Kings Blog and Q&A

LAS VEGAS - Better late than never, but here are a few chats I had after the Kings' second summer league game against Golden State. (to see the rundown of their overtime loss, click here).

Kings second-year forward Jason Thompson talks about his play...

Kings rookie small forward Omri Casspi discusses his summer league experience thus far...

- Sam Amick

LAS VEGAS - Pardon the lack of blog presence for the last 36 hours, but there was much time spent on old-fashioned journalism as I put together a Donte' Greene piece that will run in tomorrow's paper.

It meant there was a delay on a number of fronts, including my intent to share information about how fans can view the summer league games. It's online only viewing this year, with a $14.99 fee granting you access to all of the games either live or in archived form. Even if you missed the Kings' first two games (or any others), you can pull them up after the fact. For those interested in doing so, go to this website to sign up.

Also, for those who aren't already on our Twitter path, click here to start the stalking and follow Kings and NBA chatter. - Sam Amick

LAS VEGAS - The coverage continues here from summer league, where we've already discussed Spencer Hawes' decision to not take part and other news and notes from the first day.

Now The Bee has officially arrived on location as it pertains to the blogosphere. But before we get to first day video interviews with all of the team's draft picks, a few additional tidbits of relevance.

* Regarding Hawes, the reasons for him not playing that I've heard include a wedding he attended, a camp he had to make an appearance at, a groin that was bothering him and an abdominal strain that bothered him last year and was apparently a tad touchy again recently. I haven't spoken to Hawes, but Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie cited only a "family commitment" and coach Paul Westphal referenced something with his "leg" as well as other personal matters.

Petrie said he has not spoken directly to Hawes about the matter. And for the record, he said he was unsure whether Hawes might play when he arrives Monday. Westphal said he didn't expect Hawes to play, and that he was coming to offer his teammates support.

His longtime friend, former University of Washington teammate and new Kings teammate Jon Brockman, meanwhile, said no one should question how hard Hawes has been working on his game elsewhere.

"I've been working out with him almost every day in Seattle," Brockman said after Wednesday's second practice. "He just had some other stuff going on that he could not miss, and I think he's a little banged up just from - he's been working really hard.
"He's been working really hard in the weight room and on the court, so you know I'm a little disappointed (he's not here) but I think we'll get a chance to see him here at some point. I think he'll be down here in a little bit."

Now on to the videos...

Tyreke Evans, the former Memphis guard who was taken No. 4 overall by the Kings in the June 25 draft, discusses his first day on the job. That day included the signing of his contract.

Brockman, who was taken 38th overall and impressed in his first day, talks about how he went 7-0 in the day's scrimmages.

Omri Casspi, the Israeli small forward who was kept off the court because of red tape, talks about his anticlimactic start.

- Sam Amick

Pardon the delay regarding the last pick, but the Kings took University of Washington forward Jon Brockman with the No. 38 pick that they received from Portland.

We'll have more on him later (and in tomorrow's paper), but there is an introduction below in the meantime.

- Sam Amick

The Kings selected Israeli small forward Omri Casspi at No. 23, adding a versatile wingman to their roster who will become the first Israeli to play in the NBA.

We'll have more on him later, but here's my chat with Casspi from the predraft combine in Chicago last month.

- Sam Amick

By Sam Amick
samick@sacbee.com

The Kings selected Memphis' Tyreke Evans with the fourth pick of today's NBA draft in New York City, adding the 6-foot-5 guard to a roster so badly in need of more talent.

By many accounts, Evans was among the most talented - if not the most talented - player in the draft. And while he is not the conventional point guard the Kings sought, he is a dynamic scorer who led his University of Memphis team at the point guard spot last season and can also play shooting guard. After the Clippers selected Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin, Memphis selected University of Connecticut Hasheem Thabeet, and Oklahoma City took Arizona State guard James Harden, the Kings took Evans their other top candidates who were still available in Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio, Davidson guard Stephen Curry and Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn.

Earlier today, the Kings agreed to terms with Portland to acquire Blazers point guard Sergio Rodriguez in exchange for their No. 31 pick, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The Kings will also receive Portland's No. 38 pick and cash considerations.

Here's a video interview with Evans that took place after his first workout in Sacramento, followed by a highlight reel below.

The Kings have agreed to terms with Portland to acquire Blazers point guard Sergio Rodriguez in exchange for their No. 31 pick, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The Kings will also receive Portland's No. 38 pick and cash considerations. - Sam Amick

Not to put a damper on the excitement of draft day, but it appears there's a grave element to the Kings' prospect evaluation process that had gone largely unnoticed among Kings fans and media in Sacramento until today.

Memphis guard Tyreke Evans, who is believed by many to be the leading candidate for the team's No. 4 pick in the draft that is just hours away, was the driver in a 2007 shooting in which his cousin, 18-year-old Jamar Evans, killed 19-year-old Marcus Reason from the passenger seat of the car. Tyreke Evans was not charged after a police investigation, but the story resurfaced Tuesday when Jamar Evans was sentenced to nine to 20 years in jail after pleading guilty to third-degree murder and firearm charges.

A league source who has spoken to the Kings regarding Tyreke Evans said they have been aware of the tragedy and the prospect's role in it throughout the evaluation process, so it seems certain that they have taken that into account regarding their pick. The Kings issued a short statement when contacted as well, by way of text message from Kings vice president of media relations/basketball operations Troy Hanson.

"We have conducted extensive background checks on all of the prospects we are considering." - Sam Amick

So first, the cliff notes on what I'm hearing: Not a lot.

In the days leading up to the draft, the Kings were far from Wizards - literally. While I was repeatedly told the phones were ringing off the hook in Washington (which had the No. 5 pick before trading it to Minnesota), the team just below them - the Kings - seemed less primed to make a move. I don't see the search for a veteran point guard (by way of trading the No. 4) paying off. The more likely scenario is the packaging of the two later picks (No. 23 and No. 31) to move up.

As for who the Kings pick at No. 4? It's still sounding like Memphis' Tyreke Evans, but today and the in-house discussions that are going on do truly matter. Davidson's Stephen Curry may be the safe pick, and I almost wonder if he winds up being the guy with the understanding that the Kings love his offense and simply plan to add defensive pieces elsewhere to shore up that weakness (they love Louisville's Terrence Williams). Syracuse's Jonny Flynn still has fans among the team's decision makers and makes sense to them on a lot of fronts.

Lastly, Ricky Rubio. If the anti-Rubio sentiment that was so prevalent in the Kings camp over the last few weeks was actually all smoke, then Cheech and Chong would be proud. But there are strong basketball arguments to be made that he would be the best fit based on need, and the business and what his presence could do to help the bottom line is certainly being discussed.

Moving on here, I wanted to share a couple comments from Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie from last night that didn't make the paper real quick as well...

On whether he'll trade the No. 4 pick: "You're always open to listening, but right now we're prepared to make the pick."

On the fact that Petrie nor anyone else truly knows which player will wind up being the best down the road: "Whatever happens in this draft tomorrow, there is not going to be any absolute truth - only some people will say there is. The absolute truth will come down the road, when the truth becomes more self evident. If anybody wants to say they have the absolute truth, it's up to other people to accept it or not."

Now, to the logistics of the day. For those not content to watch from their couch at home, the Kings are inviting all fans to attend a draft party at Arco Arena from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Petrie will speak with the crowd before the draft and after the first round selections. Coach Paul Westphal will be there, too, along with some celebs apparently.

As for our Kings blog party, the action will be on Twitter unless something of more substance unfolds (at which point there will be more blogging before the picking begins). Follow me by clicking here, and be sure to add fellow Kings/NBA writer Jason Jones to your lineup by clicking here. For the lazy folks out there, there is a direct Twitter feed from my page along the right rail below. Enjoy... - Sam Amick

The old line about how 'It beats digging ditches' still rings true every day on this job, but there are those rare days in which you almost feel like grabbing a shovel instead.

It would be simple, if nothing else. No shame in that.

As for today's shift, there was some shame. It was necessary shame, of course, with grown men huddled outside the Kings practice facility waiting hours to talk to an 18-year-old. Yes, he wasn't just any 18-year-old, but the fact that it was Ricky Rubio didn't make the process any less painful for those who endured it.

The pain was eased, however, when the wait paid off.

I was able to arrange a one-on-one meeting with Rubio at the airport just before he left town, just after the Spanish point guard had finished his workout and visit with the Kings. The exclusive chat can be seen in two parts below. Apologies on the quality, as this came from the cell phone camera and there are two parts because, well, the phone rang halfway through. We'll start here, and I'll share some information and observations regarding the workout after the clips.

This clip begins with Rubio discussing how he hasn't picked up a ball since his Euroleague season ended nearly a month ago...

Now regarding the workout, the sentiment that Rubio was underwhelming was qualified by some (including Rubio) with a disclaimer that the format simply didn't show what he could do. And while I heard similar comments to this Chad Ford report regarding the lack of a wow factor (not impressive athletically, mostly), I had one person who isn't a huge Rubio backer say he was pleasantly surprised by his shot and that it was crystal clear Rubio is a true point guard.

Now the on-floor action wasn't the only relevant part, as Rubio spent more than two hours inside the facility after the workout was over. We were told he was having lunch at one point (not sure who was at the table), and then informed that he was taking a shower. At one point, some of the prospects from the morning's workout with Pitt's Sam Young left the building to head for the airport and couldn't help but chuckle at the media absurdity on display (again, the shame thing). Yet with all due respect to Sam - who has a great name and could be a great pick at No. 23 - he's just not the guy fans are curious about right now.

Now to hit on a final point on this matter, a source close to Rubio said the agreement between him and his current team, DKV Joventut, to reduce his $6.6 million buyout had a small hiccup but should still be finalized soon. All indications remain that it is not an obstacle.

Lastly, the hierarchy of prospects for No. 4 as I understand it is this (yes, knowing full well that smokescreens are everywhere and attempting to work through them): Memphis' Tyreke Evans above Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, with more to be discussed about Rubio and Davidson's Stephen Curry. And sure, I'll keep throwing UConn center Hasheem Thabeet in there as a maybe even if no one thinks he'll be there and even though he rebuffed the Kings and everyone else for a workout. - Sam Amick

The Ricky Rubio red flags continue to fall, as the news that his buyout situation is almost resolved is followed by news that the Spanish point guard will work out in Sacramento today.

I've been told by a source close to Rubio that the above report is accurate, that he will fly from Los Angeles to Sacramento today and get on the floor to give the Kings a taste of what could be to come. This comes on the same day on which the Kings have their last scheduled workout, as Pittsburgh's Sam Young heads a group today that consists mostly of late first round or second round prospects.

To review, Rubio didn't work out during his Sacramento visit last week after getting sick and eventually visiting with Oklahoma City (which picks third) in LA.

Ricky Rubio's situation is about to get less complicated.

According to a source close to Rubio, the $6.6 million buyout of the Spanish point guard's contract with his current team, DKV Joventut, will likely be reduced today or tomorrow to an amount where "he knows he'll be able to make the payments," the source said. The resolution of that element of the Rubio equation will, in effect, clear a major obstacle for teams that are considering drafting him Thursday but have concerns about when he would join their team. And that, of course, includes the Kings.

Assuming the details of the arrangement are finalized soon as expected, Rubio would plan on joining his team at NBA Summer League in July just like the rest of the draft field. Yet while Rubio's Kings visit in Sacramento last week was the first with any NBA team in America as they continue to look at options for the fourth pick, they are no longer alone in that regard.

Rubio visited with Oklahoma City representatives on Saturday in Los Angeles, where the Thunder (who pick third) was allowed to examine his DKV Joventut contract just as the Kings had before them to gain a better understanding of those particulars. While Memphis (which holds the second pick) had visited with Rubio in Spain before the Kings or Thunder, the Grizzlies - nor any other team - did not see the contract. There could be more visits to come, however, as Rubio's camp will surely explore all options in the days to come.

Rubio's eventual NBA team is only permitted to pay $500,000 of a buyout, meaning the rest of the undetermined amount will be paid by Rubio. Because he made approximately $97,000 last season with DKV Joventut, his representatives had asked an arbitrator to settle the matter while claiming the buyout is disproportionate to his salary. They also claimed Rubio never signed his contract when it was drafted when he was 16, although he reportedly did sign an addendum last season. - Sam Amick

Consider this the one-man weigh in for the heavyweight bout, even if Sunday's Point Guard Battle Royale involves a bunch of relative lightweights who pound the hardwood instead of other men's faces.

Davidson guard Stephen Curry is in the Kings' conversation, one of four players I've been told will be discussed for the No. 4 pick by what remains an undecided Kings' front office and scouting staff. The others are Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, Spaniard Ricky Rubio, and Memphis' Tyreke Evans, two of whom will be on hand tomorrow (Flynn and Evans) to share the floor with Curry and see who can win the latest round in this fight to be fourth.

BLOG UPDATE: Quick disclaimer, UConn's Hasheem Thabeet gets a look if he is unexpectedly there as well.

I caught up with Curry at his hotel early this evening, when he talked about everything from how he would fit in with the Kings to the fact that he extended his workout schedule to include Sacramento after it appeared he would end it in Washington (No. 5 pick).

- Sam Amick

Just as the notion of Ricky Rubio in a Kings uniform is seeming less likely by the day, there is this unsurprising news: he is moving on.

A source with knowledge of the situation said Rubio was visited in Los Angeles today by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the No. 3 pick in the June 25 draft. This matters mostly because Rubio's visit in Sacramento this week came with unspoken terms, an understanding of sorts that a Rubio promise on the Kings' part could have stopped his American tour with just one concert. But that clearly never happened, and certainly not only because Rubio was unable to get on the floor Thursday when he fell ill.

So he continues to interview away, certainly hoping to not fall below the fourth spot if only because that $6.6 million buyout has to be paid for somehow. There has been talk of a second Sacramento visit, but I'm not sure that's plausible now since he is believed to be headed back to Spain on Sunday. - Sam Amick

USC guard Demar DeRozan worked out for the Kings today, flashing his above-the-rim game and continuing to show why he could wind up being a top five pick.

He won't be picked at No. 4, however, as the Kings have not the positional need or patience to let his game develop over the course of the next couple seasons. But there are plenty of folks around the league who think he'll wind up being one of the best pros from this draft. I didn't videotape any of the action because, well, the portion we saw just wasn't that action-packed. This is DeRozan afterward, however, reiterating that he believes he can jump higher than Vince Carter (at the 3:15 mark) and talking about the June 25 draft.

Before we go the tape, though, it's official now that the Kings will hold their second blockbuster point guard workout on Sunday. Memphis' Tyreke Evans and Davidson's Stephen Curry will now be joined by Syracuse's Jonny Flynn and Saint Mary's' Patty Mills. Florida's Nick Calathes and Florida State's Toney Douglas will also take part. In the spirit of good competition, I've been told that Flynn and Mills both asked their way into this particular workout in a fearless attempt to show their stuff against the very players they're competing with for draft position.

- Sam Amick

BLOG UPDATE: Most of Porter's comments didn't 'make tomorrow's paper, so I've added them to the end of this blog post.

I'm not the biggest fan of mini-blog posts, but it's a necessity since I spilled the Terry Porter beans on Mike Lamb's KHTK show minutes ago.

The former Milwaukee and Phoenix coach told me today in a phone interview that he would not be joining the Kings as an assistant to head coach Paul Westphal. Porter said he did speak with Westphal about the job, but his current plan is to sit next season out while continuing to survey the landscape. He is being paid through next season on his Suns contract after being fired midway through last season. More in tomorrow's Bee...

ADDENDUM...

Porter was fired midway through the Suns' 2008-09 season, with a 23-18 record that clearly wasn't enough to keep owner Robert Sarver and GM Steve Kerr content.

His was a tough situation, with Porter entering as the coach to follow Mike D'Antoni and his high-octane offensive ways and implement a defensive approach that simply didn't fit so much of the personnel. And after he provided an update on the fact that he wouldn't be coming on board as a Kings assistant, Porter touched on his firing and whether he thought it was fair.

"Coaches know you get hired and you get fired," he began. "Am I disappointed? Yeah. Anybody who has played this sport or been in any situation or job where they thought they'd like to be given a fair chance would be. It didn't turn out that way long enough.
"You know, it is what it is. It's the wonderful world of NBA coaching. I'm more concerned on the next phase, on my family."

On his upcoming relocation away from the Phoenix area (he didn't say where the new home court would be) and how he is getting plenty of family time now...

"You do get a chance to reconnect with your family somewhat. Coaching is such a grind, a 24-hour demand a lot of the time. There's a lot of people pulling at you, a lot of people you've got to touch bases with. When you don't have that, it's an abrupt stop. You need to reconnect with the family, and that's always nice too."

On whether he's willing to be an assistant in his next NBA job or if he is only interested in head jobs...

"I really just have to see when (job opportunities) come. I left Milwaukee and got a chance to be an assistant in Detroit with Flip (Saunders). It was a great experience, and I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot. I was blessed being in a situation where you're going to learn. You never stop learning." - Sam Amick

We already knew it was a big weekend at the Kings practice facility with Saturday's workout of USC's Demar DeRozan.

But the team just announced that Sunday's workout with Florida State guard Toney Douglas and Davidson point guard Stephen Curry will also include returnees Tyreke Evans (Memphis guard) and Nick Calathes (Florida guard). Keith Clark and Courtney Fells will also take part. The fun continues in a big way on Monday, when Pittsburgh forward Sam Young will be the big name in a multi-player workout. - Sam Amick

After experiencing seemingly-seamless travel from Spain to Los Angeles to Sacramento in recent days, there is an unexpected delay in the Ricky Rubio road trip.

