Virgina Beach Arena Proposal Set For Today
As we heard last week, the Virginia Beach city council will hear a proposal today for a new, 18,000-seat arena that could be used to deliver a professional sports team to the city. The NBA's Sacramento Kings are rumored to be the franchise targeted by potential investors to lure to Virginia Beach. With the pitch scheduled for this afternoon, news is trickling in about the proposed arena, and we've got a round-up right here:
- Virginia governor Bob McDonnell supports the city's plan to bring a sports franchise to the city, but local officials are already expressing caution, writes Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. "If they're coming to tell us they're using their own money, I'm ecstatic," said Virginia Beach councilman John Moss. "But if they want free land or any other money, I'm not the least bit interested."
- Also within Lillis' piece, Virginia Beach councilman James Wood acknowledged that professional sports are probably something the local market is missing, but qualified that statement: "I think (the region) could support a pro sports team; I just don't know if it would make sense for us. These projects require a pretty healthy public subsidy, and I just don't know that Virginia Beach is ready to step up and do that."
- Even if city council gets behind the proposal, that hardly makes it a lock that the Kings would relocate to Virginia Beach, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. According to Kyler, the Kings have made no commitments or promises to any city, and are "actively listening" to several scenarios — this one just happens to be the latest.
- The Maloofs aren't helping their cause by refusing comment on the Virginia Beach rumors, writes Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
- Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty recaps all the known info about the potential threat of Virginia Beach to Sacramento.
Quick Hits: Kings, Kidd, Clippers, Musselman
While the Kings appeared to be Anaheim-bound last year, this offseason's relocation rumors indicate that they may be headed to Virginia Beach. Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld wonders why Seattle isn't next in line for an NBA franchise. Investor Chris Hansen has put together a plan with the city of Seattle to build a brand-new, $500MM area to house a team, but they can't break ground on the new facility until a team agrees to come. With all due respect to Virginia Beach, Brigham argues that they can't offer an arena ready to be built and a rabid fan base ready to support their team. Here's more from around the Association..
- New Knicks point guard Jason Kidd says that he hopes to be a facilitator for Amare Stoudemire in the mold of Steve Nash when the two played together in Phoenix, writes Jonah Ballow of KnicksNow.com. The Knicks signed Kidd to a three-year, $9.09MM deal after the point guard was seemingly on the verge of re-signing with the Mavericks.
- Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com (video link) examines how the Clippers might stack up against the new-look Lakers in a seven-game playoff series.
- Former Kings and Warriors coach Eric Musselman hopes to remain in charge of the Venezuelan team when the country hosts the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship, according to the FIBA newswire. Musselman's two-year contract expired after the team fell in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Latest Links On Kings, Virginia Beach
Yesterday, news surfaced that Virginia Beach may be trying to attract the NBA's Sacramento Kings, with an arena proposal on the slate for next Tuesday's city council meeting. Various reports suggested that it was premature to consider Virginia Beach a real possibility for the Kings, but it appears the city is one of many that could be in play for the franchise. A few more links on the subject have trickled in today, so let's round them up right here:
- Tony Bizjak and Sam Stanton of the Sacramento Bee provide a nice round-up of yesterday's rumors, which includes quotes from multiple members of the Sacramento city council. Councilman Jay Schenirer said he'd like the Maloofs to be more upfront about their intentions, while Rob Fong noted that "it seems pretty obvious that the Kings aren't that interested in staying in Sacramento."
- At Sactown Royalty, Tom Ziller argues that it would be pretty simple for the Maloofs to kill the Virginia Beach rumor, since the area is "nowhere near ready" for an NBA franchise.
- The Kings are exploring their options, but Virginia Beach is no further along than any other options being considered, sources tell Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
- Several team executives that spoke to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link) think the NBA will eventually consist of more small-market franchises, since it can be beneficial to be the "only show in town." Amico notes that it hasn't worked for Sacramento, but that Virginia Beach shouldn't be immediately ruled out.
Virginia Beach Trying To Attract Kings
2:52pm: According to a Comcast-Spectator statement, "No specific team from any league has been identified as the potential tenant," Bizjak tweets.
2:27pm: Kings co-owner Joe Maloof tells CBS13 in Sacramento that he and his brothers have not spoken with Virginia Beach, while a Comcast-Spectator spokesman said the company would not comment until it is at the Virginia Beach city council meeting Tuesday. No representative from the Kings will be at that meeting, Bizjak tweets.
1:40pm: A source tells Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee that an arena will be part of discussions at Tuesday's city council meeting in Virginia Beach, but there's no word whether the Kings will part of that discussion. A Kings official would not confirm talks with Virginia Beach or other cities (Twitter links). The NBA says it's gotten no information from the Kings about Virginia Beach and the team has not applied for relocation, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
1:03pm: No announcement about a move is planned for next week, Sam Amick of SI.com hears (Sulia link).
12:49pm: A source tells Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee the Kings are not moving to Virginia, so it seems the area still has some work to do before any plans are made official. (Twitter link).
