Mark Friedman Joins Sacramento Bid For Kings
If the Sacramento investment group angling to buy the Kings is successful, business magnate Ron Burkle will no longer be a part of team ownership, but the group added another big name today. Sacramento developer Mark Friedman has joined the bid for the Kings, according to Dale Kasler and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee.
Friedman will be a part of the bid to buy the Kings and build a new arena, as well as participating in the non-arena development that has been proposed for the Downtown Plaza site. He indicated to the Bee that he has been considering joining the bid for some time, having talked to lead investors Mark Mastrov and Vivek Ranadive over the last "couple of months." While Friedman didn't specify how much he's investing in the project, he said his commitment would be "substantial."
We shared a few more of the latest updates on the Kings saga earlier today.
Sacramento/Seattle Updates: Tuesday
We're a little over a week away from this year's NBA's Board of Governors meetings, which will be crucial for the future of basketball in both Sacramento and Seattle, as the league's owners consider whether or not to approve the sale of the Kings to Chris Hansen's Seattle group. As a final decision continues to inch closer, let's check in on the latest developments in the saga:
- The removal of Ron Burkle from the potential Sacramento ownership group isn't viewed as a major factor, since his proposed contribution to the team and arena was relatively small, says Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com (Twitter link). Burkle's contribution and participation have "barely changed," according to Bruski (Twitter link).
- Even in a smaller role, Burkle is considered a vital participant in the development around the proposed arena, according to Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee.
- With Burkle taking a back seat, the Jacobs family's proposed stake in the team figures to increase. But since the NBA is confident that any of the potential investors could carry the bid on their own, shifting smaller amounts from one to another isn't a concern, says Bruski (Twitter links).
- Although it's not expected to be the deciding factor in the NBA's decision, Vivek Ranadive's presence in the Sacramento group, and his potential make an impact in India, makes him a "game-changer," one source tells Bruski (Twitter link).
- Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee has more on Ranadive and the NBA's interest in India.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com takes a look at how, in the future, the league can avoid another situation that pits two cities against one another in direct competition for an NBA franchise.
Ron Burkle Won’t Be Part Of Kings’ Ownership
5:36pm: Per NBA.com's David Aldridge, Burkle will not be directly linked with the building of a downtown arena for the Kings, but rather will only be involved in the economic development of the surrounding area. Aldridge adds that the "conflict" over Burkle's small stake came up at last week's meeting in New York City. Despite Burkle's stake being minimal, this development will increase the chances of a successful sale to the Sacramento group if the league rejects the Seattle bid because the Maloof's were uninterested in selling to Burkle "in any form." Aldridge speculates that Jacobs could step in and fill the void left by Burkle's departure from the group. (Aldridge Twitter links here)
Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reminds us, via Twitter, that Burkle cannot be involved with the Kings for the same reason that Jay-Z would have to divest his ownership stake in the Nets if his newly formed agency began to represent NBA players. Here is the statement from the NBA, courtesy of Sports Business Journal's Liz Mullen on Twitter:
"Ron Burkle is no longer part of the Sacramento group because his ownership interest in Relativity Media which has a division that represents NBA players – would violate NBA rules."
3:44pm: Ron Burkle, one of the investors in the Sacramento group trying to keep the Kings in the city, won't take an ownership stake in the franchise if Sacramento keeps the team, according to Dale Kasler and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. Due to a conflict of interest, Burkle will instead focus exclusively on building a downtown arena for the team.
A source tells Kasler and Lillis that NBA officials expressed concern about a potential conflict of interest for Burkle last week, since he is a part-owner of Relativity Sports. Relativity, the home of prominent NBA agents Dan Fegan and Happy Walters, represents Dwight Howard, Amare Stoudemire, and John Wall, among other NBA stars.
With Burkle removed from the ownership picture, Mark Mastrov, Vivek Ranadive, and the Jacobs family (led by Paul Jacobs) will head the group. According to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), the development doesn't hurt Sacramento's pitch to the NBA; in fact, it could be a positive sign for Sacramento that the league went to "great lengths" to resolve the potential conflict.
Kings Rumors: Robinson, Arena, Ranadive
The Kings have the league's seventh-worst record, but they've been one of the most newsworthy teams all year, thanks to the uncertainty surrounding where they'll play next season. They also participated in perhaps the most significant trade at the deadline, sending 2012 fifth overall pick Thomas Robinson to the Rockets. There's more news on both fronts, as we detail here:
- Robinson says the trade shocked him, but added that he doesn't hold it against the Kings, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee documents. "I don't have any regrets," he said. "I'm glad the Kings gave me a chance and drafted me. They put me in the league." That's in contrast to what he told Maurice Bobb of SLAM shortly after the deal, when he said he felt "somewhere between" happy and disrespected. Robinson could be on the move again, as he's rumored as potential trade fodder if the Rockets want to clear space for Dwight Howard.
