Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register is reporting that former Sacramento King forward Metta World Peace née Ron Artest will be amnestied by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Just last week, Pete D'Alessandro was talking about how the Kings might look for a veteran to come man the Small Forward spot for a year or two after the team gave up their pursuit of Andre Iguodala.

Metta World Peace coming onto the market might be the perfect solution for Sacramento. His contract is for just one year, meaning that should the Kings bid on him and win, he will only be under contract for next season. He's also, despite being past his prime, still a very good defender as well as a decent spot-up shooter.

The Kings have about $5.9 million in cap space to spend now after the trade of Tyreke Evans and signing of Carl Landry. I wouldn't mind at least spending a chunk of that to bring Ron-Ron back to Sacramento for a year. Sure, he's crazy, but dammit, he's better than what we have now and I'd rather have him on the team for one year than Monta Ellis on the team for four or more. He actually fits a need and will allow us to keep future flexibility.

The Kings are almost completely different since Ron-Ron was last in Sacramento, but if there's one person the front office can go to for advice on whether he might be a good pickup, it'd be Assistant GM Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Abdur-Rahim played with Artest in each of the three seasons he was in Sacramento.

Per Larry Coon's CBA FAQ, the minimum possible bid would be $1,399,507. That calculation is derived from the minimum salary for a 10+ year vet * the number of years left on the contract (in this case, just one).

So what do you think? Am I crazy?

Well, with the news that the Denver Nuggets elected to participate in a sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors - we've seen a lot of ideas on what Denver should do with the "free money". Among the ideas and possibilities have been a lot of disinformation. Let's try to get to the bottom of how the Nuggets could use the Traded Player Exception or TPE they received.

What is a TPE?

Let's turn to our old friend Larry Coon and his Salary Cap FAQ for the answer here:

Here is an example of a non-simultaneous trade: a team trades away a $2 million player for a $1 million player. Sometime in the next year, they trade a draft pick (with zero trade value itself) for a $1.1 million player to complete the earlier trade. They ended up acquiring $2.1 million in salary for their $2 million player -- they just didn't do it all at once, or even necessarily with the same trading partner.

In the above example, following the initial trade of the $2 million player for the $1 million player, it was like the team had a $1 million "credit" which was good for one year, with which they could acquire salaries without having to send out salaries to match. As with simultaneous trades, teams are allowed to acquire an extra $100,000 -- so a $1 million credit can be used to acquire $1.1 million in salaries. This credit is often referred to as a Traded Player exception or a trade exception, but be aware that the CBA uses the name "Traded Player exception" to refer to the entire exception which allows teams to make trades above the salary cap (including both simultaneous and non-simultaneous trades). In this document "Traded Player exception" is used to refer to the exception, and "trade exception" is used to refer to the one-year credit.

So, essentially the Nuggets signed Andre Iguodala to a 4-year, $48 million, $12 million per season, and then traded him to the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors (or perhaps the Nuggets) traded a future second-round pick to the Utah Jazz. The Jazz signed Randy Foye to a 3-year, $9 million deal (with a team option for the third season) and then traded him to the Nuggets, according to Sam Amick of USA Today.

So, Denver sent out $12 million in salary and thus created a $12 million "credit" to use within the next year that they can tack an additional $100,000 onto. So, Denver has $12.1 million at their disposal to use and they can go over the salary cap in order to use the money. Amick also informed us that Foye's contract would be absorbed in the TPE, so that takes up $3 million of the TPE.

The Nuggets now have a TPE of $9 million + $100,000 to use within the next year = $9.1 million.

What are the rules behind using the TPE?

Number 1:

Teams cannot use trade exceptions to sign free agents; they can be used only to acquire existing contracts from other teams. However, a team can acquire a free agent using a trade exception if he is signed by his prior team and traded in a sign-and-trade transaction.

What's this mean for the Nuggets? If Tim Connelly so chooses, he could acquire Monta Ellis (don't worry, it won't happen ... I don't believe) in a sign-and-trade deal with the Bucks. The first year salary could only go up to $9.1 million, but it could be done. Should that be done? No.

Number 2:

Trade exceptions are not traded from one team to another. Sometimes it appears like this is happening when one team uses a trade exception to acquire salary without sending salary away, and the other team gains a trade exception in the same process because they sent away salary without receiving salary in return. However, the trade exception the first team uses and the trade exception the second team gains are two distinct exceptions.

What's this mean for the Nuggets? Pretty self explanatory right there. If the Nuggets use the $9.1 million to acquire, say, Ryan Anderson from the New Orleans Pelicans - the Nuggets would use $8.3 million of the TPE, Anderson's 2013-14 salary, and the Pelicans would then get a brand new $8.3 million TPE. The Nuggets would then have $800,000 remaining to use of their TPE.

Number 3:

Teams cannot combine trade exceptions with other exceptions (such as the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception or a taxpaying team's 125% plus $100,000 margin from another simultaneous trade) in order to trade for a more expensive player. For example, a taxpaying team with a $1 million trade exception cannot combine it with their $2 million player to trade for a $3 million player.

What's this mean for the Nuggets? The Nuggets cannot get a player than makes over $9.1 million with their TPE. If the guy makes $9.2 million? No. If the guy makes $19 million? No.

Number 4:

A common misconception is that players cannot be traded together in a non-simultaneous trade. This is not true -- players can be traded together as long as the deal can be constructed as separate, parallel trades in which the outgoing salaries are not aggregated. For example, trading two $10 million players for a $20 million player requires aggregation, and therefore must be simultaneous. But trading two $10 million players for a $12 million player can be accomplished without aggregation -- one of the $10 million players would be used to acquire the $12 million player in a simultaneous trade, and the other $10 million player would be traded for "nothing," in a non-simultaneous trade, gaining the team a $10 million trade exception.

What's this mean for the Nuggets? This one is a bit confusing as it states it's a "non-simultaneous trade" and not a TPE trade. But I believe the Nuggets could "combine" players in with their TPE by making the deals "separate, parallel trades", but it comes with a caveat. The Nuggets still could not take back a player that makes more than $9.1 million.

