Charlotte fouled the Kings 39 times, sending Sacramento to the line for 40 free throws. It was not a successful strategy.

The Hornets saw some improvement tonight, but still came up short of a competent night, losing to the Kings 72-65.

Perhaps they might have helped their cause if they didn't foul everyone in sight, leading to 40 free throw attempts for Sacramento. Neither team shot well enough to even sniff the 40 percent field goal shooting mark, but Sacramento's +14 in free throws made disparity made a huge difference in what became a close game. Combined, Charlotte's starters totaled 30 fouls, which, when divided up evenly, would foul the entire starting five out of a regulation NBA game. Noah Vonleh had 8, P.J. Hairston had seven, Mickey McConnell had six, Josh Davis had five and Justin Brownlee had four. They fouled a lot because they couldn't contain Sacramento's penetrating offense, which sliced into the paint at will.

Hairston and Vonleh both bounced back a bit from their poor debut games, with Hairston leading all scorers with 22 points. He may have needed 20 shots to get there, but he also made six of his 13 three-point attempts. Vonleh's offense continued to struggle, though he continues to display decent footwork and ballhandling. He also hit a three, so there's that. His offense looks to be a work in progress on the block, as he could use a bitter better touch on his shots from on the block. Vonleh's rebounding was terrific with 18 rebounds, including 5 offensive.

Davis again excelled for Charlotte as a hustling rebounder and defensive player, snagging 16 rebounds, seven of which were on offense. He's got a real good nose for the ball and understanding of getting in position for angle of how it's going to come off the rim and glass. His offense isn't very good, though I wonder if his favorite part of shooting is being able to rebound a possible miss. Still, he's a lot of fun to watch and a tenacious player.

The Hornets' offense was pretty awful on the whole. They shot 28.6 percent from the field and 61.5 percent from the charity stripe. They had 17 turnovers, some of them unforced, but I have to give Sacramento credit for bringing a pretty good defense into this game. They pressed and made Charlotte uncomfortable, which is a good strategy considering they look pretty uncomfortable even when they aren't pressured.

Charlotte plays again tomorrow night against the Knicks. Cody Zeller will be back, so we should see some better offense and defense, thank goodness.

Well, that was quick. It just took one game for the SDSU alumnus to earn a starting forward spot on the Charlotte Hornets' summer league team. How'd he do?

As you all know by now, Josh Davis wasn't drafted out of San Diego State. You also probably know by now that Davis happily signed with the Charlotte Hornets' summer league team as a undrafted free agent. And you might know by now that Davis played well in his first summer league game, scoring 14 points and recording 16 rebounds in 29:25 of play. In fact, Davis rebounded the most of any player on day one of the Las Vegas Summer League.

Now here's something else to know: Davis earned one of the two Charlotte starting forward spots today against the Sacramento Kings and played the most minutes of any player on the court (34:09).

Charlotte lost the game 72-65 to fall to 0-2 so far in the summer league. Davis, however, continued his high level of play. He scored 6 points on 2-of-5 shooting (2-of-5 from the line, as well) and recorded four assists. Most impressive, though, were the former Aztec's rebounding numbers: 16 total boards, seven of which were offensive rebounds. Those seven offensive boards led directly to 11 Charlotte second-chance points.

Davis also flashed some defense today, recording a game-high two steals.

Davis made his two field goals off his own offensive rebounds, including one impressive and-one in the first quarter (which he converted). He missed both of the jump shots he attempted, though (a skill he worked on in the off-season).

I'd bet that SDSU fans are all thinking the same thing right about now: Keep it up, Josh. Rebounding is a highly valued skill in the NBA--always has been, always will be.

Rudy Gay speaks about Darren Collison, Isaiah Thomas and his future with the Kings.

Ra'Shad James and Marshon Brooks led the way for the Kings with 12 and 11 points respectively as the Kings win their first Summer League game.

It wasn't pretty but the Sacramento Kings managed to win their first game of Summer League after a disappointing performance against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1.

Rashad James led the way for Sacramento with 12 points off the bench and Marshon Brooks added 11 in just 17 minutes on 4-7 shooting.  Ben McLemore bounced back a little bit with 11 points on 4-10 shooting, but missed all 4 of his three pointers.  Nik Stauskas went 3-10 from the field and a surprising 2-6 from the line but he did hit 2-4 from three and finished with 10 points.

The Hornets got 22 points from rookie P.J. Hairston, whose only made field goals were 3 pointers.  Hairston finished the game 6-20 from the field and 6-13 from three.  Fellow rookie Noah Vonleh, a player that some Kings fans thought was in play at the 8th pick, scored 10 points on 3-10 shooting (1-2 from three) along with 18 rebounds (5 offensive), 8 fouls (they give you 10 in summer league) and 4 turnovers.

Vonleh's rebounding numbers are a bit inflated however given the absolutely atrocious shooting by both sides.  The Kings finished the game shooting just 35.2% from the field and only had 7 assists all game.  Charlotte was even worse at 28.6%.  Charlotte also had 17 turnovers to Sacramento's 13.

