Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings center Alex Len and Toronto Raptors forward Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk issued a joint statement Thursday regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Len and Mykhailiuk described the attack as a "great tragedy" and said they "categorically condemn the war":

НЕТ ВОЙНЕ #PrayForUkraine #StandWithUkraine @sviat_10 pic.twitter.com/hGJG4fE8Ce

— Alex Len (@alexlen) February 24, 2022

"Ukraine is a peaceful, sovereign state inhabited by people who want to decide their own destiny," they said. "We pray for our families, friends, relatives and all the people who are in the territory of Ukraine."

Len and Mykhailiuk are both Ukrainian and moved to the United States to attend college before moving on to the NBA.

Prior to Thursday's game between the Kings and Denver Nuggets, players from both teams locked arms and held a moment of silence to show solidarity with Len:

The Kings and Nuggets have a moment of silence for the events that are transpiring in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/0ulAU2jt4Y

— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) February 25, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was executing a "special military operation" in Ukraine early Thursday morning.

"The invasion began hours before dawn with a series of missile attacks against locations near Kyiv, as well as the use of long-range artillery against the northeastern city of Kharkiv, near the Russian border," per CNN's Tim Lister and Tara John.

The Ukrainian government said at least 57 people have died, with another 169 injured so far in the attacks.

Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox addressed the controversy surrounding the shuttering of his NFT project in a Twitter post Thursday.

"I want to address an NFT project we launched recently. The project launch was ill timed," Fox said. "I delegated certain aspects to the launch of the NFT in an attempt to partner with professionals. We weren't happy with the execution & demand on my time and attention during the NBA season.

"This project is about a brand that will continue to grow, but I have obligations that I must fulfill to the Sacramento Kings and their loyal fan base. They deserve all of my attention. As I stated previously, I look forward to doing this again the right way and adding value to my NFT holders. I’m excited to learn from the entire NFT community as well. The project will be updated at the conclusion of the NBA season."

Fox launched an NFT project in January that generated $1.5 million in cryptocurrency investment. The project, which failed to deliver on its launch promises, was essentially deleted from the internet Wednesday without notice. Fox posted in the NFT Discord that people who bought more than five NFTs would receive a signed jersey, but there was no word on whether people would receive refunds for their investment. 

Crypto fraud, which has proved difficult to regulate and prosecute, skyrocketed in 2021 as more people began investing in the currency. Lana Rhoades, an adult film star, recently drew criticism for a situation similar to Fox, pulling her NFT project off the market after making $1.5 million.

Scammers also recently stole $1.7 million worth of NFTs from OpenSea customers.

While Fox seemingly plans on getting back into the NFT space when the Kings' season ends, the relative lack of answers from his side of things is unlikely to provide much solace to initial investors. It's also an example of the potential dangers of investing in the crypto space, which by nature is unregulated currency, without being fully informed of the intricacies. 

The Sacramento Kings' decision to trade Tyrese Haliburton caught many people off guard, including Haliburton. 

Appearing on NBA Today (starts at 0:36 mark), Haliburton said he "thought it was a joke" when his agent told him the Kings might move him. 

The Kings sent Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to the Indiana Pacers for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2023 second-round pick on Feb. 8. 

The No. 12 overall pick by the Kings in 2020, Haliburton looked like a budding star during his brief time with the organization.

Haliburton was named to the All-Rookie team last season and was averaging 14.3 points and 7.4 assists per game with a 41.3 three-point percentage in 51 starts with the Kings this season prior to the trade. 

Last offseason, when the Kings were being discussed as a potential landing spot for Ben Simmons, The Athletic's Sam Amick reported they wouldn't include Haliburton or De'Aaron Fox in a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. 

In January, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee noted Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has been growing impatient trying to get the franchise to the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06. 

Sabonis is a proven commodity and a two-time All-Star, but he hasn't generally been regarded as a player who raises a team's ceiling. 

The Kings have gone 2-2 in four games since the trade. Their 22-38 record ranks 13th in the Western Conference, 3.5 games behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the final spot in the play-in tournament. 

Haliburton has yet to establish himself as a star who can help teams win games, but he's only 21 years old. The Iowa State alum has shown a deft shooting touch with a 41.3 three-point percentage in his career. He is averaging 20.8 points per game in four starts with the Pacers.    

