The Raptors continue to enjoy the benefits of the Rudy Gay trade from 2013, writes Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. Three years ago, Toronto sent Gay to Sacramento, along with Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray in exchange for Chuck Hayes, Patrick Patterson, John Salmons and Greivis Vasquez. Since then, the Raptors have the fourth best record in the NBA, while the Kings haven’t challenged for a playoff spot. While none of the players Toronto received turned into stars, the deal created greater opportunities for DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, who have become one of the league’s best backcourts. “I don’t think anybody expected it, even us players, but the unexpected is always the best,” Patterson said. “I think everyone is happy and proud of how far along we have come.”
DeMarcus Cousins has long been a polarizing figure around the league with his copious technical fouls, reported run-ins with coaches and reputation for being a difficult locker room presence. The big man certainly has had his troubles reigning in his emotions during his time in the league, but there is no denying that he is an immensely talented player who could become a superstar in the right environment.
There has been much speculation where Cousins will end up when he hits unrestricted free agency after the 2017/18 campaign, or if he will be dealt by Sacramento prior to hitting the open market. Regardless of the chatter surrounding him, Cousins doesn’t expect to be traded in the near future, Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. “Unless you know something I don’t,” Cousins responded when asked if he thinks he’ll remain in a Kings uniform.
“I talk to management a lot,” Cousins told Stein. “We’re on the same page. I’m not worried about it. To know that you’re wanted throughout the league … I’d be worried if nobody wanted me. Then I’d have a situation on my hands. But I’m happy where I am. I’m happy with this team. I’m in a great place.”
Sources with knowledge of Sacramento’s thinking say that the Kings believe it’s still too early to seriously entertain the idea of trading Cousins, even with the clock ticking toward the final season of the four-year extension he inked back in 2013, Stein notes. Interested teams continue to contend that the Kings will be facing the prospect another sub-40 win season prior to this season’s trade deadline and the team will ultimately feel compelled to part with Cousins before he enters his contract year, since keeping him beyond February could make it extremely difficult to receive anything close to equal value for the player, the scribe adds.
The center, who is averaging 28.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists this season, places the blame on himself for the team’s lackluster record thus far in 2016/17, Stein writes. “I can’t speak for the next man,” Cousins said. “I’m speaking for myself. What can I do better on a nightly basis? I know I can be better every night.”
Cousins is aware of his reputation around the league, but believes that he is misunderstood, Stein relays. “I’m comfortable in my skin,” Cousins told Stein. “So comfortable. I know who I am as a person. I stand by that. I’m a very prideful man. I’m at that point where I could care less what the next person says. I think I get better every year as a player, as a person, as a son, a father, all of that. I think I grow every year. That’s part of life. Absolutely.”
The NYPD are close to issuing an arrest warrant for Kings forward Matt Barnes for assaulting a woman during a brawl at a New York nightclub last weekend, Graham Rayman of the New York Daily News reports. Barnes and teammate DeMarcus Cousins have been under investigation for their role in the fight. Cousins will likely not be charged, a police source told Rayman.
“They’ve got enough to charge Barnes with an assault on a woman,” the source said. “It will probably be a misdemeanor assault on one of the females who was pushed or choked or sustained some sort of injury. She’s obviously cooperating.”
The police will continue to investigate members of Barnes’ entourage. “They looked at several people inside the club,” the source added. “There were some people struck by bottles but that didn’t seem to come from the players. There was a little bit of a mini free for all.”
On Thursday, two people—Jasmine Besiso, a 26-year-old woman, and her boyfriend, Myrone Powell, a 35-year-old man—filed a federal lawsuit against Barnes and Cousins, claiming they were assaulted by the NBA players. Besiso said she was sitting with her boyfriend at a table adjacent to Barnes’ and claims she witnessed Barnes get into an altercation with another woman. Besiso claims that Barnes then suddenly appeared near her and began choking her until she was unconscious.
Powell’s lawyer claims Cousins sucker-punched Powell in the head when he tried to intervene. Powell was knocked to the floor at which time other members of Barnes’ entourage hit and stomped him, his Lawyer claims. Rayman notes that Powell had two black eyes when he appeared at a press conference on Thursday.
There’s a TMZ video showing Barnes and Cousins gloating outside of the club that night. TMZ also published pictures of scratch marks to Barnes’ neck as well as additional photos of Barnes. The site published photos of his hands without any injuries that may suggest he didn’t punch anyone, Rayman notes. Cousins and Barnes have maintained that they were simply defending themselves; Barnes’ lawyers declined to comment today.
Matt Barnes and DeMarcus Cousins have been sued in federal court by two people who claim they were assaulted by the players this week in a New York nightclub, relays A.J. Perez of USA Today. The plaintiffs contend they suffered “severe personal injuries” and had to be treated at a hospital after the incident around 3 a.m. Monday. The monetary amount of the suit has not been released, but it has to be more than $75K to be heard in federal court.