The biggest difference in the game came at the Free Throw line where the Kings made 30-40.  Charlotte only made 16-26.  The Hornets had a combined 39 fouls called on them, and each starter had at least 4 and three players at 6 or more.  The Kings had nobody over 5.  Sacramento did a good job of attacking the basket and drawing contact and not allowing the same to happen on the other end.

Random Observations:

• Ben McLemore still looks a little out of control at times.  I get the feeling that Summer League is just simply not the best showcase for his talents.  He's not a guy that is comfortable creating offense or being a main focus.  He's a complementary guy, and his biggest strength is moving off the ball.  It is a bit worrying to me though that his three point shot doesn't look like it's gotten any more consistent.  I thought his handle looked a bit improved and he did well when he slowed down later in the game, and he had a couple very strong takes to the basket.
• I feel like Stauskas didn't have the ball much, but he also didn't try to force anything.  He's an unselfish player and his outside shot is really smooth.  He has a very natural feel for the game and I'm looking forward to seeing him play more this week.
• Acy's a bundle of energy.  He didn't try to showcase his long-range game this time though, not even attempting a three pointer.
• The fact that Derrick Williams isn't excelling (and really, he's struggling) against this type of competition is very worrying to me about his long term prospects.
• Sim Bhullar checked in for the first time and played a few minutes.  This guy is massive.  I almost want to only write his name as SIM BHULLAR now just to indicate that.  He is also super slow though.  He had one great instance though where a Charlotte player tried to attack him and draw some contact.  That didn't work out quite according to his plan. SIM BHULLAR ended that plan.
• Eric Moreland looks like he's on a pogo stick.  He's bouncing everywhere.  He had 4 blocks in his 21 minutes of action to go with 9 rebounds.
• Marshon Brooks looked very comfortable out there. I would not be surprised to see him make the team.  I know Ra'Shad James led the team in scoring but Brooks was the best player for the Kings.
• Ray McCallum is a defensive pest and I love it.  I would like to see him get the team into its offense quicker though.
• On the other side, P.J. Hairston hasn't seen a shot he doesn't like.  He reminds me of a taller Marcus Thornton.  Vonleh definitely has skill and a big body, just powering through Quincy Acy and Derrick Williams a couple times, but he's also super raw and doesn't seem to have a great feel for what he's doing.  I think going to a Charlotte team where he doesn't have to be an immediate contributor and can learn from Al Jefferson is about the best thing that could have happened for him.

Isaiah Thomas meant a lot to this city, both on and off the court.

I'm sure it comes as a huge shock to many of you to learn that for the past few years Isaiah Thomas has been my favorite player.  Back in 2011 when I was compiling my annual stats of rookie prospects, Thomas' name popped out at me.  Here was a guy who could score, pass and do a little bit of everything.  On paper, he looked better than a lot of guys that were projected to be taken much higher.  Why was this guy not on anybody's radar?  Oh, he's 5'9.  "Yeah, that's gonna limit him in the league", I thought.  I wouldn't be the last person to make that mistake.

When the Kings picked Thomas with the last pick of the draft, I was happy, but I wasn't ecstatic or super excited.  Most second round picks don't make the team, let alone become consistent contributors.  The Kings still had Tyreke Evans handling the ball a majority of the time and they also just drafted Jimmer Fredette.  There weren't any expectations when it came to Isaiah.

That all changed once the season started.  After Paul Westphal got fired and Keith Smart took over, Thomas started seeing more and more minutes, especially as Jimmer Fredette struggled to adapt to the NBA game.  By the All-Star break, Thomas was starting.  He nearly had a triple-double in that first game as a starter.  He went toe-to-toe with guys like Kyrie Irving, John Wall and Stephen Curry.  He didn't back down from anything.  He got the crowds going with huge shots, ankle-breaking moves and strong drives to the basket over taller defenders.  He fed off our energy and we fed off his.

But what really cemented Thomas' place in our collective heart (or at least mine) was at that City Council Meeting where we voted on the first term sheet for a new arena.  Thomas not only was the only player to come but he also took the time to speak, and I will never forget that.  This became even more meaningful when after the term sheet was ripped up and it looked like the Kings would be moving to his native Washington, he still kept saying all the right things about wanting to keep the team here.  I will never forget that.

We'll miss the highlight plays, the corny but great Pizza Guys commercials, and that dynamic ability to instantly turn around a game, but we'll also miss Isaiah Thomas the person.

Thank you for an amazing three years Isaiah Thomas.  I wish it could have been longer, but though you're no longer a member of the Sacramento Kings, you will always be near and dear to the city of Sacramento.

The former No. 2 overall pick is still trying to find himself in the NBA, and an unexpected trip to the Las Vegas Summer League is one way to do it.

LAS VEGAS -- Bodies on the floor. Talent giving way to hustle. Fringe prospects looking to impress someone. Wading through minutes of bad basketball for a flash of something special. That's what you usually associate with the Las Vegas Summer League.

And then there's Derrick Williams.