- Sacramento County officials deny they've agreed to kick in $600K annually to help fund a new $448MM arena for the Kings, according to Tony Bizjak, Ryan Lillis and Dale Kasler of The Bee. A report circulated by the city of Sacramento stated that the county had agreed to the funding, but representatives from both the city and county say the matter isn't a significant hurdle to the arena plan.
- David Stern's trip to India this weekend had been scheduled long in advance and isn't related to India native Vivek Ranadive's recent emergence as the lead investor of Sacramento's bid to keep the Kings. Still, the connection can't hurt the city's chances in its duel with Seattle, The Bee's Ailene Voisin opines.
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe believes the most significant takeaway from this week's owners meeting on the future of the Kings was that Sacramento proved its bidders have the financial wherewithal to match Seattle's effort.
Pacific Rumors: Lakers, D’Antoni, Kings, Marshall
The Lakers held on to their half-game lead for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference with a two-point win against the Grizzlies last night, and if L.A. makes the postseason, they could get some reinforcements. Coach Mike D'Antoni revealed that Metta World Peace could be back by the end of the month, knocking two weeks off the original six-week timetable for his recovery from a left knee injury, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Jordan Hill tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News he's seeking medical clearance to return at about the same time, though D'Antoni is skeptical about that. Either way, there's reason for optimism in a season that's left Lakers fans with little of it. Here's more on the purple and gold and other news from the Pacific:
- Most signs, including the three years left on D'Antoni's contract, point to him returning to coach the Lakers next season in spite of the team's disappointing play, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein also suggests that while Dwight Howard may have sway over D'Antoni's future if the big man threatens to sign elsewhere, Howard won't have nearly the clout that fellow soon-to-be free agent Chris Paul will wield on the Clippers' coaching situation.
- Regardless of who's in charge of the Kings next season, the "leaguewide presumption" is that neither GM Geoff Petrie nor coach Keith Smart will return, Stein adds in the same piece.
- Kendall Marshall wasn't among the 10 players I mentioned yesterday when I examined 2012 first-round picks who've seen limited action this season, but his 568 total minutes would make him the 11th player on the list. He's been seeing more action of late with the Suns, and Marshall tells Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic that he's finally starting to feel comfortable.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Tyreke Evans
Blake Griffin and Stephen Curry are the only players from the 2009 draft who've averaged more points per game during their careers than Tyreke Evans has. Yet while Griffin received a five-year maximum-salary extension and Curry got four years and $44MM, Evans wasn't one of the eight players cashing in on the more than $400MM that teams handed out in rookie-scale extensions this past offseason. Now he'll try to make his money as a restricted free agent this summer, hoping teams will look past his declining numbers and history of losing with the Kings.
An early season report suggested the Kings would trade Evans if they didn't think they could re-sign him, and despite interest from other teams, Evans remains in Sacramento. That might have more to do with apparent restrictions placed on the Sacramento's front office as a part of the team's pending sale than the thought that Evans might return to the Kings. The 23-year-old indicated in January that he wouldn't mind being traded, so it seems he's at least entertained the idea of playing for another team.
The Grizzlies inquired about the possibility of an Evans trade prior to the Rudy Gay deal, according to Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee, who added that the Lakers and Nuggets have had interest in the past. The Celtics made an ill-fated deadline-day run at trading for Evans. Unless Andre Iguodala exercises his early-termination option to get out of his contract with the Nuggets, none of those teams are set to have significant cap room this summer, so they appear to be unlikely destinations. When Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors looked at Evans' trade candidacy this season, he speculated that the Mavericks and Suns could become suitors, but the 6'6" guard would probably be far down the list of priorities for both teams, and especially for the Mavs.
Evans' scoring, rebounding and assists per game averages have declined each season since he won Rookie of the Year in 2010. Those numbers have fallen with commensurate decreases in minutes, however, and his per-36-minute averages have been fairly consistent the past three seasons. More telling is his PER, which is at 18.4 this season, exceeding his previous career high of 18.2 as a rookie. Indeed, Evans is having his best year as the advanced metrics tell it, setting new high marks in win shares per 48 minutes, true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentage. The latter two statistics are helped by his improved three-point shooting. Evans is making a third of his treys this season, and though that doesn't necessarily make him a proficient long-range threat, it's a vast improvement on his nightmarish 20.2% clip from beyond the arc last season.
Still, I think teams will be wary of overpaying a player that the woeful Kings have given less playing time in each successive year. Evans' dwindling minutes, at 31.8 per game this season, may speak as much to the problems in Sacramento as anything else, but they're a red flag nonetheless. The Kings have also moved him around, using him as a point guard and a small forward, but he seems best suited as a shooting guard, and perhaps playing out of position has held him back.
