Sacramento Kings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings Notes: Murray, Coaches, Staff Changes, DeRozan

September 29th, 2025 at 8:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Kings forward Keegan Murray has two primary goals this season: making at least 40% of his three-point tries and being in the running for the Most Improved Player award, per Matt George of ABC 10 Sacramento (Twitter link).

The 6’8″ pro started all 76 of his games with Sacramento last year, but failed to improve upon his career-best scoring output of 15.2 PPG from 2023/24. In ’24/25, Murray averaged 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals per game, with a shooting line of .444/.343/.833. Murray has connected on over 40% of his threes once, nailing 41.1% of 6.3 attempts per night as a rookie in 2022/23. He’s a career 37.2% shooter from distance.

Murray is eligible for an extension of his rookie-scale contract until October 20. He said on Monday that he isn’t worried about those negotiations and is deferring to his agent.

There’s more out of Sacramento:

After taking over as the Kings’ interim head coach last season, Doug Christie has now built out his supporting staff with several new faces. According to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), Christie said on Monday that assistant coach Mike Miller will handle the club’s offense and Bobby Jackson will be entrusted to command Sacramento’s defense.
The Kings have announced several new basketball operations staff updates in a press statement. As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype observes (via Twitter), Sacramento has added multiple former Knicks staffers who previously worked with Kings general manager Scott Perry in New York. That group includes new director of pro player personnel Fred Cofield, new director of college scouting John Halas, and new vice president of data science and planning Tom Perry.
Veteran Kings forward DeMar DeRozan acknowledged that the club’s chaotic 2024/25 — which saw a coaching regime transition and trades involving several rotation players, including All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox — was difficult to handle for Sacramento players, per KCRA 3 Northern California (Twitter video link). “Just being honest with you, there was just a lot of s–t that was going on that, you know, internally we tried to fight through as players,” DeRozan said. “So I think this time around you’ll see a much different team.” DeRozan, 36, is embarking on the second season of a three-year, $73.9MM deal. He submitted a fairly steady performance during his inaugural Kings season, averaging 22.2 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 77 games on .477/.328/.857 shooting splits.

Kings Waive Jameer Nelson Jr., Jaylin Williams

September 28th, 2025 at 9:28pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Kings have waived Jameer Nelson Jr. and Jaylin Williams, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

Both Nelson and Williams split much of last season between the G League and the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Nelson appeared in 23 games for the Calgary Surge and averaged 20.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game while making 35.5% of his three-point attempts, while Williams played 19 games for the Winnipeg Sea Bears, averaging 9.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.1 APG.

The Kings signed the two free agents to Exhibit 10 deals on Friday. Both players will be eligible to receive bonuses of up to $85,300 if they sign G League contracts and spend at least 60 days with the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate.

Kings To Sign Daniel Batcho To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 27th, 2025 at 1:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings plan to sign forward Daniel Batcho to an Exhibit 10 contract with the intent of having him join their NBA G League team in Stockton, James Ham of The Kings Beat reports (Twitter links).

Adding Batcho to the camp roster would give Sacramento 21 players, the league maximum.

Batcho, who attended Louisiana Tech, worked out for the Kings prior to the draft. Batcho played four years of college ball, the first two with Texas Tech. He started 32 games for Louisiana Tech last season, averaging 16.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 27.6 minutes per game.

Batcho, who stands 6’11” and was born in Paris, France, was a member of the Kings’ Summer League squad.

Once he’s waived, he’ll be eligible for a bonus up to $85.300 if he spends at least 60 days with the Stockton Kings.

Fischer’s Latest: Grimes, Kuminga, Bamba, Love, Rockets

September 27th, 2025 at 8:50am CST by Rory Maher

Although the Sixers just made their first formal offer to restricted free agent Quentin Grimes earlier this week, they have discussed various contract frameworks with his agent David Bauman several times throughout the offseason, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

As Fischer explains, the 76ers were hesitant to extend a formal offer until recently because they realized there was a significant gap in what they were willing to pay Grimes compared to what he and his representatives were seeking on a new deal.