"Sometimes in the summer, you get a little bored, man," Williams told SB Nation. "Why not come to Vegas and play with some of the guys that are on the normal team with us?"

Most players here do fit into the generic summer league mold, so it's rare to see a player suiting up who has 5,000 career minutes and is still under contract. But for the 23-year-old Williams, it was his decision to join some of his younger Kings teammates in Las Vegas.

"In the offseason, it can kind of get repetitive," Williams said. "I wanted to come out here and get some run in. Get some competition. Get myself in shape, and that's what I'm using it for. I'm not really out here for the points column or anything like that."

Still, this can't have been where anyone expected Williams to be three years ago, when many people thought he might go first overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. He ended up in Minnesota as the No. 2 draft pick behind Kyrie Irving, who just signed a contract extension worth about $90 million.

In contrast, Williams is on his second team and still searching for a role he can play. He never really fit with the Timberwolves, who weren't quite sure which forward position to play him at. It met a breaking point at the start of the 2013 season, when then head coach Rick Adelman left him out of the rotation. All it took for the Sacramento Kings to acquire him in November was Luc Mbah a Moute.

The talent he exhibited in college shined through a little more often on the Kings last year, but he was still inconsistent. When you look around Vegas, it shows. He's the only 2011 lottery pick playing in this year's Las Vegas Summer League, and one of only four first round selections.

Getty Images

In Sunday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, Williams' stats impressed no one. He scored just eight points on 2-of-8 shooting and had only two rebounds as the team's starting center. But Williams said it himself: he's not here for the stats.

His on-court mannerisms looked much closer to a player playing pick-up at a local YMCA. He often was slow running up and down, and all of his eight attempts were jump shots. In the post, his go-to move was a fadeaway jumper. On one trip down on defense in the third quarter, he made an unnecessary switch on a high pick-and-roll so he didn't have to fight through the screen.

In Williams' defense, summer league games are essentially pick-up basketball in many ways. But for the dozens of undrafted free agents and NBA journeymen, they are treated as job interviews for the countless scouts and executives watching.

Williams doesn't see it that way anymore. He's past impressing people with flashes of talent -- that's why he was the No. 2 pick. His challenge now is to be to put it all together in a way he has yet to demonstrate, and that's what makes his appearance here in Vegas so unusual. At least, in his first offseason with Sacramento, he's staying close to the team.

"Look around, see how many veteran guys are in summer league with experience. There's not a lot of guys who make the commitment to do that," Sacramento lead assistant coach Tyrone Corbin said. "They may come and work out with the team, but they're not playing in games."

DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay are two Kings who did just that, coming to Vegas and supporting the squad from the bench. In another life, Williams might be sitting right there with them after becoming the star so many thought he might become out of college.

Instead, he's just another guy in Vegas, still trying to find his way.

Everything came together for the Kings, as all starters scored in double digits led by Ben McLemore's 18.

It took a few games but things finally clicked for the Kings in their victory over the D-League Select on Monday.  Despite starting the game without scoring a single field goal in the first 7 minutes and trailing by double digits, Sacramento bounced back and won the final three quarters convincingly.

The Kings as a team shot a great 55.4% from the field and 45.5% from three while holding the D-League Select to just 40.6% from the field.  Sacramento also got to the line more (28 attempts to 16) and outrebounded them (34 to 26).

Sacramento's starters led the way forward, all finishing in double digits, led by Ben McLemore's 18 points.  McLemore was efficient, making 7 of his 10 field goal attempts (1-2 from downtown) and 3 of 4 at the line.  He did have 5 turnovers however, a problem that's been plaguing him so far this summer league.

Derrick Williams finally came alive with 17 points of his own on 6-10 shooting but he only grabbed 1 rebound.  Ray McCallum had a double-double with 10 points and 12 assists, looking much more comfortable running the team.  His assist numbers were definitely helped by the fact that his teammates were actually hitting their shots for once.  Rookie Nik Stauskas added 15 points of his own on a very efficient 6 of 8 from the field and 3 of 4 from three to go with 3 rebounds and 2 assists.  Quincy Acy had 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Despite the starters carrying the offensive load, Eric Moreland came off the bench and set the tone on defense with his energy and long arms.  He only finished with 2 blocks but he altered many more and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds as well.  Marshon Brooks added 8 points off the bench in 16 minutes.

Random Observations:

