Sacramento Kings Blog – Page 21 – NBA Blog

Kings select Marvin Bagley III second overall in 2018 NBA Draft

The Sacramento Kings on Thursday selected Duke freshman Marvin Bagley III with the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

A 6-11, 234-pound forward, Bagley III was just one of four freshman in the nation to average a point-rebound double-double en route to posting 21.0 points (.614 FG%, .397 3pt%, .627 FT%), 11.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 33.9 minutes per game in 33 contests (32 starts), culminating in ACC Player and Freshman of the Year accolades in addition to consensus First Team All-American honors and NABC National Freshman and Pete Newell Big Man of the Year awards. He finished his lone collegiate campaign by joining Clemson’s Horace Grant (1986-87) and Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan (1996-97) as the only players in ACC history to lead the conference in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage.

Bagley concluded this season ranked atop the Blue Devils’ all-time freshman annals in total points (948), scoring average, rebounds (366), double-doubles (22) and 30-point-10-rebound outputs (seven). He snared 15 rebounds to accompany a career-high 34 points (12-19 FG, 1-2 3pt, 9-13 FT) against Texas (Nov. 24), piggybacked by 30 points (10-20 FG, 1-2 3pt, 9-10 FT) and 15 rebounds versus Florida (Nov. 26). He collected a career-high 21 rebounds to complement 32 points (13-17 FG, 1-2 3pt, 5-11 FT) against Florida State (Dec. 30) starting a spate of three 30-point performances in the span of four games, punctuated by 30 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and four steals versus Wake Forest (Jan. 13).

The Arizona native accrued averages of 20.5 points (.689 FG%, 3-4 3pt, .680 FT%), 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 37.5 minutes per contest in four games during Duke’s Elite Eight run in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. His 30 combined rebounds in the ACC Tournament ranked second-most for a two-game span in tournament history. In the quarterfinals versus Notre Dame (Mar. 8), his 33 points rank third all-time for points by a freshman in ACC Tournament annals while his 17 rebounds were one shy of the Tournament mark for freshmen set by Virginia’s Ralph Sampson in 1980.

Kings name Peja Stojakovic Assistant General Manager

The Sacramento Kings have expanded the role Peja Stojakovic will play with the team. His title is now Assistant General Manager, according to General Manager Vlade Divac.

In his new position, Stojakovic will help Divac in regard to front office responsibilities, and assist with management of player development, talent evaluation and oversight of the Stockton Kings, who are the team’s NBA G League affiliate.

“I am thrilled to announce that Peja will serve in this expanded role,” Divac said. “His experience as a player and basketball executive combined with his ability to develop players and assess talent is a valuable asset to the Kings.”

Stojakovic moves into this role after spending the past three seasons as a team executive, most recently as Vice President of Basketball and Team Development.

In addition to player development responsibilities, Peja assisted the front office in domestic and international scouting efforts and oversaw the team’s D-League affiliate.

Selected 14th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by Sacramento after playing six seasons overseas (four for Greek powerhouse POAK), the Serbian-born sharpshooter helped form a nucleus that would go on to participate in the postseason in each of his seven seasons in a Kings uniform. A three-time All-Star, his resume features back-to-back Three-Point Contest victories at All-Star Saturday night in 2002 and 2003. A 13-year NBA veteran, he accrued averages of 17.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 804 contests with the Kings (1998-2006), Indiana Pacers (2006), New Orleans Hornets (2006-2010), Toronto Raptors (2010-2011) and Dallas Mavericks (2011), where he won an NBA Championship.

Stojakovic continues to pace the Kings annals in several shooting categories, ranking first in franchise and Sacramento-era history in three-pointers made (1,070) and attempted (2,867). He retired from basketball in 2011 and returned to Sacramento in 2015 to serve as an executive in the front office. In honor of his accomplishments as a King, his No. 16 jersey hangs in the Golden 1 Center rafters.

Knee surgery for Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic

Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic had a post season MRI at Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento that revealed a slight tear of the medial meniscus in the left knee.

Today, he will undergo a minimally invasive meniscus debridement procedure at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. The arthroscopic procedure will be performed by Dr. Riley Williams.

The Kings expect he will make a full recovery and an update will be provided when it is available.

Sacramento Kings sign Nigel Hayes

The Sacramento Kings on Saturday signed forward Nigel Hayes.

The 6-foot-8 Hayes averaged 15.0 points (.442 FG%, .423 3pt%, .722 FT%), 6.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 34.0 minutes per outing in 43 games (35 starts) this season in the G League, playing for the Westchester Knicks and Raptors 905. He also appeared in two NBA games, for both the L.A. Lakers and Raptors, totaling nine points (3-5 FG, 2-4 3pt, 1-1 FT) and two assists.