The Spanish point guard who arrived Tuesday afternoon has become sick today, meaning an afternoon hoops session at the Kings practice facility is not expected to take place. Rubio, who is here only to gauge the Kings' interest in him at the No. 4 spot in the June 25 draft, may attempt to give it a go tomorrow morning. Or, of course, he may not.

After Rubio watched the Kings' workout with lesser prospects this morning and had lunch with Kings folks immediately after, a sore throat and fatigue have changed the itinerary. Per draft rules, he can only stay 48 hours and must be gone around 2 p.m., so that's the time frame with which he and the Kings have to work.

After the two sides had appeared to get off to such a successful start with dinner last night, the value and impact of the trip is obviously hard to assess at this point. It obviously would have been ideal if Rubio would have flashed his game for the Kings' brass, and that could still happen. But it could be a non-factor as well, as decisions like these are made from mountains of data of which this is merely a decent-sized ridge. - Sam Amick

BLOG UPDATE: I've added a transcript of Rubio's interview below the video.

Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio was kind enough to spend some time with The Bee during his Sacramento visit, cramming the one-on-one interview in between his physical at the UC Davis Medical Center and his dinner with Kings officials downtown.

In a hotel chat that came with a few logistical and technical challenges, the below video comes with one disclaimer: our photographer, Hector Amezcua, was videotaping without my knowledge. That doesn't really matter until the midway point, where I fumble with my handheld video cam while not realizing until after the fact that I didn't need to be taping at all. It's a comical moment in an otherwise interesting eight minutes.

After coming from Spain just days ago and then from Los Angeles to Sacramento today, Rubio does not have any other visits scheduled on his trip. The next day could very well determine whether that remains the case, so it's a vital time for this high-profile prospect in that respect. We'll obviously weigh in on his visit and whether he's headed to Sacramento in tomorrow's paper (read story here). Also, there is a transcript of the interview below the video (just click on 'continue reading')

BLOG UPDATE: Rubio has arrived. Let the visiting commence.

According to three sources with knowledge of the situation, Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio will arrive in Sacramento this afternoon.

Rubio, who is a candidate for the Kings' No. 4 pick in the June 25 draft, flew from Spain to Los Angeles in recent days and will now spend parts of two days deliberating with the Kings about their interest in him as a player. While he is expected to visit with Kings officials tonight and spend time on the Arco Arena grounds tomorrow, it is unclear how much - if any - basketball-related activity will take place. Rubio - who continues to deal with the sticky buyout situation from his current professional contract with DKV Joventut - mentioned his visit on his Twitter page as well.

Also, Davidson high-scoring point guard Stephen Curry told reporters in Washington D.C. today that he is heading to Sacramento this weekend for a workout. The Washington Post's Michael Lee relayed word on that front. - Sam Amick

He's not just a fan. He's Tom Ziller, he of Sactownroyalty blog fame and KHTK glory.

In the wake of the Paul Westphal hiring and the reality that the fan voice has never been more important for the Kings, Ziller will join Carmichael Dave tonight on "The Show" from 7-9 p.m. on 1140 AM and KHTK.com (Dave is filling in for Jason Ross). Ziller and I spoke the other day for the piece about Westphal becoming official, and I'd been looking for an excuse to share more of his thoughts that appears to have now arrived.

Thus, here are his thoughts that didn't fit in print. I may do unconventional blogs like this on occasion, getting outside of Bee box and checking in with the folks who matter most to the Kings and their future. Feel free to agree/disagree with Ziller's take in the comments section. A quick teaser before we move on: I may have another one coming soon involving an old friend.

Ziller on Westphal hiring (quotes that weren't in the story)...

"I think there could have been so many more infinitely poorer decisions made. Obviously Westphal wasn't the favorite of most fans, I think. When it all started, there was a huge backing for the Eddie Jordan nostalgic contingent, of which I honestly was part of it...They could have chosen someone like John Whisenant, who would've really upset a lot of the hardcore fans."

On whether he's the right guy for this mix of players...

"It's obviously an offensive-minded team, so you need a coach who has an offensive system of note. I think a major failure over the last three years has been sort of a lack of offensive identity. (Eric) Musselman..I thought his biggest failure was on the offensive side, where Brad Miller - three quarters of the way through the season - was saying that he didn't know his role on offense when he was the most important offensive player in terms of being a facilitator. And then Reggie Theus didn't have a system - the owners called out his lack of a system a month into the season last year. I think implementing some sort of offensive scheme or offensive principles will definitely help the product on the floor." - Sam Amick

We ask the above question because we all know who won the battle off the floor, even if Ricky Rubio wasn't around to defend himself against Brandon Jennings.

Chances are, Rubio wouldn't have been able to stop Jennings no matter where he was.

The 19-year-old is simply too quick. That was the prevailing impression among those who watched Jennings play. The viewing audience was just like the majority of hoops fans out there, largely unfamiliar with Jennings game because he left to play in Italy after playing his high school ball at Dominguez Hills in Compton and the esteemed Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. But as he faced off mostly against Syracuse's power-packed point guard Jonny Flynn, Jennings impressed in a big way during the full-court scrimmage.

Unreal press conference with Syracuse's Jonny Flynn and - more importantly for these purposes - Italian professional/Oak Hill Academy product and Compton born and bred Brandon Jennings. Jennings and Flynn went at each other in a mega-workout that also included UCLA's Jrue Holiday in his second workout with the Kings.

And after Jennings showed off his game in a big way on the floor, he went about making huge headlines off of it. He was asked about Rubio and the fact that he isn't likely to work out for teams and will only interview, while Jennings is taking on big-time prospects The first Rubio mention is around the 1:30 mark, but it gets real juicy around 5:05, when Jennings is asked about the one time he faced off with Rubio (Flynn is on the left, Jennings on the right)

Enjoy...

This second video is more focused on the workout. Jennings wasn't shy here either, pointing out that his team beat Flynn's and how Flynn wanted to go again...

JENNINGS ON RUBIO

Q: How did he (Rubio) do and how would he do to compare to the other guys in college now?

A: "Well when I was playing he only zero assists and two turnovers, you know you tell me how that was."

Q: How many minutes was he (Rubio) playing?

A: "We had about even minutes, I had 12 points, about six assists, that was the most I ever played was 30 minutes. I was a little winded but I still think I got the best of him."

Q: How would he compare to the college freshman for example?

A: "Well put it like this, if he was in a workout with me, Jonny Flynn, Drew Holiday, (Ty) Lawson, and Stephen Curry he wouldn't even be at the top."

Q: Do you think he's all hype?

A: "Yeah because he played in the Olympics, been playing pro ball since 14, you know there it is right there. His stats you know 26 minutes, having 16 points, seven assists, nine steals in 26 minutes, and you have all that? You know, I really don't know, I can't wait to play him though."

Q: Is it safe to say you think should go before Ricky Rubio in the draft?

A: "Yeah, I think I'm a better player think he is, I can shoot the ball better than he can, you know the only time I have seen him do something is when he has a homerun pass or something like that. I think the dude is just all hype. I can't even front you know, I'm just going to be real with you guys." - Sam Amick

We'll be streaming the press conference of new Kings coach Paul Westphal on Friday at 1:30 p.m.. Meanwhile, Bee sports editor Bill Bradley and columnist Marcos Breton will be taking questions and making observations in a live blog.

I will try to join in after the presser. To watch the press conference and join in on the conversation, go to www.sacbee.com/live.

I'll likely wind up Tweeting somewhere in there, too, so feel free to follow me here or fellow scribe Jason Jones here. Jason will be covering the monstrous workout in the morning that includes Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, UCLA's Jrue Holiday and Italian League professional/Oak Hill Academy product Brandon Jennings. - Sam Amick

Here is the press conference from yesterday, with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie discussing everything from the hiring of Paul Westphal to the Kurt Rambis situation to the draft that is two weeks away.

Below we have the radio portion of this blog, from my interview with the Rise Guys yesterday to the Rambis interview in its entirety from yesterday. I only had a small portion of the Rambis interview in yesterday's post, but there was more discussion at the end in which Rambis talks about how he and his wife came to a decision on the matter followed by a few more not-so-subtle digs at the Kings to boot. Also, be sure to check out the surprise announcement from Kings draft prospect and Memphis guard Tyreke Evans at the end of this post.

Westphal, by the way, will be introduced to the media/public tomorrow and sharing the spotlight with the mega-point-guard-workout that includes Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, UCLA's Jrue Holiday (his second Sacramento stop) and Italy's Brandon Jennings. If you missed our one-on-one interview with Westphal from the night he learned he was hired, read it here.

Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie shared his views on the Kurt Rambis chapter of his team's coaching search earlier today, and now the Lakers assistant has shared his.

Speaking to the "Petros and Money Show" on Fox Sports Radio, Rambis had this to say. A transcript of the interview is below, or click on the MP3 file to hear the interview.

Rambis.mp3

"I really did not want to focus on it (the Kings' coaching situation). They put some sort of timetable there. I understand that they wanted to move forward in their coaching search, but really what it came down to was that they have a bunch of young players on their team. It's a project team. As it stands right now, that team is - particularly in the Western Conference - is a ways away from winning.

"They have holes in their roster, and they certainly have to improve as a ballclub if they expect to win. And I was just looking to be involved with that team for a longer term than what the Sacramento Kings were looking for. I think that that's basically what it came down to. I like the Kings organization, I like Geoff Petrie as a general manager. The Maloofs are good owners, but my vision and their vision just didn't coincide, so I decided to turn their offer down and they moved in another direction."

PROGRAMMING ALERT: We just posted my Q&A with Paul Westphal from last night - read it here.

Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie addressed a report that the coaching job was offered to both Kurt Rambis and Paul Westphal before Westphal became the guy. I've already shared my reporting on the matter in this blog post, but here is Petrie's response with questions in between.

His first statement on the matter...

A: "The way we approached this hire was that we had a compensation structure that was basically a pre-qualifying type of...commitment that was going to be needed. So all of the people who we talked to were either told ahead of time or immediately after in their interviews what this structure was. And in order to have a chance to be offered the job, there needed to be some acknowledgement that that structure would be acceptable, which is not unlike a lot of jobs that get put out there. The job could not have been offered to somebody who hadn't said that that structure was acceptable. The only person who was offered this job was Paul Westphal. That's the bottom line.

Q: How much thought did you give to riding this thing out until after the Finals, just because Kurt had seemed so loyal to the Lakers and not wanting to deal with this process during the Finals?

A: "I just think that we gave everybody enough time to examine, analyze, mull over. It wasn't a situation where you told somebody about this and then said, 'We need an answer in 24 hours.' There was no gun, really, put to anybody's head in that form. I guess the question was, 'How much time do you need?' And I think we gave everybody adequate time to formulate their own sense of whether this works or doesn't work. At some point, you want to have a coach, we liked them all very much and decided that Paul was the best."

Q: You had mentioned Paul's enthusiasm for the job, which he showed from the beginning and continues to show. Was it revealing to you at all how Kurt decided to handle the process? Did that say something to you about his interest level?

A: "That was up to each individual person to try to come to grips with on their own. I think we gave everybody adequate time to reach some point where they could be definitive one way or the other, and we weren't prepared to wait any longer."

I'll have much more in Thursday's paper, as I had long conversations tonight with agreed-in-principle Kings coach Paul Westphal, Kings co-owner Joe Maloof and Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie.

But before we put this story to bed for the time being, I wanted to answer one of the more relevant questions that probably shouldn't wait.

Did Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis turn down the job before it went to Westphal?

I was tracking Rambis' status very closely all along and until the end, and here's what I was told by sources who know.

There was 27 days between Westphal's interview and his hiring, with the main obstacle in between the fact that his leading candidate competitor, Rambis, was involved in the playoffs and making it very clear all along that he wouldn't be distracted by the Kings' process. The obviousness of that reality and what it says shouldn't be forgotten.

Yet after Petrie had to convince Westphal to stay in the race late last week, he had pressured Rambis' agent, Warren LeGarie, for an answer regarding what it would take to entice Rambis to take the job. That answer came this afternoon in the form of an e-mail from LeGarie, which was essentially a non-answer insisting that they needed more time and simply couldn't commit to anything.

Without a commitment on the Rambis front and with the fact that - as Petrie told me tonight - third candidate and Boston associate head coach Tom Thibodeau had pulled out of the race earlier in the day, the desire to get a deal done with someone whose desire to be in Sacramento was no mystery rather than head further down the rocky Rambis road won out. There had been rumblings all along that Rambis had serious doubts about the job on a number of fronts and may not have taken it unless the expected salary ($1.5 million per in two guaranteed seasons) increased significantly, and it became clear at the end that Petrie preferred the security of a guy he was also high on whose interest was indisputable and whose terms had been agreed to (at least the basic structure of the terms) weeks before.

"(Rambis) was a great candidate, and certainly being involved in the Finals and the responsibilities there can make it a little bit challenging," Petrie said. "But we felt we needed to move forward. We felt we had three terrific candidates and decided to go with Paul."

As a final note, Westphal said Wednesday is his anniversary and he will remain put in Los Angeles to celebrate the occasion. As such, a press conference won't likely happen until Thursday or Friday, I would think. - Sam Amick

As a follow-up to the breaking news on the Kings' hiring of Paul Westphal, I wanted to share the confirmation of the news.

I just chatted with Westphal by phone, and he had this to say (and a lot more to come)...

"I'm just very excited about the opportunity. I have been looking for a good opportunity to get back and do what I like to do and I think that the Kings present an exciting challenge for me and I can't wait to get started.
"I'm really happy I got the job, and whatever winding turns it had to take - I don't even know all the winding turns that it took - I'm just happy that they decided I'm the guy for them and I can't wait to get started."

I also talked with Kings co-owner Joe Maloof, who had this (and more in tomorrow's paper) to say...

"I think we've got a gentleman who has a wonderful reputation around the league. He's had a great winning percentage, over 62 percent of his games he's won in the NBA. He has been an experienced coach in the NBA.
"We knew that he was very strong offensively, and that he had all those great teams that scored a lot of points, but you don't get into the NBA FInals (as Westphal's Phoenix team did in the 1992-93 season, losing in six games to Chicago) if you don't teach defense as well. He went through some of his ideas on defense, which made a lot of sense to us."

Maloof went on to break down some of the finer points of Westphal's pitch, which I'll get to in subsequent blogs and, of course, tomorrow's paper. - Sam Amick

UPDATE: Westphal and Kings co-owner Joe Maloof have confirmed the decision to The Bee - read here.

By Sam Amick
samick@sacbee.com

According to two sources with knowledge of the situation, the Kings will hire former Phoenix and Seattle head coach Paul Westphal for their vacant head coaching position.

Westphal is believed to have agreed to a deal for two guaranteed seasons at $1.5 million per with the third season a team option worth $1.7 million.

BLOG CORRECTION: Upon further review, the third year is worth $2 million

There are likely incentives in the deal that could reward Westphal if the Kings improved even moderately from their franchise-worst 17-win campaign in 2008-09.

The decision brings an end to a Kings coaching search that lasted 47 days and came with similar twists and turns as the ones that had come before. It began with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie calling for experience over experiments, setting parameters that the Kings' fifth coach since 2006 would have to be have had "some level of success" as an NBA head coach. Eddie Jordan and Westphal were the first candidates, both of them easily meeting the qualifications and kickstarting the process with interviews on May 12 and May 13, respectively.

Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis eventually entered with a second group that also included Boston associate head coach Tom Thibodeau, just about the time Jordan was bowing out voluntarily. Despite being seen as a frontrunner largely for his ties to Petrie and the organization, Jordan was hired by Philadelphia on May 29. Just a day later, Thibodeau was interviewed by the Kings in Las Vegas and was followed the next day by Rambis' interview in Los Angeles.

Throughout the later stages of the process, Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof and Petrie repeatedly made it clear that Rambis, Westphal, and Thibodeau were all impressive in their interviews and that they were all being seriously considered. And while Rambis was believed by most to be the front runner, sources say discussions between the Kings and his agent, Warren LeGarie, stalled for too long while Westphal waited for a verdict.

With the Lakers in the midst of the NBA Finals against Orlando, Rambis was adamant that he remain loyal to the Lakers and focused on the task of winning a championship. Westphal, meanwhile, had grown impatient enough that sources say he was close to pulling out of the race. In the end, however, he was alone at the finish line.

Memphis guard Tyreke Evans has made his Sacramento stop, working out at the team's practice facility floor on Tuesday in what was his first of five workouts.

The dynamic scorer who could wind up being the team's selection at the No. 4 spot seemed to impress, with a lot of chatter about his physicality, length and the general sense that he simply looks like a top-notch NBA talent. Evans said the fact that he did a one-man workout wasn't a case of him being afraid of the competition, but that he couldn't match schedules with the players who he would typically face off against. Whether he's alone or sharing the floor, there is certainty in his potential yet certainly questions about his shooting ability, which can be seen in the below workout video and heard in the interview below that...

The Kings have announced their updated workout schedule, and Friday will surely be a doozey.

The team that is on the prowl for a point guard has convinced three of the best in the draft to face off, as UCLA's Jrue Holiday will come in for a second time and be joined by Syracuse's Jonny Flynn and Italy's Brandon Jennings.