• We've seen a couple guys in recent years in Jimmer Fredette and Ben McLemore come into the league as supposed good shooters and then struggle with their shot in their first year.  I don't think Nik Stauskas will have that problem.  This guy's shot is so smooth already.  He's also pretty quick and decisive when he senses an opening to the rim.  I also love his unselfishness; Perhaps my favorite play of the game was Nik getting the ball in the corner for what was probably a good shot, but instead passing it to Williams for an uncontested dunk as the defense left him to run out at Nik.  That was a high basketball IQ play, one that saw him pass up a good shoot to get a great shot.
• When Ben isn't being asked to create and instead play within himself, he can be pretty good.  He's also doing a good job of utilizing his athleticism to get to the rim and more importantly finishing when he gets there.  He's not trying to throw down on someone, he's focusing on making the basket.  There was one sequence where Ben caught the ball at the three point line and then got to the rim in one dribble.
• Moreland is a difference maker on defense and it just goes to show what a real rim protector can do for a team.  The Kings were lost until Moreland came in as a sub.  He helped steady them on that end of the floor while they recovered offensively.  I would not be surprised to see Moreland make the team.  At the very minimum it seems certain that he'll get a training camp invite, much like the D-League Select's Trent Lockett did with us last year.
• Ray McCallum has a decent stop-and-pop midrange jumper.  He needs to work on finishing at the rim though.  He airballed a layup today that was point blank.  He did have one take that would have been a highlight dunk if Tony Mitchell hadn't fouled him.
• Devin Ebanks belongs in the NBA, somewhere.  He can play.  I'd probably rather have him than Travis Outlaw right now.

Nik Stauskas has been efficient and has played under control through the first three games of the Summer League.

Nik Stauskas hasn't completely "wowed" so far in the Las Vegas Summer League, but what he has done is prove he belongs.

Through three games, the rookie is averaging 13 points and shooting 48 percent from the field and 55 percent from three. He's also added two assists per game. Most tout his shooting (and rightfully so), but it is the way he plays under control and makes good decisions that really stands out. Stauskas has played within himself. He knows when to shoot, when to pass and when to drive to the lane. This type of decision-making is something the Kings have desperately needed more of.

His passing from the shooting guard position is definitely going to help the team and he is good at driving into the lane and passing out if he can, or making his defender foul him.

And other than a brief slump at the start of Monday's game, he has been consistent so far.

His defense is what continues to be questioned, and he does get beat more than you would like, but he has shown glimpses of being a capable defender.

He admits the defensive side of things has been an adjustment for him.

"It's been tough, and I think the main thing is the physicality of that part - a lot of switches on the bigs and just playing some help-side defense," Stauskas said. "I'm just going to have to continue working on it my whole career. I don't think I'm ever going to be like Bruce Bowen, I'm not going to be locking people down, but if I can go out there and show them I'm a capable defender and I can get after it, then it's going to help me get minutes."

Head coach Michael Malone praised Stauskas' ability to grasp what the team is trying to accomplish on defense.

"He's shown that he has a very high IQ, he can pick up our team defense, our philosophies very quickly," Malone said. "He's working hard. As he continues to get stronger and put some weight on, he's only going to become that better of a defender."

The questions about Ben McLemore and Stauskas playing together have continued. That strategy couldn't have gone better than it did during Monday's game. The two shooting guards combined for 33 points on 13 of 18 shooting. McLemore was the same guy we saw in the last game of the season. His shot looked good, he looked confident, he grabbed rebounds and he did it for the entire game. It also appears his ball handling has improved.

Not surprisingly, Malone liked what he saw out of his two guards.

"It's two guys that are playing off of each other - drive and kick basketball, space the floor, make the extra pass, they're basketball players," Malone said. "We don't look at them like ‘who is the shooting guard?' Forget that, both of those guys can make plays, they can both shoot the ball and the fact that both of those guys did it today at the same time was a big reason we were able to get the win."

But even though Stauskas and McLemore may play together at times in the regular season, one of them has to get the bulk of the minutes.

Malone outlined what he wants out of his starting shooting guard.

"That guy has got to be able to knock down shots, he's got to shoot the ball consistently...he's got to be able to value the basketball, not turn it over and he's got to be able to guard his position," Malone said. "The guy that can do that for me the best is going to be the guy that probably gets the minutes."

Stauskas can shoot the ball consistently, but can't guard his position all that well yet. And despite his improved ball handling, McLemore continues to turn the ball over. (He has 16 turnovers through the first three games of Summer League.) So there are definitely some things that need improving by both players.

Consistency is something McLemore will have to maintain if he wants to keep the starting job. So far, it looks like Stauskas is fundamentally sound and will be able to play fairly consistent basketball. It will be interesting to see if Stauskas can keep it up and if McLemore can build on his 18-point performance on Monday.

A talent infusion changed the Pacers' fortunes in the early '90's but a change in uniforms surely didn't hurt. The current Pacers will reportedly get a chance to wear that now retro look for certain games next season.

Sure, it's not the uniform, but what's in the uniform that makes a difference. But as Deion Sanders once said, "If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good."

The Pacers were at least trying to tap into the look good, feel good, play good plan when they had Olympic sprinter, Florence Griffith-Joyner design a new uniform in 1990. The Pacers will wear those uniforms for certain retro games during the 2014-15 season which will also put them back on the market for a new generation of fans to wear on the streets.

Not only did the Flo-Jo's bring a new style to the court for the Pacers, they also added a dark blue to the team's color palette which remains part of the uniform style to this day. At the time, Pacers' sharp shooter, Chuck Person was excited to move to a new look, as he expressed in reports at the time.

"I think the lighter shade didn't give us the flash, the go-get'em attitude," said forward Chuck Person, on of five Pacer regulars modeling the new outfits during a courtside news conference at Market Square Arena.