Example: Denver sends Andre Miller's $5.0 million contract to the Washington Wizards for "nothing". The Nuggets would then get a $5.0 million TPE. The Nuggets would then use their $9.1 million salary to take back John Wall (yeah, I'm that good) and his $7.45 million deal for "nothing". The Wizards would then get a $7.4 million TPE of their own and Denver would have $1.65 million left of their original TPE.

Confusing? Make sense? I believe that is correct if I'm reading it right and it would likely read: "Nuggets send Andre Miller to Washington Wizards for John Wall" and while the trade wouldn't make sense as it scrolled across the ticker on your screen - because by trading Miller the Nuggets could only take back $6.3 million in salary using the 125% + $100,000 of simultaneous trades - it would make sense because of the aforementioned paragraph as two non-simultaneous deals.

So, that's how the Nuggets will be able to use the $9.1 million Traded Player Exeption that they gained by trading Iguodala to the Warriors and taking back Foye and a TPE from the Dubs and Jazz.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to fall asleep ...

Nate_Timmons on Twitter
ntimmons73@yahoo.com

Monta Mail Sac time, beginning with Calvine Chris: "Doesn't it seem as if Monta Ellis is the complete opposite of what the Kings need right now?"

In a word, yes.

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In two words, hell yes.

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OK, you went through the effort sending in a legitimate question, so let's see if I can pontificate a bit. I honestly don't see what Monta Ellis brings that Tyreke Evans does not. So if they are talking about paying Ellis anything near the 4/$44m that Evans will be making, I'm going to be absolutely baffled by this signing, unless it's to make folks stop thinking about the Carl Landry signing. "See in this hand I am holding Monta Ellis, and in the other hand Carl Landry...why he's gone! Magic!!!"

If Ellis is part of a package via a sign and trade, the sum of the trade might make his signing a little more sensible. But I've never considered Ellis to be a point guard. He's a 1.5 at best, and I would have serious doubts that his skill set would work well with Ben McLemore or Marcus Thornton, or Greivis Vasquez or Isaiah Thomas for that matter.

The acquisition of Ellis would have me hoping that I am dead wrong about him, and can certainly be dead wrong about things. But if all we are doing here is replacing Evans with Ellis and Greivis Vasquez at roughly the same pricing, I'm going to have to see positive results before I am convinced that this was anything resembling a good deal.

From Napa Jack: "If the kings are serious about Monta Ellis, do you think along with Jimmer and Chuck Hayes will Thornton be gone too?"

The numbers would indicate that someone has to be on the move. You would have Vasquez, Thomas and perhaps McCallum at the point. McLemore, Thornton, Fredette and even Salmons at the two. And Ellis at wherever the front office is envisioning him (small forward?...). If Ellis is a one, you probably have to move Vasquez or Thomas, which would seemingly not be that difficult. If Ellis is a two, I would almost think that you would have to move Thornton and Fredette. If you are just picking out five guards and playing Yahtzee with the back court lineup, your best five would likely be (in no particular order) Ellis, McLemore, Thornton, Vasquez and Thomas. But a couple of those guys are going to get very limited minutes, and the guys not on that list would be on injury alert (with McCallum likely playing in Reno).

One thing seems certain (if anything can be certain right now), and that is that if Ellis is signed, more moves have to be on the way, or at least packaged within the Ellis signing via a sign and trade.

Moving on to things non-Monta related, starting with esoteric NBA name: "I'd like to hear more about what you (and others) think about having DMC as the face of our new team. What do we want people to be the first thing they think about with the new-look Kings?"

Well, it makes me nervous as a tick. The potential center piece of the franchise is nowhere near where I would have liked to have seen him physically or mentally at the end of last season. After exceeding my expectations by a pretty good margin in his 2^nd year, Cousins did not take that next step that I anticipated in his 3^rd year. Was that Cousins falling short or me having expectations that were too high? I don't know. But Jason Thompson was the better player for at least the first two months of the season, and that is frightening to consider.

For 2013-14, the first thing that I would like people to think about when they consider the Kings is that they play hard, from baseline to baseline, for the entire 48 minutes, each and every night. That they are the least fun non-playoff team to square off against, and that they are headed in the right direction and have a bright future. That would make me pretty damned happy.

And one from MI80: "Coaching and management seem to want to bring in an up tempo system with shooters (as well as improved d which has not been addressed). They have been quoted as saying they are looking for a SF who can knock down the 3 ball, and they are going to build around Cousins. That being said, can you envision them bringing in a 3 point shooting SF and starting Patterson as a stretch 4? He shoots the 3 at a good percentage for a 4. A lineup with Cousins having the paint to himself with Vasquez distributing and having McLemore, Patterson, and a shooting SF seems like it would be pretty interesting(tough to double Cousins) and stay with an up tempo style. Obviously defense and rebounding could suffer, but there is no perfect solution they have right now."

I think that this lineup has some merit and potential, but I think that Michael Malone would have an aneurysm if he had to roll that sort of set up out night after night.

If McLemore and Patterson are part of your starting lineup, you could really afford to have a small forward that was less of a 3-point shooter and more of a lockdown defender. Patterson and McLemore could spread the ball well on their own, and with a little ball and player movement your offense would be fine. This would also mean having shooters available to come off the bench (some combination of Thomas, Thornton and/or Fredette), as well as low box scoring punch in Carl Landry.

The challenge will be on the defensive end, which seems to be the end of the floor where you're going to earn your minutes with coach Malone. It has been mentioned here before, but the hope would be that he could do for this group of players what he helped to do for the group in Golden State, which was certainly not known for their defensive chops prior to last year.

David from Fairfield: "So you're the GM for the Kings, what moves do you make to improve the team? Even if it angers the fans, who would you trade and who would be acquired? What's your plan heading into the future and what is the team's outlook as of now?"

This is a top flight, five-star question for the thread. Given the varying opinions of what the new front office has and has not done to this point, let's have everyone put on their GM caps and implement the plan that will take us to the next level. In other words, you can't change the draft, but since signing day is not here yet, you can change anything else (with the knowledge that if you do rescind the Evans or Landry deals you are probably persona non grata around the NBA for years and years to come - have fun in that new GM job!). Ready, set, rosterbate!