After today's workout with Nick Calathes , DeMarre Carroll, Wayne Ellington, Damion James, AJ Price, and Terrence Williams, here is the list ahead in its updated state (the new stuff is post-June 10). Also, I've included video to Friday's faceoff at the bottom of this post.

Compelling Game 2 in LA last night, not to mention a possible step toward simplification of the Kings coaching search.

The official stance remains that all three candidates are still in the running, but it's Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis and former Phoenix and Seattle head coach Paul Westphal who come with the complications. And a Lakers sweep, it's safe to say, would be embraced by all.

With his focus squarely set on winning a title, Rambis has made it clear that he refuses to be distracted by the Kings' situation. Couple that with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie's history of not wanting to step on other team's toes, and that means the situation is on hold (translation: no negotiations to know exactly what it would take contractually to land Rambis). Meanwhile, Westphal continues to wait while wondering exactly what to make of it all.

There were rumblings late last week that Westphal might pull out of the race, and it says something that he remains. If Westphal happened to pull out, this search would be without the only candidate that legitimately fulfills the initial parameters of experience and success. And then some. (To be fair, Rambis was 24-13 in his partial season as Lakers head coach in 1998-99, with a series win over Houston and a Western Conference semifinal loss - by way of sweep - to San Antonio)

Today's workout featured Wake Forest forward James Johnson and Louisville forward Earl Clark. We'll have more on them in tomorrow's paper, and Jason Jones will likely be blogging later to touch on the others who took part (Levance Fields, Marcus Landry, Leo Lyons, and Dionte Christmas).

Here's a short part of the interview with Johnson and Clark below. Both players are expected to be taken midway through the first round, meaning they aren't likely to become Kings unless there's some movement on draft day (which there could be) or if they fall to No. 23. I didn't take any action video today, but should be able to link to the team's video later.

- Sam Amick

The Kings' second workout has concluded (the first included UCLA's Jrue Holiday). Check out video of the workout and some of the interviews that followed.

The session included forwards Robert Dozier (Memphis), Omri Casspi (Maccabi Elite, Israel), and Jeff Adrien (UConn), with guards Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), Darren Collison (UCLA), and Tyrese Rice (Boston College). Collison and Casspi are seen as late first round or early second round picks and the most likely possibilities for the Kings. Click on the links on the players names to learn more about them.

We'll start with the coaching search, which I update in this story but wanted to touch on further in the trusty blog.

For starters, there's the qualifier on Kings co-owner Joe Maloof telling me there would be a decision "pretty quickly." A few moments after making that statement, he reverted back to the same old desire to have a coach in place before the June 25 draft. That's obviously a ways off, and certainly doesn't qualify as quickly in my book.

Now as for the more recent chatter about the search, there were some relevant thoughts from Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie that couldn't fit in print but are worth touching on. For the first time since the Kings interviewed Tom Thibodeau, I had a chance to ask Petrie about the fact that the Boston associate head coach simply doesn't fit the parameters that were set forth in the beginning - "no more grand experiements," as he had said - because he has no head coaching experience.

"No, that's true," Petrie quickly acknowledged. "He doesn't fit the total profile that I'd talked about, but I was impressed with him the last time (he interviewed two years ago) and he was somebody that Joe and Gavin (Maloof) had really wanted to talk to. In terms of experience, the breadth of people he has worked for is all very good."

Now on to the ongoing draft coverage...

DRAFT CENTRAL

There's just no reason for any of the material being produced on the draft to be lost on folks who always want more, so let's get our aggregating on. (Omri Casspi video below as well)

At the risk of sounding like a blogging Bee commercial, our web site is pretty snazzy sometimes. Specifically, I'm a fan of the feature that allows readers to "recommend" a particular comment and have it displayed more prominently than the rest.

While peeking at today's story on a couple of the Kings' big man possibilities in the June 25 draft, I noticed this salient thought from "Iloveeveryone."

"Instead of focusing on drafting a big, how about focusing on signing Ike Diogu to help out our front line rotation. We already know what we got in Ike, and if the new coach can keep that fire lit under Ike from the end of the season, Ike can be a great player. Our current/could be front court is Spenc, Jason, Donte, and Ike. While it may not currently be 'great', it has potential to be a 'great' front line. I would much rather see the Kings take a good wing player or even another PG with the #23 pick. The #31 pick will just be traded or eventually cut/waived. Sign Ike!! He is the key to our front line rotation."

It's a valid point. Yet while Diogu certainly impressed in his final two games of the season, it certainly doesn't mean the Kings won't ponder possibilities like Tyler Hansbrough or Gani Lawal. For one, there's the age factor (Diogu is 25 compared to 23-year-old Hansbrough and 20-year-old Lawal) and the question of whether older is considered better from the standpoint of who can contribute quicker or if younger with more upside is the choice because of the bigger picture at hand. More importantly, there's the money factor: while no one sees the Kings picking up Diogu's qualifying offer of $3.9 million (at which point he would become an unrestricted free agent), he'll certainly cost more than a No. 23 pick ($972K in first of two guaranteed years) or a No. 31 pick (negotiable).

From there, there's plenty to debate about Diogu's skill set as compared to the others. Yet that situation will unfold, so we'll instead say hello to Hansbrough and Lawal. Be sure to peek at the actual story, then check out these interviews that were taken at Chicago Predraft Combine.

HANSBROUGH

LAWAL

- Sam Amick

The Kings have added to their workout schedule, with Arizona State shooting guard James Harden set to work out in Sacramento on June 10.

They also added Dionte Christmas to Friday¹s session and added Robert Vaden to Saturday¹s workout.

Also, the Gani Lawal workout that he said was taking place on Wednesday didn't transpire and I'm not sure if it will be rescheduled. The Kings saw him in Chicago and Oakland, so that may be plenty. I discuss the possibility of Lawal or Tyler Hansbrough being picked at No. 23 or No. 31 in tomorrow's paper. Be sure to check the blog late tonight or tomorrow morning for videos from Chicago of Hansbrough, Lawal and Omri Casspi as well.

Here is the workout list in its updated state...

Thursday

Jeff Adrien,Omri Casspi, Darren Collison, Robert Dozier, Tyrese Rice, Greivis Vasquez

Friday

Earl Clark, James Johnson, Levance Fields, Marcus Landry, Leo Lyons, Dionte Christmas

Saturday

DeJuan Blair, Josh Heytvelt, Jerel McNeal, Tyler Smith, Marcus Thornton, Robert Vaden

June 8

Nick Calathes (this doesn't add up since he is reportedly forgoing the NBA to head for Greece),

BLOG UPDATE: Scratch that question from the record, as a wise reader commented below that they could simply draft him to get his rights and - come to think of it - save a few bucks in the process by not having to pay one of their three picks this season. It's Rudy Fernandez style, which could also wind up being the case for Casspi.

DeMarre Carroll, Wayne Ellington, Damion James, AJ Price, Terrence Williams

June 9

Tyreke Evans

June 10

James Harden

- Sam Amick

It could be an interesting few days ahead as they pertain to the Kings coaching search, as Monday's interview with Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis in Los Angeles appears to have served as the final step before a decision is made.

There's no reason to think that more candidates would be added to the list that includes Rambis, Paul Westphal and Tom Thibodeau. And judging from the conversations I had tonight, I'd call it a close race between Westphal and Rambis with Thibodeau bringing up the rear. To be clear, that's more of a sense on my end than it is an indirect statement from anybody of relevance in this situation.

Now before I move on to sharing my chat with Kings co-owner Joe Maloof following the Rambis interview, I wanted to add a few tidbits regarding Westphal. I focus on him only because there has been some spirited debate back and forth among fans regarding the notion of him as the next coach.

The Kings announced their workout schedule through June 9. Here it is, with schools and positions to come when I'm not writing for tomorrow's paper. Google away...

Thursday

Jeff Adrien, Omri Casspi, Darren Collison, Robert Dozier, Tyrese Rice, Greivis Vasquez

Friday

Earl Clark, James Johnson, Levance Fields, Marcus Landry, Leo Lyons, Player TBD

Saturday

DeJuan Blair, Josh Heytvelt, Jerel McNeal, Tyler Smith, Marcus Thornton, Player TBD

June 8

Nick Calathes, DeMarre Carroll, Wayne Ellington, Damion James, AJ Price, Terrence Williams

June 9

Tyreke Evans

BLOG UPDATE: Regarding the interview, I've been told Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof will be on hand and Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie - who is back East dealing with a personal matter - may join in by conference call.

Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis is being interviewed in Los Angeles today for the Kings head coaching position, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.

Rambis will be the fourth candidate to be interviewed for the position, joining Eddie Jordan (who has been hired by Philadelphia), former Phoenix and Seattle head coach Paul Westphal and Boston associate head coach Tom Thibodeau. - Sam Amick

More to come...

I wanted to post a quick blog here regarding two topics: draft workouts this week and the Sacramento Professional Basketball League that starts tonight.

We'll start in reverse order. The best summertime hoops action in Sacramento officially starts tonight at Capital Christian High School (7 pm tip). As we've chronicled in years past , this event typically has some big name players involved who can be seen for a cheap price ($7).

I'm still waiting to hear who will be taking part tonight (in the game between Buggy's All-Star and Showtime Basketball), but it's usually a mixture of "local" pros (from Matt Barnes to Bobby Jackson to Kevin Martin), local high-level college players who have gone on to play overseas and the area's best high school players. I highly recommend it if you're looking for something to do on a slow evening, and it runs from tonight until June 25 (schedule info can be found here).

Now on the draft front, the Oakland workouts take place today and tomorrow, but the Kings are expected to resume their individual workout schedule in Sacramento on Wednesday. While I was in Chicago for Predraft Combine, a handful of prospects mentioned their workout times with the Kings. Here they are...

(Quick reminder: the Kings have the No. 4 and No. 23 picks in the first round, and the first pick in the second round at No. 31)

* Marquette senior shooting guard Jerel McNeal, who is seen as a second-round pick, said he has a workout in Sacramento "in the second week of June." He interviewed in Chicago with the Kings.

* Omri Casspi, a 20-year-old small forward who is attempting to become the first Israeli to play in the NBA and is seen as a late first-round or early second-round pick, said he will work out in Sacramento on Thursday. The Kings interviewed Casspi in Chicago. I caught up with him as well, and will have more on him in tomorrow's paper (tentatively).

* Gani Lawal, a Georgia Tech big man who did it all for the Yellowjackets, said he will get his chance to prove himself to the Kings in a workout on Wednesday in Sacramento. He interviewed with the Kings in Chicago. He would be a candidate for the No. 23 pick.

* Wake Forest small forward/power forward James Johnson, who is seen as a mid first-round pick, said he will workout in Sacramento on "June 5 or June 6." He also interviewed with the Kings in Chicago.

The Kings have been far more open about their workouts this year than in the past, so this stuff won't likely stay a secret for much longer. - Sam Amick

Editing stories in the newspaper business can be thankless work, with writers too often not saying a word when copy desk folks get it right (which is 99 percent of the time) only to scream indignation when there's a rare mistake.

But sometimes the imperfect (but wholly vital) process can produce a laugh, as was the case with my story on some of the Kings' point guard prospects today.

Two separate thoughts about how 1) Syracuse's Jonny Flynn was a former teammate of Kings small forward Donte' Greene and 2) league executives are impressed by Flynn, somehow became a hybrid sentence that was worth a chuckle...

"Kings small forward and former Syracuse teammate Donte' Greene said there is little doubt among team executives that Flynn will lead, produce and entertain..."

Since I clearly can't convey the point, well, clearly, and since Flynn is a well-spoken youngster on his own, we'll just go ahead and let him explain why he would be a good fit for the Kings if they A) picked him surprisingly-high at No. 4 or B) traded down to get him a bit lower in the June 25 draft. This is one in what will be occasional video from the NBA's Pre-draft Combine in Chicago that concluded on Friday.

Be sure to look at Sunday's Bee for Part 2 of the look at possible point guard picks (who attended the Combine, which means no Ricky Rubio or Brandon Jennings).

CHICAGO - Tom Thibodeau is in Las Vegas today, where he will add to his resume' with yet another head coaching interview and likely disappear from there.

No one I've spoken to sees him as the eventual Kings head coach, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't show up and make his pitch anyway. On his end, it's a no-brainer for any lifelong assistant. On the Kings' end, maybe they'll pick up a few defensive nuggets during the chat that can help with that cause for their team.

From there, Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis is expected to come into Las Vegas soon for his interview. And while I've been told that he is a more realistic candidate for the post, I would tend to disagree with Phil Jasner's assertion that he's a "likely front-runner" for the post.

Paul Westphal is still in good standing, with a significant edge in almost every category the Kings have made relevant. There's his record (267-159), which stands alone when compared to his competitors for this post. There's his vibe with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie, who had no prior relationship with Westphal but who seemed to gain a quick comfort level with him. And as we said would be the case all along, there's the financial factor.

Long before Eddie Jordan was signing with Philly for a three-year guaranteed deal worth $2 million, $3 million and $3.1 million, Westphal's camp was agreeing to handshake terms of a deal that fell more in line with what Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof preferred. According to two sources with knowledge of the situation, Westphal's price tag will be $1.5 million per season.

Could Rambis come in and wow his way into the lead spot? Absolutely. But Westphal, to be sure, is the man out in front. - Sam Amick

CHICAGO - Check out tomorrow's paper for a breakdown of Kings' point guard possibilities on the higher end of the draft, with a follow-up for Sunday's paper looking at point guards in the lower levels (the disclaimer is I left out guys who weren't in Chicago like Ricky Rubio and Brandon Jennings).

But just six of the Kings' 18 requested interviews at the Predraft Combine were point guards (or at least 1-2 guards), so there will be plenty of more prospects to get into from here. On the overall front, I spoke with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie about the three-day event on his way out of town.

On whether the lack of scrimmages this year made it more challenging to get a better feel for prospects...

"I don't think it's made it any more challenging. I think there was value here, at least for us. Having the three picks and being able to do the number of interviews that we did (and with) the format of the drills...it's just one more chance to see players do something. You get another sense of their actual size and what not....It's one more look. No amount of information is too much, and it's more information.

On the interviews with players, which lasted approximately 30 minutes each and wound up totaling 17. There were four for the Kings on Wednesday, nine on Friday and four on Saturday...

"At some point, you have to make the best judgment that you can on talent. And then all these other things play in after that...You're trying to give everybody a fair chance (in the interviews). I think there's some merit and virtue in giving all the players a chance to answer a lot of the same questions, but sometimes that may lead other places. It was good. I don't know that (players) prepare for something like that, but I was really impressed with the overall thoughtfulness and quality of the answers that they all gave."

On whether the Combine helped him get "a good grip" on what the Clippers, Memphis, and Oklahoma City plan to do ahead of the Kings before their first pick at No. 4...

"I wouldn't say that. I'm glad we don't have to make a decision today. There's more work to do." - Sam Amick

CHICAGO - It's 2009, and the NBA just handed the media two pieces of paper connected by a staple. But because the papers hold the official measurements from Predraft Combine - and with no answer as to why this information couldn't be transmitted in digital form - someone has gone to the trouble of transferring said info. That someone was going to be me until I noticed that DraftExpress was a little quicker on that front, so click here to see the breakdowns.

Of most relevant to the Kings (at least at first glance) is the confirmation that Tyreke Evans (Memphis point guard/shooting guard) is a physical freak. He stands 6-foot-4, yet has a wingspan of 6-11 1/4. That's just plain old ridiculous, and the Kings were high on him before that news came out. Those wings could come in handy slowing down opposing offenses at the top of the defense or helping clog passing lanes.

On the flip side, UConn's Hasheem Thabeet isn't the 7-3 monster everyone said he was. He is 7-1 1/4 without shoes on and 7-2 1/2 with shoes. - Sam Amick

CHICAGO - It's going to take some time to sift through all the interview material that's being compiled out here.

Some of it will be in the paper soon and some down the road a bit, but there's no reason we can't share some of the more humourous/interesting/surprising nuggets regarding draft prospects by way of Twitter. So for those looking for morsels of information along the way, follow me on Twitter by clicking on this page. - Sam Amick

CHICAGO - As I pound away transcribing interviews inside the Windy City Westin for pre-draft camp, the next significant event in the draft process is just around the corner.

Time-wise more than geographically-speaking, of course.

The list of players for the June 1 and June 2 group workouts in Oakland has been released, so I figured I'd share before getting back to the goings-on out here. The Kings will be among the teams in attendance, with approximately two-thirds of the league believed to be represented. For now, you're getting names only for the sake of expediency. Feel free to Google the players to learn more.

June 1

Group 1: Joe Ingles, Damion James, Marcus Thornton, Sam Young, Jeff Pendergraph, Luke Harangody,

Group 2: Jeff Teague, Eric Maynor, Patrick Mills, Derrick Brown, Taj Gibson, TBD player

June 2

Group 3: Terrence Williams, Chase Budinger, Dionte Christmas, Ater Majok, Tyler Hansbrough, Gani Lawal

Group 4: Omri Casspi, Austin Daye, BJ Mullens, Luke Nevill, Darren Collison, Daniel Hackett

- Sam Amick

The pre-draft camp isn't what it used to be, but it's here nonetheless.

