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Buddy Hield On Extension: “We Need To Get That Done”

October 11th, 2019 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings and Buddy Hield have 10 more days to work out a contract extension that would lock him up beyond the 2019/20 season. If the two sides don’t reach an agreement by the October 21 deadline, Sacramento would still be in position to re-sign Hield next summer when he becomes a restricted free agent, but the shooting guard would prefer to get something done sooner rather than later, as he tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

“We need to get that done,” Hield said. “I want to get that done, for sure. If it doesn’t get done, things could go the other way. This is where I want to be, so it would be good for me to be here in Sacramento. If I’m their guy, I think they should make it happen already. I want to build a future here. I want to be here, but we have to see something. Something’s gotta come to the table. We have a week and a half to see what that brings, but I want to be here.”

Few players have a better case for a rookie scale extension this fall than Hield, who enjoyed an underrated breakout season in 2018/19, establishing new career highs in PPG (20.7), RPG (5.0), APG (2.5), and several other categories. He increased his productivity while maintaining his impressive efficiency, converting 42.7% of 7.9 three-point attempts per game.

Kings general manager Vlade Divac suggested last month that the team wants to work out a deal with Hield, and the 26-year-old confirmed that his agent – Brandon Rosenthal of Landmark Sports – is talking to Sacramento. However, it doesn’t sound like any agreement is imminent.

“They’re talking, but nothing is moving yet,” Hield said. “Nothing has moved. I’m ready to make things happen, man. I want to make Sacramento my home. I’m ready to get this s–t done. I want to be here and if it doesn’t happen, then things can go the other way.”

Although Hield wouldn’t be able to sign outright with a new team as a restricted free agent in 2020, he could put pressure on Sacramento by threatening to ink a non-team-friendly offer sheet with a rival suitor. If the Kings finalize an extension for Hield, they’d likely want to make it at least a four-year deal, whereas he could make the team match an offer sheet that gives him an out after just two or three years.

In addition to weighing that risk, the Kings must determine how heavily they want to invest in Hield when so many of their other young building blocks will up for new deals soon too. Bogdan Bogdanovic will also be a restricted free agent in 2020, while De’Aaron Fox will be extension-eligible at the same time. Marvin Bagley will become eligible for an extension in 2021.

In a discussion with Zach Lowe, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link) noted that many of the teams projected to have substantial cap room next summer are rebuilding clubs – including the Hawks, Grizzlies, Knicks, and Cavaliers – who may be more inclined to make a maximum-salary offer to an RFA like Hield than to pursue a top unrestricted free agent, since he fits their contending timeline. As such, there will be pressure on the Kings to offer an amount approaching the max.

Based on the NBA’s latest cap projections, a five-year max from the Kings for Hield would be worth about $168MM, while a four-year max would come in at just under $130MM. As a free agent, Hield’s maximum salary with a new team projects to be $124.7MM over four years.

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Pacific Notes: Smailagic, Adams, Diallo, Shamet

October 4th, 2019 at 6:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors rookie big man Alen Smailagic has a severe ankle sprain, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Coach Steve Kerr said Smailagic, a second-round pick, will be out for the “foreseeable future” due to the injury.

The 18-year-old Serbian played in the G League for Santa Cruz – the Warriors’ affiliate – in 2018/19 but wasn’t draft-eligible until this year. He was shut down early in the pre-draft process and was “hidden” in Serbia from the rest of the NBA. He signed a four-year, minimum salary contract with two years guaranteed.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • The Kings never seriously considered trading for Thunder center Steven Adams, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reports.  The Thunder are reportedly seeking a significant return for their top big man and were hoping to pry away Buddy Hield or Bogdan Bogdanovic in talks with Sacramento.
  • The Suns have numerous options at the power forward and center spots but Cheick Diallo could be in the mix, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. Diallo was signed to a two-year contract after spending three seasons with the Pelicans. “He’s a really active player,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “He can score around the basket. He’s trying to defend. … He just plays hard. Gives you a different edge at that four-five spot.”
  • Landry Shamet and rookie Terance Mann are the main backup options to Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley despite having backgrounds at the wing positions, Mirjan Swanson of the Orange County Register relays. Coach Doc Rivers believes Shamet will emerge in that role. “Landry will play point a lot this year,” Rivers said. “There’s no doubt about that. Because he can do a lot of things that very few guys can do, (Stephen) Curry-like. He can push it up, throw it and run and still score.”
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Exec: Thunder’s Asking Price For Adams “Too High”

October 2nd, 2019 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

After the Thunder traded away Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Jerami Grant this summer, there has been plenty of speculation that the team’s next major deal will involve Chris Paul. Veteran center Steven Adams, meanwhile, has flown somewhat under the radar, but with just two years left on his contract and an uncertain place in Oklahoma City’s long-term plans, Adams looks like a potential trade candidate as well.