In any case, I don't think it's a slam dunk that Sacramento will tender the $6,927,157 qualifying offer required for them to be able to match offers for him this summer, so Evans might hit the unrestricted market. That could be a blessing in disguise for him, since other teams wouldn't have to worry about the Kings snatching him away, but it may also be a curse, since teams would know they needn't overinflate their offers in hopes that the Kings don't match.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Arn Tellem, Evans' agent, issue a decree that his client won't sign for the mid-level exception, which will have a starting salary of $5.15MM next season, but the mid-level may be their best option. That would allow Evans to sign with a contending team that could nurture his development and help him continue to improve his outside shooting touch in ways the Kings perhaps couldn't. That might set him up to make much more on his next deal, so if Tellem negotiates a player option at the back end of a mid-level contract that would allow Evans to hit the market again while he's relatively young, that sounds ideal for both player and team.
Pacific Rumors: Lakers, Kings, Clippers
If the Lakers fail to make the playoffs, they'll have no one but themselves to blame, opines Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. They sit a half-game up on the Jazz for eighth place in the Western Conference heading into tonight's action, with Utah playing host to the Hornets while the Lakers face a much tougher opponent in the Grizzlies. It's the same position both clubs found themselves in yesterday, when we asked Hoops Rumors readers which of the teams fighting for the last playoff spot would make it. A strong majority favored L.A. over Utah and the fading Mavericks. As the Lakers, through all their struggles, continue to deal with expectations, here's more from around the Pacific Division:
- Michael Lee of the Washington Post summarizes the state of affairs in the tug of war over the Kings, and lays out the case for both Sacramento and Seattle.
- Legal analyst Michael McCann believes there's little grounds for a threatened referendum on Sacramento's public funding plan for a new arena, tweets Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com. The city would raise money for its contribution to the building through the lease of parking garages and land.
- Blake Griffin doesn't put much stock in a recent column by T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times suggesting immaturity is causing problems for the Clippers, and downplays the idea of chemistry problems on the team. Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com has the details.
Odds & Ends: Wizards, Pistons, Greene, Kings
As we prepare for a busy 12-game evening slate, let's check out a few Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association:
- The Wizards have discussed adding a player from the D-League in the wake of Bradley Beal's season-ending injury, but head coach Randy Wittman tells J. Michael of CSNWashington.com that a signing is unlikely (Twitter link).
- If Kevin Martin wants to remain with the Thunder next season, he'll likely have to accept a significant pay cut, says John Rohde of the Oklahoman in a chat. Rohde estimates that Martin would get no more than $7MM annually from the Thunder, who will be aiming to avoid the luxury tax.
- The Pistons have a pair of solid building blocks in Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe, but the moves Joe Dumars makes this summer will have a significant impact on the direction of the club, writes Paul Flannery of SBNation.com.
- Donte Greene, who was set to sign with the Nets last summer before fracturing his ankle, will join Puerto Rico's Brujos de Guayama, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com has an interesting profile on Celtics guard Terrence Williams, who says he understands he still needs to display consistency in the NBA. Williams' deal with the C's includes a non-guaranteed team option for 2013/14.
- The final stretch of the Kings saga may come down to whether Sacramento or Seattle has the better arena plan, according to Tony Bizjak, Dale Kasler, and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee.
Western Notes: Allen, Kings, Gasol, Warriors
A few notes from around the league's Western Conference.
- Grizzlies guard Tony Allen is focused on his team's upcoming playoff run, not the fact that he's an unrestricted free agent this summer, writes the Memphis Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery.
- The Sacramento Bee's Ailene Voisin gives the latest on the Kings situation.
- Pau Gasol has had an injury plagued season, but he appears to finally be getting on the right track with Dwight Howard and his coach, Mike D'Antoni, writes Los Angeles Times reporter Eric Pincus.
- MercuryNews.com's Marcus Thompson II writes that the Warriors' recent success can be attributed to their improved defense.
Pacific Notes: Howard, World Peace, Kings, Clips
Earlier today, the Clippers signed DaJuan Summers for the season, and we passed along word that Grant Hill is likely to retire at season's end. Here are a few more Thursday items from out of the Pacific Division:
- Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) expects Dwight Howard to re-sign with the Lakers, but notes that there are other potentially attractive destinations in play. Broussard breaks down the pros and cons of three likely Howard suitors, the Hawks, Rockets, and Mavericks.
- Metta World Peace's rehab from knee surgery is off to a good start, though his future is still uncertain, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- As Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explains, when the NBA Board of Governors votes on the future of the Kings, the decision won't necessarily come down to Seattle vs. Sacramento, since the Board can't force the Maloofs to sell to the Sacramento group. The Board of Governors will simply be voting on whether or not to approve the sale to the Seattle group, so if the sale is to be declined, there will need to be real cause.
- In his latest column for the Los Angeles Times, T.J. Simers argues that the immaturity of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan is dragging the Clippers down, and says Jordan "blames [head coach Vinny] Del Negro for burying him on the bench."