Starting Wednesday night in Chicago, the event that included scrimmages among the prospects until this year begins. Quick backstory here: The complaint among teams in the past was that agents of the top-tier prospects consistently kept their clients away from pre-draft camp for fear their stock would fall if they had a bad showing against a "lesser" player, so guys like Blake Griffin would be nowhere to be found. So now the big names are back, but the most interesting aspect is gone: the actual playing.

It's all workouts and weigh-ins and interviews - those between the front office types and the players as well as the media and the players. I'll be there for the festivities, hoping to copycat the Kings in their lineup of requested sitdowns. Here's their wish list, as follows ...

Omri Casspi (Maccabi Elite, Israel), Earl Clark (Louisville), Darren Collison (UCLA), DeMar DeRozan (USC), Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Jonny Flynn (Syracuse), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), James Harden (Arizona State), Jordan Hill (Arizona), Damion James (Texas), Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Eric Maynor (VCU), Jerel McNeal (Marquette), Jeff Teague (Wake Forest), Hasheem Thabeet (UConn), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), and Terrence Williams (Louisville).

The media gets no viewing party like the old days, meaning we not only don't see the players in action but also won't be on hand to watch GMs talk shop at what has historically been an active time for trade talk. I'll have more on location, trying to gather all that is there for the taking.

I also wanted to give a quick coaching update. It sounds like the Tom Thibodeau interview could be Saturday in Las Vegas, but I don't believe that's for sure. Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis, to review, won't be interviewed until the conclusion of the Western Conference finals with Denver. Rambis, however, is reportedly out of the running for the only other vacancy in Philadelphia. And fellow Kings candidates Eddie Jordan and Paul Westphal patiently wait ...

As for the teaser about Greene, the soon-to-be second-year player told quite a tale on the radio today about his Memorial Day weekend. Listen here(about six minutes long). - Sam Amick

The Kings announced today that the interview with Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau will be later this week.

The team didn't disclose the day or location of the interview, nor have I heard the particulars just yet. I had heard that Thibodeau would be at pre-draft camp in Chicago this week (Thursday and Friday), which would make a meeting simple considering Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie will be there as well. Or, of course, the group could head off to the Palms in Las Vegas as they so often do.

Thibodeau and Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis are part of the second wave of Kings candidates, with Eddie Jordan and Paul Westphal waiting in the wings after they interviewed on May 12 and May 13, respectively. Rambis' interview will not take place before the Lakers' Western Conference FInals with Denver are completed. - Sam Amick

Since the Kings next draft workouts in Sacramento aren't expected until early next month, Jrue Holiday is getting quite a dose of the spotlight from Kings fans.

And so we continue with the show...

We've already discussed the UCLA point guard (and other prospects, and Ricky Rubio) in this column, this blog post, this post, and this post, but below is a five-minute video of his actual workout with the Kings Thursday courtesy of the team.

- Sam Amick

Anyone who has peeked at the many mock drafts that are out there knows that Jrue Holiday's name isn't typically anywhere near the top five.

So after the 18-year-old who spent one season at UCLA worked out for the Kings on Thursday afternoon, I asked if he could honestly see himself deserving the call when they make the No. 4 pick on June 25.

"I see myself as a No. 1 pick," Holiday quickly responded. "That's what I'm shooting for. I'm shooting for the best, shooting for the stars. The sky's the limit. That's what I'm going for. The Clippers have (No. 1 pick). That's right at home."

Of course he could settle for No. 4 too.

"I think it'd be great (to wind up in Sacramento)," Holiday said. "I heard that they need a new point guard. That's what I'm here for. I'm definitely here to run the team and distribute the ball to Kevin Martin and (Francisco) Garcia. I think I could really fit in here."

Ailene Voisin will have more on Holiday in tomorrow's paper, but here's the cliff notes on the Kings' first draft workout that also included guards Aaron Jackson (Duquesne), Josh Akognon (Cal State Fullerton), Brandon Ewing (Wyoming), forward Tremaine Townsend (Cal State Northridge), and center John Bryant (Santa Clara).

BLOG UPDATE (4:23 p.m.): Per the below post, Lakers PR man John Black said Petrie and Kupchak spoke and permission was granted. The one caveat, according to Black, is that the interview would not take place until the Lakers are either between playoff series or have been eliminated by Denver.

Just as Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof indicated on Tuesday night, his team appears to be in the process of setting up Round Two of the coaching search with Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis and Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau.

I just spoke with Lakers vice president of public relations John Black regarding Rambis. He said that Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak had played phone tag today, but the assumption on that side was that the Kings were calling to request permission to speak with Rambis. Black said permission would be granted. I should be able to get a more definitive word in a few hours and update this blog post.

As for Thibodeau, Boston general manager Danny Ainge just relayed word that the Kings called regarding the defensive guru this afternoon for permission. The irony, of course, is that Ainge himself pointed out just a few days ago that because the Celtics are out of the playoffs and Thibodeau's contract is up this summer, no permission is needed. If nothing else, though, it could be a matter of respect to call Ainge on the matter.

Both coaches are also being considered for the Philadelphia head coaching vacancy, with Rambis having already interviewed and Thibodeau expected to do so soon. - Sam Amick

Coverage in print: Story, sidebar, Voisin column
***

Gavin Maloof just kept going.

With a mob of media around him at the back of Center Court restaurant on Tuesday, the Kings co-owner and casino man whose team so badly needed a premier pick in the draft lottery kept insisting he wasn't mad at Lady Luck.

Sure they had drawn a pair when they needed a royal flush - being awarded the worst of all possible options with the fourth pick - but this hand wasn't completely lost.

"(Kings basketball president) Geoff (Petrie) is going to come out with a rabbit in the hat, but you don't even need a rabbit with the fourth pick," Maloof said. "You're going to get an impact player there. In the NBA, normally your impact players are top five. And then after that, it gets a little dicey. But again, this is the first top four pick we've had in 18 years, so this is new ground for Kings fans. It's something they can get excited about and help take our franchise to the next level.
"My mindset going in was that this was a win-win for us. Twenty six other teams wish they had our pick. I look at it that way."

Just as Gavin was providing his pep talk for anyone who would listen, Kings director of player personnel Jerry Reynolds was reminding the masses that even the most-seemingly predictable of drafts can be unpredictable.

At the table inside Chris Webber's Center Court restaurant in Natomas, Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof sat with their mother, Colleen, near a bowl of faux ping pong balls while awaiting their fate in the draft lottery across the country in Secaucus, N.J..

And while the party favors were all inscribed with the Kings logo next to a "#1,", their hopes for the top pick did not transpire as they were assigned the No. 4 pick in the June 25 draft.

After a moment of silence at the table, Gavin Maloof collected himself and said, "That's all right. That's all right. We'll get somebody good."

The Clippers, who had a 17.7 percent chance for the top pick, were awarded No. 1. They were followed by Memphis and Oklahoma City. The Kings, who had the league's worst record, had a 25 percent chance at the top pick. - Sam Amick

Things are getting going here at Center Court with the lottery coming soon, but there's news already.

Gavin Maloof just told The Bee that the Kings will be expanding their coaching search to include Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau and Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis. More to come...

Eddie Jordan is no longer the only candidate for the Philadelphia job, as the 76ers last week requested permission to speak with Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau.

That could obviously impact the Kings search, as Jordan remains in the running with Paul Westphal and it remains unclear whether more candidates will be brought in. For what it's worth, I just spoke with Boston GM Danny Ainge, who said the Kings have not contacted the Celtics about Thibodeau. As Ainge pointed out, permission is no longer needed now that the Celtics are out of the playoffs and any communication could be direct between the Kings and the lead assistant so widely respected for his defensive teachings. Thibodeau's contract expires this summer with Boston.

While Thibodeau does not fit the Kings' parameters of a coach who has previous head coaching experience in the NBA, the then-Houston assistant was a candidate two years ago before the job went to Reggie Theus. - Sam Amick

There's one day left until the Kings learn where they'll pick in the June 25 draft, and Chris Webber and the Kings have themselves quite the mutually-beneficial relationship going on tomorrow.

With the lottery taking place in Secaucus, N.J., and set to begin at 5 p.m. Pacific, the former Kings forward will be representing his former team while holding a party in his restaurant back in Sacramento. The event will include Kings director of player personnel Jerry Reynolds and KHTK personalities Mike Lamb and Grant Napear, with Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof expected to be in attendance as well.

Fans can receive an e-ticket that guarantees access to special reserved seating at the party through Kings.com. There will - according to the team's release - be a family fun zone with a bounce house, basketball hoop, balloon artist and face painter, and music by DJ Armon. The restaurant is located at 3600 North Freeway Blvd., Sacramento. Call 916-419-4667 if you need to call.

Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie won't be at the event, as he is still in Spain watching draft prospect Ricky Rubio. While Petrie planned on having two Rubio viewings on this trip, the dazzling point guard who is in the playoffs with his DKV Joventut team left Saturday's game with an injury after just 10 minutes of action. Today, however, he had 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a win while playing 30 minutes. - Sam Amick

Even though I never knew the man, my heart dropped when I heard the news this morning. Wayman Tisdale, 44, had left us way too early.

I had heard the stories from the old Kings days, read the stories about his fight against cancer and seen the stories that surely inspired.

And every time a day of yard work at home meant I would slip on the t-shirt that commemorated the beginning of basketball in Oklahoma City, my one memory of Tisdale and his joyful spirit would come rushing back.

On Nov. 1, 2005, in Oklahoma City, the accomplished jazz musician and beloved Oklahoma Sooner was asked to perform the national anthem for what was sure to be a powerful evening. Hurricane Katrina had moved the Hornets out of the Bayou, with the organization relocating into a city that already knew a thing or two about tragedy and was ecstatic about the team's new arrival.

With the lights dimmed and the arena electric, Tisdale - who had saxophone accompaniment - picked up his bass guitar and met the moment. He carried the tune that came with no vocals, the performance a musical delight and just slow enough for the mood to build and no one wanting it to end. It was a special touch on a special night from someone who so many said was a special man. Our condolences to the Tisdale family. From those who knew him to those who wish they did, he will be missed. - Sam Amick

The Kings coaching search is back in neutral, mostly because basketball president Geoff Petrie is back in Spain until Tuesday's draft lottery day but also because there is much to deliberate.

Ailene Voisin summed it up well in this post, and the undecided options remain as such...

a) Offer Eddie Jordan the job (which obviously hasn't happened)

b) Wait and see how the Philadelphia situation plays out with Jordan, who interviews Friday. He is reportedly more interested in the Sixers job and has yet to find anyone who doesn't understand why.

c) Offer Westphal the job (which obviously hasn't happened)

d) Wait until the Tuesday draft lottery to see if - depending on whether Kings get first, second, third, or fourth pick - the job might become more attractive to other candidates, then bring more coaches in. (Or, of course, just bring more coaches in for the sake of bringing more coaches in)

LAS VEGAS - I spoke with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie a while ago about the today's interview with Paul Westphal and wanted to share before running off to the airport.

PETRIE

"(The interview with Westphal) was good. He was impressive. I thought he had a really good working knowledge of our team as it currently exists. We went through a lot of important things, style of play on both ends of the court and he talked about his development as a coach. He had a close involvement with the renaissance of the (Phoenix) Suns in the early 90s and a long-term involvement with Phoenix. He's an impressive guy."

On whether Westphal's absence from a head coaching spot in recent years (he last coached Seattle in 2000 before coaching at Pepperdine for five seasons, then becoming a Dallas assistant under Avery Johnson and later the Mavericks' vice president of basketball operations).

"He was on the bench with Avery Johnson down in Dallas, he broadcast games for both the Lakers and the Clippers. He hasn't been detached from the game, and I don't think you forget about coaching when you've been involved with basketball - anyone who has been involved with basketball as long as he has."

On what's next

"We're going to talk some more, (Kings co-owners) Joe (Maloof) and Gavin (Maloof) and I, and at some point we'll decide what direction we're going to go, whatever that is. It's still open-ended I'd say at this point. We're going to talk some more and decide where we're going to go from there."

On whether he had much of a prior relationship with Westphal...

"I haven't had any personal experiences (with him), other than that I competed against him and at a distance, as a player to some extent."

Gotta go... - Sam Amick

LAS VEGAS - Round One of the Kings coaching interviews is over, with no sign yet as to whether there will be a Round Two.

But after Eddie Jordan made his pitch on Tuesday and Paul Westphal followed suit today, Kings co-owner Joe Maloof indicated that there won't be a quick resolution to this process no matter the extenuating circumstances.

"I think what's next now is that we've had two wonderful interviews with two very successful guys that have had great success in the NBA, and I think the next step is that (Kings basketball president) Geoff (Petrie) is going to go to Europe (Spain) to see (Ricky) Rubio play in the next couple of days (on Thursday)," Maloof said by phone. "And when he gets back I'm sure we'll get together again - Geoff Petrie and Gavin (Maloof) and I - and discuss what our next step is going to be."

Specifically, Maloof said the fact that Jordan is scheduled to interview with Philadelphia on Friday won't impact what happens from here on the Kings end.

"No, I think that's great that Eddie is getting another interview," Joe Maloof said. "That's a tribute to him, but I don't think that's going to affect us one way or another."

We'll have more coverage in tomorrow's paper about Westphal's interview... - Sam Amick

As a follow-up to the previous post, I've been informed that the Eddie Jordan interview with Philadelphia is on Friday. - Sam Amick

LAS VEGAS - Eddie Jordan is gone from the Palms, heading East again and scheduled to repeat this interview process again with another team in the coming days.

Unless, of course, the Kings bring the whole courting process to a halt with the right kind of offer. And rest assured, they aren't alone in the Jordan sweepstakes.

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Philadelphia has scheduled an interview with Jordan for later this week. While the exact day is not known, the fact that there has been contact makes Jordan different from fellow rumored candidate Doug Collins. When Jordan and I spoke last night, it certainly sounded as if he expected to talk with the Sixers folks in the coming days unless the Kings made up his mind for him.

Paul Westphal is in today for his interview, so be sure to check back in for updates. - Sam Amick

LAS VEGAS - Eddie Jordan had a few minutes to chat before heading off to a late-night dinner with Geoff Petrie, and that alone should be a reminder that he's in a class all his own in this Kings search.

Having just missed catching up with him on the casino floor, I caught Jordan by phone and he was more than willing to talk about the interview that had just gone down with the team's basketball president and Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof. Here are his thoughts that didn't make today's story, followed by the extensive thoughts of Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof. To review, the interview took place inside a room in the Palms Tower of the hotel. Jordan's case has been made and is over with, while Paul Westphal is up tomorrow.

Below is the extra material that is not in the story. Also be sure to read Ailene Voisin's column on the situation. Lastly, the early opinion from the fans is looking good for Jordan.

EDDIE JORDAN

On the Kings' unofficial mantra of "nowhere to go but up" and whether the reality of almost-certain improvement makes this an appealing job...

"No. 1, there's no guarantee that things are going to get better. There are no guarantees in the NBA. The NBA is a tough league to win in. You've got to have the main guys developing. You've got to have the main guys healthy. You've got to get through an 82-game schedule. There's no guarantee. As soon as you think that things can get better, sometimes they don't. You just have to put in the hard work, have a lot of trust, and you know sometimes you have to have good luck.

"It's going to be exciting to see the lottery next week. Let's see where everybody is going to be as far as picking. That'll be exciting. And I just want to take it step by step. Go through the process, get to know Joe and Gavin and the roster. They had good ideas, we had great discussion, great dialogue. We'll see if there's an offer, if they're going to interview other people. That sort of thing."

On whether Jordan's firing in 1998 plays any part in his desire to return to Sacramento...

"I told Geoff and the Maloofs this, I said, 'It worked out for the best for everybody.' Rick Adelman was a terrific coach, they were a terrific team, they did some exciting things in the NBA. I went on to help (then New Jersey head coach) Byron (Scott). Byron and I were part of the Nets (NBA) finals team two years in a row (2002 and 2003) and I got a head job (in Washington) and got to the playoffs four years in a row, did some things in Washington they hadn't done in 20 some-odd years, so it was the right decision. Pat Riley told me when I was let go (from Sacramento) that it was just a bump in the road. He said, 'You're a terrific coach, a lot of good things are going to happen. It's just a part of the journey, just a bump in the road. That's exactly what it was."

GAVIN MALOOF

On how he perceived Jordan before meeting him for the first time and how the interview changed his perception...

"I knew his playoff record, four out of five years (qualifying for the) playoffs in Washington. I knew he was well liked in Sacramento, and the people in the organization all liked him personally. And I think Geoff has a fondness for him as well. That's kind of what I knew. And what I found out was that it's probably all true (laughs)....It was a good interview, and I really haven't heard a negative comment about him to be honest with you."

On what Jordan said about the current Kings...

"He likes our players, likes all the young guys that we have, thinks they could be very coachable. He's very impressed with Spencer (Hawes), Jason (Thompson) and of course Kevin (Martin) as well. He showed us defensive sets and what he did, offensive philosophies, spacing and all that.

On the topic of defense and the perception that teaching it is a weakness for Jordan...

"(The Wizards) had a really good defensive team two years ago. They played (well) against Detroit (in the playoffs). I think that's kind of the misnomer, that he was just offensive. You see what's happened (Denver coach) George Karl, that was the big knock on him that he was all offense and you just saw what they've done. They play some defense."

At this point, I mentioned that the coach the Kings let go back in 2006, Rick Adelman, could fall in the same category with his current team in Houston...

"Yeah, he's done a good job in the playoffs. Yeah, true, you're right. He has done a good job, no question."