The Wisconsin standout finished his collegiate career ranked third on the school’s all-time scoring list (1,857) and remains the only Badger in program annals with top-10 statistics in points, rebounds (802) and assists (309). His tenure included Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year accolades as a freshman (2014), First-Team All-Big Ten honors as junior (2016) and Third Team All-Big Ten nods following his sophomore and senior campaigns (2015 & 2017) while averaging 12.4 points (.446 FG%, .332 3pt%, .666 FT%), 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 29.6 minutes per contest in 150 games (112 starts). A durable player, Hayes did not miss a game in his college career, a streak that featured 113 straight starts from 2014-17 (including 35 during Wisconsin’s 2014-15 run to the national championship game).

De`Aaron Fox replaces Lonzo Ball in Rising Stars game

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox will replace injured Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball on the U.S. Team in the 2018 Rising Stars game, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 16.

Fox, the fifth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, is averaging 11.3 points and 4.3 assists in 27.2 minutes while starting 37 of his 49 games in his rookie season. His selection gives the Kings three players in 2018 Rising Stars, with second-year guard Buddy Hield (Bahamas) and rookie guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) representing the World Team.

Ball has missed the Lakers’ last 13 games after suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee on Jan. 13. The second pick in NBA Draft 2017 is averaging 10.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 36 games. The Lakers have second-year forward Brandon Ingram and rookie forward Kyle Kuzma playing for the U.S. Team.

The Rising Stars game is an annual showcase of premier young talent at NBA All-Star. For the fourth consecutive year, the game features 10 first- and second-year NBA players from the U.S. against 10 first- and second-year NBA players from around the world.

Past Sacramento Kings All-Star Rookie Game Participants
1994 Bobby Hurley – Honorary Coach
1995 Brian Grant, Michael Smith
1996 Tyus Edney
1998 Michael Stewart
2000 Jason Williams
2002 Hedo Turkoglu
2010 Tyreke Evans (MVP), Omri Casspi
2011 Tyreke Evans*, DeMarcus Cousins
2012 DeMarcus Cousins
2013 Isaiah Thomas
*Evans named to Sophomore Team but due to injury did not participate

Kings waive Joe Johnson

The Sacramento Kings, who are undergoing a youth movement and are building for the future, not the present, waived veteran guard/forward Joe Johnson today.

Johnson appeared in 32 games this season for the Utah Jazz and averaged 7.3 points (.420 FG%, .274 3pt%, .833 FT%), 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 21.9 minutes per game. Over the course of his 16-year career, the seven-time NBA All-Star has accrued averages of 16.2 points (.442 FG%, .372 3pt%, .802 FT%), 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 34.9 minutes per game through 1253 games (1090 starts) with six teams; Boston, Phoenix, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Miami and Utah.

Kings trades were about the future, not the present

The Sacramento Kings are 17-36 this season through Thursday’s games, which is the third worst record in the NBA. They’re all about the future, not the present. As for recent trades involving the Kings and their larger meaning, here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting:

The two most important assets the Kings acquired at Thursday’s trade deadline were Miami’s second-round draft pick in 2020 and the little more than $3 million cash.

That’s because the deals weren’t about immediate improvement. Instead, the Kings are keeping the focus on the future, and they believe trading George Hill, Malachi Richardson and waiving Georgios Papagiannis makes that possible…

Of the three players received in the deal, only guard Iman Shumpert figures to be around after this season, because he has an $11 million player option for 2018-19. Bruno Caboclo is in the last year of his deal and Joe Johnson is seeking a buyout, a request the Kings are likely to fulfill.

Full article

Kings trade Malachi Richardson to Raptors for Bruno Caboclo

The Sacramento Kings today traded guard Malachi Richardson to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for forward Bruno Caboclo.

Originally selected 20th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, Caboclo has appeared in 34 games this season for Toronto’s G-League affiliate 905 Raptors, averaging 14.4 points (.396 FG%, .335 3pt%, .831 FT%), 6.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.33 steals, 1.65 blocks and 30.7 minutes per contest.

Richardson, 6-foot-6, 205 pounds, is averaging 3.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 12.8 minutes in 25 games (four starts) this season.

Richardson owns career averages of 3.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 11.0 minutes in 47 games. He has scored in double figures four times, including a career-high 12 points Jan. 25, 2017 at Cleveland. Richardson was selected 22nd overall in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. His draft rights were acquired by the Kings in exchange for forward Marco Belinelli.

Richardson played one season at Syracuse (2015-16), averaging 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 34.4 minutes in 37 games. He shot .353 (79-for-225) from three-point range and was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.

Three-team trade sends George Hill and Rodney Hood to Cavs, Derrick Rose and Jae Crowder to Jazz

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired guard George Hill from the Sacramento Kings and guard Rodney Hood from the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team trade, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts. Cleveland has also received the draft rights to Arturas Gudaitis from the Kings. In exchange, the Cavaliers will send guard Iman Shumpert, a 2020 second-round draft pick via Miami and the draft rights to Dimitrios Agravanis to Sacramento, and forward Jae Crowder, guard Derrick Rose and the right to swap second round picks in 2024 to Utah. The Kings will also receive forward Joe Johnson from the Jazz.

