Odds & Ends: Williams, Miller, Gordon, D-League
Wednesday afternoon links from around the Association:
- Terrence Williams reiterated a desire to re-sign with the Kings this offseason, telling Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld that coach Keith Smart is a major reason he's interested in staying in Sacramento.
- According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, Andre Miller has yet to give any serious thought to retirement: "I want to keep playing until my legs don’t work anymore," said the Nuggets point guard.
- Eric Gordon won't be the cornerstone of the Hornets' rebuilding efforts, but he'll be a key building block, writes Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com lists the best executives available for teams searching for new management this summer.
- Justin Dentmon (MVP) and Greg Smith (Rookie of the Year) highlight Scott Schroeder's picks for the D-League's award winners at Ridiculous Upside. Both players are currently on NBA rosters — Dentmon with the Raptors, and Smith with the Rockets.
Maloofs Want To Renegotiate Kings Arena Deal
The Sacramento arena deal will be a major subject of discussion at this week's NBA Board of Governors meetings. The Kings' owners, the Maloof brothers, intend to ask their fellow owners for support in forcing the city of Sacramento to negotiate a better arena deal, according to a Sacramento Bee report.
The Maloofs, the city of Sacramento, and the NBA worked out a tentative deal to keep the Kings in Sacramento long-term, but the team's owners have denied agreeing to certain aspects of the deal. While not all of the team's concerns have been made public, one point of contention is the $3.26MM the Kings are required to pay in pre-development fees. The Maloofs deny agreeing to that cost, and so far commissioner David Stern and the NBA have contributed the team's portion.
It's unclear whether or not Stern will be willing to reopen negotiations, though one former NBA executive believes the commissioner is more likely to side with the city. Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson and city officials won't attend the Board of Governors meetings in New York, since they don't feel further negotiation is required.
"We've done everything we were asked to by the NBA," said Assistant City Manager John Dangberg. "We are hopeful the NBA and the team can … bring back a solution."
Besides the pre-development costs, some other sticking points for the team, according to the Bee, are concerns about parking issues, a lack of decision-making authority, and issues with the proposed lease terms and revenue streams.
Latest On Sacramento Arena Plan
The latest links surrounding the proposed arena deal to keep the Kings in Sacramento:
Franchise Notes: Kings, Warriors, Seattle
With a full slate of NBA action about to get underway, let's first head to the Pacific Division where arena-related news is being made all the way from Oakland to Seattle.
- More financial problems continue to plague to the development of the Sacramento arena, reports Ryan Lillis of The Sacramento Bee. With the Kings refusing to pay any pre-development costs, the Sacramento City Council voted in favor of using $200,000 from the NBA to provide funding for two weeks of worth of initial site work. The Maloof family, the owners of the Kings, contend that they never agreed to provide a monetary contribution toward the pre-development costs of the arena.
- J.Michael Falgoust of USA TODAY wonders if Sacramento is in danger of losing the Kings as a result of the Maloof family's stubbornness toward the pre-development costs associated with the construction of the arena. The NBA will meet with both sides next week with hopes of resolving the issue. Falgoust believes the arena project will lose any chance of being completed if the dispute cannot be settled.
- The Warriors are planning to relocate their D-League affiliate, the Dakota Wizards, to Santa Cruz, California in time for next season, reports Lou Babiarz of the Bismarck Tribune. The move will allow for an hour and a half drive rather than having to fly from Oakland to Bismarck.
- While MLB's Mariners are in favor of basketball returning to Seattle, they are strongly against the construction of an arena near Safeco Field, writes Lynn Thompson of The Seattle Times. The team fears adding another sports franchise to the Sodo neighborhood will bring myriad parking and scheduling issues that may potentially cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars to circumvent.
Pacific Notes: Williams, Kings Arena, Barnes
The Lakers will host the Nets at the Staples Center tonight, but if you're a Los Angeles basketball fan, you can be forgiven for looking ahead to tomorrow night's matchup. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers square off against Chris Paul and the Clippers in a game that will directly impact the top of the Pacific Division standings. The Lakers currently hold a one-game lead over the Clips, but that could change quickly, with just over three weeks left in the regular season.
Here are a few Tuesday afternoon updates out of the Pacific:
- If he's facing a reduced role with the Clippers heading into next season, Mo Williams could decline his player option and look for a new contract elsewhere, according to Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. While Williams has conveyed a desire for long-term financial security in the past, I have a hard time believing he'd give up a guaranteed $8.5MM for next season.
- Sacramento City Council faces another vote on the Kings' new arena proposal tonight, as Ryan Lillis and Tony Bizjak explain in an informative piece for the Sacramento Bee. Meanwhile, one group in Sacramento is planning a petition drive to stop the city from financially supporting the arena without voter approval, says Bizjak in a separate article.
- Matt Barnes appeared on 710 ESPN in Los Angeles to discuss the Lakers' bench and coach Mike Brown's rotation, among other topics, as Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes.
Williams Interested In Re-Signing With Kings
Since being drafted 11th overall by New Jersey in 2009, Terrence Williams has played for three different teams. Williams was traded to the Rockets by the Nets in 2011, then signed with the Kings this March after being waived by Houston. While the Louisville product has yet to find a permanent NBA home, his stint in Sacramento is off to a promising start.