12:35pm: The Kings have been mentioned as a possible tenant for a proposed new arena in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a source tells Aaron Applegate of The Virginian-Pilot. A group of sports and entertainment companies has approached the city of Virginia Beach about forming a partnership to build an 18,000-seat arena. One of those companies, Comcast-Spectator, has guaranteed mayor Will Sessoms that it will deliver a professional sports team to the arena if it is built.
A report by Philip Newswanger and Bill Cresenzo of Inside Business, a business journal covering the Virginia coast, reports that Kings owners will be in town along with Comcast-Spectator officials for a presentation in front of city council Tuesday night, with an announcement that the team will move to Virginia Beach slated for Wednesday. It appears as though any such move would be contingent on the arena getting approval from city officials, however. A source tells Applegate that arena talks are still "very preliminary," and said assistance from the state would likely be necessary to finalize any deal.
Kings co-owner George Maloof Jr. wouldn't directly address the Virginia Beach proposal in his comments to Inside Business, saying last week that, “We have been approached by several cities over several years about moving the Kings and we will not comment other than that.”
Philadelphia-based Comcast-Spectator owns the Wells Fargo Center, the home of the Sixers. The company also owns the NHL's Flyers.
The Virginia Beach area was also considered by the Hornets back in 2001 before they moved to New Orleans. The Hornets decided against moving to Virginia because there was no suitable place to play during the two years it would have taken to construct a new building, as Applegate writes.
Thunder Interested In Jimmer Fredette
There have been rumblings this summer that the Kings could explore trading Jimmer Fredette and that Jimmer might be open to being moved. If Sacramento does entertain offers, the Thunder figure to be one team that will kick the tires. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link), Oklahoma City "would love to pry Fredette away" from the Kings. Amico adds that Kevin Durant is a big fan of Jimmer.
Previous reports on Jimmer's potential availability alluded to the player's desire for a larger role and more playing time, and it's not clear whether he would receive those opportunities for the Thunder. It's also unlikely that the Kings would consider trading last year's lottery pick for cents on the dollar after one poor season, so I doubt we'll see a trade anytime soon.
As for the Thunder, Amico says their interest in Fredette would be as a replacement for Derek Fisher. With Eric Maynor expected back to start the season though, that's probably not a real area of concern for Oklahoma City at this point.
Free Agent Spending By Division: Pacific
After covering 2012's free agent expenditures in the Atlantic, Central and Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest divisions, we're round up our league-wide look at summer spending today. Using Hoops Rumors' Free Agent Tracker, let's head out west and examine the Pacific Division, where the biggest free agent contract signed this offseason might come as a surprise.
Once again, these figures only take into account free agent signings, so salary absorbed in trades or money used to sign draft picks isn't included in this list. Additionally, not all of this salary is necessarily guaranteed, which we'll try to note as we go along. Here are this summer's Pacific Division free agent costs, sorted by player salary:
Phoenix Suns: $57.999MM (Michael Beasley, Shannon Brown, Goran Dragic, Jermaine O'Neal, P.J. Tucker)
After missing out on Steve Nash, the Suns had money to spend, allowing them to sign Beasley and Dragic to big, multiyear deals while adding a handful of complementary players as well. Even after signing these free agents, trading for Wesley Johnson, and claiming Luis Scola off amnesty waivers, the Suns still have about $7MM in cap room, making them a candidate to take on salary later in the season.
Los Angeles Lakers: $41.236MM (Devin Ebanks, Jordan Hill, Antawn Jamison, Jodie Meeks, Darius Morris, Steve Nash)
How does a team that came into the season well over the tax threshold manage to make the biggest splash of the summer? The Lakers were able to re-sign some of their own free agents (Ebanks, Hill, Morris), get a couple veterans (Jamison, Meeks) to accept discounts, and land Nash using their $8.9MM trade exception. And, of course, the club's biggest move, acquiring Dwight Howard came outside of free agency, by parting ways with Andrew Bynum.
Sacramento Kings: $36.788MM (Aaron Brooks, Jason Thompson)
The Pacific's largest contract this summer wasn't inked by Nash, Dragic, or any Clipper or Warrior — it was signed by Thompson, whose five-year deal will pay him $30,187,500 if he's not released before the end of it (the fifth year is only partially guaranteed). While I'm not in love with that deal for the Kings, I do like their signing of Brooks, whose two-year, $6.6MM pact has a player option in year two.
Los Angeles Clippers: $35.936MM (Chauncey Billups, Jamal Crawford, Willie Green, Grant Hill, Ryan Hollins, Ronny Turiaf)
Tackling free agency without a general manger certainly isn't an ideal situation, and for the Clippers, it delivered mixed results. Green and Hill should be nice bench additions at affordable prices, but four years for Crawford seems ill-advised, even if the last two years are only guaranteed for $1.5MM each.
