Pacific Links: Granger, Lakers, Nunnally, Kings
Kings team president Chris Granger had been a candidate to succeed Adam Silver as NBA deputy commissioner before he accepted the Sacramento job this summer, Kings owner Vivek Ranadive revealed, reports Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee. Granger told a gathering of Sacramento business leaders that the city's longstanding support of the Kings weighed heavily on the league as it debated letting the club leave for Seattle. There's more from the Kings among the latest from the Pacific Division:
- Jordan Farmar agreed to a minimum-salary contract with the Lakers on July 10th, and his longstanding friendship with Nick Young inspired Young to do the same the very next day, as Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times examines.
- The Suns treated James Nunnally well during a two-day tryout last month, and that led the sought-after camp invitee to choose Phoenix, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Nunnally is confident about his chances of making the team.
- Plenty of uncertainty surrounds Jimmer Fredette, a trade candidate whose 2014/15 team option is not certain to be picked up by the deadline at the end of this month. Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee looks at how the new Kings regime views the third-year guard.
Kings Sign Brandon Heath
THURSDAY, 2:50pm: The Kings have officially signed Heath to the camp roster, the team announced today in a press release.
TUESDAY, 4:09pm: Although the Kings previously announced that they had finalized their training camp roster with the additions of DeQuan Jones and Hamady N'Diaye, it appears the team will bring at least one more player to camp. Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype confirms (Twitter link) that the Kings will sign Brandon Heath, a move first reported by Maria Mitzova of EuroBasket.com.
Since Heath went undrafted out of San Diego State in 2007, he hasn't appeared in a regular-season NBA game, though he participated in Summer League play with the SuperSonics, Clippers, and Nets over the years. The 6'4" guard also spent one season with the D-League's Los Angeles D-Fenders, and most recently played for Lukoil Academic in Bulgaria, averaging 12.0 PPG and 4.7 APG in 39 contests in 2012/13.
After adding Heath, the Kings will be carrying 18 players on their training camp roster, including 14 guys on fully guaranteed contracts.
Pacific Notes: Salmons, Bogut, Marshall
Let's check in on a few Wednesday items out of the Pacific Division….
- John Salmons, who had been an amnesty candidate this summer, wasn't sure he'd back with the Kings, as he tells Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. "A little bit," Salmons said, when asked if he was surprised to be back. "I can't lie about that… I'm good with being here, but I am a little surprised."
- Andrew Bogut, who hopes to play a full 82-game slate for the Warriors this season, would also like to stay with the team beyond 2014, as he tells Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. Bogut admitted that there hadn't been extension talks with the team yet, but suggested he'd welcome them: "I like the organization, I like the direction, I like the owners, I love the coaches, I love the players."
- The next few weeks will be crucial for Kendall Marshall's future, according to Bob Young of the Arizona Republic, who writes that the Suns may decline the 2014/15 option on Marshall if they don't see enough from him during camp and the preseason.
- Eric Bledsoe of the Suns and Marcus Thornton of the Kings are among the players on Zach Lowe's All-Intriguing team in his latest piece for Grantland.com.
Pacific Notes: Kobe, Warriors, Bogut, Howard
Derrick Rose has said that he's not big on recruiting, but the Lakers' star guard has never been bashful about working the phones to bring talent to his team. Recently, a source close to Carmelo Anthony told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that Kobe Bryant may influence where Anthony plays next season. Here's more out of the Pacific Division..
- This year's Lakers are the definition of a one-and-done team as Steve Nash, Robert Sacre, and Nick Young are the only players with guaranteed contracts past this season, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol don't have assurances past this season and neither does the newly-acquired Chris Kaman, who experienced a similar situation in Dallas last season as the Mavs geared up for a Dwight Howard run.
- Warriors center Andrew Bogut sat down with Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News for a wide-ranging interview. When asked about the club's pursuit of Howard, Bogut didn't pull any punches. "In some ways, you look at it, and it does [tick] you off a little bit. But I don’t take it personal. They’re trying to get better.I’m still here and Dwight’s created his circus and the circus is past and we’re moving on. I’m not too worried about it," Bogut said.