After passing on a Buddy Hield trade in favor of Russell Westbrook during the offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly tried to put together a deal involving both players last month. 

Per The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Lakers "showed covert interest in discussing possible Westbrook deals early on this season" with one such scenario involving Hield and the Sacramento Kings. 

Hield wound up being traded to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, along with Tyrese Haliburton and Tristan Thompson, for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2023 second-round pick. 

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported in July that the Lakers and Kings were talking about a deal built around Kyle Kuzma to acquire Hield. 

Instead, the Lakers pivoted to acquire Westbrook from the Washington Wizards in August. They sent Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and the draft rights to Isaiah Jackson to Washington for the former NBA MVP. 

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said on Spectrum SportsNet's Backstage: Lakers show in December (h/t Jacob Rude of Silver Screen and Roll) that one reason they acquired Westbrook was to ease the burden on LeBron James:

I think in kind of building the roster in the offseason, obviously we made a big trade for Russell Westbrook to get another playmaker. ... We knew that as LeBron journeyed towards Year 19 in the league and then Year 20, we couldn't rely on him as the sole engine for our team, so we made that trade really wanting to dimensionalize the roster with a combination of versatility, guys that could shoot and also defenders.

Things haven't worked out for Westbrook or the Lakers in the five months since he was acquired. The nine-time All-Star is shooting 43.5 percent from the field (29.8 percent from three) and is averaging 4.1 turnovers per game in 55 starts.

Head coach Frank Vogel benched Westbrook in the fourth quarter of games against the New York Knicks on Feb. 5 and Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 8. 

Per Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, the Houston Rockets approached the Lakers about a Westbrook-for-John Wall trade ahead of Thursday's deadline. Los Angeles rejected the offer when the Rockets insisted on getting the Lakers' 2027 first-round pick in the deal. 

The Lakers have lost 11 of 16 games since Jan. 9 and are in ninth place in the Western Conference with a 26-30 record.

Second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton did not hold back when explaining his emotions after being traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Indiana Pacers. He said that it hit him hard but also expressed optimism for his new situation.

"It hurt when I got traded, because I loved being there, I loved the people," Haliburton told reporters on Thursday. "But coming here, I'm gonna do the same thing. They've showed me nothing but love since I've got here, they're another organization taking a chance on me when they have no reason to, so I'm gonna put everything I've got into this."

I asked Tyrese Haliburton about not having the chance to rebuild with the Kings:

“They ain’t want me. … It’s part of the business.”

@jxlorenzi then asked if there’s any difficulty to trust a new franchise:

“It hurt when I got traded. … I’mma put all I got into this.” #Pacers pic.twitter.com/L3TDM0awFA

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) February 10, 2022

Haliburton was sent to Indiana on Wednesday along with Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson in the deal that sent two-time All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento with Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2023 second-round pick.

A promising young combo guard, Haliburton was thought to be untouchable in the Kings organization, and it came as a surprise that the team moved him. Haliburton had also expressed a desire to be a part of leading the turnaround for Sacramento, which has been rebuilding for quite some time.

Haliburton admitted he finds it "scary" to trust another organization after the way the trade went down. He mentioned that he had immersed himself in the Sacramento community and wasn't ready to leave. But Haliburton said he's aware that his emotions might just be a result of his personality, describing himself as someone who "loves hard."

The 21-year-old has averaged 14.3 points and 7.4 assists in 51 games this season. In his final contest with Sacramento, he dished out a career-high 17 assists to go with 13 points in a 113-103 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Haliburton will be a key part of the Pacers' rebuild. Indiana tore down its roster at this year's trade deadline, reshaping it under head coach Rick Carlisle. The team's backcourt of the future now includes Haliburton, rookie Chris Duarte and veteran Malcolm Brogdon, who is out with an Achilles injury.

The Pacers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, and Haliburton is likely to make his team debut in the game.

The Sacramento Kings traded Marvin Bagley III to the Detroit Pistons as part of a four-team deal that also included the Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks.

Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Jackson and Trey Lyles will head to the Kings as part of the trade. The Bucks are acquiring forward-center Serge Ibaka and cash considerations, while Semi Ojeleye and Rodney Hood head to the Clippers. Los Angeles will also receive the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic.

Sacramento received the draft rights to David Michineau in the deal.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN first reported the deal.