And from bugbunny321: "I am a young Kings fan and I never recall the good days when Kings would make the playoffs. Everyone was talking about the "Arco Thunder." With Kings that sold out on season tickets this season, do you think that this "Arco Thunder" will bring home more wins than usual?"

Are the Kings sold out on season tickets? I know that they are leading the league in ticket sales right now, but I don't think that they've sold out the season tickets yet. I think that partial packages will be next on their release list if I am not mistaken (editor's note - section214 is often mistaken).

Opposing players such as Larry Bird and Karl Malone have remarked about the noise from back in the day, and the old barn is something to behold when it's rocking. However, the team has to sustain the fans. Historically, the Kings faithful shows up ready to rock and roll, but there is nothing like a flat and flailing team to suck the air out of the arena. Last year's Knicks game was a prime example. The Kings did everything right in the 1^st half, and the place was off its hinges and the Kings went into halftime with a 71-50 lead(!). The Kings than proceeded to get outscored 55-32 in the next 47:59. Mind boggling! A team that scored 71 in the first 48 minutes couldn't score half that much in the next 48 minutes. Most of the noise down the stretch came from Knicks fans (guh!). But when James Johnson's (WTF?) 3-point (WTF?!?) prayer was answered (WTF?!?!?) at the buzzer, the place went bat-shirt crazy.

If the team plays hard and keeps games close, the fans could definitely make a difference. This fan base, which made so much of a difference off the court over the past couple of years, is dying to make a difference during the games.

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Pick & Droll question is inspired by fccpw, who asked where in Asia I would most like to travel. I actually have not given that much thought. Italy and the surrounding areas would be my next international destination. I'm not Italian and have no family there, but I would love to experience the history and the architecture of the region. My favorite vacation spot to this point in my life is Maui, and my favorite destination city is Chicago.

So, where is the best place you've ever traveled to and why, internationally and/or domestically, and what's currently at the top of your travel destination list?

And this from the one and only Dirkula: "Has there ever been an official STR BBQ or Meet and Greet function? I think it would be a blast if we could somehow arrange a giant potluck/tailgate party where members could get to know each other on a more "organic" level."

I got excited there for a second, then I went back and re-read your note and realized that you said "organic."

The only "official" gatherings that we've had were the StR nights at ARCO. We had a total of three of them, if I recall. We got our picture taken on the floor after the game twice, and we had a meet and greet with Bobby Jackson one time. We all sat together...vfettke kept poking me with thundersticks at one game and pookeyguru kept forgetting to not swear in front of jjham15's kids at another game. Good times!

I've been noodling with this idea, and I almost think that the best approach might be a couple of gatherings during the year when the team is traveling. That is, have an StR night at Wild Wings in Natomas one time, maybe do Mandangos or some place in the Roseville area one time, and perhaps something in the Laguna/Elk Grove area one time. Not to say that we still wouldn't organize an StR night at Sleep Train, but these other nights would allow members that can't afford tickets (or season ticket holders that wouldn't be sitting with us at a home game) to join in.

We'll need to dig into this when the season gets closer. Meanwhile, everyone please pitch your ideas in the thread.

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Please send your questions and topic ideas to asksactownroyalty@gmail. com. And remember that this thread (and only this thread) is OK'd for jacking.

Toney Douglas will do what he does with the Golden State Warriors next season, according to ESPN New York's Jared Zwerling. Douglas spent the first three years of his NBA career with the New York Knicks before splitting time last season between the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings.

The 6'2 guard is loaded with potential, but hasn't been able to put it all together in order to be a consistent contributor at the NBA level. He's a solid backup point guard option, though, and is known as a solid defender around the league.

Terms of the agreement haven't been disclosed as of yet, but one would think Douglas will come at a considerably cheaper price than Jarrett Jack -- the man that he's replacing as the backup guard in the Warriors' talented backcourt.

Douglas likely impressed Golden State's front office and fans when he played against them last year, by the way. According to Ethan Strauss, Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry made just 11 of his 41 shot attempts in games against Douglas' team last season.

More from SB Nation:

• Ziller: Is Detroit the new Memphis? | Coach Rasheed's debut

• Where's Andrew Bynum going? Cavs, Mavs, Hawks want him

• Lakers will amnesty Metta World Peace

• Video: Ice Cube has NSFW things to say about Dwight "Coward"

• Grading the NBA free agent deals

Ready for basketball season to start again? Well it's getting pretty close. On Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliersreleased their preseason schedule of games for the 2013-14 NBA season. The schedule consists of eight games in total with the first game being played on October 8th, 2013. Three of the games will be played at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland.

The Cavaliers will also play a preseason game in Canton, where the Canton Charge have their home games. Another game will be played in Cincinnati and yet another in Columbus. People complained about not being able to watch preseason games last year and Dan Gilbert responded on Twitter saying that they would make sure that they are all televised this year. Hopefully he keeps that promise and you'll be able to watch all eight preseason games on Fox Sports Ohio.

2013-14 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS PRESEASON SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT LOCATIONS TIME (EST)
Oct. 8 Milwaukee -- Quicken Loans Arena 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 11 Orlando -- Orlando, FL (Amway Center) 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 15 Charlotte* -- Canton, OH (Canton Memorial Civic Center) 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 17 Detroit -- Quicken Loans Arena 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 19 Indiana -- Quicken Loans Arena 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 21 Philadelphia*-- Columbus, OH (Schottenstein Center) 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 23 Washington*-- Cincinnati, OH (U.S. Bank Arena) 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 24 Charlotte -- Charlotte, NC (Time Warner Cable Arena) 7:00 p.m.

*Denotes Cavaliers home game at neutral site. All times Eastern.

More from Fear The Sword:

• NBA Free Agency: Andrew Bynum expected to make a decision Tuesday
• NBA Free Agency: Cavaliers pursuing Andrei Kirilenko, Elton Brand if they miss out on Andrew Bynum
• NBA Free Agency: Cleveland Cavaliers offer Andrew Bynum 2 year, $24 million deal
• NBA Free Agency: Andrew Bynum in Cleveland to meet with Cavaliers
• NBA Free Agency Trade Rumors: Kings interested in dumping Jimmer Fredette and Chuck Hayes

Filling the need for a perimeter defender, the Sacramento Kings will acquire forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for two future draft picks, CBS Sports' Ken Berger reports.