While Grimes’ camp had some hope of a potential sign-and-trade materializing, that outcome appears unlikely, Fischer writes. The most likely scenario, Fischer continues, is Grimes signing a one-year deal that comes in above his $8.7MM qualifying offer.

Fischer confirms that Bauman asked the Sixers to extend Grimes’ qualifying offer deadline from October 1 to October 8, in part because the team is traveling to Abu Dhabi for a pair of preseason games. But Philadelphia hasn’t shown any interest pushing back the deadline to this point.

Following up on his previous report that the Sixers floated the idea of trading Kelly Oubre Jr. or Andre Drummond — or both — to make a more lucrative contract offer to Grimes, Fischer says Philadelphia’s front office has been “adamant” that it is unwilling to add draft picks to shed either of those salaries.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have not had any talks about potentially moving back his Oct. 1 qualifying offer deadline, sources tell Fischer. Golden State appears unwilling to budge on its latest contract offers, per Fischer, including a three-year, $75MM proposal which contains a team option for 2027/28. Kuminga’s camp has “pushed hard” for a player option instead of a team option, Fischer writes, but hasn’t had any luck so far. Fischer confirms the Kings tried to restart sign-and-trade talks for Kuminga, but the Warriors remain unenthusiastic about taking back Malik Monk, in part because of his $21.5MM player option for ’27/28. The Warriors want to maintain maximum roster flexibility for the 2027 offseason, Fischer explains, when the contracts of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green expire.
According to Fischer, the Heat showed some interest in Mo Bamba before the former lottery pick signed a training camp deal with the Jazz. Bamba landing with Utah has led to speculation that Kevin Love might be nearing a buyout agreement, but “all signs” currently indicate that Love will begin the season with the Jazz, Fischer writes.
Fischer hears the Rockets aren’t expected to look for immediate backcourt help in the wake of Fred VanVleet‘s torn ACL, preferring instead to see how Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson respond to increased on-ball responsibilities. Houston may explore adding guard depth down the line, Fischer writes, but that likely won’t occur until at least December 15, when many free agent signings become eligible to be moved. According to Fischer, there’s still an expectation that Kevin Durant will eventually sign an extension with the Rockets, but a potential rookie scale deal for Tari Eason appears less certain.

Kings Sign Jameer Nelson Jr., Jaylin Williams

September 26th, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Kings have signed guard Jameer Nelson Jr. and forward Jaylin Williams to Exhibit 10 training camp deals, reports Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot (via Twitter).

Nelson, the son of former NBA guard Jameer Nelson, played five years in college, his final year for TCU, where he averaged 11.2 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.1 steals per game before going undrafted in 2024. Last year, he played for the Austin Spurs, with whom he averaged 11.3 PPG and 2.3 APG, then joined the Calgary Surge of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, putting up 20.1 PPG and 4.2 APG for the Albertan squad.

Williams, a 25-year-old forward out of Auburn (ie. not the Thunder big man out of Arkansas), played for the Grand Rapids Gold last year, averaging 8.6 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 19.0 MPG. He played three games for the Mavericks’ 2025/26 Summer League team, averaging 3.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per contest.

If they’re waived before the season, Nelson and Williams will each be eligible to receive a bonus of up to $83,500, provided they spend at least 60 days with Sacramento’s G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings.

Stockton acquired Nelson’s returning player rights from Austin in a NBAGL trade earlier this week, as James Ham of The Kings Beat relays (via Twitter).

Kings Sign, Waive Jon Elmore

September 25th, 2025 at 7:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Sept. 25: The Kings have now waived Elmore, according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith (Twitter link). He’s set up to join their G League affiliate for the season.

Sept. 24: The Kings have signed free agent guard Jon Elmore to an Exhibit 10 training camp agreement, per Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot (Twitter link).

The 29-year-old went undrafted out of Marshall in 2019. Since then, he has played in the G League and for various international clubs in Italy, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, and Turkey, but has yet to break through to the NBA.

After spending 2024/25 with the Kings’ G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings, Elmore linked up with Turkey’s Manisa Basket at the end of the season in the spring. In 34 regular season games for Stockton last year, including 24 starts, the 6’3″ pro averaged 10.4 points, 4.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks per contest, with a shooting line of .404/.335/.836.