The royal blue was a "slower-looking color," said Person, a team co-captain. And the new outfit, which also includes a V-neck for the first time? "It feels great."

While Person had his moments in the Flo-Jo's, Reggie Miller made them legendary with his heroic efforts, especially in the dark blue version, on the road in Madison Square Garden.

Paul George sporting the Flo-Jo's? Yeah, that should be fun.

Sportslogos.net has all of the uniform news, including the retro looks the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors will be wearing. Also, a sleeved version for the Celtics appears to be in the works.

Thanks to @zachinman for sharing the info on Twitter.

With the NBA moving the logo to the back and Kings & Raptors celebrating anniversary seasons... @IndyCornrowspic.twitter.com/SD172DnVd3

— Zach (@zachinman) July 15, 2014

Boogie Cousins has been making the media rounds all offseason and today he finally made good on his promise to join Bill Simmons on his podcast, the B.S. Report.  No word on if Simmons then tried to kidnap Cousins and take him to Boston, something he seemingly tries to do in every one of his Twitter trade suggestions.

Here we go again with the connecting of dots.

The big names in free agency have mostly found homes so the league seems to be shifting back into trade talks mode.  Already we've heard that the much discussed discussions between Golden State and Minnesota have re-started (though neither team seems to have budged from where they were before).  Now we get word that the Kings and Pistons are in talks about Josh Smith again.

Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings resume Josh Smith trade talk - ESPN

Initial talks called for Sacramento to send Jason Thompson and either Derrick Williams or Jason Terry to the Pistons for Smith, but those discussions reached an impasse and were pushed into July along with the rest of both teams' free-agent business, sources said.

Sounds like they've hit a snag and will need a 3rd team to help facilitate the deal.

Oh, and hey.  In case you haven't heard this 1,000 times, Josh Smith is Rajon Rondo's old H.S. classmate and good friend.  So, ...connect whatever mythical dots you want there!

Another potential bonus is Smith's close relationship with Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, whom Sacramento has been targeting in trade talks for some time.

Obviously the Kings have been rumored to want Rondo in the past and I'm sure there's still interest there.  Come to think of it, the Pistons have been mentioned as a possible destination for Rondo as well (though again, the Josh Smith connection seemed to be a motivating factor).  I'm not sure if either team has what the Celtics would want or how they could feature in a 3 team trade (with or without Rondo involved) but I'm sure we'll hear a few more rumblings about this as the days progress.

Just another rumor from around the league to keep an eye on.

Update: If you like, you can see a short conversation that I had with Jeff Goodman about Rondo on twitter here.  Apparently he's talked to players around the league that wouldn't want to play with Rondo.

Teams looking for third team to help facilitate a deal.

The Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings are again engaged in trade discussions surrounding Josh Smith, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

The teams were reported to have been in deep discussion on a Josh Smith trade shortly before the NBA draft but the Pistons apparently broke those talks off. Now, the teams are communicating again with a third team being sought to help facilitate a deal that would work for all parties.

It's apparent why the Pistons would be obvious -- if the team is truly committed to a long-term future with Andre Drummond at center and Greg Monroe at power forward, there is little room for Smith and his $13.5 million salary.

But what is the appeal from the Kings' perspective of slotting Smith alongside DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay?

Sources say the Kings continue to give the addition of Smith serious consideration, largely because the discussions to date have not required them to part with any players in their long-term plans and would also add a versatile and athletic defender to a roster that badly needs one, given how much Kings coach Mike Malone is known to preach defense.

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, furthermore, is known to be fond of splashy moves. And trading for Smith, given the lukewarm reviews of his first season with the Pistons, would certainly qualify as bold.

Another potential bonus is Smith's close relationship with Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, whom Sacramento has been targeting in trade talks for some time.

The Kings, sources say, prefer to trade Terry rather than buy him out of the final year of his contract valued at nearly $6 million, while Terry has said he's interested in a return to the Dallas Mavericks if he's ultimately released and can get to free agency.

Previous trade discussions involved the Pistons sending Smith and getting back Jason Thompson and one of either Derrick Williams or Jason Terry.

It's unclear what bringing in a third team would help facilitate at this point as Terry is in the final year of his deal and would likely be bought out and Thompson, while undesirable for the Pistons would probably be difficult to unload on another team.

There has also been no report of the Pistons trying to offload any other pieces in a deal, whether the long-term contract of Brandon Jennings or even expiring pieces that don't fit such as Will Bynum.

But for now, I believe we have seen enough smoke to believe that there is serious interest in these two teams in consummating some  sort of deal around Smith.

We will bring you more as this story develops.

The Kings and Pistons are reportedly revisiting trade talks centered around Smith, and the two teams are looking for a third team to help facilitate a deal.

