Pacific Notes: Kings, Cousins, McCallum
A quick look at the Pacific Division..
- It is clear that the Kings are trying to build their future around DeMarcus Cousins and rookie Ben McLemore, but beyond that, the right deal might pry loose almost anyone else on the roster, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. It has been reported that Sacramento is “aggressively” pursuing a trade early on in the season.
- Speaking of the Kings, they announced this afternoon that they have assigned Ray McCallum to the D-League’s Reno Bighorns. McCallum, the 36th overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft, has not seen action in the Kings’ eleven games this season. He averaged 3.8 points, 1.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.20 steals and 12.2 minutes per game in five games off the bench for the Kings in the preseason. The move reunites him with former Kings training camp players Brandon Heath, DeQuan Jones, and Trent Lockett.
- The Warriors recalled Nemanja Nedovic, Ognjen Kuzmic, and the newly signed Dewayne Dedmon in advance of last night’s game against the Grizzlies, the team announced. In last night’s 88-81 loss, Kuzmic was the only one of the three to see playing time. To keep tabs on this year’s D-League assignments, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list for 2013/14.
Poll: Who Should The Kings Trade?
The Kings have been listed all season as a team looking to be active in the trade market but yesterday reports surfaced that Sacramento is “aggressively” pursuing trade possibilities well before the February deadline. The Kings seem to be shopping their veteran players in order to get more draft picks and younger players to build a team around Ben McLemore and DeMarcus Cousins.
Veteran players on the Kings roster include:
- Marcus Thornton (28.3 MPG, 10.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG)
- John Salmons (24.4 MPG, 4.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG)
- Chuck Hayes (9.2 MPG, 0.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG)
- Jason Thompson (20.5 MPG, 6.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG)
- Luc Mbah a Moute (18 MPG, 3.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG)
- Travis Outlaw (15.1 MPG, 6.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG)
Additionally, Jimmer Fredette (12.0 MPG, 3.0 PPG, 2.3 APG) has been listed as a potential candidate that the Kings will be looking to ship away this season considering they declined his 2014/15 team option.
Playing the role of Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro who do you think the Kings should trade this season?
Who Should the Kings Trade?
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Marcus Thornton 21% (347)
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Jimmer Fredette 20% (337)
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John Salmons 18% (297)
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Jason Thompson 13% (218)
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Chuck Hayes 12% (204)
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Travis Outlaw 8% (129)
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Luc Mbah a Moute 6% (107)
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Other 3% (45)
Total votes: 1,684
Kings Aggressively Pursuing Trades
The Kings are looking to make changes to their roster sooner rather than later, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, who reports that Sacramento is “aggressively” pursuing trade possibilities. The team wants to make a deal well before the February deadline, says Howard-Cooper.
Despite a comeback win last night against the Suns, the Kings are off to a slow start in 2013/14. Only the Jazz (1-11) are below Sacramento (3-7) in the Western Conference standings so far. As such, the Kings are hoping to accelerate their rebuilding process by trading veterans for young prospects and draft picks, according to Howard-Cooper, who adds that Sacramento has already engaged in talks with several clubs. While nothing appears to be imminent, discussions are believed to have advanced beyond preliminary talks.
Marcus Thornton, John Salmons, Chuck Hayes, Jason Thompson, Luc Mbah a Moute, and Travis Outlaw are among the veteran players currently on the Kings’ roster. Howard-Cooper doesn’t specifically single out any of those players as likely to be moved, but I’d guess Sacramento would be open to trading any of them in the right deal.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld identified the Kings last week as one of the teams that has been “very active” in exploring trades early in the season. A recent report named Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams as a potential target of interest for the Kings, and Jimmer Fredette has been the subject of trade rumors as well. However, Howard-Cooper writes that Sacramento probably wouldn’t be able to extract much value for the the third-year guard. .
Ford’s Latest: Raptors, Kings, Cavs, Bucks
Before fielding questions on the NCAA and the 2014 draft, ESPN.com’s Chad Ford addressed a number of NBA inquiries in his latest chat. Let’s dive in and round up a few of the highlights from ESPN’s draft guru….
- Rival general managers tell Ford that Raptors president Masai Ujiri has been active on the phones. However, Ford has heard “mixed responses” from those GMs on whether Ujiri is looking to blow up his roster or trying to improve in the short term.