While Adams’ contract isn’t as unwieldy as Paul’s, the big man’s $25.8MM cap hit complicates his value, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, who hears that the Thunder are still asking for a significant return for the 26-year-old. Sources tell Deveney that OKC is seeking a draft pick, a young player, and salary relief in exchange for Adams.

“They set the price too high,” a league executive said to Deveney. “That’s what you’d expect and maybe it will drop as the year goes on. It’s tough to take on his contract and give up picks and players. Most teams are pretty well set at the center spot now, you have a big guy and you have your small lineup. You can’t just take on a contract like that. There isn’t a big number of teams who could take him.”

The Kings had some interest in Adams earlier in the offseason, but with the Thunder eyeing Buddy Hield or Bogdan Bogdanovic, talks didn’t get far, per Deveney. Sacramento ultimately addressed its center position by signing Dewayne Dedmon to a lucrative three-year contract in free agency, reducing the need for a player like Adams.

Deveney cites the Mavericks, Celtics, and Spurs as teams that either had some level of interest in Adams or were linked to the veteran center at some point, but notes that all three clubs appear to be unlikely suitors now. Still, if the Thunder’s asking price comes down, there’s a sense that Adams could be on the move before the 2020 deadline, Deveney adds. For his part, the New Zealand native is trying not to let the trade rumors distract him.

“If it happens to someone else, there’s a chance it could happen to you,” Adams said this week of those trade rumors (Twitter link via Erik Horne of The Oklahoman). “That’s common sense. But it still affects you. You’re human. Even if they do trade me, it’s been a huge honor to just contribute to the history Oklahoma (City) is making.“

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Western Notes: Walton, Chandler, Nuggets, Hardaway

September 28th, 2019 at 11:56am CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings players already feel a closer bond with new coach Luke Walton than they did with previous coach Dave Joerger, Jason Jones of The Athletic reports. Having a coach that would help bring in free agents and make current roster members want to stay in Sacramento is part of the reason why Walton was hired.

“He just comes in, and it’s an instant connection,” Kings guard Buddy Hield told Jones. “He’s played before so he knows that player relationship and now he’s a coach so he knows how to relate to us, so that’s big coming from him.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • Mentoring Clint Capela is a major reason why the Rockets brought in veteran center Tyson Chandler, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. Chandler signed a one-year contract in July. The Rockets want Capela to become an elite defensive presence and anchor and Chandler will help facilitate that process.
  • Rockets guard Eric Gordon enters the preseason as a starter but Danuel House could make a push for that status, Iko adds in the same piece.
  • The Nuggets have promoted John Beckett from director of player development to full-time assistant coach, Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports tweets. Ognjen Stojakovic has taken over Beckett’s previous spot, while Boniface N’Dong has been added to the player development staff.
  • Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle believes Tim Hardaway Jr. has been cleared to participate in training camp, Dwain Price of the team’s website tweets. Hardaway met this week with the surgeon that performed the surgery in April on his left tibia and got a positive review. Hardaway’s availability for camp would coincide with the anticipated timetable following the surgery.
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Pacific Notes: Durant, Thompson, Lakers’ DPE, Kings

September 11th, 2019 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant left the Warriors because he wasn’t able to find the family atmosphere he wanted, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Durant got the championships and individual awards he was seeking when he signed with Golden State three years ago, but as he indicated in a Wall Street Journal interview this week, he couldn’t be part of the organization in the same way that Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala were.

Poole notes that Durant was impressed by the closeness those four players displayed when they came to the Hamptons to recruit him in 2016. That influenced his decision, but he still felt like an outsider. He wasn’t drafted to the organization like Curry, Thompson and Green, and he wasn’t instrumental in the Warriors’ first title in 40 years the way that Iguodala was.