Elmore joins fellow guard Terence Davis as one of two rostered Exhibit 10 signings for the Kings heading into training camp. Sacramento currently has all three of its two-way slots filled. Although Exhibit 10 signings can be converted to two-way contracts, it seems likelier that Elmore will be cut and report back to Stockton for the start of the G League season.

If Elmore is waived and spends at least 60 days with Sacramento’s G League affiliate, he would become eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300.

Kings, Warriors Resume Kuminga Sign-And-Trade Talks

September 24th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Luke Adams

After going more than a month without engaging in discussions regarding a potential Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade, the Kings and Warriors resumed their conversations earlier this week, team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.

According to Amick, the two Pacific Division rivals didn’t make significant progress in those talks, but the fact that they happened at all indicates that Sacramento hasn’t closed the door on making a move for the restricted free agent forward.

The Kings were considered the top rival suitor earlier in the offseason for Kuminga, offering him a three-year, $63MM contract and offering Golden State a package of Malik Monk and a lottery-protected 2030 first-round pick.

As Amick writes, there are a number of reasons why the Warriors turned down that offer. For one, they don’t appear all that enthusiastic about acquiring Monk — there are questions about his fit on the roster, plus his $21.6MM player option for 2027/28 doesn’t appeal to Golden State from a cap perspective. According to Amick, the Warriors would likely want to flip Monk to another team, but it’s unclear if such an opportunity would be available at this point.

Another potential sticking point for the Warriors is the fact that swapping Kuminga straight up for Monk would hard-cap the team at the first tax apron due to base year compensation rules. That would complicate Golden State’s ability to fill out the rest of its roster, including signing Al Horford using the taxpayer mid-level exception.

The Warriors would likely have to trade either Buddy Hield or Moses Moody to a third team to avoid that first-apron hard cap. Prior reporting stated that Golden State didn’t have much interest in taking that route, and Amick suggests that stance has only gotten stronger as of late.

Finally, while Sacramento is unlikely to entirely remove the protections from the 2030 first-round pick they’re including in their offer, the Warriors would likely want those protections lightened in order to seriously consider making a deal with the Kings, Amick continues. In Sacramento’s current offer, the Warriors would receive the least favorable of the Kings’ and Spurs’ 2031 first-rounders if the 2030 pick lands in the lottery.

Recent reporting indicated that Golden State has made new offers to Kuminga, including one three-year, $75MM proposal that includes a third-year team option. However, the 22-year-old’s agent, Aaron Turner, continues to suggest that accepting the $8MM qualifying offer – which comes with a no-trade clause and a clear path to 2026 unrestricted free agency – is a viable option for his client.

Turner told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday that the Warriors’ insistence on a team option in the final year of their two- and three-year offers has been a sticking point for Kuminga and his reps.

Kuminga has until October 1 to sign his qualifying offer, so resolution should come – one way or another – within the next week.

Kings Re-Sign Terence Davis To Non-Guaranteed Contract

September 23rd, 2025 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have re-signed guard Terence Davis to a non-guaranteed training camp contract, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.

Davis, who has appeared in 122 total games across four seasons for the Kings since being traded from Toronto to Sacramento in 2021, entered the summer on a non-guaranteed deal but was waived earlier this month.

While Davis’ previous contract was a standard deal, his new arrangement likely includes Exhibit 9 and/or Exhibit 10 language. An Exhibit 9 clause would give the Kings protection in the event that the 28-year-old suffers an injury during the training camp or preseason, while an Exhibit 10 clause would allow the team to give Davis a bonus if he’s waived before the season and then spends at least 60 days with Sacramento’s G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings.

Davis appeared in 64 games for the Kings in 2022/23 and averaged 6.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per contest, with a .423/.366/.791 shooting line. However, he hasn’t spent much time on an NBA roster since then.

Davis opened the 2023/24 campaign with the Rip City Remix in the G League, but suffered a torn Achilles in December that ended his season. The 6’4″ guard spent the majority of ’24/25 with the Wisconsin Herd in the NBAGL, averaging 14.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 3.1 APG with a .415 3PT%, before he was called up to the Kings on the last day of the season.