- The Kings have “a lot of interest” in Derrick Williams, and could be a logical trade partner for the Timberwolves. Ford cites Chuck Hayes and “Jason Williams” as possible trade candidates, though presumably he means Jason Thompson.
- There are “rumblings” that Dion Waiters has been a source of chemistry issues in the Cavs‘ locker room. Still, even if Cleveland were to shop the second-year guard, Ford isn’t convinced the return would be great.
- In Ford’s view, the Cavs will likely need to make a roster move soon to either attempt a playoff push or a run at another high lottery pick.
- When the Rockets explore Omer Asik trades, they’ll likely be targeting a player such as Ryan Anderson or Ersan Ilyasova. says Ford, adding that both of those guys might be available. Asik may not be the right fit for either the Pelicans or Bucks though, according to Ford, so a third team might have to get involved.
- Even though Bucks owner Herb Kohl is known to be anti-tanking, Ford suggests John Hammond should be sending Kohl video of Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, and Jabari Parker every day until he reconsiders. The insinuation there, of course, is that a poor finish this season will be the Bucks’ best chance to land a star.
Knicks Rumors: Shumpert, Thompson, Faried
Since word broke last week that the Nuggets and Knicks discussed a potential deal centered around Kenneth Faried and Iman Shumpert, several subsequent reports have added more details related to Shumpert’s availability. There’s reportedly leaguewide interest in Shumpert, who appears more and more likely to be moved at some point, since he represents the Knicks’ best trade asset.
Yesterday, we learned that the Knicks made a run at Rajon Rondo, but were rebuffed by the Celtics, who would be open to taking on Amar’e Stoudemire‘s contract if it meant moving Gerald Wallace and Courtney Lee. Meanwhile, reports also indicated Shumpert underwent a previously unreported surgical procedure, which could have negatively affected his trade value.
After an eventful weekend of rumors and rumblings surrounding Shumpert and the Knicks, let’s round up a few Monday morning leftovers….
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News noted in yesterday’s piece that reports have linked the Knicks to the Kings, adding that Jason Thompson is represented by the same agency as many Knicks players. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks have indeed inquired with the Kings on Thompson.
- The Knicks’ proposal to the Celtics for Rondo would have included both Shumpert and Stoudemire, reports Ian Begley of ESPN New York. However, such a deal probably wouldn’t work for either side — Boston isn’t eager to move Rondo, while New York would prefer not to take back contracts like Wallace’s and Lee’s, since that would affect the Knicks’ ability to create significant cap room in the summer of 2015.
- According to Begley, the Knicks believed they had a trade completed with the Nuggets for Faried last Tuesday morning, but the deal fell through when Denver requested at least one draft pick from New York.
- Isola’s latest column for the Daily News focuses on Mike Woodson, whose “hands are tied” when it comes to some basketball decisions, according to one Knicks player. Minutes restrictions for Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin are being dictated by James Dolan and Knicks medical director Lisa Callahan rather than Woodson, says Isola, who adds that the coach isn’t in “imminent danger” of losing his job.
- While the Knicks are highly motivated to make a trade in the short term, most NBA teams aren’t interested in dealing until at least December 15th, when offseason signees become trade-eligible, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
Knicks Tried To Trade For Rajon Rondo
Knicks guard Iman Shumpert has been in trade rumors for the last few weeks and it doesn’t sound like they’ll be slowing down anytime soon. New York has desperately been trying to package Shumpert in a number of deals, including one pitch to the Celtics for star guard Rajon Rondo, writes Frank Isola of the Daily News. Unsurprisingly, the Knicks were rebuffed by Danny Ainge.
Isola also reports that Shumpert had a second knee surgery over the summer that was previously kept under the rug. It’s unclear if that development has had any impact on the 23-year-old’s trade value.
As for the Rondo offer, the Celtics are highly unlikely to part with one of the top point guards in the league and even less likely to move him to a divisional rival. The Knicks also pitched the Nuggets on a swap involving Kenneth Faried and got turned down, but the Kings are also said to have interest. Isola notes that Kings forward Jason Thompson is represented by Leon Rose, the agent for Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Chris Smith.
Over two seasons-and-change in New York, Shumpert owns career averages of 8.3 PPG with 3.3 RPG in 26.3 minutes per contest.