Poole adds that the family dynamic faded over Durant’s three years with Golden State as players spent more time with their actual families. The Currys had two more children, Iguodala got married and Green became more devoted to fatherhood. Green was a close friend for Durant in his first season with the team, but he hung out with DeMarcus Cousins more often last year.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Steve Kerr tells Joe Vardon of The Athletic that it’s going to be like “Year 1” as he guides a much different Warriors roster. While many key pieces are gone from the championship years, Kerr said surviving while Thompson heals from a torn ACL will be the biggest challenge. “Losing Kevin, Andre, Shaun (Livingston) obviously, those are huge losses,” he said. “Losing Klay on top of all that really changes the way we’re going to have to play at both ends. Klay was always an integral part of everything. Movement on offense, but also the guarding of the ballhandler on defense, switching onto bigs. So until he gets back, we’ve got to re-imagine everything and adapt accordingly.”
  • The Lakers are seeking a disabled player exception after Cousins’ injury, but it’s likely just a tool that may be used later in the season, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. There are few options who could make a difference at a $1.75MM salary, which is half of what Cousins is owed. However, minimum contracts decrease through the year, and the DPE will be more valuable once buyout season arrives.
  • Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic will be competing not just for minutes in the Kings‘ backcourt, but for contract extensions as well, notes James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area.
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Kings Hoping To Sign Buddy Hield To Extension

September 4th, 2019 at 1:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings view shooting guard Buddy Hield as a part of their long-term future and would like to lock him up to a contract extension before the season begins, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Speaking to Anderson, GM Vlade Divac said that the two sides are trying to work toward a new deal for Hield.

“We are … every day is working and Buddy’s a big part of this team, and we’ll figure something out down the road,” Divac said. “We’re working on it and we’ll figure out something. Buddy is (a) very important piece to this franchise.”

Hield is one of 17 players who remains eligible for a rookie scale extension before this year’s October 21 deadline. Ben Simmons, Jamal Murray, and Caris LeVert have already signed extensions, which will go into effect for the 2020/21 season. If Hield doesn’t ink a new contract of his own, he’d be on track for restricted free agency in the summer of 2020.

Based on the NBA’s latest salary cap projection for ’20/21, Hield would be eligible for up to nearly $170MM on a five-year contract, though if the Kings intended to put a five-year, maximum-salary offer on the table, a deal would likely already be done.

Still, few players have a better case for a rookie scale extension this fall than Hield, who enjoyed an underrated breakout season in 2018/19, establishing new career highs in PPG (20.7), RPG (5.0), APG (2.5), and several other categories. He increased his productivity while maintaining his impressive efficiency, converting 42.7% of 7.9 three-point attempts per game.

Hield’s 278 three-pointers in 2018/19 place him seventh on the NBA’s all-time list for threes in a single season. Only Stephen Curry (four times), James Harden (2018/19), and Paul George (2018/19) have made more outside shots in a season.

Hield will be the first of several young Kings players who require long-term investments — Bogdan Bogdanovic will be a restricted free agent next summer at the same time De’Aaron Fox and Harry Giles become extension-eligible, while Marvin Bagley III could sign a new long-term deal as early as 2021.

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And-Ones: Wiseman, Barrett, Dedmon, Barbosa, DeMarco

June 22nd, 2019 at 11:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

The latest 2020 mock draft has Memphis freshman center James Wiseman going to the Knicks with the No. 1 pick. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Georgia guard Anthony Edwards going to the Cavaliers at No. 2 and North Carolina guard Cole Anthony heading to the Suns at No. 3.

We have more from around the basketball world:

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Pacific Notes: Looney, Lakers, Suns, Kings

April 19th, 2019 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

When it comes to Warriors players facing free agency this summer, the focus has rightly been on Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, but those aren’t the only players on the roster with expiring contracts.

One key role player up for a new deal this offseason is Kevon Looney, who played regular minutes at center this season as DeMarcus Cousins and Damian Jones dealt with injuries. Now, his role has increased once again with Cousins expected to miss the rest of the playoffs, perhaps putting him in a position to boost his value as he nears free agency.

The Warriors hold Looney’s Bird rights, allowing the team to go over the cap to re-sign him. But if Thompson and Durant return, it’s not clear how high Golden State would be willing to go to retain a role player. Asked about Looney’s upcoming free agency, teammate Andre Iguodala acknowledged that a more lucrative payday may await the youngster elsewhere.

“I hope he gets paid,” Iguodala said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (video link). “So I hope he doesn’t come back because I hope he gets all the money.”