Police have obtained the security footage, but haven’t been able to discern much because of low lighting in the club, reports Carmichael Dave of CBS Sacramento. No charges have been filed against either player. Witnesses have said that Barnes was knocked to the ground by several people on his way to a VIP area, and Cousins came to his defense. Both players were escorted out of the club.
There’s more news on the altercation and its fallout:
- Trouble has followed Barnes throughout his NBA career, writes Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee, who adds that it was a mistake for the Kings to reacquire him and assign him “the unofficial duties of mentoring Cousins.” The columnist says it gives the organization a bad image at a time when it is trying to focus on the positive news of opening a new arena. She cites Barnes’ long list of NBA suspensions, along with domestic violence charges that were later dropped, a misdemeanor arrest for resisting, delaying or obstructing a police officer and last year’s fight with former Knicks coach Derek Fisher. Sacramento gave Barnes a two-year, $12MM deal to rejoin the team in July.
- The Kings have hired an independent investigator to look into the incident, Voisin writes in the same piece. The NBA’s security staff is also conducting an investigation.
- The fight may strengthen the argument of people who believe the Kings should trade Cousins, but it’s still a difficult decision, contends Chris Mannix of The Vertical. It’s hard to part with a player who is putting up 28.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per night, but the Kings have to decide how likely Cousins is to leave when he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2018. His trade value will only decline after the February 23rd deadline passes, Mannix states.
DeMarcus Cousins believes his brother, Jaleel, who plays for the Mavericks‘ D-League affiliate, is in a great situation, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes.
“It’s the Mavericks. It’s one of the best franchises in the league,” Cousins said. “[Mark] Cuban’s a great guy. [Rick Carlisle‘s] a great guy. [Jaleel is] under some good people. I’m confident in the franchise and I’m confident in his abilities, as well. I think it’s a good situation for him.”
The Mavs have inquired about the availability of Cousins in the past and they are expected to be among the teams expressing interest in the big man at the trade deadline should the Kings fall out of the playoff race, Townsend notes. It remains unlikely that the Mavs can acquire Cousins in a trade since they don’t have a ton of attractive assets.
Dallas could always attempt to sign Cousins during the summer of 2018 when the center will be an unrestricted free agent. Townsend notes that Cousins’ agent, Dan Fegan, has a strong working relationship with the franchise.
Cousins told Townsend that he has respect for the Mavs and added that it was “flattering” to hear that the they were interested in him. Townsend was dubious of his response, questioning the big man since he had apparently said in the past that he “liked” Sacramento as well. Cousins then corrected the reporter and exclaimed, “I love Sacramento.”
Kings forward Matt Barnes talked to police today to give his side of an alleged choking incident in a New York City nightclub, writes James Ham of CSNBayArea.
In a story first reported by TMZ, Barnes is accused of choking a woman and assaulting two other people who tried to intervene. He offered an explanation in a statement today on his Instagram account, posting, “There’s always two sides to a story.. The side the media consistently tries to paint of me…. And what actually happened! Don’t believe everything you read.”
The confrontation took place early this morning at the Avenue Nightclub, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Barnes said he was slapped by a women he “accidentally butt bumped” as he headed toward the VIP section, then claims he was knocked to the floor by several men, one of whom tried to choke him.
TMZ reports that teammate DeMarcus Cousins came to Barnes’ defense. Cousins claims he doesn’t know what started the incident, but said someone tried to choke Barnes.
Barnes’ attorney, Alex Spiro, sent an email to the Sacramento Bee proclaiming his client’s innocence.
“We do not believe a crime was committed,” Spiro wrote. “We are cooperating with law enforcement and are hopeful no charges will be pressed.”
The 36-year-old Barnes has become a valuable team leader since rejoining the Kings this summer. He is averaging 7.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists through 20 games.
The team released a statement this afternoon, saying, “We have clear standards of conduct and behavior expected of the entire Kings organization – on and off the court. We are working with all parties involved to gather information in order to take any appropriate next steps.”
A pair of Kings players have new representation, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who reports (via Twitter) that Rudy Gay and Ty Lawson are both headed to Roc Nation Sports. Roger Montgomery will serve as the new agent for Gay and Lawson, per Amick.
A report last week suggested that Gay had opted to leave Octagon Basketball, the agency that had previously represented him. In the wake of that report, Amick indicated that the veteran forward may land with Roc Nation, while Gay told Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee that the move was about needing a change, rather than anything specifically related to his contract situation.