The Sacramento Kings continue to look for an upgrade at power forward to play alongside DeMarcus Cousins, and Josh Smith is a name that keeps popping up on the Kings' radar. After engaging in trade talks with the Detroit Pistons last month, Sacramento is once again trying to find a way to land Smith, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

When the teams first talked, the proposal reportedly involved the Kings sending Jason Thompson and either Derrick Williams or Jason Terry to Detroit. Those talks broke down, but now that free agency has settled a bit, negotiations have resumed. The teams are looking for a third team to help facilitate a deal.

Smith could act as a complimentary piece to DeMarcus Cousins/Photo credit: Ezra Shaw, Getty Images

Why this makes sense

The Kings are on the hunt for either a rim protector or a stretch 4 to play alongside Cousins. Smith doesn't fall under the stretch 4 category, but he could be a quality rim protector for Sacramento. The 28-year-old has blocked 2.1 shots per game over the course of his career. While those numbers were down last year, that was more of a function of being forced to play the 3 in Detroit. That, of course, turned out to be a disastrous move.

The train wreck that was the three-big lineup is a reason the Pistons are looking to move Smith. It would be nice to get out from under the three years and over $40 million remaining on Smith's contract, which would pave the way for Detroit to move forward with Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe. Those two are both younger and boast a brighter future. Monroe, a restricted free agent, has been in limbo since free agency started.

Why this doesn't make sense

A trio of Smith, Cousins and Rudy Gay would be a talented one, but the fit may not be the best. Having Gay around would allow Smith to play the 4, however, shot selection could be a problem. Those three would also combine to make $48 million next year, and they would cost a ton of money long term if the Kings want to bring back Gay once his contract expires.

It makes sense for the Pistons to want to move Smith, but Sam Amick of USA TODAY did report earlier in free agency that the team values the forward and there's no rush to dump him. While that could have been posturing, Detroit likely won't just dump Smith for anything, as he still holds value. The players the Kings have discussed sending aren't all that enticing, which would help explain why the parties are looking to get a third team involved.

Likelihood

New Kings owner Vivek Ranadive is said to be "fond of splashy moves," and this would certainly qualify as one. It could also serve as a precursor for another attempt for Rajon Rondo, who is close friends with Smith. Sacramento has engaged the Boston Celtics in Rondo trade talks, but nothing has come to fruition. The Kings seem to like Smith, but it may be tough to find the right deal, so I'll say there's a 4/10 chance of Smith ending up in Sacramento.

Are the Kings getting ready to make yet another big splash?

Before the NBA draft, there was quite a lot of buzz that the Kings were looking to trade for Josh Smith, but those rumors never came to fruition.  Both teams seemingly wanted to see what would happen in both the draft and free agency first.  Now it appears they are ready to come back to the negotiating table.

ESPN's Marc Stein reports that trade talks between the two teams have heated up again, this time looking for a third team that could help facilitate.  The initial talks centered around the Kings sending a combination of Jason Thompson, Derrick Williams and Jason Terry to Detroit, but that doesn't seem like it is enough to get something done despite the massive salary relief it would offer the Pistons.

So why are the Kings interested in Smith, coming off the worst year of his career and with 3 years and $40.5 million left on his contract? From ESPN:

Sources say the Kings continue to give the addition of Smith serious consideration, largely because the discussions to date have not required them to part with any players in their long-term plans and would also add a versatile and athletic defender to a roster that badly needs one, given how much Kings coach Mike Malone is known to preach defense.

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, furthermore, is known to be fond of splashy moves. And trading for Smith, given the lukewarm reviews of his first season with the Pistons, would certainly qualify as bold.

Another potential bonus is Smith's close relationship with Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, whom Sacramento has been targeting in trade talks for some time.

The part about the Kings not giving up any players in their long term plans is key.  Smith's value is at an all-time low, and the Kings would be gambling that he'd  play much better next to Cousins and Gay than he did with Monroe and Drummond.  This is similar to their thinking in trading for Rudy Gay last season.

Ken Berger also stated last week that the Kings are scouring the market for a stretch four or shot-blocker to be next to DeMarcus Cousins.  Smith isn't a true rim protector but he's a good shotblocker and defender.  Unfortunately he also thinks he's a stretch four despite tons of evidence that he can't hit an outside shot with consistency.

Almost immediately after Herb Kohl sold the team to Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens back in April, it was reported that some local investors were looking to join the group in a minority role. Three months later, those individuals were introduced. Here is the release from the Bucks:

Wes Edens and Marc Lasry today announced that the NBA Board of Governors has formally approved a group of individuals to join the ownership group of the Milwaukee Bucks. The new participants in the ownership group include familiar faces from the greater Milwaukee business community such as Ted Kellner of Fiduciary Management, Jim Kacmarcik of Kapco, Craig Karmazin of Good Karma Brands, Michael Kocourek of Mid Oaks Investments, Keith Mardak of Hal Leonard Corporation, Teddy Werner of the Milwaukee Brewers as well as several other prominent business leaders with close ties to the Milwaukee area.

"We are so excited about creating a new era of Milwaukee Bucks basketball," said Bucks owner Marc Lasry. "In just a matter of weeks, we have had an incredible draft, brought on a world-class coach, and have now assembled a visionary group of owners from the community."