On what's next...

"We're just following Geoff's lead, really. We don't have a timetable. We don't have any preconceived ideas. We're just following his lead. When he's comfortable and he's ready to act, then we'll probably be on the same path." - Sam Amick

LAS VEGAS - I'll be moving on to the Kings coaching search in Las Vegas with another blog post in mere moments here, but wanted to take a moment to lament the unfortunate layoff of Jim Kozimor today as part of the Kings' cuts.

The talented radio and TV man was always the finest of colleagues with me, eager to engage on all things Kings and always willing to compliment or criticize about the state of affairs in Kings land. He has always been intriguing on the air, a top-notch interviewer who mixes humor and substance with a light-hearted style. On TV, Kozimor, Kayte Christensen and Henry Turner were a goofy, yet informative, trio on the show which Kozimor says will no longer exist.

Having already left his evening radio show, Kozimor was admittedly stunned by the news. He opted to write out his thoughts instead of running the risk of saying more than he truly wanted to.

"It came as a huge shock and I am numb," he wrote in an e-mail. "I had a wonderful 11 season run and want to thank the Maloofs for this chance. I especially want to thank the fans, viewers and listeners and friends I made in the media. They made this a special time for me and my family. We will miss them." - Sam Amick

As a quick follow-up to the word of the Kings' initial interviews, a league source tells me that Paul Westphal will be interviewed on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

He will, of course, take the baton from Eddie Jordan and do his best to run off with the vacant coaching spot. - Sam Amick

Michael Lee of The Washington Post caught up with Eddie Jordan, who reports that he will interview with Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof and Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie in Las Vegas on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Considering the Philadelphia job opened up today and Jordan is expected to be pursued for that post, this is a wise move to start the courting sooner rather than (before it's too) later. - Sam Amick

The Kings announced today that they plan to schedule an interview with Paul Westphal for their head coaching vacancy this week.

Westphal joins Eddie Jordan as the first two candidates to be targeted for interviews, and the former Phoenix and Seattle head coach is relevant beyond the obvious. While Jordan appears to be in a class all his own in this race, there are signs from his camp that he would strongly consider the Philadelphia job that - oh by the way - just became open.

The 76ers today announced that interim coach Tony DiLeo will return to the team's front office. And considering that every coach I've spoken with sees the Sixers' situation as more appealing on almost every front, not to mention Jordan's more recent familiarity with the Eastern Conference and the reality that it's easier to win on that side, that's something to watch. What's more, the possibility of a bidding war wouldn't likely go well for the Kings considering the Maloofs' desire to keep costs of all kinds down. The negotiating bar was raised a bit today also, as Toronto's Jay Triano was given a three-year deal (although I haven't seen any story indicating how many of the years are guaranteed or how much he was given).

If the Kings eventually lost out on Jordan's services, Westphal's stock would rise and he could have a stronger standing in his attempt to be a head coach for the first time since 2000. Since leaving the Sonics that year, Westphal was the coach at Pepperdine from 2001 until 2006 and is currently Dallas' executive vice president of basketball operations.

So long as Petrie is dictating the direction of the coaching search as Kings co-owner Joe Maloof said he would, it bodes well for Westphal that he is the second name to be officially acknowledged. Jordan has not yet been interviewed, but both are expected to be seen before Petrie leaves for Spain after this week. The Nuggets are currently up 3-0 in their series with Dallas and Game 4 is tonight in Dallas, meaning scheduling could become a little more simple if Denver can pull off the sweep. - Sam Amick

A late-night post on the Kings' own blog reveals tonight that Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie intends to interview Eddie Jordan for their coaching vacancy next week (no date scheduled).

The word comes from Troy Hanson, the team's VP of media relations who is sharing insights and updates in his new forum. It should shock no one that Jordan is first on the list, just as I continue to be told that it should shock no one if this search winds up looking like a whole lot of dust that settles and finds Jordan all alone at the end as well.

Jordan, who was the Kings coach from late in the 1996-97 season until he was fired after the 1997-98, was Washington's head coach from 2003 until he was fired after the Wizards' 1-10 start last season. He has long been seen as a frontrunner, largely because of the element of familiarity on almost every level. There's his proficiency with the very Princeton offense that Petrie holds so dear, not to mention the well-known fact that Petrie never approved of the way in which Jordan's tenure in Sacramento ended. The decision to fire him was that of former owner Jim Thomas. - Sam Amick

Adrian Wojnarowski obviously took the ball and ran with it, but it now appears to be rolling around in the gutter.

There was a reason Rick Pitino's name entered the fray in Wednesday's paper, but his decision to gauge the Maloof's interest in him as a coaching candidate raises one all-important question about his resume'. Does he use Reggie Theus as a reference? Just wondering...

As for the viability of the situation regarding Pitino, there have been rumblings for some time now that he was looking for a way out for reasons of both the personal and professional nature. In fact, our own Ailene Voisin asked Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie about Pitino in an indirect way on the day Kenny Natt was let go. I dug into the voice recorder to get his response, which was...

Q (from Voisin): "Would you look at the college ranks, at coaches who had coached in the NBA, are you open to that?"

A (from Petrie): "Ummm (followed by a legitimate five-second pause)...I think that you have to have somebody that has had some level of success in the NBA at this point."

While my sources had indicated that the Maloofs are intrigued by the possibility of Pitino running the show, the other factors involved - from his current contract to his potential expectations on a possible new deal with the Kings - qualify this as a longshot (yes, I realize Louisville has said Pitino isn't going anywhere but what else can they say right now?). Truth be told, I continue to hear that Eddie Jordan is the frontrunner that for some reason hasn't been brought in yet, even if every passing day means the increased likelihood that Philadelphia puts interim coach Tony DiLeo in the front office and swoops in and picks Jordan up.

As for the notion that they're waiting for someone to fall out of the sky from the postseason, the only new possibility to keep an eye on would be Mike Woodson. The Atlanta coach and former Kings player is down 0-2 in his second-round series against Cleveland, so who knows if he comes under fire if the Hawks get swept. Woodson has one more season guaranteed on his contract, though, so that situation wouldn't be simple to navigate through either. - Sam Amick

Great hoops entertainment last night in Lakers-Rockets, and reminders during the game and certainly afterward as to how Ron Artest's departure from Sacramento meant things would be far less interesting without him.

There was the latest dust-up with Kobe Bryant (see it here) that led to a locker room explanation that started so light and logical and ended as heavy and harrowing.

It's a must-see session that is best viewed here.

BLOG UPDATE: Anyone questioning Ron-Ron's death-by-table-leg story should read about it here.

On the Byron Scott front, I chatted with The Rise Guys about the situation yesterday (after discussing our own hoops exploits) yet have since learned a bit more. While the news conference is still expected today in which the Hornets will say that Scott will return next season, don't think for a minute that means the situation is smoothed over out there. It's not.

Hornets owner George Shinn has passed up numerous opportunities to give Scott a vote of confidence with the local media, and he's sending his son, Chad (the team's executive officer of the board) and brother-in-law Hugh Weber (the team's president) to handle the media today.

BLOG UPDATE: As expected, it was announced today that Scott will return to New Orleans for next season.

If Scott returns to New Orleans next season as it appears he will, it will be because Shinn couldn't find a way to get rid of him without taking a huge hit in the already-hurting checkbook. Thus, where the Kings could come in (even if it appears they won't).

It's not quite as complicated as some folks are making it out to be. He's owed $5.5 million, meaning the Kings and Shinn could crunch the numbers and find a way to save the Hornets' owner money while getting the Kings a well-respected coach for the next few years who most believe would be a good fit with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie. Hypothetically, you could tell Scott to give $3 million back and agree to pay him $2.5 million in the first year of the deal, meaning he would lose $500K in the first year but gain job security in a location he has longed for for years.

Shinn, who is hurting on the money front by all accounts, could find a bargain-basement coach for $1 million and still save $2 million. Considering nobody close to the situation sees Scott staying in New Orleans beyond next season, there could certainly be incentive to make that happen. And for anyone who wants to tell me that Scott wouldn't do it because of the money loss, I'm not buying it. Head coaching jobs are precious commodities, let alone jobs that just so happen to be on your short list of destination spots (Scott has always said he wants the Kings or Lakers jobs above all else).

What's more, there is no mistaking that the soon-to-be-lame-duck Scott sees the writing on the wall in his current gig and isn't real excited about possibly becoming the fall guy in the situation (whether now or midseason). And anyone questioning whether all this chatter is newsworthy, Scott's wandering eye and undeniable desire to become the Kings next coach is the driving force behind it all.

On the other hand...

If Shinn doesn't have another team telling him that they'll pick up part of the bill, then he likely doesn't get fired because then the money math just doesn't add up. Pay Scott $5.5 million, then pay a new coach for a team that has major injury problems with core players and is likely on the decline? That's not happening. Then again, Shinn is known as impulsive, so who knows how this ends up. - Sam Amick

Slow day at the office?

Well put those earbuds in and escape to the world of Internet radio. From talking playoffs to breaking down the Kings and their pivotal offseason, we're here to provide some digital distraction. Be sure to read the latest on Byron Scott first, then delve into the hoops chatter.

Whitey, Phantom and super-producer Little Joe of KHTK's Rise Guys show have been high-tech for some time, uploading some of their best interviews to this site . Here's some recent material worth listening to...

* With Rick Adelman looking to exorcise his Phil Jackson demons in the Houston-Lakers series, the Rise Guys had former Kings assistant and current Rockets assistant Elston Turner on for a lengthy and entertaining chat the morning after the Rockets' Game 1 win.

* Bee sports editor Bill Bradley joined the show to talk about a variety of topics, from the Scott situation to Alex Rodriguez.

* Rick Barry talks NBA playoffs and Kings coaching search.

* Celtics broadcaster and former player Cedric Maxwell talks playoffs and gets huge laughs with some unexpected Beno Udrih references.

* Former Bee writer and current SI.com contributor Scott Howard-Cooper joined the Rise Guys to discuss why Portland should be feared even though it fell in the first round. His written words leading up to the segment are here.

* The boys and I discussed our plans to hit the court together, and eventually chatted Kings of course a few weeks back.

* Carmichael Dave caught up with Ron Artest on April 20. And while the material is a bit outdated by now, the ebony and ivory duo is funny as always and definitely worthy of your time.

* Despite some challenging technical difficulties, I had a long segment with the boys from Rotoradio. The show is an hour long, featuring hosts Tamer and Tom, myself and Philadelphia 76ers beat writer Kate Fagan of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

No surprise there. This Kings coaching search will take a while, meaning there is plenty of time to dissect the ins and outs of who may take over next. For today, though, we offer the raw materials for fans to delve into and form their own opinions. Ailene Voisin shared her take here, and my piece in today's paper can be read here.

Otherwise, below is our edited video of Geoff Petrie's press conference as well as the the presser in its entirety. For those looking to look back more than look forward, be sure to check out the photo gallery of Kings coaches in the Sacramento era.

Depending on your level of cynicism, this is either the lines being drawn or simply the parameters being set.

Either way, the hours following the announcement that Kenny Natt would not return as Kings coach today included unmistakable messages sent by both basketball president Geoff Petrie and one of his bosses, Kings co-owner Joe Maloof. And for once, it seems, they are on the same page.

While outlining the search to the media, Petrie - who has just one season remaining on his contract - was very detailed about what he wants when it comes to the team's third coaching search in the last four offseasons.

"We'll start to cull the list and look at people that we think meet some of the qualifications that we're looking for at this point, and they would be somebody that has had a lot of experience in the NBA, No. 1, and No. 2, somebody that's had experience as a head coach in the NBA, and No. 3 somebody who has had some level of success at some point as a head coach in the NBA," Petrie said in no uncertain terms.

After the news conference, I spoke with Maloof by phone and discovered that he is - at the outset - prepared to allow Petrie to operate within his own guidelines.

"The decision will be made by Geoff and the basketball people," Joe Maloof said. "They're going to make this decision, and I guess in time they'll probably start the interview process, Geoff will, and go from there. Geoff has complete control of it. I don't know who he's going to speak to."

We'll have more obviously, but one final note is that Petrie said Shareef Abdur-Rahim will remain with the organization in come capacity. As for Kings consultant Pete Carril, he said "Coachie" was not in a position to be a full-time assistant coach at this stage in life but said role as a "wise sage" could be attractive to the next Kings coach. - Sam Amick

By Sam Amick
samick@sacbee.com

As expected, the Kenny Natt era has come to an end. And for the third time in the last four years, the Kings will engage in an offseason coaching search.

The interim Kings coach will not return in the post for the 2009-10 campaign, the team announced this afternoon. Natt, who took over for Reggie Theus after he was fired on Dec. 15, went 11-47 during his time with the team and simply couldn't overcome the seemingly-slim odds he had at winning the job. Natt wasn't the only coach waiting to hear his fate, as his assistants were on uncertain ground as well. Assistants Rex Kalamian, Randy Brown, Jason Hamm, and assistant coach/advance scout Bubba Burrage were also let go. Assistant coach Shareef Abdur-Rahim was on a one-year contract for last season.

Yet the prospect of Natt remaining beyond this season was real enough that the Kings had orchestrated a unique contract for his possible return. Not long after he took over, Natt signed the deal which would have paid him $1.7 million for the 2009-10 campaign. The Kings held the contract option on the one-season deal and had a May 1 deadline to pick it up. But now, of course, they will simply pick up where they left off on the coaching front.

The organization that enjoyed such success and stability in eight seasons under coach Rick Adelman (1998 to 2006) has been stuck on the coaching carousel that included Eric Musselman, Theus, and Natt in the last three years. The first coaching search lasted 24 days after Adelman was not resigned, with Musselman wowing his way into the job and a three-year, $7 million deal during the interview process but unable to impress while on the job as his team was 33-49 in his one season.

The second coaching search was 62 days long, with Theus becoming a late leader and securing a two-year, approximately $4 million contract after it appeared Lakers assistant Brian Shaw was ahead of the pack. With Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie scheduled to leave for Europe on Friday and not return until mid-May, it appears this search could be a long one as well.

The preferred salary range this time around is believed to be between $1.5 and $2 million in annual compensation, although Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof may not adhere to their own parameters in either direction. While league sources indicate the Kings did not reach out to any potential candidates before relieving Natt of his duties, they are expected to consider the likes of Mike Fratello, Eddie Jordan, John Whisenant, and Jeff Ruland. Yet in truth, the list is likely to be as long as the process.

Because there will likely be coaches considered whose teams are currently in the playoffs, the possibility exists that the Kings would have to wait as late as the last possible date of the NBA Finals on June 18. There is, of course, also the possibility that a high-profile coach could be fired after the postseason and immediately appear on the Kings' radar. While teams can request permission to speak with coaches whose teams are still playing, Petrie has opted against it in the past.

"You really have to wait until their teams are done playing," Petrie said on May 8, 2007. "Nobody's going to give you permission anyway if you try and get involved and they're trying to coach their team."

While the Kings have the only vacant head coaching position in the league, there may be more to come that could provide competition for candidates. Denver's George Karl, New Orleans' Byron Scott and Philadelphia's Tony Dileo shouldn't feel completely secure unless their teams survive their first round playoff series, while the lottery-bound New Jersey Nets are currently contemplating whether to fire or retain coach Lawrence Frank. Otherwise, Minnesota's Kevin McHale has yet to decide if he will return for a second season, Toronto's Jay Triano has yet to receive a new contract but is widely expected to remain and Phoenix's Alvin Gentry is also expected to receive a new deal.

The economic climate could play a part as well, as fear of an NBA lockout that may be looming could prompt owners to focus on short-term deals for coaches and lower pay. The NBA's collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2010-11 season, but the league has an option to extend it through the 2011-12 campaign. That decision must be made by Dec. 15, 2010, or else the agreement expires on June 30, 2011. Considering the Kings were believed to be on track to lose between $25 and $28 million this season before their flurry of trades in February that included significant salary dumps, the financial factor could be relevant in this situation.

Read the Kings blog at www.sacbee.com/kingsblog.

A couple quick programming notes...

1) It takes a few coherent thoughts or a couple facts worth sharing to make a blog post worthy, but I'm using Twitter to share the more random and less substantive insights, info etc. To sign up, go here.

2) Best of luck to Melody Gutierrez, a classy and comical colleague who has left the sports department to take over the education beat on our news side (yes, still at The Bee). She'll be fantastic over there just as she was over "here," but she will be missed.

The versatile Jason Jones will be contributing in that capacity from here on out, just as soon as he's done covering the NFL draft. He's coming from the Raiders beat, so there is certainly expertise when it comes to covering a struggling club.

***

So it was quite an interesting night at the Roseville Sports Center, where season-ticket holders were on hand to hear from the Kings' powers-that-be.

And while I discussed this event in the context of the Kenny Natt situation in Wednesday's paper, we'll springboard from there to provide some additional coverage for the blogosphere.

The story linked above is required reading, if only because I won't be providing any further context here. So in supplemental form, here we go...

Now that Vlade Divac and Chris Webber's jerseys have been retired, the nostalgia has got to go. It really does.

No offense to the Kings fanbase that had such a blast during those most glorious of years, but those very memories - as I see it - too often keep the faithful from accepting the reality of the organization in its present state and embracing the process of becoming competitive again. Yes, as I remind our readers in today's piece, it's ugly. But it's still pretty fun, because it's sports and because the road to recovery will certainly be full of intriguing twists and turns and no shortage of drama. Not saying that's a winning pitch to renew season tickets tomorrow, but it's worth watching from a distance at the very least.