Ibaka could serve as an integral rotation piece for a Milwaukee team looking to repeat as champions, while DiVincenzo may be a long-term centerpiece for a revamped Sacramento team. The Kings already acquired Domantas Sabonis from the Indiana Pacers earlier this week. 

When the Bucks made their title run last season, P.J. Tucker proved to be a valuable defender and rebounder in the postseason. He averaged 4.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 29.6 minutes per game across the playoffs.

With Tucker gone, that's likely the same kind of role Milwaukee is envisioning for Ibaka. The 32-year-old has also shown he can be effective in the postseason, having helped the Toronto Raptors win their first title in 2019.

The 6'10" Ibaka also provides much needed frontcourt depth considering the Bucks have been rolling with Bobby Portis, who isn't a natural 5, and a past-his-prime Greg Monroe at center. Starting center Brook Lopez has played only one game this season because of a back injury.

In the event the reigning champs made a reasonably big move ahead of the deadline, DiVincenzo was the most likely candidate to go.

The 25-year-old, who missed the start of the season due to ankle surgery, has been solid so far. For his career, he's averaging 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 34.3 percent from beyond the arc.

DiVincenzo didn't establish himself as an irreplaceable member of the rotation, though, particularly after missing the Bucks' entire title run last year. He's set to become a restricted free agent this summer, which also might have factored into the decision to trade him.

Bagley's departure from Sacramento was all but inevitable after his agent, Jeff Schwartz, publicly called out the Kings in October. Schwartz said it was "completely baffling" for the team to omit him from its opening-night rotation before criticizing the organization even further:

pic.twitter.com/SHRi6uBkKp

— excel sports (@excelsm) October 19, 2021

The situation took another turn when Sean Cunningham of ABC10 reported Bagley refused to enter Sacramento's 109-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 8. Former head coach Luke Walton didn't provide a ton of clarity when addressing the report.

Luke Walton responds to the reports that Marvin Bagley III refused to check in to the game on Monday pic.twitter.com/Za9sOjaN7n

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 11, 2021

It seemed clear a divorce was the best for both parties. The firing of Walton and hiring of Alvin Gentry as interim coach had a positive effect on Bagley. It was nevertheless too little too late to salvage his future in Sacramento.

This trade brings an end to an underwhelming three-plus-year run for the 22-year-old.

The former Duke standout is on a trajectory to be his generation's Sam Bowie, somebody remembered largely in connection to who was selected immediately after him in the NBA draft. The Kings passed on Luka Doncic, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Trae Young to take the 6'11" forward in 2018. 

From that standpoint, a change of scenery could be beneficial. By moving to a new team, he may not burdened as much with being part of one of the biggest "what ifs" in Kings history. 

To this point in his career, Bagley is averaging 13.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 0.7 blocks. He's also shooting 49.4 percent overall and 29.9 percent from beyond the arc. Although that isn't great production, it allows room for some optimism.

Staying healthy could go a long way toward raising his ceiling on the court. He missed 20 games as a rookie and then logged only 13 appearances during the COVID-19-pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign. A fracture in his left hand limited him to 43 games this past season.

A player's development will inevitably get derailed when he's spending prolonged spells over multiple years on the bench.

In general, there's nothing to indicate that Bagley is on the cusp of a breakout that will put him on the level of Young or Doncic. But he now has the fresh start he sorely needed and won't be expected to serve as a cornerstone of the roster.

Meanwhile, the Pistons get to see Bagley for the second half of the season before he becomes a restricted free agent in 2022. They're in an especially good position to take a flier on him.

The arrival of 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham didn't instantly transform Detroit into a contender. Right now, the front office is in asset-acquisition mode and is looking to see which players might fit as long-term pieces.

With Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons appear to have a solid foundation in their frontcourt. Perhaps Bagley can carve out a role as a reserve.

If he thrives in the Motor City, it might enable Detroit to trade Grant, since the 27-year-old forward might not be on the same timeline as his younger teammates.

The Sacramento Kings have indicated to teams around the NBA they're planning to keep Harrison Barnes through Thursday's trade deadline, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

At 20-36, the Kings are three games out of the final play-in berth in the Western Conference, and Stein reported they want Barnes to remain and help catapult them into the top 10.