The Kings only have 14 players on standard contracts, so it’s possible there will be a path to a regular season roster spot for Davis if he impresses in camp, though he seems more likely to return to the G League. Sacramento now has 18 players under contract, includes its two-ways.

Agent: Jonathan Kuminga Willing To Accept Qualifying Offer

September 19th, 2025 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Appearing on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), agent Aaron Turner said accepting the $8MM qualifying offer is a realistic option for restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga unless the Warriors‘ offers improve, relays Anthony Slater of ESPN.

“There’s a lot of upside,” Turner told the hosts. “He wants to pick where he wants to go. So the QO is real for sure.”

As Slater reported on Monday, Golden State recently engaged in another negotiating session with Kuminga and Turner, submitting its latest offer of $75.2MM over three years with a team option for the final season. That would give him two fully guaranteed seasons at a total of $48.3MM.

Earlier in the summer, the team offered a two-year, $45MM contract that contains a team option in the second season. The only offer without a team option limits his salary to $54MM over three years, an average of $18MM per season.

Kuminga has refused to accept any of those scenarios, but Turner said this week that he would be agreeable to the latest offer if the Warriors replace the team option with a player option. The team has refused to put a player option on the table, which is why Kuminga finds the QO so appealing. Although he would be playing for far below his market value for one season, Kuminga would become unrestricted next summer and would have the power to choose his next team.

“If (the Warriors) want to win now, if you want a guy that’s happy and treated fairly who is a big part of this team, we believe, moving forward, you give him the player option,” Turner said on the podcast. “You do lose a little of that trade value (giving that up). But if it’s about the here and now, you give him that. You don’t get a perfect deal, but you get a pretty good deal and he gets to feel respected about what he gets and we all move on and worry about winning, helping Steph (Curry).”

The Warriors’ offseason has been on hold while they work toward a solution with Kuminga. They reportedly have deals lined up with free agents Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II, but those can’t be finalized because using any portion of the mid-level exception would hard-cap the Warriors at the second apron. That creates the risk that another team could open enough cap room to give Kuminga an offer that Golden State wouldn’t be able to match.

“If JK wants to take (the qualifying offer), it does have upside, right?” Turner said. “We’ve talked about that. You’re not getting traded. You’re going to have unrestricted free agency (next summer). People are going to say, ‘Well, Aaron, there’s not going to be 10 or 12 teams (with cap space).’ Fine, there’ll be six teams with cap space for the clear-cut under-35 top wing on the market. So there’s a lot of upside.”

The Suns and Kings both expressed interest in Kuminga this summer before Golden State shut down sign-and-trade talks. Sacramento was reportedly offering a contract worth $63-66MM over three years, while Phoenix was willing to pay him between $80-88MM over four seasons. However, neither team made a trade offer that enticed the Warriors.

“He’s gotten a chance to hear from other teams,” Turner said. “You know, Sacramento, he’s spent some time with them, got to meet (general manager) Scott Perry, (head coach) Doug Christie, the Suns and what they’ve offered him. There’s been other teams, too, maybe planting seeds for (2026 or 2027). But they’re saying, ‘Hey, we want you to be you. We don’t want you to change anything. We want to put the ball in your hands. We want to give you a huge opportunity to play.'”

Turner added that Kuminga isn’t opposed to staying with the Warriors, but that would mean putting his personal ambitions aside, and Turner believes his client should be financially compensated for that decision. He called Golden State “as first-class as you get,” but pointed out that other teams would be giving Kuminga a chance to play full-time starter’s minutes, while staying put means he would be coming off the bench and battling for playing time with Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Horford.

“No guarantees he starts any games,” Turner said. “He may, but we don’t know. Finishing games, night to night, who knows? It depends if (coach Steve Kerr) has a combination he likes and it’s working. Maybe he sticks with it. Maybe he doesn’t. You’re going to have to not have the ball as much. You’re going to have to stay away from developing certain parts of your game, or wanting to lean into certain parts of your game, especially shooting any type of mid-range jump shots, which is something JK does work on. But in the Golden State offense and the role he’s in, that’s not going to be a big shot that he’s really going to be able to take much.”