Here’s more out of the Pacific:

  • Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka met with Sixers assistant Monty Williams earlier this week to discuss the club’s head coaching vacancy, and there’s an expectation on both sides that a second visit will occur at some point, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Williams is one of three known candidates for the Lakers’ job, along with Tyronn Lue and Juwan Howard.
  • The Suns‘ approach to the offseason will hinge largely on where the team’s first-round pick lands in the lottery, as Gina Mizell of The Athletic explains. Mizell sketches out multiple potential paths for Phoenix’s offseason — one that involves Zion Williamson, one featuring Ja Morant, and one in which the Suns land outside the top two in the draft.
  • In a story published shortly after Dave Joerger was let go by the Kings, Jason Jones of The Athletic passes along some fascinating tidbits on Joerger’s tenure in Sacramento. According to Jones, Joerger never really seemed to connect with youngsters Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles, favorites of the front office. Sources also told Jones that Joerger favored drafting Luka Doncic over Bagley, and would have been on board with trading Buddy Hield before the 2018/19 season.
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Kings In Position To Be Active At Trade Deadline

January 16th, 2019 at 7:17pm CST by clarkcrum

Sacramento remains the only team in the NBA to have any cap space on its 2018/19 payroll, and as the February 7 trade deadline fast approaches, this means that the Kings are positioned to be a major player in the trade market, if they so choose, writes James Ham of NBC Sports California.

That being said, the Kings aren’t interested in taking on any long-term deals with their cap space unless a player on a long-term deal can help the team win now and in the future. Additionally, the team is reportedly not interested in taking on any expiring contracts to help another club save money unless assets are attached to said contract.

So, what do the Kings want? Per Ham, the Kings are motivated to add more length and size at the small forward position, while also interested in adding a veteran point guard to bring off the bench in a back-up/potential mentorship role for budding star De’Aaron Fox.

[RELATED: Kings Among Teams Interested in Jeremy Lin]

In addition to their $11MM in cap space, the Kings have the expiring contracts of Zach Randolph, Kosta Koufos, and Ben McLemore to worth with. Swingman Iman Shumpert is also in the final year of his contract, but has provided a veteran spark to a young team still competing for a playoff spot. Then again, Shumpert is only 6’5″ and plays small forward. As mentioned above, the team is interested in adding length to that position, so Shumpert could also be expendable if an attractive enough deal comes along.

As for the Kings’ current assets, Sacramento has no interest in moving any of its young talent (e.g. Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Marvin Bagley, or Buddy Hield) unless it means the team is making a massive long-term investment in a star-level player. And even then, the aforementioned core group of youngsters is close to untouchable.

In Ham’s view, general manager Vlade Divac should look to be active, as Sacramento has worked hard to be a player in the trade market and is the only team with cap space to use. However, the Kings should also be wary of using that cap space to take on future money that could eat into future cap room. Ultimately, Ham would be surprised to see no moves made before the deadline.

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Pacific Notes: Cousins, Jerebko, Hield, Rondo

December 26th, 2018 at 7:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

A blue curtain made sure the event was private, but behind that barrier Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins participated in a scrimmage this afternoon, the latest sign of progress toward his season debut, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Poole states that there probably won’t be much notice before Cousins is activated, but today’s scrimmage is another reason to hope it will happen soon. He notes that the team doesn’t normally use the curtain that divides its practice facility unless a rehabbing player is close to returning.

Searching for a solution at center, the Warriors will treat any progress from the former All-Star as welcome news. After rupturing his Achilles last season, Cousins joined the Warriors on a one-year deal with the understanding that he might not be able to play until January or February. Kevon Looney, Jordan Bell and Jonas Jerebko are holding down the position in the meantime, but the defending champs frequently find themselves at a size disadvantage.

“Loon is playing his tail off as an undersized center against bigs that are a couple inches taller than him and probably just as strong, or stronger,” Kevin Durant said. “He’s got his work cut out for him, as well as Draymond (Green). It’s on us to help out a little more on the rebounding, but teams are spreading us out with the 3-point line around just one big. So we’ve got to pick and choose our spots when we want to go in there and help in the paint and when we could contest 3s, because both of those things are beating us right now.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Jerebko has been a better fit with the Warriors than some other free agents the team has signed, notes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “He doesn’t lack confidence, and that’s the biggest thing for us,” Stephen Curry said. “Night to night, not really knowing how many shots you are going to get – he’s ready to play. We knew he could shoot and he will continue to have open looks and he just has to have the confidence to knock them down.”
  • Many Kings players have improved this year, but no one more than Buddy Hield, who is bidding for an All-Star appearance, writes Hector Amezcua of The Sacramento Bee. Hield wasn’t certain to be a starter when the season began, but is averaging 20.4 PPG and shooting 44% from 3-point range.
  • Rajon Rondo‘s clutch performance in the Christmas Day win over the Warriors gives the Lakers hope of staying competitive while LeBron James is sidelined with a groin injury, according to Joey Ramirez of NBA.com.
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