Williams, coming off a Kings win in which he scored 12 points and grabbed 12 boards (his best rebounding game since 2009/10), told Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee he'd love to stay in Sacramento. The Kings signed the third-year swingman for the rest of this season, but Williams would listen if the team had interest in keeping him around longer than that.
"I'm a free agent July 1st," Williams said. "I'll take any calls from Sacramento. Hopefully we'll get something to work out. I love it here and I love playing here and I think I fit in well."
Having fallen well out of playoff contention, the Kings figure to give Williams plenty of minutes over the season's final few weeks to determine whether or not he's part of the team's future. For his part, Williams said he'd be open to either a one-year or multiyear deal. The Kings have about $42.5MM in guaranteed money committed to salaries for 2012/13, but have three restricted free agents they'll need to decide on, in Williams, Jason Thompson, and Donte Greene.
Pacific Notes: Cousins, Warriors, Brooks
The Pacific Division's top two teams are both in action at Staples Center today, and if the first-place Lakers get upset by the Hornets the afternoon and the Clippers beat the Jazz tonight, there will be a tie atop the division. Here's the rest of the news from the West Coast:
- The Kings picked up DeMarcus Cousins' $3.88MM option for 2012/13 this past offseason, and the investment looks smarter as the center matures and develops, writes Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com criticizes the Warriors' approach to the season, reasoning that the caliber of player the team is likely to get in the draft probably won't be enough to make Golden State a contender.
- Suns GM Lance Blanks blogged about his trip to China to see Aaron Brooks for Suns.com. Blanks' comment that Brooks is "eager to get back home to the States, see his family and begin his off season training to prepare himself for a return to NBA" seems to indicate that the point guard will not play in the league this season, and instead test restricted free agency this summer. The Suns hold the right to match any offer Brooks gets.
- The Clippers have started winning again, but the heat is still on coach Vinny Del Negro, writes Sam Amick of SI.com. Amick says Del Negro has been told to heighten the team's offensive pace, get them to play more aggressive defense, and regard stars and role players with the same level of scrutiny.
- The Kings, who've signed Terrence Williams for the rest of the season, have quickly come to trust him in the 10 days he's spent with the team, giving the former 11th overall pick key fourth-quarter minutes, notes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
Kings Sign Terrence Williams For Season
2:14pm: The team has confirmed the move, Jones tweets.
8:13am: Terrence Williams says he has already signed the paperwork to stay with the Kings the rest of the season, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Williams, 24, inked a ten-day contract with Sacramento on March 21.
The former 11th overall pick in the 2009 draft languished on the Rockets' bench this season and saw time in just twelve contests. Houston shopped Williams heavily in early March but wound up waiving him on March 16th. For his career, Williams has averaged 7.4 PPG and 3.8 RPG.
Latest On Sacramento Arena Deal
The Kings' arena deal appeared to hit a roadblock yesterday, with Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times reporting that Kings owners Joe, Gavin, and George Maloof were disputing that a firm agreement on the arena was in place. The Kings owners felt they shouldn't be responsible for contributing to the arena's pre-development fees, and their concerns resulted in a Maloof spokesman releasing a statement.
"If an arena project cannot be completed by the timeline set by the city," spokesman Eric Rose said. "Then the Kings would be forced to explore all of their options."
NBA commissioner David Stern moved quickly to resolve the issue, telling the Sacramento Bee that the league would step in to advance the initial pre-development payments. While the Kings' full share of those fees is expected to total about $3.26MM, the initial payment is reportedly worth around $200K. According to Stern, the issue of who will pick up the remaining tab will be discussed further at the league's Board of Governors meeting in April.
Over at Sactown Royalty, Tom Ziller has an excellent breakdown of the situation, noting that the $3.2MM+ the Kings owe in pre-development fees is "chump change" for the NBA, but that it would set a terrible precedent for the league to cover the Maloofs' share.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Kings Arena, Sessions
With only four games on Thursday night's schedule, one particular matchup stands out as a potential preview of things to come during the playoffs. The Lakers take on the Thunder at the Staples Center in a battle between a particularly strong road team and a squad that does an excellent job of defending their homecourt. Let's take a look around the Pacific Division to catch up on the latest news and happenings.
- The Warriors are in an unenviable position where finishing out the season on a strong note would cost the team a draft pick, writes Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News. Currently the ninth-worst team in the league, the Warriors would have to forfeit their lottery pick to the Jazz as compensation for a trade made in 2009 if they fail to finish the season as one of the seven worst teams by record. The Warriors received Marcus Williams, now playing in China, from the Nets with hopes of him developing into a replacement for Baron Davis.
- Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee says the construction of the Sacramento arena can take a step in the right direction come Tuesday when the Sacramento City Council votes on appropriating $6.5MM toward arena pre-development.
- John Hollinger of ESPN.com (Insider link) looks at how the addition of Ramon Sessions to the Lakers has stabilized the team's backcourt, but raises concern over the team's heavy reliance on players such as Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol with regard to their usage. Hollinger raises the point that Sessions arrival in Los Angeles has merely kept the Lakers from imploding due to the fact that the rest of the key players are exhausted from being completely overworked.