Barnes has a year-and-a-half left on his contract, and he's enjoying a productive season. The 29-year-old is averaging 16.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and shooting 40.5 percent from three-point range.

For a team in selling mode, Barnes would be an obvious veteran to offload because he could yield a reasonably solid trade return.

After Tuesday, it's clear Sacramento isn't in selling mode.

Sending Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers for a package headlined by Domantas Sabonis was a sign of the Kings' priorities.

Haliburton isn't even eligible for restricted free agency until 2024, at which point the Kings would've had a lot of leverage to sign him to a long-term extension. Sacramento exchanged that cost control for two-and-a-half years of Sabonis.

That's the move of a front office looking to end a 15-year playoff drought.

From the NBA's perspective, this is exactly why the play-in tournament is a good thing.

Under the old format, the Kings would be seven games out of a postseason berth, a difficult gap to close in the stretch run and one that might have the franchise shifting its focus to 2022-23.

Instead, Sacramento can talk itself into climbing into the play-in and thus potentially moving on to the postseason proper.

To that end, it would make little sense to jettison a proven performer such as Barnes. One can question the calculations general manager Monte McNair made, but he has made his bed. The Kings basically have to push all of their chips in to contend.

The New York Knicks have reportedly asked the Sacramento Kings about the availability of Harrison Barnes, per Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Multiple sources reportedly told Berman that the Kings were open to dealing Barnes prior to their blockbuster trade Tuesday in which they landed Indiana Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis. In exchange, they sent a package including Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield to Indiana.

Barnes, 29, is averaging 16.8 points on 45.6 percent shooting (40.6 percent from three-point range), 6.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He is in his 10th NBA season and fourth with the Kings.

The former North Carolina star is in the third year of a four-season, $85 million contract that expires in 2023.

The 24-30 Knicks are in a complete free fall. They've lost nine of their last 11 games and currently sit 12th in the Eastern Conference.

The three teams below the Knicks—the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic—are all in various states of significant rebuilds. Meanwhile, the Knicks entered this season with postseason expectations after finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference last year.

They fell to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round but added Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier in the offseason and were expected to contend for the playoffs yet again.

However, they are on the outside looking into the play-in tournament picture with a roster that has struggled offensively and taken a step back defensively.

Barnes could at least help the team's scoring efforts, especially given his hot shooting from behind the three-point line this year. The onus has been on Julius Randle and RJ Barrett to carry the offensive burdens of late, and Barnes could ease some of that pressure.

At any rate, the Knicks will likely be heard from again as the rumor mill heats up prior to the 3 p.m. ET trade deadline on Thursday.

And given the Kings' franchise-altering trade, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them continue dealing prior to the deadline as well.

The Sacramento Kings reportedly made an enormous trade on Tuesday, dealing Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Tristan Thompson and 2027 second-round pick to the Indiana Pacers for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb and Aaron Holiday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

And the response around the league has been one of surprise.

"Stunned," Wojnarowski told Malika Andrews on Tuesday's NBA Today of the reaction across the NBA. "Tyrese Haliburton was stunned, Malika. The league is stunned at this trade, and the fact that he was even available. I think there were a lot of teams who thought, 'If we knew we could have gotten Tyrese Haliburton, we would've been really knocking at the door in Sacramento.' ... Everyone had thought, including Tyrese Haliburton, that he'd be the cornerstone for their future."

Andrews added that one member of the Kings organization was flabbergasted by the move, saying to her: "What the heck is going on?"

The Kings are clearly gearing up to build around a De'Aaron Fox and Sabonis core, with complementary players like Harrison Barnes, Davion Mitchell, Richaun Holmes and Lamb. 

Sources: At least 4 teams - inc #Knicks, #Pacers, #Sixers and #Jazz - have reached out to the #Kings about De’Aaron Fox. Sac believes Fox is a valuable asset and future perennial All-Star. After trading Tyrese Haliburton, I’m told a deal involving Swipa is “highly unlikely.”

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 8, 2022

But they are choosing to build around two players who don't stretch the floor—Fox is shooting 24.8 percent from three this year, while Sabonis is at 32.4 percent—after giving up two good three-point shooters in Haliburton (41.3 percent) and Hield (36.8 percent). 

Haliburton is also just 21 years old and is already averaging 14.3 points and 7.4 assists per game. His upside is extremely high at a premium position, and he's younger than both Fox (24) and Mitchell (23). 