Along with a 2018 second-round pick, Yahoo! Sports' Marc J. Spears reports the Bucks will receive a second-round pick in 2016 and will have the right to swap picks.

The Kings will eat up Mbah a Moute's remaining contract, which runs through 2014-15 for $9 million total. That cuts into their salary wiggle room this summer, which could have been used on free agent shooting guard Monta Ellis. As NBA.com's David Aldridge reports, the Kings could now be behind the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks in the pursuit of Ellis.

The move opens up space on the Bucks' roster at the small forward position, not to mention some cap space. Milwaukee signed swingman Carlos Delfino away from the Houston Rockets this offseason and also selected Greek small forward Giannis Adetokunbo with the 15th pick in the 2012 draft. Delfino will surely take up some of Mbah a Moute's minutes in the team's rotation.

Meanwhile, Mbah a Moute will bring a physical defensive presence to a Kings roster devoid of such a skillset. With Tyreke Evans heading to New Orleans, the Kings can take on more of a defensive identity next season with Mbah a Moute on the perimeter.

More from SB Nation:

• Ziller: Is Detroit the new Memphis? | Coach Rasheed's debut

• Where's Andrew Bynum going? Cavs, Mavs, Hawks want him

• Lakers will amnesty Metta World Peace

• Video: Ice Cube has NSFW things to say about Dwight "Coward"

• Grading the NBA free agent deals

The Kings appear to have finally acquired a true Small Forward.

Ken Berger of CBSSports was the first to report that the Kings would send two future 2nd round picks to the Milwaukee Bucks for Small Forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Yahoo's Marc J. Spears reports those 2nd rounders are from 2016 and 2018. Sam Amick further clarifies that the Bucks get Sacramento's 2016 2nd round pick and have the rights to swap 2nd rounders with the Kings in 2018.

Mbah a Moute has played five seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, alternating between both Forward spots. He is primarily known as a defensive stopper and a good rebounder for a Small Forward. He doesn't have much of an offensive game and rarely shoots from outside; As HeuristicLineup pointed out on twitter, Mbah a Moute has less three point attempts in the last three years than DeMarcus Cousins.

Mbah a Moute's contract is for 2 years and $9 million. The contract is set up so it pays about $4.6 million in 2013-14 and $4.4 million in 2014-15.

There are some injury concerns with Mbah a Moute; He has had to miss significant time over the past two seasons due to a knee surgery. He will be just 27 next season.

If you'll remember the Kings got two future 2nd rounders from Portland in exchange for letting them have Robin Lopez. These are the kind of trades that future 2nd rounders work great on.

Another positive from this trade is that it likely puts the Kings out of contention for the services of Monta Ellis. The Kings now have about $1.3 million of cap space left, and amnestying John Salmons would get them to $9 million. David Aldridge reports that Ellis is likely choosing between offers from Dallas or Atlanta.

While Monta Ellis was mulling over the decision of whether to sign with the Mavericks, Hawks or Kings, Sacramento potentially cost itself the ability to sign the free-agent guard. NBA.com's David Aldridge reports that Ellis is still interested in all three teams, but Sacramento's trade on Tuesday that added Luc Richard Mbah a Moute's salary to the books could make it difficult for the Kings to sign Ellis.

Sacramento took on Mbah a Moute's two years and $9 million left on his contract while shedding two future second-round picks and no immediate salary in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. Suddenly, the Kings' salary cap space is unable to include the approximate $12 million Ellis could earn per season.

But like the Kings, the other two of Ellis' suitors are looking at options to land the free agent via a sign-and-trade.

According to ESPN's Chris Broussard, the Mavs have been shopping forward Shawn Marion and his $9 million contract to make room for Ellis and free agent center Andrew Bynum. The Kings could consider unloading shooting guard Marcus Thornton's $8.1 million annual salary. And there have been many rumors about the Hawks and Bucks working out a deal that would send either Ellis or point guard Brandon Jennings to Atlanta in exchange for Jeff Teague.

Ellis became a free agent when he opted out of the final year of his contract with the Bucks that was worth $11 million next season. He also turned down an offer to remain in Milwaukee on a three-year, $36 million deal.

More from SB Nation:

• Ziller: Is Detroit the new Memphis? | Coach Rasheed's debut

• Where's Andrew Bynum going? Cavs, Mavs, Hawks want him

• Lakers will amnesty Metta World Peace

• Video: Ice Cube has NSFW things to say about Dwight "Coward"

• Grading the NBA free agent deals

It has been a relatively quiet day on the free agency front, with a minor trade between the Bucks and Kings involving Luc Richard Mbah a Moute really being the only highlight. And I guess the fact that Jermaine O'Neal is off the board is somewhat important as well, as he could have been a decent candidate for the Bulls' backup center job.

There are still some big names out there, and one of those is Monta Ellis. I highlighted how the Bulls were interested in Ellis a bit earlier in free agency, but I kind of scoffed at it because it just seemed ridiculous. However, according to Real GM's Shams Charania, that interest was very real:

Ellis set up meetings with teams over the weekend and into the week, and he privately believed in recent days that joining the Bulls in a sign-and-trade between Chicago and the Milwaukee Bucks had been a growing possibility. Despite a hard push out of the Bulls, they ultimately couldn't make the moves necessary to facilitate a potential sign and trade, a source said.

My first reaction to this was basically...WTF. We know as it stands that the Bulls can't really do sign-and-trades, because they are already several million bucks over the tax apron for next season. To pull something like this off, quite a bit of salary would have to go.

Theoretically, the Bulls could have amnestied Boozer and then tried to get Monta at a discount using the TPE. When that almost certainly would have failed, perhaps the Bulls could have offered Richard Hamilton and Kirk Hinrich and some draft picks as sweetener and then gotten Monta at something around $10 million a year (in conjunction with the Boozer amnesty). Or maybe Luol Deng could have been involved. But that would have really sucked, at least to me.