All that being said, I love nostalgia just like the rest. In small doses, it's a welcome distraction to the situation at hand. As such - and because the Kings will miss the postseason for the third consecutive season - we present a playoff preview as it pertains only to former Kings. But first, two quick Kings-ish sidenotes: 1) almost-Kings-head-coach Scott Brooks officially won the Oklahoma City job today and 2) Quincy Douby won the job that Will Solomon could not, as the third-year guard out of Rutgers picked 19th by the Kings in 2006 was signed by Toronto through next season on a partially guaranteed contract.

Now on to the postseason and how former Kings will play a part...

Kings (16-63) at Minnesota (24-57)
Scoring: Kings 12th (100.6 point per game), Timberwolves 21st (97.9)
Shooting: Kings 25th (44.7 percent), Timberwolves 29th, (44.2)
Scoring defense: Kings 29th (109.8 points), Timberwolves 22nd (102.77)
Shooting defense: Kings 30th (48.4 percent), Timberwolves 25th (47.4)
Rebound differential: Kings 29th (minus-4.97), Timberwolves 13th (plus-0.79)

The link: Timberwolves coverage in The Minneapolis Star Tribune (Story and preview) and the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Story). Kings coverage in The Bee (Voisin column on Joe Maloof's anger toward Kenyon Martin)

On this date in NBA history: On April 15, 2009, the Sacramento Kings became the first team in its franchise's 50-year history to finish a season with fewer than 19 wins.

***

MINNEAPOLIS - This is where it all began, where a two-point loss to the T-Wolves in the season opener wasn't considered so bad because Kevin Martin's shot was off (5 of 19), and because the Kings didn't have Brad Miller and because the young frontcourt of Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes had thoroughly impressed.

The promise wouldn't last long, not with the way they would be run off the floor against Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia during the rest of the road trip. For a night, though, they thought - they hoped - that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad season after all.

Headline YOUTH KEEPS SACRAMENTO CLOSE TO THE END

Origin Sam Amick samick@sacbee.com
Publication Date 10/30/2008
Page C1
Section SPORTS
Edition METRO FINAL
Dateline MINNEAPOLIS

The confidence should have been at an all-time high, what with Spencer Hawes looking more like Al Jefferson than Jefferson himself and the Kings in position to win largely because of it.

But with five seconds left Wednesday night at Target Center and the Kings trailing Minnesota and its dominant forward by two in their regular-season opener, Hawes took a pass from Beno Udrih at the free-throw line and was struck by a moment of indecisiveness. The second-year center dribbled once, then shoveled the ball back to Kevin Martin when he had nowhere to go.

Martin heaved the ball from the left wing and missed, John Salmons' putback fell short, and the Kings walked off the floor having done the same in a 98-96 loss.

"I should've shot it," said Hawes, who started in place of Brad Miller (five-game suspension). "I caught it, overpenetrated maybe a dribble ... I saw it, tried to take up a little slack, and (the lane) just closed quicker than I thought it would. I've just got to go with my game and hit the first one ... trust my instincts, I guess."

The Kings opened with a loss for the fifth consecutive season in the opposite style most anticipated. With so many wondering whether Martin would receive enough offensive assistance to complement his high-scoring ways this season, he had a 5-of-19 shooting night while the supporting cast was far more productive than even coach Reggie Theus could have expected.

While Jefferson turned in his standard performance (21 points, 10 rebounds) that Martin had joked he could do in his sleep, Hawes bested his counterpart with 12 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks that set a Sacramento-era record for a King on opening night.

Kings forward Jason Thompson became the franchise's first player to post a double double (18 points and 10 rebounds) in his NBA debut since Jerry Lucas tallied 23 points and 17 rebounds in 1963. Salmons added 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting.

Yet Martin was out of rhythm from start to finish. He went 0 of 5 in the fourth quarter, including an open jumper from the left wing with 26 seconds remaining that would have put the Kings up by one.

"It's one of them games where I'll forget about it quickly," said Martin, who ended with 17 points. "I cost us a couple buckets. It's just something I'll have to go back and look at on film, because I don't know what was going on there. I think tonight was just on me, personally."

This was opportunity lost for the obvious reason that it only gets tougher from here. Among Minnesota, Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia, no team faces lower expectations this season than the Timberwolves, who were 22-60 last season.

What's more, the Kings had four days in which to prepare for the opener yet will have two practice days jammed between the next three games.

Hawes didn't take long to look comfortable, scoring nine points in the first six minutes as the Kings went up 20-14. He hit his first four shots, Thompson followed with a layup for the six-point lead, and the notion of untested youth as a liability was nowhere to be found.

But the Kings gave up an 8-0 run late to trail 33-32 at the end of the first quarter. The run continued thereafter, as Jefferson scored 10 second-quarter points. Martin's 1-of-5 quarter had much to do with the Kings' 56-49 halftime deficit.

"It was a tough first half," Theus said. "I'd like to think the team who we are played more in the second half ... (when the Kings were) plus-12 in rebounding and (they trimmed the T-wolves') 42 points in the paint (in the first half) to 16. ... I'm encouraged because I think our guys saw that they're a better team than they played in the first half."

And Martin, quite certainly, can be better as well.

"If Kevin has any type of game at all, we beat this team," Theus said. "But it's a team game."

Read the Kings blog at www.sacbee.com/blogs

They thought it wouldn't be that bad. They were, of course, very wrong. - Sam Amick

MINNEAPOLIS - In the it-could-have-been-so-much-worse category, the Kings were relieved to officially hear today that Spencer Hawes' left knee injury was merely a strain.

The second-year center took a tumble (with inexplicable help from Kenyon Martin) in the Kings' loss at Denver on Monday, and the MRI taken in Sacramento on Tuesday confirmed the strain. I haven't spoken to Hawes or Kings officials yet and will update when more is known. Needless to say, he will not be playing in the team's season finale at Minnesota on Wednesday. - Sam Amick

SAN ANTONIO 95, KINGS 92

Game story, Game notes

Box score, Video recap

***

It's not as if the Kings didn't accomplish anything on Sunday night.

They secured the worst record in the league and thus gave themselves the best possible shot (25 percent) at landing the No. 1 pick in June. They secured their place in history, guaranteeing that this season will go down as the worst in the franchise's 50 years. That much was already certain from the standpoint of winning percentage, but now they can claim the trophy for fewest wins (from 16 to 18, depending on outcome of final two games) than the 19-win Cincinnati Royals teams in 1958-59 and 1959-60 that played in 72 and 75 games, respectively. The home-record (11-30) was an all-time worst, too, both from a record and winning percentage standpoint.

And while the Kings were certainly robbed in their loss to the Spurs because of the game-winning Michael Finley three that shouldn't have counted, make no mistake about one thing: they left the door open for the burglars. Come to think of it, point guard Beno Udrih - and by extension coach Kenny Natt - answered the door and let them in.

It's not a coincidence that the Kings have lost 11 straight games that were decided by seven points or less, with the late failures hurting Natt's chances at winning the job every time. They almost always fall short in the most crucial possessions, and finishes like the latest one have been prompting shaking heads on press row - and even on the Kings bench - for some time.

Kings (16-62) at Clippers (18-60)
Scoring: Kings 11th (101.06), Clippers 27th (95.48)
Shooting: Kings 23rd (44.9 percent), Clippers 22nd (44.1)
Scoring defense: Kings 29th (109.66), Clippers 25th (104.11)
Shooting defense: Kings 30th (48.4 percent), Clippers 26th (47.5)
Rebound differential: Kings 30th (minus-5.06), Clippers 28th (minus-4.03)
The link: Clippers coverage in The Los Angeles Times,, and the LA Daily News. Kings coverage in The Bee (Game story vs. Houston on Thursday, Game notes,. Photo slideshow).

***

It's all about change from here on out for the Kings, even if there are four more games that must be played for the sake of schedule keeping.

With the obvious focus on changing their own dire situation, it's certain that there will be player changes (they have only eight players on contract for next season) and almost certain that there will be a coaching change. And if it was up to Chris Webber, there would be a front office change as well.

The former Kings forward told me recently that he would like to team with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie in the Kings' rebuilding effort, rejoining the team in an ambassador-type role in which he could help attract free agents, weigh in on the remaking of the roster and help the organization on all matters of public relations. In an interview that took place before the retiring of Vlade Divac's jersey at Arco Arena on March 31, Webber said he was already talking to three teams about a return to the game as soon as next season (though he would not disclose which ones). And while the Kings aren't one of them, he wishes they were.

"Yeah, I'm definitely going to be in basketball," said Webber, whose official title at present is that of TNT analyst. "I'm deciding now if I want to do TV next year. I have some opportunities (in the NBA). And of course I would like (to be in) Sacramento first. But it is what it is."

HOUSTON 115, KINGS 98

Game story, Game notes, Gameplan for Clippers game Friday

Box score, Video recap

***

We knew the Ron Artest return would be anticlimactic.

That much was clear when the schedule was set, if only because the trade that sent him to Houston went down in August and the Rockets' first regular season affair at Arco Arena was in early April. But this was elevated irrelevance, with the Rockets in the midst of a tight race for playoff position and the Kings counting the days until the end.

Meanwhile, the former King is in a fortuitous position after what was a messy ending in Sacramento. After having his hopes for a long-term future with the Kings dashed last summer, he has become the second-half hero of the Rockets' season after Tracy McGrady's season-ending left knee injury and microfracture surgery.

Since McGrady's last game on Feb. 9, Houston has won 20 of 27 games and Artest has led the charge. The timing of it all was impeccable, as McGrady and Artest had been sniping at each other in the locker room prior to McGrady's exit and the chemistry declining by the day. The new development, though, was that those I spoke to in Houston had said Artest was the one receiving support while McGrady's act was growing increasingly tired on that scene.

Kings (16-56) vs. New Orleans (45-27)

Scoring: Kings 13th (100.26), Hornets 25th (95.75)
Shooting: Kings 23rd (44.9 percent), Hornets 17th (45.5)
Scoring defense: Kings 29th (108.59), Hornets 4th (93.44)
Shooting defense: Kings 29th (48.2 percent), Hornets 6th (44.8)
Rebound differential: Kings 29th (minus-4.94), Hornets 17th (plus-0.36)

The link: Hornets coverage in the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Kings coverage in The Bee (Voisin's 'Divac's Greatest Hits,' Kings notes).

The almanac: On this date in 1982, the NBA and the Players Association reached a four-year agreement that included a revenue-sharing plan, the first of its kind in team sports. Players received 53 percent of revenues starting the 1984-85 seasons in return for minimum and maximum payrolls. On this date in 1992, Phoenix Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons guided the Suns to a 128-111 home win over Portland, becoming the sixth coach in NBA history to chalk up 800 career wins. On this date in 1996, after defeating the visiting Phoenix Suns 97-83, the San Antonio Spurs become the 11th NBA team to go unbeaten over a month, with a 16-0 mark in March. The Spurs tied the 1971-72 Lakers (who were 16-0 in December of 1971) for the winningest month ever by an NBA team.

***

In the land where Kings coaches roam and PR chiefs reign, the curtain is down these days and paranoia is up.

And while the practice facility drape that keeps the media from observing is black, it really should be gray. That's the true color of this coaching situation in its current state. The misguiding of gray matter. Gray areas galore. And growing gray hairs for me, of course, as the absence of black and white indicators means Kenny Natt's status remains unclear.

Public perception is the easy part. The record alone leads to opinions such as the one below, as written by former Rocky Mountain News writer and current In Denver Times scribe Chris Tomasson in a Hoopshype column on interim coaches...

Kenny Natt of Sacramento is 9-36 since replacing 6-18 Reggie Theus. If one were to measure the impact the change has had, perhaps he should be known as Kenny Gnat...

Put (Washington's Ed) Tapscott, (Toronto's Jay) Triano and Natt as guys who soon might want to head to Kinko's to choose the font for their resumes.

Kings (15-56) vs. Phoenix (40-33)

Scoring: Kings 13th (99.9), Suns 1st (108.86)
Shooting: Kings 24th (44.8 percent), Suns 1st (50.4)
Scoring defense: Kings 29th (108.46), Suns 27th (106.9)
Shooting defense: Kings 29th (48.2 percent), Suns 22nd (46.4)
Rebound differential: Kings 29th (minus-5.04), Suns 10th (plus-0.89)

The link: Suns coverage in the Arizona Republic. Kings coverage in The Bee (First of two stories in Vlade Divac series, leading up to Tuesday's jersey retirement, Kings notes, Suns preview)

The almanac: On this date in 1952, Minneapolis center George Mikan scored a then -NBA Playoff record 47 points against the Rochester Royals in Game 1 of the Western Division Finals, but the Lakers were defeated, 88-78. On this date in 1960, Boston Celtics standout Bill Russell hauled down an NBA Finals record 40 rebounds as the Celtics lost to St. Louis 113-103. On this date in 1988, Indiana scored an NBA record-low 55 points (since the introduction of the 24-second shot clock) in a 74-55 loss to San Antonio. On April 10, 1999, the Chicago Bulls scored 49 points against Miami to set a new record low.

PROGRAMMING ALERT: Vlade Divac himself will be live blogging for The Bee on Monday at 1 p.m. ., cramming his monstrous frame into a cubicle at our offices and spending an hour answering your questions and getting nostalgic at www.sacbee.com/live. Be sure to take part.

***

Western Conference powerhouse team is exciting and successful, just not champions. Unable to reach the top of the NBA mountain, their high-scoring, scintillating offensive ways come into question and a conflict between ownership and the team's front office ensues over a lack of attention paid to defense.

A coaching change is made. It's never the same in the standings or the stands. The fun is taken out of a franchise.

Yes, the Suns are in town today, those distant relatives of the Kings who are still trying to keep their story from ending like the one in Sacramento did. Mike D'Antoni, of course, was their version of Rick Adelman, but D'Antoni was more disenfranchised than he was fired by the franchise. He went to New York, Phoenix owner Robert Sarver and GM Steve Kerr brought in defensive-minded Terry Porter to fix what they were sure was ailing them, and he was gone by the midway point of his first season after going 23-18.

Kings (15-55) vs. Memphis (17-53)

Scoring: Kings 13th (99.97), Grizzlies 30th (93.1)
Shooting: Kings 24th (44.8 percent), Grizzlies 22nd (44.9)
Scoring defense: Kings 28th (108.4), Grizzlies 14th (99.68)
Shooting defense: Kings 28th (48.1 percent), Grizzlies 26th (47.4)
Rebound differential: Kings 29th (minus-4.95), Grizzlies 21st (minus-1.47)

The link: Grizzlies coverage in the The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Kings coverage in The Bee (Story on Bobby Jackson's possible return; Game preview; Breakdown of Vlade Divac events surrounding his jersey retirement Sunday)
The almanac: On this date in 1994, Magic Johnson returned to the Los Angeles Lakers as head coach and led them to a 110-101 victory over Milwaukee. Johnson coached the Lakers for the last 16 games of the 1993-94 season, posting a 5-11 record. On this date in 1998, an NBA record 62,046 fans witnessed Chicago's 89-74 win over Atlanta in the Georgia Dome. On this date in Utah's Karl Malone and John Stockton are both held under 10 points in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. This marks the first time since November 21, 1987 that both Malone and Stockton did not reach double figures in scoring in the same game.

PROGRAMMING ALERT: Vlade Divac himself will be live blogging for The Bee on Monday at 1 p.m. 11 a.m., cramming his monstrous frame into a cubicle at our offices and spending an hour answering your questions and getting nostalgic at www.sacbee.com/live. Be sure to take part.

***

This is not the kind of race you want to stay in.

The Kings, as we've been noting for some time now, remain right on track to finish as the worst in franchise history. Aside from watching the team's young core come along or wondering just how many empty seats there will be at Arco Arena every home game, this is one of the few remaining points of intrigue about this particular team.

There's just something heavy about being the worst, about being alone in that category of futility. Year after year, their season of struggle will be chronicled in the team's media guide. Whenever a Kings team approaches that kind of season-long failure, they will become the point of reference. And with 12 games left, that's a very real possibility.

It's a tidbit kind of time in the late stages of this Kings season, but there are a few worth getting into. Off we go...

* After practice today, it's still unknown which injured players will be ready to go against Memphis on Friday. Kings coach Kenny Natt said he's not sure if he'll have Andres Nocioni (right quad tendonitis) and it didn't sound as if Bobby Jackson (fractured left cheekbone) would be ready to return just yet.

"I think he's still under doctor's care and they're restricting his play from standpoint of playing in a game, but he's practicing every day," Natt said.

I'll probably have a story on Jackson for Friday's paper, but he told me today that he believes Spencer Hawes is the culprit of his face fracturing. Against Cleveland on March 13, the two players were going for the same rebound and Jackson bore the brunt of a Hawes elbow. Now Jackson - who declined surgery on his cheek last Friday - is wearing a purple protective mask and looking the part that he had already played in so many fans' eyes - a true Kings hero. Nicknames anyone?

* Oh, the irony.

Will Solomon misses a chance to seize the backup point guard spot in Toronto, gets traded from the Raptors to the Kings and sees his playing time decline the longer he's in Sacramento. And proving that the law of Murphy is alive and well in the NBA, former Kings guard Quincy Douby - who was waived just before the Feb. 19 trade deadline - is promoted from the D-League Erie Bayhawks to the Raptors and has a chance to earn the very minutes Solomon left behind. Douby didn't play in his debut game against Milwaukee.