With media day just 10 days away, there’s a growing urgency on both sides to get the matter resolved. Turner indicated that Kuminga would take the two-year offer if he’s allowed to keep an inherent no-trade clause that would come with it, but the team hasn’t budged on that point. He added that Kuminga would want to be compensated for accepting a team option — something in the neighborhood of $30MM per year.

“Two years from now, if you want to keep him, you’ll have his Bird rights (even if you give him a player option),” Turner said. “You treat him good and you show him the plan, then maybe you keep him. (The player option contract) is not perfect, but I don’t think anybody can get everything they really want.

“If you ask JK, he wants Jalen Green‘s deal. He’s not getting that. He wants Jalen Johnson‘s deal. You’re not getting that. If the Warriors, we feel like, pick the front end (of the contract), if that number needs to be lower to stay under a second apron, (it’s a) player option. Or if it’s about really controlling the back end of the deal, move the number up, shake your roster up and you can have a team option. Or, the hybrid model, let him keep his no-trade clause.”

Latest On Jonathan Kuminga

September 17th, 2025 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

After writing on Monday in a story co-reported with Shams Charania that the Warriors have made Jonathan Kuminga a three-year offer worth approximately $75MM with a third-year team option, ESPN’s Anthony Slater provided an update on those negotiations on Tuesday during an NBA Today appearance (Twitter video link).

“I actually talked to Aaron Turner, Jonathan Kuminga’s agent, this morning, and the messaging they’re adopting this week is ‘turn the TO to a PO and it’s done,'” Slater said. “… (The team option) on that three-year deal, if that’s suddenly a player option, not only will Jonathan Kuminga sign it, they’re saying, but he will be completely bought in on the mission that they’re asking of him, which is – using Turner’s messaging – to get Steph Curry and Draymond Green a fifth ring (and) Jimmy Butler his first ring.”

Reporting throughout the summer has indicated that Kuminga is seeking a contract that positions him to be more of a building block than simply a trade chip.

While the 22-year-old would prefer to be in a situation where his role is both more prominent and more defined, Slater’s report suggests he has expressed a willingness to re-sign with Golden State – where his playing time and responsibilities have been inconsistent – if he’s assured of a multiyear guarantee and the opportunity to reach the open market in two years.

“(Kuminga’s camp would view a third-year player option as) a show of goodwill…for what they’re calling ‘years of confusion’ over his role and a willingness to suppress some of his personal ambitions,” Slater said. “… (He would) accept what’s probably going to be a bench role, what’s probably going to be fluctuating minutes, and accepting what will very likely be a tradable contract.”

According to ESPN’s report on Monday, the Warriors’ only offer to Kuminga that hasn’t included a team option on the final year was a three-year proposal that averaged about $18MM annually. There would be little reason for the RFA forward to accept that offer over the version of the three-year deal that includes a team option and is worth closer to $25MM per year.

Signing the one-year, $8MM qualifying offer that comes with a no-trade clause and a path to 2026 unrestricted free agency remains an option for Kuminga until October 1 if he’s not satisfied with any of the team’s other offers.

Here’s more on Kuminga:

Golden State’s goal of maximizing cap flexibility for the summer of 2027 has been a factor in negotiations with Kuminga and in sign-and-trade talks, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Given their desire to keep their options open for that offseason, the Warriors have been reluctant to give Kuminga a player option for 2027/28; it’s also one reason why the club isn’t eager to acquire Malik Monk, the centerpiece of the Kings‘ sign-and-trade offer for Kuminga, who has a player option worth $21.6MM for ’27/28.
The Kings are still under the impression that Kuminga wants to play for them, but the Warriors shut down sign-and-trade talks with Sacramento and the Suns earlier in the summer, says Amick. While it’s possible Golden State revisits those discussions at the 11th hour, league and team sources say a deal with either Pacific rival remains highly unlikely, Amick adds.
Keith Smith of Spotrac takes a closer look at the Kuminga standoff, exploring various potential outcomes and explaining the various factors each involved party is taking into account.