wanted Sacramento to accept Tony Snell‘s expiring $12MM+ salary and asked for an answer within an hour. Additionally, the Kings didn’t know at that point what sort of contract the Hawks were offering Bogdanovic, so they were reluctant to agree to a sign-and-trade if Atlanta’s offer was one they were comfortable matching.

The Kings asked for some of the Hawks’ young talent in a deal, but didn’t have any luck, and Atlanta ultimately took its chances by signing Bogdanovic to an offer sheet. Sacramento didn’t match it.

While The Athletic’s new information lets the Kings off the hook to some extent, Amick says there’s “strong reason” to believe that Atlanta would have done a sign-and-trade for Bogdanovic that included a draft pick even if the Kings hadn’t been willing to take on Snell’s contract. However, sources tell Amick that scenario wasn’t discussed.

Here’s more out of Sacramento:

In talks with teams about a possible Buddy Hield trade this offseason, the Kings were asking for draft compensation, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. There’s nothing imminent on the Hield front though, Begley adds. At this point, it would be a surprise if Sacramento doesn’t open the season with Hield on its roster.
Glenn Robinson III and Frank Kaminsky each received modest guarantees on their new one-year contracts with the Kings. Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports tweets that Robinson got a $100K partial guarantee, while James Ham of NBC Sports California tweets that Kaminsky’s partial guarantee is worth $50K.
Hassan Whiteside‘s first stint with the Kings a decade ago saw him play just 19 games in two seasons for the team before he spent two years out of the NBA. He’s counting on having more success this time around, as Ham writes for NBC Sports California. “My first (time) around, I had a couple of injuries that kept me from being the player that I wanted to be,” Whiteside said. “But I think this is a great opportunity to come back and revamp that.”
The Kings confirmed today that they won’t have any fans in attendance at Golden 1 Center to start the 2020/21 season (Twitter link via Ham). Given the COVID-19 restrictions in place in California, that was a given.

Kings Sign Glenn Robinson III

November 29th, 2020 at 9:13pm CST by JD Shaw

DECEMBER 2: The signing is official, tweets Sean Cunningham of KXTV in Sacramento.

NOVEMBER 29: The Kings have reached an agreement with free agent forward Glenn Robinson III, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Robinson is signing a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a partial guarantee, reports Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).

Robinson had attracted interest from a number of clubs before agreeing to terms with Sacramento, holding past experience with the Wolves, Sixers, Pacers, Pistons and Warriors in his career.

He averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 28.8 minutes with Golden State and Philadelphia last season, appearing in 38 games with the Warriors before being dealt to the Sixers. The 26-year-old was drafted with the No. 40 overall pick back in 2014.

The Kings have had a busy offseason to date, signing De’Aaron Fox to a five-year extension and declining to match Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s offer sheet with the Hawks. The team also signed free agent big men Hassan Whiteside and Frank Kaminsky.

Kings Among Teams Hoping To Sign Glenn Robinson III

November 28th, 2020 at 5:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings are among a group of four teams that have expressed the most interest in adding Glenn Robinson III, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

Sources tell Anderson that the Lakers, Clippers and Jazz are considered Sacramento’s main competition to sign the free agent forward. Sources also say new Kings general manager Monte McNair and assistant GM Wes Wilcox have been diligent in their pursuit of Robinson.

Sacramento could offer regular playing time to Robinson, who is one of the top free agents still left on the market. The Kings need wing depth after declining to match the offer sheet Bogdan Bogdanovic received from the Hawks, and Robinson would get an opportunity to compete for back-up minutes at small forward.

Robinson, 26, averaged 11.7 points and shot 39.1% from three-point range last season in a combined 62 games with the Warriors and Sixers. Philadelphia acquired him at the trade deadline to add bench depth, but his numbers declined after the deal and he was barely used in the playoffs.

A second-round pick in 2014, Robinson has also played for the Timberwolves, Pacers and Pistons.