Bucks owner Wes Edens said, "From day one, Marc and I felt a huge part of the rebuilding process would be dependent on having important leaders from Milwaukee join the ownership of the organization. We believe the future of the Milwaukee Bucks is not only about winning basketball, but also about contributing to Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin."

The list isn't finished, either. Several unnamed partners are involved in this investment, and more could be added later. Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel also reports that former Bucks player Junior Bridgeman was considering being part of the group. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was not listed, but has had several talks with Lasry and Edens. At this time, though Edens said "they are not in a place to announce he's an investor." He did go on to say that they would still love him to get on board in "whatever capacity" though.

With several local magnates now in the fold, the attention will start to shift back towards the funding and development of a new arena. Edens presented an update to the NBA's Board of Governors this week in Las Vegas.

Edens said he and Lasry have met with some stadium experts and architects and tried to learn some ideas from the arena planning for the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. Both franchises are building new downtown arenas, with the Warriors planning a move from Oakland to San Francisco.

Edens said he has looked at different sites in Milwaukee but his preference is a downtown location.

"Milwaukee is blessed to have a handful of different alternatives," Edens said. "We toured the lakefront. My preference is to be in the middle of downtown.

"The lakefront is spectacular in July. I'm not sure how spectacular it will be in February."

Edens said it's a step-by-step process in getting the arena plans underway.

"Our No. 1 goal is site selection. That's front and center," he said. "Once we get the site nailed down, then we can see what the available space will be and can focus on the design."

For the second time this summer, the Pistons and Kings are engaged in trade talks centered around Josh Smith, who signed a four-year, $54 million deal with Detroit last summer.

Update:Detroit's trade talks with the Kings are reportedly "dead," according to DraftExpress.

The Pistons and Kings have discussed a deal that would send Josh Smith to Sacramento, according to a report from ESPN's Marc Stein. "One source insists nothing imminent, but I'm told Pistons and Kings have discussed a trade that would send Josh Smith to Sacramento," he tweeted.

Who might the Pistons receive in return? "One scenario, I'm told, would send Smith to Kings for Jason Thompson and Derrick Williams. Jason Terry might be another option," tweets Stein.

The Pistons overpaid for Smith last summer by signing him to a four-year, $54 million deal -- and that was before he proceeded to play the worst season of his career, shooting a career-low 41.9 percent from the field (including a cringe-worthy 26.4 percent from 3-point land) while playing out of position at small forward. But as we've learned time and again in the NBA, that doesn't mean he can't be moved.

Why would the Kings be interested in acquiring Smith? For one, he'd be allowed to play his natural position of power forward, joining Rudy Gay at small forward and DeMarcus Cousins in the middle. And second, the proposed trade might just be a precursor to a larger deal to remake the Kings:

No word deal is imminent (yet) but Sacramento's well-known fondness for Rajon Rondo would help explain Kings' interest in his buddy JSmoove

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 24, 2014

Immediate focus for Kings, though, is dealing No. 8 pick, which looks increasingly inevitable between now and Thursday's draft proceedings

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 24, 2014

It's not yet clear if the Pistons are in the running for the Kings' eighth overall pick, as well. If they are, DBB's Ben Gulker described the various salary cap implications the Pistons must consider for that to happen earlier this afternoon.

Over at SB Nation's Sactown Royalty, Aykis16 seems to like the move:

For Sacramento, this trade would be similar to the one in which they acquired Rudy Gay, getting a big talent who underperformed for as few assets as possible.  The Kings would be betting that Smith returns to his Atlanta form and perhaps focuses more on his all-around game rather than his offense with Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins facing the biggest burdens there.

Although SBNation.com's Mike Prada doesn't think the trade is likely -- he rates it a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10 -- he can see how the Kings might talk themselves into the deal:

Sacramento is slated to approach the luxury tax even though they won just 28 games last year, so it's not like they can sign impact players in free agency. The No. 8 draft pick is nice, but it's hard to find a star at that spot. Three players averaged 20 points a game for them last year -- emerging young big man DeMarcus Cousins, free-agent point guard Isaiah Thomas and midseason acquisition Rudy Gay -- but the rest of the roster is very shallow and has a number of bad contracts. Consider that Thompson and Carl Landry, two power forwards who did little for the Kings last year, will make nearly $51 million combined through 2017, only $5 million less than Smith. Thus, the Kings may need to gamble on Smith's talent to move up in the West.

Thompson, who turns 28 years old in July, is also coming off a career-worst season, averaging just 7.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game. That's disappointing if you view him as a potential starter, but it's acceptable as a big man off the bench. He also plays a defined position and has attempted just five 3-pointers the last three seasons combined, which is more than you can say for Smith. Thompson is signed through the 2016-17 season after inking a 5-year, $30.1 million deal in 2012. He's owed $6 million in 2014-15, $6.4 million in 2015-16 and $6.8 million in the final year.