* Lots and lots of chatter about Nocioni's comments in the Argentine publication 'Ole'' today.

Nocioni did not speak after practice, but I caught up with him via phone tonight and he was good enough to discuss the matter for some time. You can read our story for tomorrow's paper or his comments in full at the end of this blog post, but it's worth reading the original material to get a more fair sense of what he was saying (most, if not all, of which is true).

Kings (15-54) vs. Philadelphia (34-33)

Scoring: Kings 13th (99.97), Sixers 23rd (97.1)
Shooting: Kings 24th (44.8 percent), Sixers 14th (45.7)
Scoring defense: Kings 29th (108.3), Sixers 11th (96.7)
Shooting defense: Kings 28th (48.0 percent), Sixers 18th (46.1)
Rebound differential: Kings 29th (minus-5.11), Sixers sixth (plus-2.40)

The link: Sixers coverage in the the Philadelphia Daily News,. Kings coverage in The Bee (Kings plus story on Kenny Natt; Marty Mac's World; Preview of today's game, Week ahead.)
The almanac: On this date in 1960, the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Celtics in Boston 128-107 in Game 5 of the Eastern Division Finals, a game which featured an NBA Playoff record 169 rebounds by both teams. On this date in 1991, Phoenix guard and future Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson was honored by President George Bush as the 411th "Daily Point of Light" in recognition of Johnson's work in helping the youth of his hometown of Sacramento, CA. On this date in 2000, the Phoenix Suns Jason Kidd is lost for the remainder of the regular season after breaking his ankle in a 114-93 triumph over Sacramento at America West Arena. The following day the Suns announced that Kevin Johnson was coming out of retirement to help his former team in its time of need. Johnson, 34, whose career average of 9.2 assists per game ranks fourth in NBA history, had not played since the 1997-98 season.

***

At this point, Kenny Natt would love to be Paul Silas.

That's what he said in a round-a-bout way on Friday, when the Kings coach talked at length about his job and his future in an interview that led to my piece on the matter in today's paper. Like always, there was more material that went unused, and that included Natt answering my question about whether he had talked to other coaches who had been through a similar experience to his, that of the first-time head coach who inherits a less-than-flattering roster and runs the risk of being run out before he has even started.

"Paul Silas," Natt said inside Madison Square Garden. "I just saw him in Charlotte, and he said (how) he won 16, 17 games one year (Silas' 1981-82 Clippers went 17-65 in his second season as a coach after going 36-46 in his first season with the Clippers). He knows what I'm going through. He just said hang in there, learn from the experience, just keep working hard and things will work out for you. They always do."

Silas, of course, wound up working his way toward better times. His Hornets teams (in Charlotte and one season in New Orleans) were perennial playoff contenders during his five seasons with that organization, and his hiring in Cleveland in 2003 meant he would usher in the LeBron James era before he was fired near the end of the 2004-05 season. Silas added Natt to his coaching staff with the Cavs in 2003, pulling him away from Utah after nine seasons under Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.

NEW YORK - Bobby Jackson plans to return this season, according to Kings coach Kenny Natt.

And knowing Jackson, the veteran guard may be on the floor at Arco Arena on Sunday against Philadelphia. Jackson - who did not travel with the team on their four-game road trip that concludes tonight - was scheduled to have corrective surgery on his fractured left cheekbone today at the UC Davis Medical Center, but the procedure was delayed. Natt said Jackson intends to play as soon as possible. - Sam Amick

Kings (14-54) at New York (28-39)

Scoring: Kings 13th (99.66), Knicks fourth (105.8)
Shooting: Kings 26th (44.6 percent), Knicks 28th (44.4)
Scoring defense: Kings 29th (108.5), Knicks 29th (108.5)
Shooting defense: Kings 29th (48.1 percent), Knicks 28th (48.1)
Rebound differential: Kings 30th (minus-5.42), Knicks 27th (minus-3.94)

The link: Knicks coverage in the the New York Times, The New York Post , Newsday, and the New York Daily News. Kings coverage in The Bee (Story on Rashad McCants, notes)
The almanac: On this date in 1976, John Havlicek of the Boston Celtics became the first NBA player to score more than 1,000 points per season for 14 consecutive years. On this date in 1990, the Los Angeles Lakers retired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's jersey No. 33 in honor of the NBA's all-time leading scorer. On this date in 1998, Karl Malone moved past Elvin Hayes (27,313) for fifth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

PROGRAMMING ALERTS
We're trotting out the all-stars this morning for the "Kings Weekly Rap" at 11 a.m. Pacific as Ailene Voisin and Marcos Breton will field your questions about Kings/arena issues/NBA etc. and maybe even debate a bit on their own. Go to www.sacbee.com/live a few minutes before 11 to take part.

Also, I'll be Twittering during the game again on my page. I already threw up a relevant update, as Andres Nocioni (right quad tendinitis) and Rashad McCants (right ankle) are out tonight. Kevin Martin is back from a one-game absence (virus).

***

In this season of rock bottom re-invention, with the Kings about to see if they can avoid going 0-29 against the Eastern Conference tonight or at least a historic 0-30 against Philadelphia on Sunday, they have had more than their share of "It could get worse" moments. It can always get worse. And so far for this team, it typically has.

But tonight's tilt against the Knicks offers a rare moment of "It could be worse." No, really. It could. They could have Danilo Gallinari instead of Jason Thompson.

While the Kings rookie forward taken No. 12 overall last June continues to play like a viable member of their future blueprint club, the Knicks' Italian small forward who was taken sixth may need back surgery that would end his disappointing rookie season. In the months that led to the 2008 draft, there was always a sense from the Kings' front office folks that picking 12th was just late enough that all the good ones would be gone by the time they were up. Gallinari, specifically, was always the name that arose when they lamented how the top-tier talent simply wouldn't fall that far.

If he had, Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie might have been the one having to defend his decision rather than Donnie Walsh. The Knicks president is standing by the choice, saying he's confident the 20-year-old will reach his potential eventually. The Kings know a bit about being patient with 20-year-olds (see: Spencer Hawes), so he could very well be right. But in the here and now, in this Kings season in which so very little has qualified as positive, it could certainly have been worse if the Italian Stallion had come to Sacramento. - Sam Amick

PROGRAMMING ALERT: We're trotting out the all-stars this morning for the "Kings Weekly Rap" at 11 a.m. Pacific as Ailene Voisin and Marcos Breton will field your questions about Kings/arena issues/NBA etc. and maybe even debate a bit on their own.

Go to www.sacbee.com/live a few minutes before 11 to take part. - Sam Amick

WASHINGTON 106, KINGS 104 - Game story; Game notes, Box score
ATLANTA 117, KINGS 99 - Game story, Game notes, Box score
CHARLOTTE 114, KINGS 97 - Game story, Game notes,Box score, Video recap
(Fell behind on "Overtime" and have documented the greatness that is the Kings' last three games)

***

NEW YORK - Donte' Greene has been entertaining off the floor. We know that much.

But while chatting with former Kings small forward Gerald Wallace last night, I couldn't help but wonder about conversations that may take place with the Kings rookie small forward in the years to come. Where he will be? How good of a player will he become? Will he regret coming out of college (Syracuse) after just one season? Will Greene be the next Wallace?

I break down Greene's recent surge of playing time and share a chat with him in tomorrow's paper, but also wanted to share Wallace's thoughts on the similarities between their plights. After Wallace left Alabama after one season and was drafted by the Kings in 2001, he sparked a lot of the same perceptions that are taking place now with Greene. While he was stuck at the end of the bench during the Kings' glory years, the same questions about his focus, his drive, his maturity circulated about him then like they are with Greene now.

CHARLOTTE - Just a quick programming note that Kevin Martin (virus) and Andres Nocioni (right quad tendonitis) are out tonight against Charlotte.

Rashad McCants get the start at shooting guard, Francisco Garcia is plugged in at small forward, and the Kings have themselves a 23rd different starting lineup this season. I will be making comments and observations both snarky and simple during the game on my Twitter page, for those of you who are engaged to that degree. - Sam Amick

The Kings just announced that Bobby Jackson will undergo corrective surgery to repair a fractured left cheekbone at UC Davis Medical Center by Dr. Craig Senders on Friday. His playing status for the rest of the season will be determined after the surgery. - Sam Amick

Kings (14-50) at Washington (15-51)

Scoring: Kings 13th (99.8), Wizards 26th (94.8)
Shooting: Kings 25th (44.8 percent), Wizards 26th (44.8)
Scoring defense: Kings 29th (108.5), Wizards 22nd (102.4)
Shooting defense: Kings 29th (48.0 percent), Wizards 29th (48.0)
Rebound differential: Kings 30th (minus-5.13), Wizards 23rd (minus-1.89)

The link: Wizards coverage in the The Washington Post and The Washington Times; Kings coverage in The Bee (Kings Plus story; Kings Plus Week ahead; Notes; Game preview).
The almanac: On this date 1991, Moses Malone of Atlanta picked up his 15,000th career rebound in the NBA during the Hawks' 127-117 win over Dallas at Reunion Arena. On this date in 1992, Cleveland Coach Lenny Wilkens became only the fifth coach in NBA history (joining Red Auerbach, Jack Ramsay, Dick Motta and Bill Fitch) to record 800 career victories after the Cavs defeated Denver 100-91 at Richfield Coliseum.

***

WASHINGTON - Today's matchup is pretty cut and dried. Two bad teams whose players would love nothing more than to pulverize the other team but whose respective organizations could benefit from putting another 'L' on their record. Although really, if the Kings compete like they did against Cleveland the other night then the Wiz will be routed by 20. They are a better and more interesting team post-trades.

On the update front, Bobby Jackson (fractured left cheek) did not make the trip and will be re-evaluated on Monday. I'm curious to hear what becomes of B-Jax, as I wouldn't be surprised if surgery was needed or if he at least has to don a "Phantom of the Opera" mask to protect his face. Meanwhile, I spoke with Beno Udrih last night and he said he will "probably" play. Not sure if he starts or if Will Solomon gets the nod. Lastly, I'll be offering random thoughts and updates on my Twitter page during the game (already have a few up, as a matter of fact).

But rather than dissect the rest of this matchup, let's rewind a bit and go over some extra material from today's piece on Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes. I didn't quote either player all that extensively, and that was almost unfortunate because they were pretty good. It was a joint interview that said quite a bit about where their relationship is even when they weren't talking. As always, Pete Carril put it best when I asked about the current status of the JT-Hawes dynamic: "They are rivals in a teammate way."

Shane Butler. I don't know much about the winner of our 'Kings reporter for a day contest' just yet, although we had a nice chat on the phone yesterday. He is a longtime Kings fan who is looking forward to see No. 23 tonight (no, not Kevin Martin). We're meeting up soon, and it should be a good time. Thanks to all who put in submissions. - Sam Amick

Cleveland (51-13) at Kings (14-50)

Scoring: Kings 14th (99.5), Cavaliers 13th (99.7)
Shooting: Kings 25th (44.75 percent), Cavaliers fifth (46.82)
Scoring defense: Kings 28th (108.2), Cavaliers first (90.4)
Shooting defense: Kings 29th (47.94 percent), Cavaliers first (42.87)
Rebound differential: Kings 30th (minus-5.31), Cavaliers third (plus-2.96)

The link: Cavaliers coverage in the Cleveland Plain Dealer ; Kings coverage in The Bee (Story, notes and game preview.
The almanac: On this date in 1962, the season ended and Philadelphia's Wilt Chamberlain became the only player to exceed 4,000 points (4,029) and average over 50 points (50.4 per game) in an NBA season. On this date in 1962, the Boston Celtics beat the Syracuse Nationals 142-110, becoming the first team to win 60 games (60-20) in an NBA season. On this date in 1998, Utah's John Stockton scored the 15,000th point of his career in a 110-101 win over Vancouver. On this date in 1999, Charles Barkley of the Houston Rockets became the third player in NBA history to amass 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists when he recorded his first assist in a 100-89 victory over Cleveland. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain in this elite group.

***

After watching LeBron James' performance last night against the Phoenix Suns, I just had to ask: Is there anyone out there who doesn't expect him to come up with another triple-double tonight against the Kings - for what would be his fourth straight? Actually, it should be interesting to watch Andres Nocioni try to aggravate and outmuscle James, one of the three obvious candidates (Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade) for the MVP award. But these are the Kings. Their defense is horrific. Poor Andres will be flying solo ....

The only way James figures to have an off-night is if he doesn't play, which became a real possibility Thursday night. With 1:56 remaining in the third quarter, and the Cavs leading 86-83, he collided with Grant Hill on a drive to the basket, then fell to the court, clutching his left knee/shin. He stayed in the game, however, and in his postgame TNT interview with Craig Sager, said he planned to ice the leg, receive treatment, and see how he felt Friday before determining his availability against the Kings.

FOR THE STAT FREAKS, WHEREVER YOU ARE

LeBron's last three games:
Against the Suns: 34 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists.
Against the Clippers: 32 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists.
Against the Heat: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists.

For those of you wanting to break down the rest of the Kings season (for whatever reason), get into draft talk, the Kings' uncertain coaching situation beyond this season or even arena issues, Melody Gutierrez and I will be awaiting your queries at 11 a.m. Friday morning. To log into the session, go to www.sacbee.com/live. - Sam Amick

Donte' Greene was still all smiles after practice on Thursday, but he had plenty of reason to frown.

One day after a Yahoo! story came out tying his name to shady dealings between agents and future NBA players and has led to an investigation at Syracuse, he now has Bobby Jackson to deal with too.

After the rookie's car was the latest to be filled with popcorn for failing at his rookie duties, , Greene vowed revenge in an interview with The Bee's Melody Gutierrez and exacted it on Jackson's car today.

Oklahoma City (17-46) at Kings (14-49)

Scoring: Kings 14th (99.5), Thunder 21st (97.9)
Shooting: Kings 26th (44.7 percent), Thunder 22nd (44.95)
Scoring defense: Kings 29th (108.4), Thunder 23rd (103.3)
Shooting defense: Kings 30th (48.0 percent), Thunder 26th (47.43)
Rebound differential: Kings 29th (minus-5.3), Thunder sixth (plus-2.63)

The link: Thunder coverage in the Oklahoman; Kings coverage in The Bee.
The almanac: On this date in 1961, Wilt Chamberlain became the first NBA player to score 3,000 points in a season while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors. On this date in 1963, Chamberlain, playing for the San Francisco Warriors, scored 70 points in a 163-148 loss to Syracuse, one of six 70-plus point games in his career. On this date in 1985, Dallas coach and former Kings coach Dick Motta became the fourth NBA coach to record his 700th career victory as the Mavericks beat New Jersey 126-113. On this date in 2002, Utah point guard John Stockton registered 13 assists in a 95-92 loss to Houston to improve his career assist total to 15,000 and become the only player in NBA history to reach that plateau.

***

They're rooting for local boy Blake Griffin in Oklahoma City while hootin' and hollerin' for the local Thunder, too, and those contrasting messages clearly have this team conflicted.

Four wins in five games for former Kings assistant and interim Thunder coach Scott Brooks and his squad has pulled the Thunder a tad further from the likelihood of landing Griffin come June, when the Oklahoma product who won four state titles at Oklahoma Christian High School will be the likely No. 1 and the Kings surely hope he goes a long way from home ("Welcome to Cali, Blake, even if you're nowhere near the surf's-up zone. You like train museums?").

Oklahoma City's surge has come without Kevin Durant for all five games and without Jeff Green for four. The absence of both players to injury (Durant ankle, Green back) may have revealed potential chemistry and flow problems that may have been there all along with this bunch. Durant and Green are and should be the core pieces, to be sure, but something's going right with their running mates with them gone and it'll be up to Brooks to maximize the masses when they return (no Durant tonight and Green is questionable). Translation: Keep everyone involved and don't force-feed Durant to the point of bringing the offense to its knees. Brooks was here when Ron Artest and John Salmons would share floor time, after all, so he has seen that act before.

It will be interesting to see how the Thunder finishes, as there is motive to entertain and excite the loyal new fan base but also incentive to pair Durant with a frontcourt freak like Griffin. Eleven of its final 19 games are on the road, where the Thunder is 4-26 this season. Thirteen of the 19 games come against "playoff" teams (quotations because I included Chicago and Milwaukee, teams that are vying for the final spot in the East).

Brooks would love to win in his home region for the first time as a head coach, as the Manteca native watched in agony as his team fell 122-118 in overtime at Arco Arena on Feb. 1. The Thunder defended its home floor Feb. 8, winning 116-113 when Durant had 39 points. - Sam Amick

KINGS 114, DENVER 106

Game story, Game notes

Box score, Video recap

***

It would have been a good night to have a clone.

A Kings win meant a trip to the Kings locker room was a must, which is the case even after most losses. But from chatting with The Denver Post's Chris Dempsey afterward, it sounds as if a visit to the visitor's locker room would have been far more interesting.

The woe traded sides for a night, as the depressed Denver Nuggets finally woke up and realized how much of a must-win that game was right about the time it was over.

"We have to know how important these games are," said Denver point guard Chauncey Billups, who had 22 points and eight assists. "These are the games you look at at the end of the year and say, 'Man, if we could have just taken care of business in that game, we could have had home court (advantage).' I don't think we really understand the importance of these games."