Of course, even if that’s true, the timing is interesting. Gay is one of the NBA’s top trade candidates this season, having expressed some frustration with his situation in Sacramento. Gay has a player option for 2017/18, but has already told the Kings he intends to opt out and test the market, so his new reps will likely be tasked with negotiating a new contract for him in July, even if they don’t push for a trade before then.
As for Lawson, like Gay, he is on track for unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2016/17 season. The former Nuggets, Rockets, and Pacers point guard signed a one-year, make-good deal with the Kings, and has started 14 of his 20 games for the team so far. However, Lawson’s overall numbers (7.1 PPG, 4.6 APG, .395/.351/.765 shooting line) still aren’t great, and if they don’t improve, his reps will be hard-pressed to get their client much of a raise in 2017.
DeMarcus Cousins is off to the best start of his career and may finally have the coach he has been wanting, writes Paul Flannery of SB Nation. None of that may stop trade rumors as the Kings continue to compile a losing record, just as they have through Cousins’ first six seasons. Many observers believe Cousins will head out of Sacramento when his contract expires in the summer of 2018, but unlike teammate Rudy Gay, Cousins hasn’t spoken publicly about leaving. One factor in keeping him may be new coach Dave Joerger, who has established a strong rapport with the big man. It has been a welcome change from George Karl, who had an ongoing feud with Cousins throughout his brief tenure. “He’s amazingly talented,” Joerger said. “We watched his talent get better every year from the other sideline. Like man, this guy just keeps getting better. And then when I got to coach him, I’m like, holy cow. He is incredibly talented. And then, the way that he has gone about his business and grown. Again from the other sideline to now here, he has really grown in the way he handles his business. Whether it’s practice, shootarounds, games, dealing with officials, handling adversity. Those two things have impressed me.”
- Nerlens Noel isn’t happy about the logjam in the Sixers’ frontcourt, Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Noel is skeptical that there will be enough minutes to go around, now that Joel Embiid has established himself, Narducci continues. “I don’t think the roster’s changed,” Noel told Narducci. Noel, sidelined by a knee injury since training camp, returned to the team on Thursday after working out with its D-League affiliate. But coach Brett Brown estimates Noel will miss four or five more games, Narducci adds.
- Guard Josh Richardson returned to Miami during the Heat’s current three-game road trip to get treatment for his sore ankle, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. Richardson suffered the injury against the Celtics on Monday. Miami is already playing without two of its top wings, Justise Winslow and Dion Waiters, due to injuries. “It’s an easy decision for us,” coach Erik Spoelstra told Winderman and other beat writers. “His ankle is really sore. He has a bunch of other little, minor things going on. So we just wanted to go back, get his body right, feel right for the next three days, four days. We’ll reevaluate him then.”
- Pacers star Paul George plans to return to action on Sunday after missing six of the last seven games with an ankle injury, according to Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star. George feels like his team, which is one game under .500, needs his leadership on the court. “I think just sitting out and watching, I’ve got to get back to being the guy for us,” he told Taylor. “I’ve got to have the trust of the team, I’ve got to have the trust of the organization. This has been my group, this has been my team. I’ve got to get back to that.”
The Sixers and Kings will have to find room on their schedules for a make-up game after tonight’s contest in Philadelphia was postponed because of excess moisture on the floor of Wells Fargo Center. Crews worked for about an hour trying to dry the court before the game was officially called off. No makeup date was announced, but there is speculation that it will be rescheduled when the Kings make their next Eastern swing in late January. Both teams are off and the arena will be available on January 30th, tweets The Vertical’s Bobby Marks.
There’s more basketball news tonight:
- Archie Goodwin, who was waived by the Pelicans November 20th, has been claimed by the Greensboro Swarm of the D-League, according to a tweet from D-League Digest. The Hornets’ affiliate reportedly tried to trade Goodwin’s rights, but couldn’t work out a deal (Twitter link). Goodwin spent the last three seasons with the Suns, but was released in the preseason. The Pelicans signed him earlier this month when injuries left them shorthanded, but he played just three games in New Orleans.
- Shooting guard Jordan Adams, who was claimed by the Oklahoma City Blue on Monday, has failed his physical, according to D-League Digest (Twitter link). The team will still retain the rights to Adams and will not move back to the top of the waiver order (Twitter link). Adams, a UCLA product, was waived by the Grizzlies during the preseason. A first-round pick in 2014, he had spent the past two seasons in Memphis, playing 30 games in 2014/15 and two games last season.
- Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue says a mental lapse by J.R. Smith that led to an easy Bucks basket Tuesday night is a sign of an overall focus problem by the team, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. Smith walked to the Milwaukee bench to greet Jason Terry during an inbounds play, leaving Matthew Dellavedova open for an easy layup. “Obviously we both know it wasn’t intentional, but it was just a lack of focus,” Smith said. “One of the multiple things that compounded onto the loss was just as a team we haven’t been as focused as we previously were.”