- The Heat and Kings have had some “vague” trade discussions since July, sources tell Lowe. It’s not clear which players’ names came up in those talks, but both teams have veterans who have been the subject of trade speculation, including Goran Dragic (Heat) and Rudy Gay (Kings).
- While GM Vlade Divac has said he doesn’t plan to move Gay and Ben McLemore, Lowe believes there’s a decent chance the Kings make a deal, adding that the Thunder are one team to watch for Gay.
[SOURCE LINK]
Despite numerous reports relaying that the Kings are shopping Ben McLemore and Rudy Gay, team executive Vlade Divac stated during an interview on Sirius XM NBA Radio that Sacramento intends to hang onto both players this season.
Regarding McLemore, Divac said, “You’re going to receive a lot of calls, you’re going to make a lot of calls. We’re very happy with Ben [McLemore], the way he’s progressing this summer. He’s a very young player that we like a lot, so we’re going to keep him.” The Kings reportedly turned down an offer from the Bucks last week that would have shipped McLemore to Milwaukee in exchange for point guard Michael Carter-Williams. At one point during the summer it appeared that the shooting guard was a lock to be dealt, but the coaching staff has reportedly connected with McLemore and believes that they can maximize his talents. The 23-year-old is eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end.
The situation with Gay is a bit more muddled, with the small forward announcing in September that he plans to opt out of his contract next summer. The veteran hasn’t sounded all that enthusiastic to still be a member of the Kings moving forward, but the franchise has no obvious replacement for him at the three spot and wouldn’t be guaranteed to receive one vie trade either. Regarding Gay, Divac said during his radio appearance, “Rudy is a tremendous talent, he’s somebody that’s beautiful to watch the way he plays. We think Rudy is a big part of this team to be successful, so we decide to go with him. If he decides to stay next year, that’s great. If he decides to leave, that’s fine. But we want to make sure we compete this year.” Gay is earning $13,333,333 this season.
Neither player has looked especially sharp in the preseason thus far. McLemore is averaging 8.5 points and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 34.8% from the field overall and 14.3% from three-point range. Gay has notched 5.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists to go along with a shooting line of .308/.333/1.000.
Kings owner Vivek Ranadive told Sam Amick of USA Today that he is confident the DeMarcus Cousins situation can be resolved. Cousins has repeatedly expressed unhappiness with the direction of the franchise and had frequent clashes with former coach George Karl last season. Ranadive thinks the hiring of Dave Joerger as the new coach will help smooth over the bitterness. “When I first bought the team I had to make one decision, which was ‘Do I give [Cousins] a contract [extension] or not [in September 2013?’ and I made the decision to give it to him,” the owner said. “I feel like that was the right decision. But other than that, I haven’t really made any basketball decisions, because after that I hired a GM and a coach and everyone else. But I expect that [GM] Vlade [Divac] will make the right calls. I think DeMarcus truly looks up to Vlade. I think he truly likes the coach.”
Lance Stephenson has an edge over Alonzo Gee for a roster spot on the Pelicans because of his versatility, John Reid of The Times-Picayune opines. Stephenson’s ability to play point guard will be especially useful with Jrue Holiday set to miss significant time. Reid also added that he wouldn’t be surprised if New Orleans ends up trading Gee.
Here’s more from around the league:
- New Kings head coach Dave Joerger aims to change the culture in Sacramento, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. “I think it’s what we hope to have on a nightly basis,” Joerger said. “A mindset of being physical, being active. Flying around, being a good teammate, each guy up and down the line and helping each other.”
- The Kings signed Matt Barnes this offseason and DeMarcus Cousins is happy to have the veteran on his team, Jones adds in the same piece. “He’s a true competitor,” Cousins said. “He leaves it all out there on the floor. I think he’s a great role model for the younger guys on how to approach a game on a nightly basis.”
- Gordon Hayward will likely miss six weeks after injuring his left ring finger and Ryan McDonald of the Deseret News examines his absence from the court will impact the Jazz.
- The Bucks continue to scour the market for possible Khris Middleton replacements, and have offered Michael Carter-Williams to the Kings in a deal for Ben McLemore, Stein reports. Sacramento turned down that pitch, but Milwaukee continues to explore deals.
[SOURCE LINK]
- The Kings are actively involved in trade discussions and since Darren Collison is suspended for the first eight games, they could make a deal for a point guard during training camp, possible as part of a larger package.
- The Bucks are seeking help at the wing positions and a swap with the Kings for shooting guard Ben McLemore – a projected backup with the addition of Arron Afflalo — is a possibility. Milwaukee would like to move either center Greg Monroe or point guard Michael Carter-Williams under the right circumstances, according to Lowe’s sources.