Join Scott Howard-Cooper, Melody Gutierrez and myself at 11 a.m. to discuss anything and everything about the Kings and NBA - http://www.sacbee.com/live

Get your submission in now for our 'Reporter for a day' contest. We will definitely have a good time, with the winner hanging with myself and other Bee folks before, during (courtside) and after Kings v. Cleveland (yes, LeBron plays for that team) on March 13. Enter now by clicking here for more details. - Sam Amick

INDIANA 117, KINGS 109

Game story, Game notes, Photo slideshow

Box score, Video recap

Day-after story on defense

Follow-up arena piece on how badly Cal Expo needs NBA's plan

***

Four days between Kings games and the reality that this team is 13-49 means this is the time to discuss other topics. And beyond the fact that candid rip-jobs like the one Shaquille O'Neal just unleashed on Stan Van Gundy are worth reading and watching on their own merits, there is a small Kings tie-in here.

With the backdrop of the Kings' coaching carousel that took them from Rick Adelman to Eric Musselman to Reggie Theus and Kenny Natt, there has been a widely held notion that Van Gundy as Kings coach would have been better than the rest. Of course, Stan the Man left the Kings at the altar and later admitted he hadn't handled the situation very well at all.

But among the many things Shaq accuses Van Gundy of is of being a "front-runner," which leads me to wonder how Stan could have been with a Kings roster that is a relative D-League roster compared to what the Magic have. Would he have developed the youngsters and ushered in a new, more promising era in a less dysfunctional way, or would he have hit the panic button the way O'Neal insists he always will? The verbal backhands from O'Neal also set up an interesting subplot to the postseason. While no one expects to see Suns-Magic in the Finals, we can at least watch Van Gundy when it matters most and see if he proves Shaq right or wrong.

MALOOFS MAKE SACRIFICES TOO

I've been meaning to follow up with a few notes in regards to recent coverage and offer a couple of disclaimers ...

According to a source close to Drew Gooden, the forward who was waived by the Kings on Sunday, has agreed to sign with San Antonio. - Sam Amick

UTAH 102, KINGS 89

Game story, Game notes

Voisin column on Kings' plans to lower ticket prices

Box score, Video recap

***

We're going short with this 'Overtime,' in part because it's so delayed and also because it's been a tricky enough day on the coverage front.

A 700-word story about the Kings' light schedule ahead (three games in 12 days) and what effect it could have on Kenny Natt's chances of landing the Kings job next season was swapped out because of the news of Drew Gooden's buyout. The negotiations were getting close around 7:30 p.m. and wrapped up around 8 p.m. before the Kings confirmed the news later.

The Kings obviously didn't see a future for the free-agent-to-be Gooden in Sacramento, so they cut him loose while saving $2 million and having almost all of his remaining salary from this season covered. If I'm sharing my educated guess on where he goes after clearing waivers, I say he's headed for San Antonio.

Speaking of where Kings will wind up, the NBA's deadline for relocation came and went on Sunday without anyone alerting me (or anyone else) that the end had arrived in Sacramento. There was a brief time a few weeks ago when some folks around the organization began to wonder if the Maloofs would shock the world and get out for next season, but that was never realistic. As for filing those papers by this time next year, all bets are off.

* One quick note: I've entered the world of Twitter and have been using that forum for random thoughts, tidbits and updates that can come by way of my phone (whereas a blog requires being in front of the computer). Feel free to follow...

Since I'm short on content this time around, I'll lean on the good ol' Rise Guys over at KHTK for a couple of recent segments.

Mayor Kevin Johnson talks about the Cal Expo proposal unveiling

The boys and I break down the Kings' trades

Kevin Martin's personal coach and ESPN analyst, David Thorpe, talks about his prized pupil and his team (As a side note, Martin nearly didn't play at Utah on Saturday after tweaking his left ankle a few games ago. The upcoming off days should be huge for him, though; as an additional sidenote/review, I spent some time at Thorpe's facility in Florida last summer for this piece.)
- Sam Amick

UPDATE (8:16 P.M.): Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie has confirmed the buyout.

"It's something going forward that we think made sense for us given where we are, and it made sense for him," Petrie said this evening by cell phone. "It got done about 25 minutes ago."

***

Drew Gooden's Sacramento stay is over.

The forward acquired Feb. 18 in the six-player trade with Chicago has agreed to a buyout agreement with the Kings and has been waived, according to sources close to Gooden with knowledge of the situation. He has an expiring contract and is owed $7.1 million this season, but Gooden had an interest in joining a playoff team in the season's final months. To do so, he had to be waived before tonight's 9 p.m. Pacific deadline for postseason roster eligibility. The Kings, according to the sources, saved approximately $2 million in the deal.

Gooden - who had been exploring this option in recent days - will likely be on his way to a more competitive team. Cleveland could be a possibility, as could San Antonio.

While Gooden has missed his last two games with a groin injury that kept him out of action from Jan. 19 until his Kings debut on Wednesday, he remains committed to playing "until the wheels fall off" this season, as he said recently. While Gooden wasn't fully healthy in his one game with the Kings against Charlotte, he had 12 points and 13 rebounds in 26 minutes before leaving the floor hobbling in the fourth quarter. - Sam Amick

Drew Gooden's Sacramento stay may be over soon.

The forward acquired Feb. 18 in the six-player trade with Chicago is close to a buyout agreement with the Kings, according to sources close to Gooden with knowledge of the situation. He has an expiring contract and is owed $7.1 million this season, but Gooden has interest in joining a playoff team before tonight's 9 p.m. Pacific deadline for postseason roster eligibility while the Kings have a raised interest in saving money. He would have to be waived by the deadline to be able to join a new team.

While the agreement hasn't been finalized, it appears on track to be completed and Gooden - who had been exploring this option in recent days - will likely be on his way to a more competitive team. Cleveland could be a possibility, as could San Antonio.

While Gooden has missed his last two games with a groin injury that kept him out of action from Jan. 19 until his Kings debut on Wednesday, he remains committed to playing "until the wheels fall off" this season, as he said recently. While Gooden wasn't fully healthy in his one game with the Kings against Charlotte, he had 12 points and 13 rebounds in 26 minutes before leaving the floor hobbling in the fourth quarter. - Sam Amick

UPDATE: The board has approved by a 7-2 vote the plan to move forward and the search for a developer is on.

***

We've had discussions of varying kinds all day long on all things Kings, from the arena to the actual team and what the future holds on all fronts. And before we move on to the multimedia, it should be noted that KHTK is reporting the Cal Expo board may vote on the proposal tonight rather than wait for the March 30 deadline.

For those who missed it...

Live blog (hit 'Completed events' and then hit 'Replay live blog')

Cal Expo story on the unveiling

Twitter updates from Arena board meeting at Cal Expo - Sam Amick

A few quick updates from today's practice...

* New forward Drew Gooden will make his Kings debut tomorrow against Charlotte at Arco Arena. He says he'll play "until the wheels fall off" this season after dealing with a tricky groin injury.

* Mikki Moore is headed for Boston, according to the Rocky Mountain News. He'll be a great fit there. Look forward to seeing you do your thing and maybe get a ring, big fella. - Sam Amick

DALLAS 116, KINGS 95

Game story, Game notes

Box score (Video not available)

Day-after story on Kings' meet-and-greet practice

Meet the Kings' new men chart with predictions as to whether each guy returns next season (although I have no idea where Nocioni disappeared to, as he was on the list that was originally sent in. We'll use this opportunity as an incentive to read this entire post, as I'll republish my thoughts on Nocioni at the very end)

Ailene Voisin's column on the late Larry Miller

Kings week ahead (with weekly Fire and Ice feature)

***

No, this edition of "Overtime" wasn't delayed because it was a day on the greens (Yes, I play occassionally; And, no, I'm not any good), it was pushed back because of yet another technology malfunction.

This time it was ye' old trusty laptop taking a fatal spill. And in the spirit of the Academy Awards that were front and center tonight, we offer a screenplay version of this digital death...

KINGS 115, MEMPHIS 106

Game story, Game notes, Preview of tonight's game at Dallas

Box score, Video recap

***

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Despite what this piece of paper said...

...there wasn't anything close to that many people at the game on Friday night. And that was a good thing for me, as it meant I could move up a few rows from my assigned media seat and observe from an arm's reach of Kings coach Kenny Natt and his team. I was told the vacant front-row seat goes for $275. And because this was the perfect night to be that close, it was worth every penny I didn't spend.

After months of watching a group that has had less chemistry than a team of unemployed scientists, this was different. Whether it was the recent roster shakeup or the post-All Star break second wind or maybe the sheer adrenaline rush of playing in such an electric environment (rim shot, please), a funny thing happened on the way to the FedEx Forum.

The Kings had fun.

MEMPHIS - The meet and greet hasn't started just yet, as the Kings have seven new names on their roster but they have yet to see any new faces.

Put it this way: the Kings currently have just one more player present at FedEx Forum than they have coming their way in the days to come (eight to seven).

Specifically, Willie Solomon was scheduled to take part after coming from Toronto to Memphis but has apparently missed a number of flights and isn't likely to make it. Nor will Ike Diogu, who I thought was coming but won't be here (although, truthfully, Kings coach Kenny Natt pointed out to me that he hadn't said that in our phone conversation last night and I may simply have not been listening well enough due to trade deadline fatigue).

The Donte' Greene show? - Sam Amick

By Sam Amick
samick@sacbee.com

According to a league source, the Kings ended an active trade season by squeezing in one last deal before today's noon deadline.

In a three-team trade, the Kings receive Will Solomon and cash considerations from Toronto, with the Raptors acquiring Patrick O'Bryant from the Celtics and Boston getting a conditional future second round pick from the Kings. Solomon is a second-year point guard out of Clemson who has an expiring contract worth $711,517 this season. According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the Kings received approximately $500,000 in the deal for Solomon.

It was the second move made by the Kings on the final day, as they sent forward Shelden Williams and point guard Bobby Brown to Minnesota in exchange for fourth-year guard Rashad McCants and veteran big man Calvin Booth during the morning portion of the final day of trading.

On the financial front, the deal - which is done but pending league approval - takes the Kings off the hook for the $736,420 owed to Brown next season (player option) while giving them two players who have expiring contracts in McCants ($2.6 million, restricted free agent this summer) and Booth ($1.1 million). On the floor, McCants enters as a fiery addition to the backcourt who will be looking to breathe new life into his career in Sacramento after falling out of the TImberwolves' rotation this season. The 6-foot-4, North Carolina product who was drafted 14th overall in 2005 scored a season-high 23 points at New York on Dec. 26, but has struggled to find minutes or make an impact otherwise. Booth hasn't played this season.

With Williams and Brown leaving Sacramento, they become the latest Kings experiments that simply didn't pay off. Brown was signed last summer as a hot commodity, an undrafted point guard out of Cal State Fullerton who played one season in Germany and drew league-wide interest during July's summer league in Las Vegas in which he flourished while playing with New Orleans. Yet even with Kings starting point guard Beno Udrih struggling this season, Brown didn't pan out as Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie hoped.

Williams was the No. 5 pick out of Duke in the 2006 draft who came to the Kings from Atlanta on Feb. 16, 2008, in the trade that sent Mike Bibby to the Hawks. The Kings had hoped he would prove his critics wrong in Sacramento, but he struggled to find playing time and had little impact during his stay.

The Kings had a late flurry of action during trade season, trading Brad Miller and John Salmons to Chicago on Wednesday in exchange for forwards Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons and Michael Ruffin. Ruffin was then sent to Portland for forward Ike Diogu. In a phone interview with The Bee on Thursday, he said he will fly to Sacramento on Friday and plans on playing in Saturday's game at Dallas. The players must still pass physicals for the deal to be finalized.

On an active day for the Kings in which they narrowly missed out on a deal that would have sent forward Kenny Thomas to New York for point guard Nate Robinson and forward Jared Jeffries, they also waived forward Mikki Moore. The veteran had only $2 million guaranteed of his $6.2 million salary for next season if he was cut by June 20.

"I'm kind of glad that I'm leaving Sacramento because I thought that I was going to make a home here," Moore said by phone. "Especially after having a good season in New Jersey, I thought that they wanted me and needed me here. So I was looking forward to retiring here, but it just didn't work out that way.
"(But) these are the last years of my career, so I've got to get somewhere where I'm wanted. I'm looking forward to doing something."

Read the Kings blog at www.sacbee.com/kingsblog.

By Sam Amick
samick@sacbee.com

The Kings have agreed on a trade to send forward Shelden Williams and point guard Bobby Brown to Minnesota in exchange for fourth-year guard Rashad McCants and veteran big man Calvin Booth, according to two league sources.

On the financial front, the deal - which is done but pending league approval - takes the Kings off the hook for the $736,420 owed to Brown next season (player option) while giving them two players who have expiring contracts in McCants ($2.6 million, restricted free agent this summer) and Booth ($1.1 million). On the floor, McCants enters as a fiery addition to the backcourt who will be looking to breath new life into his career in Sacramento after falling out of the TImberwolves' rotation this season. The 6-foot-4, North Carolina product who was drafted 14th overall in 2005 scored a season-high 23 points at New York on Dec. 26, but has struggled to find minutes or make an impact otherwise. Booth hasn't played this season.

With Williams and Brown leaving Sacramento, they become the latest Kings experiments that simply didn't pay off. Brown was signed last summer as a hot commodity, an undrafted point guard out of Cal State Fullerton who played one season in Germany and drew league-wide interest during July's summer league in Las Vegas in which he flourished while playing wtih New Orleans. Yet even with Kings starting point guard Beno Udrih struggling this season, Brown didn't pan out as Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie had hoped.

Williams was the No. 5 pick out of Duke in the 2006 draft who came to the Kings from Atlanta on Feb. 16, 2008 in the trade that sent Mike Bibby to the Hawks. The Kings had hoped he would prove his critics wrong in Sacramento, but he struggled to find playing time and had little impact during his year-long stay.

Read the Kings blog at www.sacbee.com/kingsblog.

The directions, copied and pasted from yesterday's fun, with this thread to be updated until today's noon deadline...

It basically goes like this: hit refresh, then hit it again a little while later, then hit it again. I'll be updating this particular post with chatter of the day, although I can't adhere to any sort of update quota because I just don't know how it will go. In the event something more formal goes down, we'll break off and cover a trade in the more conventional form (an actual story).

(3:45 a.m.)

* Consider this is a teaser for the morning (Good gracious, I hope I wake up). The Bulls-Kings deal should be just fine in terms of becoming official, but Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie indicated that Drew Gooden has a groin injury that may be problematic in terms of the physical. I don't see it as a deal-breaker, but I'm starting to wonder what kind of shape Gooden will be in and whether he is in the rotation anytime soon.

* The possibilities for the final hours are too wide-ranging too speculate across the board, but Petrie certainly didn't indicate the Kings were done and there were other signs that it could be an active morning. We shall see...

(7:47 a.m.)

And we're off...

ATLANTA 105, KINGS 100

Game story, Game notes, Photo slideshow

Trade story

New Kings at a glance

Ailene Voisin column on trade

Box score, Video recap

***

The games will matter again at some point, but just not now.

But while the Brad Miller-John Salmons trade was certainly creating plenty of buzz at Arco Arena on Wednesday, it had stiff competition in that department. With one paragraph in a Newsday story, an already-shaky culture inside Arco Arena was jostled even more with the reported revelation that the root of the Maloofs' financial troubles was tied to the Bernard Madoff scandal.

One team that is believed to have asked about (Stephon) Marbury is the Sacramento Kings, a franchise believed to be in serious financial distress because its owners, the Maloof family, lost hundreds of millions in the alleged Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme.

Within hours, that paragraph was removed from the story and all indications are that it was simply a bad mistake. The writer, Alan Hahn, said to me via e-mail that he was contacted by a representative of the Maloofs who informed him that his information was incorrect. I was told from the Kings side that it was Donna Lucas, the Maloof's public relations consultant and spokeswoman who relayed word that the Maloofs claim to have had no connections whatsoever to the scandal. Kings vice president of media relations and basketball operations Troy Hanson said he had spoken to Gavin Maloof about the issue and was told it was simply not true. What's more, a Department of Justice list of victims has no mention of any Maloofs.

Departed Kings Brad Miller and John Salmons have spoken for the first time about today's trade. The trade has been officially announced.

I spoke with Salmons a while ago by phone, and the transcribed interview is below. I haven't caught up with Miller yet, but I'm told he had an emotional chat courtside at Arco Arena with KHTK's Grant Napear and Mike Lamb that can be heard by clicking here. The Bee's Melody Gutierrez caught up with Brad at Arco as well, and she reports that Miller was emotional all over again in recounting his time in Sacramento. We should have that audio up on this blog post later in the night as well, so be sure to check back.

SALMONS

On his reaction to the trade

"Right now it's just shock. I really don't have any emotion to it right now...I wasn't 100 percent (sure he was being traded), because (teams) are talking about making deals all the time. But all of these rumors and everything going on, I was pretty confident that it was going to happen."

Click below for more...

Update: Miller, Salmons speak on trade

***

By Sam Amick
samick@sacbee.com

According to numerous league sources, a trade sending Kings players Brad Miller and John Salmons to Chicago in exchange for Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Michael Ruffin and Cedric Simmons has been agreed upon and is pending league appro