In any case, the idea of Monta Ellis is kind of cool, because he can score and create offense for himself and others on occasion. However, Ellis is an undersized, inefficient chucker, and paying him big money would have been pretty terrible. Who knows just how close this was to happening, but I'm glad it didn't.

UPDATE:TNT's David Aldridge confirmed that the Bulls had a lot of interest in Ellis, "but couldn't figure out a way to swing a deal without giving up one of their core pieces, including forward Taj Gibson." So there you have it.

Here I was thinking that this nonsense about Monta Ellis signing with Sacramento was all over and done with now that the Kings used up most of their remaining cap space to trade for Luc Mbah a Moute.

Not so, according to David Aldridge and Chris Broussard.

Broussard reported recently that Ellis has cut down his list of potential destinations to the Kings, Mavericks, Hawks and Bobcats. Each club would need to make moves to create the space to sign him; Sacramento, according to Broussard, is looking to move guard Marcus Thornton to create the space. Thornton would have to be traded with little to no salary coming back.

Chris Broussard isn't the most reliable source, but David Aldridge is. He reports that Ellis is choosing between the Hawks, Mavericks and Kings. Aldridge says that Ellis is "intrigued" by the Kings. Aldridge doesn't mention any specifics in terms of how the Kings might create space, but does say that they would likely need to move one of their existing guards.

If Sacramento couldn't find a trade partner, they could also use the amnesty provision on John Salmons to create space. That would give them about $10 million in cap room.

We'll see what happens, but for our sake, I hope Ellis chooses Dallas or Atlanta.

UPDATE 3:58 P.M.:

I'm told there's nothing imminent with the Kings involving Monta Ellis.

— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) July 9, 2013

More from Sactown Royalty:

• Kings Reportedly Still in the Mix for Monta Ellis
• Report: Kings Trade Future 2nd Round Picks to Milwaukee for Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
• Tuesday Mail Sac: Monta, team persona, build your own rebuild, the fanbase, get togethers & travel
• Metta World Peace to be amnestied, should Sacramento make a bid?
• Threadiquette for the Next Generation

A decision is creeping up on Milwaukee Bucks free agent Monta Ellis, and it's not going to be an easy one. The free agency moratorium period ends on Wednesday and the guard will likely have a choice between three teams currently vying for the veteran scoring guard.

The Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericksare all in the fold.

The Kings hurt their own chances on Tuesday with a trade of two future draft picks for Bucks forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. His two-year, $9 million contract goes on Sacramento's books, meaning they'll need to make a trade in order to acquire Ellis. Some at Kings blog Sactown Royalty don't see it happening and hope Ellis lands elsewhere:

If Sacramento couldn't find a trade partner, they could also use the amnesty provision on John Salmons to create space. That would give them about $10 million in cap room.

We'll see what happens, but for our sake, I hope Ellis chooses Dallas or Atlanta.

All three teams interested in Ellis are reportedly mulling over sign-and-trade scenarios with the Bucks.

Ellis does have interest in the Kings still but they'd need to move a player such as Marcus Thornton to take on Ellis' expected $12 million per year contract. ESPN reports that the Hawks are also discussing a deal involving Ellis joining Atlanta and free agent point guard Jeff Teague going to the Bucks. Dallas could be another landing spot, and the Mavs hope to offer lucrative deals to both Ellis and center Andrew Bynum; to do so, they'd like to move forward Shawn Marion's contract.

Morrow to sign with Pelicans

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed with guard Anthony Morrow to a two-year deal worth the veteran's minimum. The contract will have a player option in the second year.

Morrow has had prolific spurts in the NBA but struggled to be productive when given extensive minutes over long periods of time. New Orleans appears set in the backcourt right now, but there are worse things than having too much depth.

From New Orleans blog At the Hive:

Hopefully, the Hornets aren't expecting much more than a reliable floor spacer. Morrow's handle has never been adequate and his stature has led to many defensive shortcomings. Guess this means Roger Mason will undoubtedly be looking for employment outside of New Orleans.

Golden State adds Douglas

The Golden State Warriors lost backup point guard Jarrett Jack to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it's bigger than that when considering he was also a complementary piece alongside starting point guard Stephen Curry. But they filled that void by agreeing to signToney Douglas, who similarly will be able to give coach Mark Jackson some point production off the bench.

Douglas had success in his first three seasons with the New York Knicks but struggled to find a place last season with the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings.

The length and value of Douglas' contract were not reported.

Veteran O'Neal agrees on deal with Warriors

The Warriors were busy on Tuesday. In addition to agreeing with Douglas, they also added veteran center Jermaine O'Neal to a one-year deal. O'Neal was useful when healthy with the Suns last season, though he missed time with minor injuries and personal health issues.

Though Golden State has Andrew Bogut and young big man Festus Ezeli in tow, they now have added depth after trading away Andris Biedrins to the Utah Jazz.

Turkoglu being bought out

The Orlando Magic are close to buying out veteran forward Hedo Turkoglu, who has one year left on his contract worth $12 million. It's the final season of a five-year, $53 million deal Turkoglu signed with the Toronto Raptors in 2009.

Turkoglu was a key member on the 2009 Magic team that went to the NBA Finals, but has struggled to find his footing in the league since. Turkoglu was traded from the Raptors to the Phoenix Suns in 2010, and was then sent back to Orlando in December.

Turkoglu was suspended 20 games for violating the NBA's anti-doping policy last season.

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The New Orleans Pelicans added some size Wednesday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.7 million contract with free agent center Greg Stiemsma. Announced by agent Mark Bartelstein via a number of sources, CBS Sports' Ken Berger first reported the financial terms of the contract.

After trading away last year's starting center, Robin Lopez, as part of the three-team deal that brought Tyreke Evans to New Orleans, the Pelicans needed to add some size to a fairly thin frontcourt. In Stiemsma, a 6'11, 260-pound behemoth of a man, they certainly get a player who provides post presence.