- A Sacramento lobbyist who assisted with the city's efforts to keep the Kings is upset that he is now left without a piece of the club, writes Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee.
Odds & Ends: Brooks, Evans, Wallace, Clippers
MarShon Brooks requested a trade from the Nets last spring, a source tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, and the team accomodated him, throwing him into the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett blockbuster in place of Reggie Evans, who was in an early version of the deal. The result pleased Evans and Garnett, who said the Nets' decision to keep their rebounder extraordinaire was even more important than landing free agent Andrei Kirilenko. There's still more fallout from that Nets-Celtics trade as training camps open around the Association:
- Gerald Wallace admits he was "in shock" when he found out Brooklyn traded him to the Celtics, but he's pleased to be in Boston and says he's OK with spending the twilight of his career on a team that isn't a title contender, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
- Brandon Davies, whose contract is partially guaranteed for $50K, and Lou Amundson, who's on a non-guaranteed deal, are the Clippers training camp invitees most likely to make the opening-night roster, a source tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).
- The Clippers announced a number of front office moves today, and added Brendan O'Conner to the coaching staff, notes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (on Sulia).
- Suns center Channing Frye missed all of 2012/13 with a heart ailment, but with training camp ushering in the final season of his contract, the sharpshooter has been medically cleared to play, as Matt Petersen of Suns.com details.
- Manu Ginobili wasn't sure the Spurs wanted him back when he hit free agency this summer, but a brief meeting with GM R.C. Buford convinced the veteran swingman that the team still values him highly, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
- John Salmons didn't enter the offseason expecting that he'd remain with the Kings, but he says team officials assured him over the summer that he's still in their plans, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee notes via Twitter.
Odds & Ends: Heat, Jazz, Bulls, NBPA, Collins
The potential expiring contracts for the Heat's Big Three will be a major topic of conversation throughout the 2013/14 season, but LeBron James and Dwyane Wade both downplayed the subject at Media Day in Miami today.
"You have concern when you feel people want to go elsewhere," Wade said, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). "I don't think nobody is looking to go elsewhere."
Here's more from around the NBA:
- Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey confirmed that the team is still in talks with Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward about possible rookie-scale extensions, tweets Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
- In talking to reporters, including Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, about why he decided to sign with the Bulls, Mike Dunleavy Jr. pointed to the team's "high character."
- Dahntay Jones is ready to compete in training camp for a spot on the Bulls' regular-season roster, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune details.
- Former Illinois guard Brandon Paul, who went undrafted in June, explains to Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside why he's heading overseas rather than to NBA training camp. According to Paul, he received and passed on camp invites from the Wolves, Nets, Blazers, and Heat.
- After previously having tackled ten of the best contracts of the offseason, Mark Deeks of HoopsWorld shifts his focus and identifies ten of the worst contracts, including the Bobcats' signing of Al Jefferson, and the Pistons' deal with Josh Smith.
- The NBA Players Association is aiming to have a new executive director in place by the 2014 All-Star break, sources tell Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
- ESPN.com's Marc Stein tweets that Jason Collins continues to work out "a ton" as he attempts to stay in shape in the hopes that an NBA team will show interest in signing him once the season gets underway.
- Evaluating the Kings' signing of DeMarcus Cousins to a max extension, Daniel Leroux of RealGM.com gives the team a grade of D+ and the player a grade of A.
Western Notes: Wolves, Mavs, Lakers, Cousins
As a number of NBA teams hold their annual fall Media Days, let's check in on a few items out of the Western Conference….
- With Chase Budinger expected to be sidelined with a knee injury for the near future, the Timberwolves are getting calls about potential replacements, says Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter). According to Wolfson, Josh Howard is one possibility, but the Wolves aren't making any moves for now.
- Mavericks GM Gersson Rosas sat down with Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com to talk about analytics, his transition from the Rockets, and the advantages of a one-to-one D-League affiliation. He admits that the Mavs must catch a few breaks to be successful this season, pointing to defense and rebounding as weaknesses (video links).
- According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni and executive Jeanie Buss are now on the same page, despite the fact that Buss had initially hoped to see Phil Jackson hired by the team.