Golden State Warriors: $17.262MM (Kent Bazemore, Carl Landry, Brandon Rush)
After being linked to a number of free agents for most of July, the Warriors landed Landry and Rush nearly at the same time, and for the exact same price — two years and $8MM each, with 2013/14 player options on both deals. If both players opt out and Bazemore fails to stick with the Warriors for this year and next, Golden State will only end up paying about half of this $17.262MM figure.
Odds & Ends: Atkinson, Spurs, Macklin, Amundson
Knicks assistant coach Kenny Atkinson will be leaving New York and taking the same position with the Hawks, according to ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley. Atkinson was a crucial cog in the development of Jeremy Lin. Here's more of what we're hearing from around the Association:
- With a report being released tonight that Spurs assistant general manager Dennis Lindsey might be heading to the Jazz to become their new general manager, Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News writes that other teams are gutting San Antonio's front office.
- Vernon Macklin's agent has informed Hoopshype.com that his client is currently drawing interest from the Nets, Suns, Bucks, Wizards, and Lakers. Macklin spent last season in Detroit, and is also drawing interest overseas, in Turkey and Greece.
- Free agent power forward Louis Amundson is in discussions with a number of teams, but has yet to make up his mind, Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com reports, adding that he's likely to sign for a team's mini mid-level exception (Twitter link). It's not clear whether Zwerling means the taxpayer's mini mid-level of $3.09MM or the room exception, a mini-midlevel of $2.575MM available to teams under the cap. However, the list of remaining mid-level exceptions that Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors put together Friday provides a hint. Only the Lakers have all of the taxpayer's mini mid-level available, and they're looking for backcourt help, meaning that if Amundson goes for a mini mid-level, it's likely to be the room exception currently held in full by nine teams.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel ponders the merits of Dexter Pittman, 45th overall pick Justin Hamilton and free agent Mickell Gladness as reserve center options for the Heat. As Winderman points out, Pittman will almost assuredly be on the team, since his minimum-salary contract is guaranteed.
- The Jazz starting lineup isn't set in stone, and Jody Genessy of the Deseret News handicaps the team's positional battles.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com catches up with recent Bulls signee Nazr Mohammed, a Chicago native who says he always dreamed for playing for his hometown team.
Kings Extend Keith Smart’s Contract
The Kings have extended Keith Smart's contract through the 2013/14 season, according to an announcement by the team. After replacing a fired Paul Westphal early in the 2011/12 season, Smart coached Sacramento to a 20-39 record the rest of the year.
Smart's contract was scheduled to expire after the 2012/13 season. After previously experiencing head coaching stints with the Warriors and Cavaliers, the Kings are the third organization where Smart has spent time as a head coach.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Jenkins, McGuire, Kings
With the most active weeks of the 2012 free agent period behind us, it's never too early to start looking ahead to 2013 free agency. Stephen Brotherson does just that today, ranking the best of the 2013 free agent class in a piece for HoopsWorld. There's a heavy Los Angeles presence at the top of his list, with Andrew Bynum coming in third, Chris Paul in second, and Lakers' trade target Dwight Howard in the top spot. I examined Bynum as a potential extension candidate earlier today, but here are a few other Tuesday notes on L.A.'s rivals in the Pacific Division:
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com notes that Charles Jenkins' contract with the Warriors becomes guaranteed if he's not waived by tomorrow. Despite the team's proximity to the tax threshold after agreeing to sign Carl Landry and Brandon Rush, Golden State will almost certainly be keeping Jenkins, according to GM Bob Myers. At this point, only about $200K of his 2012/13 salary is guaranteed, but as of tomorrow he'll be in line for his full $762,195 salary.
- Meanwhile, given their recent signings, the Warriors appear very unlikely to re-sign Dominic McGuire. According to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter), McGuire would like to return, but the Warriors think they can get similar production out of Draymond Green.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examines what the future holds for the Kings, pointing out that there's no guarantee where the team will play starting in 2013/14. Kyler says to keep an eye on Seattle, which is making progress toward building a new arena.
Kyler On Evans, Fredette, Iguodala, Calderon
While Dwight Howard is still the league's most prominent trade candidate, as he has been since Chris Paul was dealt to the Clippers, there are a number of other players that could potentially be on the move in the coming months. In his latest NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler provides updates on a few of those players. Here are the highlights:
- While the Kings were entertaining trades offers for Tyreke Evans around the time of the draft, they've since cooled on the idea of dealing him, according to Kyler. Still, Sacramento may decide to pass on a long-term extension for the 22-year-old. Kyler hears that both Evans and teammate Jimmer Fredette could be open to being moved.
- It's "highly unlikely" that the Sixers will trade Andre Iguodala before the season begins. Sources tell Kyler that any move involving Iguodala is probably something that would happen down the road.
- Kyler hears that Jose Calderon wasn't all that happy with the way the Raptors pursued Steve Nash and Kyle Lowry this offseason, and that Toronto is willing to accomodate a trade. There's not much of a market for Calderon at this point, but the Raps believe they could land an asset for him before the trade deadline.