Playing a limited role over the past two seasons with the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves, Stiemsma proved to be a solid back-of-the-bench big. Though he may take on a slightly larger role with New Orleans given the team's lack of size, he has mostly been brought in to shore up the team's rim protection after a subpar defensive season.

In 76 games with the Wolves last season, Stiemsma averaged four points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. His block rate of 5.8 percent placed him among the top-15 in the NBA last season, ahead of marquee shot-blockers like Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan.

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The Sacramento Kings are not only looking to upgrade the on-court product this season but also off-court.

The Bee's Ryan Lillis reports that one of the NBA's Top Executives, Chris Granger, has been hired to be the new President of the Sacramento Kings. As Team President, Granger will oversee the business operations and development of the new downtown arena. You can check out Chris' bio here.

Granger has spent the last few years as the NBA's Executive Vice President of Team Marketing and Business Operations. He was the guy that the NBA sent to Sacramento in the summer of 2011 after the Anaheim debacle. I was fortunate enough to meet both he and his team as he called a few meetings of the grassroots organizations. I came away impressed back then, but also knew that his help was only temporary. Now he's here to stay, just like we are.

Granger will oversee a Kings business operations that has some momentum to it after years of struggling due to poor ownership and an unsure future. Even before Granger's hire, the Kings were leading the NBA in new full season ticket sales for 2013-14 and it's just July 10th.

Welcome to Sacramento Chris. We're glad to have you.

UPDATE 10:27 AM:

Here's the Press Release from the NBA.

NEW YORK - July 10 - NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver announced today that Chris Granger, Executive Vice President, Team Marketing and Business Operations (TMBO), will be leaving the NBA to become the President of the Sacramento Kings, effective Aug. 1.

Granger, a 14-year NBA executive, has led the NBA's TMBO function, advising NBA, WNBA, and NBA Development League teams on all aspects of business operations, including ticket, suite and digital sales, sponsor development, customer retention, and marketing. He has been leading TMBO's efforts in assisting the Kings, and the Kings currently lead the NBA in new full season ticket sales for the 2013-14 season.

"Chris has done an extraordinary job for us, including developing a group of executives that is industry-renowned for assisting teams in growing their businesses," said Silver. "He is known throughout the industry for his innovative approach to sales and marketing, service, and business analytics."

NBA Commissioner David Stern added: "The Kings will benefit greatly from Chris' extensive experience in all facets of team business operations as well as his passion for our game - a passion he shares with the Sacramento business community and the great fans of the Kings."

As President, Granger will oversee the operation of the Kings organization and direct the development of a new entertainment and sports complex in downtown Sacramento. Granger will report to Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé and oversee the executive team, which includes President of Business Operations Matina Kolokotronis and Chief Financial Officer John Rinehart.

"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Chris to Sacramento," said Ranadivé. "Chris will bring an exceptional blend of expertise and innovation to Sacramento, informed by nearly 15 years of advising teams across the NBA on how to achieve success at the highest levels. I'm confident he will exceed the high expectations we've set for the future of this organization."

"This opportunity with the Kings is so extraordinary, both for me professionally and for my family, that I determined the time was now to make the move to the team side," said

Granger. "I believe in Sacramento. The fans are numerous and passionate, the local business leaders are sophisticated and engaged, and there is an unmatched sense of community that exists throughout the Sacramento region. I will work tirelessly with Vivek and our world-class ownership group to do something truly special for Kings fans and for the region as a whole."

Prior to joining the NBA in June 1999, Granger held leadership positions within the Walt Disney World Company. He has a B.A. from Cornell University, M.B.A. from Yale University, and was recognized in 2010 by the Sports Business Journal as a Forty Under 40 award winner.

The Miami Heat signed free agent big man Chris Andersen to a one-year, $1.7 million contract Wednesday, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reports. The deal also includes a player option for the 2014-15 season valued at $1.8 million, which could bring the total payout to $3.5 million from Miami.

While that contract may seem a tad cheap for someone who thrived as part of a championship team last season, there's an explanation for it all. After being released via the amnesty clause by the Denver Nuggets last year, Andersen's salary for the 2013-14 season involves a somewhat complex formula involving both his old and new contracts.

Instead of making just $1.7 million next season, Andersen's total payout should actually more than triple that amount.

As Mike Prada broke down for a somewhat similar situation involving Andray Blatche and the Washington Wizards, Andersen doesn't simply get to receive two salaries from two teams. Instead, a special formula is used to "offset" the salary paid by his former team, with the Nuggets paying the remaining figure.

However, because Andersen decided to sign for such a small amount, the Nuggets will still be on the hook for nearly all of his salary next season. As Prada described, "This offset amount is equal to to one half the difference between the player's salary with his new team and the minimum for a one-year veteran player."

Given that Andersen signed for just $1.7 million and the one-year veteran salary is $788,872, the total offset amount handed over to Denver is just $455,564. That leaves us with the remaining accounting on Andersen's payout for next season:

Denver pays: $4.36 million
Miami pays: $1.7 million

That gives Andersen a total payout of $6.06 million, which seems far more in line with what a top-notch defensive big man would receive from a short-term deal on the open market. However, Miami will still be on the hook for just the salary agreed to, $1.7 million, making Birdman a possible bargain over the next year.

The biggest losers in this situation, really, are the Nuggets. If Andersen had been able to find a significantly larger deal elsewhere, say for the mid-level exception starting at around $5 million, the offset figure for Denver would have been much higher. However, such a move wouldn't have significantly increased Andersen's overall income, making a return to the league's two-time defending champions a logical move.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves are close to signing former first-round pick Corey Brewer to a three-year, $15 million contract, ESPN's Marc Steinreports. The move returns Brewer to the franchise where he spent the first three-plus years of his career.

It remains unclear if the Timberwolves will outright sign him or need to clear another player away in a separate transaction, according to Stein. Luke Ridnour, for example, could be traded to Oklahoma City, turning the Timberwolves' new four-year contract with Kevin Martin into a sign and trade, Stein reports.

With the Timberwolves looking to replace Andrei Kirilenko's minutes at small forward, Brewer will presumably help to fill out that role. An athletic, talented defender who thrives when running the floor and scoring in transition, his biggest knock is the inability to consistently hit three-pointers.