Latest On Iman Shumpert
Sources close to the Knicks say that no deal involving Iman Shumpert is imminent, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be staying put in New York, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. More and more people around the league see some sort of Shumpert deal materializing sooner rather than later, given that he’s New York’s only real trade asset at this time.
Talks with the Nuggets didn’t get far because of the Knicks’ insistence on getting Kenneth Faried in the swap, but Denver does have interest in Shumpert. Prying Faried away from Denver would have required the Knicks to include more than one draft pick and the Knicks can’t part with a first-rounder earlier than 2018. Stein also hears that the Kings are gauging how Shumpert might fit in with their squad.
The Knicks are increasingly confident that they can afford to lose Shumpert with J.R. Smith back in the lineup and rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. looking solid early.
Amico On Asik, Kings, Pistons
Earlier today, we relayed a report that the Kings and Cavaliers have been actively involved in trade talks with each other, although Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio cites a league source who says that there’s “nothing of substance” to that report. In his latest piece, Amico touches upon possible interest Omer Asik around the league in addition to potential teams that could be involved in other trade talks. You can read more below:
- While the Rockets might not be looking to deal Asik at the moment, multiple sources have identified the Raptors as a team that is already highly interested.
- The Kings are considered to be league-wide front runners to make a deal, and Amico notes that the team’s new management explored moving several pieces during this past offseason – including guard Jimmer Fredette. He also adds that Sacramento is likely to field calls leading up to the trade deadline in February.
- There is league-wide speculation that the Pistons are looking to move the expiring contracts of Rodney Stuckey and Charlie Villanueva in exchange for more talent and could act soon.
Cavs, Kings Pursuing Trades
The Cavaliers and Kings are actively seeking trades in response to subpar performances so far this season, a source tells HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy (Twitter links). It’s not clear whether they’re close to any deals or if they’re working on a trade with each other, but they appear to be two of the most aggressive clubs on the market.
The Cavs are reportedly under a mandate from owner Dan Gilbert to make the playoffs, but they’re just 3-6 to start the season, and offseason signee Andrew Bynum is doubtful he can return to full health. They have eight contracts fully guaranteed beyond this season, but that total doesn’t include the deals for Bynum and frequently mentioned trade candidate Anderson Varejao, giving Cleveland some flexibility. The Cavs also have three extra first-round picks set to come their way the next two years, so they have valuable assets to burn.
The Kings owe one of those picks to Cleveland thanks to a previous trade. Sacramento has all its other first-rounders, but is short on second-round picks to deal. The new regime in Sacramento is anxious to put a quality product on the floor as it continues to campaign for a new arena, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe has written, and there has been trade chatter surrounding DeMarcus Cousins and Jimmer Fredette. Nine Kings players have fully guaranteed salaries for 2014/15, but John Salmons is the only one among the team’s seven most highly paid players who doesn’t. The Kings are 2-5 after upsetting the Nets last night in Sacramento.
It could be difficult for either team to pull off a trade for at least another month or so. Players who signed new contracts in the offseason won’t become eligible to be included in trades until December 15th, at the earliest.
Western Notes: Pelicans, Warriors, Kings, Garrett
There are only four games on the NBA slate tonight, but Western Conference teams provided plenty of excitement off the court. The Pelicans waived Lance Thomas and Arinze Onuaku so they could bring aboard veterans Louis Amundson and Josh Childress. The Jazz went the opposite direction, dumping vet Jamaal Tinsley as they eye a younger replacement. The Timberwolves are reportedly shopping a pair of players while the Lakers are considering a point guard search. We have more on a couple of those story lines as we check the latest from the West:
- Pelicans coach Monty Williams says the team has been thinking about making today’s roster moves for the past few weeks, but Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune chastises GM Dell Demps for acting out of apparent desperation to win immediately.
- The latest plan for the Warriors‘ new San Francisco arena is reduced in scale, but it’s still likely to face an uphill battle against local political opponents, as John Coté of the San Francisco Chronicle details.
- For all the excitement surrounding the new ownership, GM and coach in Sacramento, the Kings are just 1-5 to start the season, and coach Michael Malone acknowledges the team’s losing habits will be tough to shake, observes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.
- It’s unclear whether Diante Garrett has a job with the Jazz virtually sewn up or if he’ll have to be especially impressive when he auditions, but we might have our answer soon, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets that Garrett’s workout is set for Wednesday.