Tyrese Haliburton averages 1.2 points per pick-and-roll when the defense switches screens.

That’s first in the NBA, minimum 130 direct chances, per @SecondSpectrum.

Top 5:
1. Tyrese Haliburton
2. Darius Garland
3. Steph Curry
4. LaMelo Ball
5. Donovan Mitchell

Congrats Pacers! pic.twitter.com/amDgJAf01X

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) February 8, 2022

Players who have shot 40% or better on 200+ 3PA in each of the last 2 seasons (w/ total 3P%)...

1. Kennard: 43.6%
2. Seth Curry: 42.9%
3. Bane: 42.1%
4. Conley: 41.7%
5. LaVine: 41.2%
6. Haliburton: 41.1%
7. Powell: 41.0%
8. Fournier: 40.7%
9. Monk: 40.5%

— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) February 8, 2022

I love Domantas Sabonis and I don't think he's anywhere near as bad the slander he catches on here. So, good for the Kings.

But man do I love Tyrese Haliburton. I'm not sure I can get there on that part of this deal for the Kings.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 8, 2022

Trading for Sabonis: GOOD

Trading for Sabonis in exchange for Haliburton and your movable pieces of a shooter and backup big man when you are 20-35: NOT GOOD

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) February 8, 2022

Yes, Sabonis (18.9 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 5.0 APG) is a force on the block. But in a modern NBA that asks its centers to stretch the floor and protect the rim, Sabonis doesn't fit that particular build. 

In many ways, a Fox-for-Sabonis deal would have made more sense for the Kings from a fit perspective. But the Kings have clearly decided, at least for the moment, that Fox is the player they want to build around in their backcourt. 

Time might prove them right. For now, however, the NBA world is reeling from Tuesday's decision. 

The Sacramento Kings will look a lot different after they made a six-player trade with the Indiana Pacers to acquire Domantas Sabonis and others.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Kings will add Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday and give up Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson. Sacramento adds a two-time All-Star but loses two of its top four scorers.

ESPN's Bobby Marks noted how the deal affects the salary cap:

Domantas Sabonis has a $19.8M cap hit for this season but that drops to $18.5M and $19.4M over the next 2 years because his All-Star bonus is now unlikely.

J. Lamb is on an expiring $10.5M contract.

J. Holiday is under contract for 2 seasons: $6M and $6.3M

SAC creates a $4M TE

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 8, 2022

Indiana will create a $6M TE in the deal

Buddy Hield: $23.1M, $21.2M and $19.3M
Tyrese Haliburton: $4M, $4.2M and $5.8M
Tristan Thompson: $9.7M

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 8, 2022

According to Spotrac, the Kings are $20.5 million over the cap but still sit below the luxury-tax line. 

Here is how the lineup and rotation should look after the latest trade:

---

PG: De'Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell

SG: Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb

SF: Harrison Barnes, Maurice Harkless

PF: Domantas Sabonis, Chimezie Metu

C: Richaun Holmes, Marvin Bagley III, Damian Jones

---

Sacramento has been seeking a big man to provide some offensive balance and finally got one in Sabonis. 

The 25-year-old forward was an All-Star the last two seasons and might have been again if the Pacers were better than 19-36, and he entered Tuesday averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. 

With Marvin Bagley III still falling short of expectations, the Kings get a proven option who can play the 4 or 5 as a good complement to point guard De'Aaron Fox. Bagley will still get minutes, but Sabonis will be the go-to option down low.

Losing Haliburton will hurt in the backcourt, but the move allows Fox to return to being a lead guard. After he averaged 25.2 points and 7.2 assists per game in 2020-21, there should be little concern he can handle the role with Haliburton gone.

Look for Davion Mitchell to take on a bigger role as well after sliding into the starting lineup in recent weeks. The rookie is averaging 19 points and five assists in the last six games and was likely the reason Sacramento felt comfortable dealing Haliburton.

Holiday and Lamb could provide some scoring depth, and Holiday is likely to get more minutes on the wing, but neither should be considered long-term options for the Kings. 

Alex Len has already mostly fallen out of the rotation and should get even fewer minutes with Sabonis in the frontcourt. Jahmi'us Ramsey could see more time at shooting guard if the Kings want to look at the young talent, especially with Terence Davis out with a wrist injury.