That isn't for a lack of effort, either, as Brewer took nearly four three-pointers per game last season despite shooting under 30 percent. In Minnesota, he likely won't have the green light to let 'er rip nearly as often.

With that said, bringing Brewer back to Minnesota makes some sense on a reasonable deal. Playing next to offensive-minded players like Kevin Love, Derrick Williams and rookie Shabazz Muhammad, Brewer's perimeter defense could be a major boost to the team.

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2007 draft out of Florida, Brewer never quite panned out in Minnesota. Finally finding his role in the league with the Nuggets, he played in all 82 games for the team last season. Despite coming off the bench, he average 12.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest.

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Instead of continuing the Brandon Jennings era, the Milwaukee Bucks may be gearing to move in a new direction. ESPN's Marc Stein reports the club is preparing an offer sheet for restricted free agent Jeff Teague, who would presumably replace Jennings in the Bucks' backcourt should the two sides reach an agreement.

At this point, it's unclear how serious the situation is for a number of reasons. We still don't know whether the Bucks have actually reached out to Teague with an offer sheet, and beyond that, the Atlanta Hawks may plan to match any offer heading his way. In that case, any time used on Teague would be wasted from Milwaukee's perspective.

However, with the Hawks seemingly passive in their attempts to retain Teague, the point guard may feel compelled to sign an offer sheet with another team. If Atlanta's lack of interest in a long-term deal for Teague is really serious, we'll find out in the days after he agrees to terms elsewhere.

One possible scenario still in play, as Stein previously reported, would see the Hawks and Bucks use a sign-and-trade to swap Jennings and Teague. Considering neither team seems thrilled with its current point guard, a change of scenery for both players could ultimately be the most satisfactory outcome. As the two sides try to figure out what to do going forward, here's the latest from around the league.

Wolves, Brewer near three-year deal

The Minnesota Timberwolves are close to bringing back small forward Corey Breweron a three-year, $15 million contract, ESPN's Marc Stein reports. Should the deal go through, the Timberwolves will get an athletic perimeter defender who can help to shore up some of team's issues on the wings. With Andrei Kirilenko on his way out of town and rookie Shabazz Muhammad boasting an offense-oriented game, Brewer's defensive ability will be a welcomed addition. Additionally, his ability to run the floor and finish in transition looks like a nice fit with point guard Ricky Rubio, who could use some help on the fast break. However, the folks at Canis Hoopus don't sound too happy about the move.

Bogdanovic-to-Brooklyn is dead

Unable to agree to terms on a buyout with Bojan Bogdanovic's Turkish team, the Brooklyn Nets have decided to move on from the forward. First reported by NetsDaily and later confirmed by other sources, it looks like the club will go in a new direction with its mini-mid-level exception, which the team had previously agreed to use on Bogdanovic. With a buyout valued at $2 million, Bogdanovic needed to reach an agreement with Fenerbahce of Istanbul to leave for the NBA, but it appears the two sides were unable to do so. Instead, Bogdanovic will likely finish off his contract with Fenerbahce next season before fielding offers from the Nets and other European teams next summer. NetsDaily adds that Kirilenko could be a target, though he's likely to be too expensive.

Birdman, Stiemsma off the board

A pair of big-bodied, rim-protecting centers got plucked off the free agent market Wednesday as Chris Andersen and Greg Stiemsma agreed to new deals. Birdman will be sticking in Miami, where he agreed to a one-year, $1.7 million, though he'll end up making more than $6 million this year as a result of the amnesty clause. That post explains in more detail how Andersen's payout for 2013-14 works. Stiemsma also got a one-year deal, though he's moving from Minnesota to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he'll join an impressive young frontcourt featuring Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and Jason Smith.

Monta Ellis changes agents

Possibly unhappy with how his free agency has gone thus far, former Milwaukee Bucks guard Monta Ellis decided to change agents this week. With longtime representative Jeff Fried on his way out, ESPN's Chris Broussard reports Ellis will hire Dan Fegan to finish off his a new contract before next season. With the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks still pursuing Ellis, arguably the top remaining free agent available, it's clear the 27-year-old doesn't want to screw up this situation. After passing up an $11 million salary, as well as a two-year contract extension, from the Bucks, settling for significantly less would be a mildly embarrassing situation for the guard.

Lakers retain Robert Sacre

The Los Angeles Lakers need bodies to fill out their roster for next season, so they've brought back a familiar face in Robert Sacre, the team announced Wednesday. The 60th overall pick in the 2012 draft, Sacre appeared in 32 games for L.A. last season, averaging 1.3 points and 1.1 rebounds. Mostly ineffective, particularly on offense, during his first NBA go-around, the Lakers likely won't ask him to be more than an emergency back-up should big men like Chris Kaman and Pau Gasol get hit by injuries. As Silver Screen and Roll notes, the Lakers made Sacre a qualifying offer earlier this offseason, so the restricted free agent may have simply accepted that one-year offer from the team.

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With the July Moratorium over and the free agency signing period officially underway, the Milwaukee Bucks' first order of business was completing a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns. The move represented a critical first step for the Bucks because it removed Redick's $9.3 million cap hold from their balance sheets. Combined with some presumed upcoming moves (namely, the resolution of Monta Ellis' free agency any number of ways), the Bucks will have the requisite cap space to sign some of the other deals they've agreed to.

In return for sending Redick to the Clippers and facilitating Eric Bledose and Caron Butler's moves to Phoenix, the Bucks received a future second-round pick for each team. But these are no ordinary second-round picks. No, these picks have crazy protections that don't make any sense, but were apparently necessary to get this deal done. Using the handy "Future Draft Pick" resource at RealGM.com, as well as Twitter reports from various sources, I think I've got a handle on when each pick is likely to come to Milwaukee. Here's what I've come up with:

2015 second-round pick from Los Angeles Clippers

The easier of the two, this pick was described as "lottery protected" at one point, which had a bunch of people excited that it was in fact a first-round pick. Sadly this doesn't appear to be the case. "Lottery protected" seems to mean the pick is simply protected through the first 14 picks of the second round, which is where it would be if the Clips fell into the lottery. This protection extends to 2015 and 2016 with no protections on 2017. So the Bucks will either get a pick from the Clippers in the latter half of the second round in 2015 or 2016, or a pick anywhere in the second round in 2017. LA is really unlikely to be a lottery team in 2015, so it's probably a safe bet the pick will be coming in that season.