“Rodney and George bring passion and strength every game with a strong mix of toughness and ability to play all aspects of the game. George is a great veteran fit with our group as he can play well on and off the ball and is a true two way player. Rodney is a talented, young competitor with great size at his position that can score in many ways and defend,” said Altman.

“We thank Iman, Derrick and Jae for their effort and time here. Especially Iman, who also leaves as a champion and was another part of a special group that earned success at the highest level here. We thank Shump greatly for his contributions and wish he and his family all the best as their basketball and life journey continue.”

Hill (6-3, 188) has appeared in 43 games (36 starts) for the Kings this season, averaging 10.3 points on .469 shooting from the field, including a .453 mark from three-point range, 2.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 26.6 minutes per game. He ranks first in the NBA in three-point percentage and has scored in double figures 24 times in 2017-18. Playing in his 10th season, Hill holds career averages of 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 28.8 minutes over 642 games (410 starts) with San Antonio, Indiana, Utah and Sacramento. He has competed in the postseason eight times, appearing in 83 games (72 starts) and averaging 13.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.05 steals in 34.3 minutes. The 6-3 guard from IUPUI was the 26th overall pick by the Spurs in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Hood (6-8, 206) has played in 39 games (12 starts) with Utah in 2017-18, averaging a career-high 16.8 points on .424 shooting and 2.8 rebounds in 27.8 minutes. He is also shooting career highs of .389 from beyond the arc and .876 from the free throw line and has scored in double figures 33 times, including 11 games with 20 points or more and three games with 30 points or more. The 6-8 guard out of Duke was selected by the Jazz with the 23rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Shumpert (6-5, 220) has appeared in 182 contests (43 starts) for Cleveland since being acquired by the Cavaliers on Jan. 5, 2016, averaging 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 24.4 minutes. He was also a member of the Cavaliers’ 2016 NBA Championship team. Crowder (6-6, 235), who was acquired by Cleveland on Aug. 22, 2017, played in 53 games (47 starts) with the Cavaliers this season, averaging 8.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 25.4 minutes. Rose (6-3, 190), who signed with the Cavaliers as a free agent on Aug. 8, 2017, has appeared in 16 contests (7 starts) this season, averaging 9.8 points in 19.3 minutes.

In his sixth NBA season, Crowder (6-6, 235, Marquette) has appeared in 436 career games (233 starts) with Dallas, Boston and Cleveland, owning averages of 8.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 23.5 minutes per contest. On the year with Cleveland, the Villa Rica, Ga., native has averaged 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 25.4 minutes per game. Since Crowder entered the NBA in 2012-13, he is one of only 12 forwards in that span to knock down over 500 three-pointers with an effective field goal percentage over 50 percent (515 3FG, .516 eFG%).

Originally selected in the second round (34th overall pick) by Dallas, Crowder played two seasons at Marquette (2010-12), averaging 17.5 points, 8.4 boards, 2.5 steals and 2.1 assists as a senior, earning 2012 Big East Player of the Year and 2012 Associated Press All-America Second Team honors in that season. Crowder’s father, Corey, appeared in 51 games with the Jazz during the 1991-92 season, totaling 120 points, 44 rebounds and 18 assists.

Rose (6-3, 190, Memphis) has seen action in 16 games (seven starts) this year for the Cavaliers, with averages of 9.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 19.3 minutes per contest. Over his nine-year NBA career, the 29-year-old Chicago native has averaged 19.2 points, 5.8 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 34.2 minutes through 486 games (476 starts) with the Bulls, Knicks and Cavaliers.

A seven-time NBA All-Star and veteran of 17 seasons, Johnson has registered 16.2 points (.442 FG%, .372 3pt%, .802 FT%), 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 34.9 minutes per contest in 1,253 career games (started 1,090). He averaged 20 or more points for five consecutive campaigns with the Atlanta Hawks (2005-06 – 2009-10), earning four All-Star nods in that span.

Kings news: Harry Giles not playing this season

Sacramento Kings rookie forward Harry Giles won’t participate in an NBA game this season. Therefore, assuming he plays next season, officially he’ll be a rookie in 2018-19.

The team released a statement today that Giles has made major progress in the four months since starting a plan designed to improve physical strength in his knees. The Kings say Giles is currently “entirely healthy,” and that participation in team practices, skill and strength training have not caused any setbacks.

However, the team says that rather than playing this season, Giles he will continue his rehabilitation, and is expected to play in 2018 Summer League.

According to the Sacramento Bee, “Giles tore his left ACL in 2013 and his right one in 2015 while in high school. This month marks two years since Giles’ last surgery, and that’s considered a benchmark to measure the health and strength of the knee.”

With a 13-31 record, the Kings are at the bottom of the league standings. They’re on a six-game losing streak, and there’s no reason to expect their season to turn around. With total focus on the future, it makes sense to not rush an injured rookie into action.