Former UNC standout and 2005 lottery pick Rashad McCants hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since 2009, but he has played in Puerto Rico, China, Brazil, Lebanon, the Philippines, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic since then. Could his next stop be back in America? According to Chris Reichert of Upside and Motor (Twitter link), McCants may sign with the D-League in the hopes of making his way back onto an NBA roster.
While we wait to see what McCants’ future holds, let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the league…
- According to a report from Marca in Spain (translation via Sportando), Sergio Llull‘s buyout with Real Madrid was increased from five million euros to 12 million euros in his most recent contract extension with the team. This runs counter to a 2015 report that suggested Llull’s NBA buyout had been reduced with his new deal. If it’s true, it will make a signing even trickier for the Rockets, who would like to bring the Spanish star to Houston in 2017.
- The NBA D-League is making changes to the way it populates its pool of draft-eligible players. Adam Johnson of D-League Digest has the details, along with his thoughts on the adjustments.
- Kenneth Faried, who reportedly remains on the trade block in Denver, is one of the Western Conference players most likely to be traded this season, according to Kevin Pelton and a group of ESPN.com writers (Insider-only link). In addition to Faried, the list also features multiple Suns and Kings veterans.
- ESPN.com’s NBA Insiders also took a look at the Eastern Conference players most likely to be traded this season, including Jaylen Brown, Mario Hezonja, and a pair of Sixers bigs.
After pleading guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic battery, Darren Collison was suspended eight games by the NBA, a penalty that will cost him nearly $400K in salary. However, as Kings general manager Vlade Divac tells Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee, the discipline from the league for Collison could have been harsher.
“These are serious matters,” said the Kings GM. “It goes against all the values our organization wants to represent. But I think it’s fair. The (Placer County District Attorney’s Office) did their investigation and made their decision, and the league did their own investigation as well. And the fact Darren cooperated right from the start, I believe, really helped him.”
- Although he stands 6’6″, Garrett Temple has always made an effort to be a versatile player, which has meant spending some time at the point guard position. As Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes, Temple could be an important piece for the Kings, as a veteran who can play alongside another point guard or run the point himself when necessary.
After four arrests for driving under the influence, the most significant obstacle for Ty Lawson as the guard tries to revive his career on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Kings is himself, Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes. Lawson’s presence is vital for the Kings, who learned Sunday that Darren Collison will be suspended for eight games to start the season following his arrest on misdemeanor domestic violence charges, Voisin adds. What’s more, the Kings lost Rajon Rondo in free agency, which ultimately led to taking a chance on Lawson, as Voisin points out.
“We went over the (free agent) list and evaluated everybody and in terms of talent, nobody was close to Ty,” Kings GM Vlade Divac said. “But we needed to meet with him and talk about a few things before we offered a contract.”
Here’s more out of Sacramento:
- Collison’s eight-game suspension represents just a fraction of the 24 games Jeff Taylor received in 2014 for his misdemeanor domestic violence arrest. However, a person with knowledge of the investigation tells Sam Amick of USA Today that the same domestic violence experts consulted in the Taylor decision were used in the Collison case.
- While it seems to be an unlikely pairing, Kings big man Willie Cauley-Stein tells James Ham of CSNBayArea.com that Peja Stojakovic, the team’s VP of player personnel and development, has been mentoring him in preparation for the 2016/17 season. “Especially in the summer time, I did a lot of work,” Cauley-Stein said. “Our goal every day was to make 700 shots. So by the end of the week, we were making thousands of shots.”
- The Kings will play in the brand-new Golden 1 Center this season, an arena owner Vivek Ranadive calls “the world’s best,” per USA Today (video link). Former commissioner David Stern, who played a significant part in overseeing the sale of the Kings to Ranadive, vowed in a Sacramento Bee interview that he’ll be there for the team’s home opener.
Will Joseph contributed to this post.
Kings point guard Darren Collison has been suspended for the first eight games of the regular season, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports, citing league sources (on Twitter). Collison can play in preseason games and participate in all practices, Stein adds (Twitter link).
Collison was arrested on misdemeanor domestic violence charges stemming from an incident in May involving his wife. He agreed to a plea deal in early September and as part of the arrangement, Collison pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic violence. The 29-year-old received a 20-day jail sentence, which he was scheduled to serve in an Alternative Sentencing Program, working on community service projects.
The Kings, who missed out on Rajon Rondo in free agency, signed Ty Lawson as insurance in case Collison received a long suspension. Coach Dave Joerger said last week that the uncertainty which was surrounding Collison was not having an impact on the team. Joerger also hoped for a ruling sooner rather than later in order for that to remain the case, which the Kings received.