2014 second-round pick from Toronto or Sacramento via Toronto, via Phoenix

This one is a doozy, and I'm not even sure I have it right because nobody has really acknowledged the Sacramento wrinkle. Here's the issue: Toronto owes Phoenix a second round pick in 2014, but it isn't guaranteed to be their own. It was to be the less favorable (read: lower) of their own pick or Sacramento's 2014 second-rounder. Their own pick is protected from #31-36, while Sacramento's is protected 56-60. If Sacramento's pick falls in that range, their obligation would be extinguished (i.e. it would be like they never owed Toronto anything). Now, it's HIGHLY unlikely that the Kings' pick will be protected (they'd have to be one of the top teams in the NBA for it to happen), so it's probably going to Toronto. That leaves two likely scenarios:

• Neither pick falls in the protected range. By my understanding, the Raptors would then send the lower of the two to Phoenix, who would route it straight on to Milwaukee. Case closed.
• The Toronto pick falls in the protected range. Assuming Sacramento's pick is conveyed, it would then get sent to Phoenix and eventually land in Milwaukee. Toronto's obligations would then be extinguished.

The third possible scenario (both picks protected) gives Phoenix the right to swap its 2015 second-round pick with Toronto's. I assume this option now belongs to the Bucks as part of the trade (though I'm not positive), but it's such a long shot that I wouldn't worry about it too much.

So what are the Bucks likely to get out of this trade? Assuming the next few seasons for the Clippers, Raptors, and Kings go relatively as expected, the Bucks are probably looking at an early/mid second-round pick in 2014 and a late second-round pick in 2015. Nothing too exciting, but a decent haul considering there was essentially no cost.

So that's what I've got. I hope I got everything right, and I'll come back and fix things if I hear anything to the contrary. RealGM's pick database is typically a good source of information, and they'll likely have everything updated soon.

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• NBA Free Agency: Brandon Jennings-Jeff Teague situation could develop rapidly
• Why don't all-encompassing metrics like O.J. Mayo?
• Caponomics: NBA announces 13/14 cap and luxury tax figures
• Milwaukee Bucks trade Luc Mbah a Moute to Sacramento Kings for two future 2nd-round picks
• Free Agency Rumors: The Brandon Jennings delusion becoming real (?), Monta Ellis courted by Kings, the many side of Zaza

The Cleveland Cavaliers have put $24 million on the table for free agent center Andrew Bynum, but he could only see $6 million of it if he doesn't reach a number of "incentive benchmarks" related to his production and chronic knee issues, ESPN's Marc Stein reports.

Bynum was offered a two-year deal worth $12 million per season, but only half of the first season is guaranteed. The second year is a team option with apparently fewer benchmark constraints.

The biggest bidder

Are the Cavs in sound position because of their large offer?

The Dallas Mavericks became the third NBA team to meet with the former Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers center, who missed the entire 2012-13 season because of knee surgeries. The Mavs were undergoing discussions with team doctors on Wednesday to determine Bynum's health.

The Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks have also met with Bynum.

Bynum played 60 of the 66 games during the 2011-12 lockout season but before that had not played more than 65 games in a regular season since '06-'07. That's mostly to do with his multiple knee issues. But the risk could be very well worth the reward. Just 25 years old and coming off a full year of rest, Bynum averaged 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game with the Lakers two years ago.

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• LaMarcus Aldridge angling for trade to Bulls?

• Kings still in mix for Monta Ellis

• Grading the NBA free agent deals

The D-League has grown a lot since its inception and is slowly becoming a better place for NBA teams to develop their young players. Sacramento has been affiliated with the Reno Bighorns for a while now, and while they have used it to send players like Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Honeycutt in years past, they've never really had any control in how the team is run or those players are handled.

That is all set to change under Vivek Ranadivé's new ownership group though, as the Bee's Tony Bizjak reports that the Kings and Bighorns have signed a two-year deal for the Kings to run the basketball operations.

Breaking: Sacramento Kings will announce tomorrow they have signed a deal to take over basketball operations of the Reno Bighorns

— Tony Bizjak (@TonyBizjak) July 10, 2013

Kings owner Ranadive says Kings will choose coach, players and system for Bighorns - essentially giving Kings a minor league team

— Tony Bizjak (@TonyBizjak) July 10, 2013

Vivek says Kings tried to buy Bighorns outright, but Reno owners agreed only to turn over basketball ops. Kings do have future right to buy.

— Tony Bizjak (@TonyBizjak) July 10, 2013

Kings and Reno Bighorns will hold 1 p.m. press conf in Reno tomorrow to announce two-year deal that gives Kings control of b-ball operations

— Tony Bizjak (@TonyBizjak) July 11, 2013

Several NBA teams who have gone this route have seen good results, particularly the Houston Rockets. Hopefully the Kings will now be able to maximize the value of having a D-League team.

UPDATE: Here's The Bee's story.

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is well ahead of schedule with his rehab from a torn Achilles tendon, and he hopes to return to full activity by mid-August, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles.

Bryant tore his Achilles late in a game against the Golden State Warriors on April 12. The injury torpedoed the Lakers' chances at a playoff run, and they went on to get swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.

Bryant said last month that he hopes to be back by November or December at the latest, but there's still an outside chance that he will return in time for opening night. In fact, Dr. Robert Klapper, an orthopedic surgeon in Los Angeles, proclaimed Wednesday that Bryant would be ready to go on opening night.

When Bryant first suffered the injury, some thought that he could miss a full year due to his age and all of the wear and tear on his body. But Bryant is a different animal, and it shouldn't surprise anybody if he's out there when the Lakers open the 2013-14 season.

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• Ziller: 'Melo on the Lakers? Stop it

• LaMarcus Aldridge angling for trade to Bulls?

• Kings still in mix for Monta Ellis

• Grading the NBA free agent deals