- DeMarcus Cousins' contract extension with the Kings, which was officially announced today, is built on trust between Cousins and the team's new ownership group, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
Kings Sign Cousins To Four-Year Max Extension
MONDAY, 11:06am: The Kings have officially signed Cousins to a long-term extension, the team announced today in a press release.
FRIDAY, 12:06am: The Kings and DeMarcus Cousins have reached an agreement in principle on a new long-term deal for the big man, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. According to Jones, Cousins will sign a four-year extension with Sacramento worth the maximum salary. The new deal will keep the former fifth overall pick under contract through 2017/18.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter) pegs the total value of Cousins' new contract at about $62MM, though the exact amount won't be known until next July when the 2014/15 cap figures and maximum salaries are set. Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter) that the pact won't include an option on the fourth year, while Jones tweets that it was Cousins' preference to do four years rather than five.
By agreeing to a four-year extension with Cousins, rather than a five-year deal, the Kings will hold on to their designated player tag to potentially use on another player down the road. There are no real candidates at this point to become Sacramento's designated player, though perhaps if Ben McLemore's development goes as planned, the team will consider going to five years for him when he becomes extension-eligible.
Cousins, 23, is coming off a season in which ne nearly averaged a double-double, with 17.1 PPG and 9.9 RPG, to go along with a 20.2 PER. We had heard earlier in the week that he and the team were nearing an extension, with the potential for a deal to be finalized before camp got underway. With an agreement in place, it looks like the Kings will be in position to finalize and announce Cousins' new contract before the club plays its first preseason game.
Cousins' new contract will make him the fourth player this offseason to sign a rookie-scale extension, including the third to sign a max deal. John Wall and Paul George both agreed to five-year max extensions with their respective clubs, while Larry Sanders inked a four-year contract worth $44MM. As I noted when I examined extension-eligible players yesterday, plenty of situations are still up in the air, including Eric Bledsoe, Derrick Favors, and Gordon Hayward.
Kings Bringing Hamady N’Diaye To Camp
Hamady N'Diaye will join the Kings in training camp for the second straight season. He's one of 17 players listed on the team's camp roster, as Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee passes along. The 7-footer has seen minimal regular season action in the NBA, logging a total of 83 minutes over two seasons for the Wizards.
The Kings waived N'Diaye before the regular season last fall, and he agreed to a deal with Tianjin of China the same day. He averaged 11.0 points and 8.9 rebounds in 31 games with the Chinese club last season, parlaying that into a summer-league stint with the Mavericks this past July.
N'Diaye joins DeQuan Jones as Kings with non-guaranteed contracts. Trent Lockett, another camp hopeful, has a partial guarantee of $35K on his deal.
Pacific Rumors: Kuzmic, Seth Curry, Kings, Clips
The Clippers, Warriors and Lakers all made roster moves today, but by far the most significant story involving a Pacific Division team to break in the past 24 hours is the Kings' decision to give DeMarcus Cousins a four-year max extension. When I examined Cousins' extension candidacy, I predicted that he'd hit restricted free agency next summer. If he had, the Kings could have matched another team's four-year max offer sheet, one that came with raises of no better than 4.5% of the starting salary. Instead, Cousins will get 7.5% raises for signing with the Kings directly, a more expensive outcome for Sacramento. Here's more from the Pacific:
- Center Ognjen Kuzmic's deal with the Warriors is a two-year, minimum-salary arrangement, reports Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group.
- Seth Curry is confident that he'll make the Warriors opening night roster, and his faith that GM Bob Myers and company will give him a fair shot prompted him to turn down other offers to head to Golden State, as Antonio Gonzalez of The Associated Press examines. Of course, the presence of brother Stephen Curry also surely helped influence him to accept his partially guaranteed contract with the Warriors.
- California Gov. Jerry Brown today signed into law a bill designed to remove legal hurdles to a new Kings arena in Sacramento, explains Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com takes a stab at predicting the Clippers opening night roster and writes that Byron Mullens is the most likely candidate to emerge as the team's most unheralded signing from the summer.