Williams, on the other hand, might still have some potential waiting to be unlocked. The former second overall pick by the Timberwolves in the 2011 draft just turned 23 years old in May, arriving to the Kings last year in a midseason trade. Unfortunately he fancies himself a bit of a 3-point shooter despite converting on just 29.6 percent of his attempts, but I trust Stan Van Gundy could corral the young player into achieving his fullest potential. Williams has averaged 10.1 points with 4.9 rebounds while averaging 23.2 minutes per game in his three seasons in the league.

In April, DBB's own revken included the Kings in a post outlining several potential trade partners:

The priority for the Kings this summer has to be keeping Isaiah Thomas, who will soon cease to be the league’s cheapest 20 points per game scorer. But ever since they rejuvenated Rudy Gay’s career, some Pistons’ fans have wondered if the Kings would also like to try their hand with Smith. He might actually be a good complement upfront to DeMarcus Cousins.

For a trade to work, it would probably have to include either Carl Landry (three years/$19.5 million) or Jason Thompson (three years/$19.3 million), plus one other player. Either Jason Terry (one year/$5.9 million) or Derrick Williams (one year/$6.3 million) should suffice. Terry, for example, could take Rodney Stuckey’s place in the Detroit guard rotation next season. Currently recovering from knee surgery, Landry has been a useful reserve at power forward for most of his career. While the third year of his deal would extend through the 2016-17 season, its modest amount ($6.5 million) would still save the Pistons $7 million they could use to meet other needs. The same is true for Thompson if the Kings preferred to offer him.

If this deal comes to fruition -- and I should remind you before getting too excited, the two teams are simply taking, and Stein hedged by saying nothing was imminent -- it would certainly seem to indicate the Pistons are willing to commit big money to restricted free agent Greg Monroe, who's about to get a lot of money once he hits the market. Van Gundy met with the Detroit media this afternoon, addressing Monroe's impending free agency:

Highlights from SVG: Careful to say he "values" Greg Monroe vs. "wanting" him. Said they have have investigated every angle

— Vincent Ellis (@Vincent_Ellis56) June 24, 2014

The decision has been made on what they are doing with the Greg Monroe decision as far as trades, matching offer

— Jennifer Hammond (@HammerFox2) June 24, 2014

Now your thoughts.

The Timberwolves beat the Suns yesterday in round 1 of the Las Vegas Summer League Tournament, which means they face the Kings today at 1:30 PM.  Unfortunately they will not be live on NBA TV but you can still catch them live via NBA.com's Summer League package.

The Kings haven't played since Tuesday while the Timberwolves will be playing their 3rd game in three days.  The Wolves roster also features a lot of NBA talent, namely Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad, Alexey Shved,  Zach Lavine, Glen Robinson III and of course, the one, the only, Kyrylo Fesenko.

Sacramento is coming off their best game to date in Summer League, beating the D-League select team and all five starters scoring in double-digits.  Ben McLemore and Derrick Williams got out of their slumps and Nik Stauskas continued to be efficient.

Should the Kings win today they will face the winner of Chicago and Philadelphia on Saturday.  If they lose they will play one final game in the consolation round tomorrow against the loser of New Orleans and Charlotte.

Sacramento advanced into the quarterfinals of the Las Vegas Summer League tournament on Thursday, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 100 to 86.

Ben McLemore followed up an 18 point effort on Tuesday with a team-high 22 points on 7-11 shooting (2-4 from three) to go along with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and a block in 31 minutes.  Quincy Acy had 15 points and 7 rebounds and Marshon Brooks added 19 points off the bench.

Rookie Nik Stauskas didn't see many offensive touches in his 24 minutes of action, with all three of his Field Goal Attempts coming in the first half.  He finished with just 4 points on 1-3 shooting but he still managed to make an impact by dishing out 5 assists to just 1 turnover.  Ray McCallum also had 5 assists to go along with his 13 points.

Sacramento shot a phenomenal 60% from the field for the game and also did another good job on the other side of the ball, holding Minnesota to just 41.4%.  Minnesota was able to get a lot of second chances thanks to their big men Gorgui Dieng and Kyrylo Fesenko, who together combined for 11 of Minnesota's 16 offensive rebounds.  The Wolves only had 11 defensive rebounds however since they couldn't stop the Kings from scoring.

Derrick Williams was not with the team today, leading to some speculation that he was being held out as Josh Smith rumors have heated up.  Alex Oriakhi, whose draft rights were acquired in the Isaiah Thomas sign-and-trade, started in his place.

The Kings will play the winner of Philadelphia and Chicago on Saturday.

UPDATE 5:30 PM

Apparently Williams was only ever going to play 3 games according to Malone

Michael Malone said plan all along was for Derrick Williams to play only 3 summer league games. His not playing not related to trade rumors

— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) July 17, 2014

We talked about things....

This week Dave and Kris try to overcome the evils of technology with round two of the 59th episode of the Phoenix Suns Podcast. Did you catch all that?

In the episode we kick things off reviewing the comments and departure of Channing Frye from the two local interviews he did with the Arizona Republic and 620 Radio. Then we look at all the recent free-agency news from the Suns over the past week with Isaiah Thomas, Anthony Tolliver, and now the "32 Million Dollar" drama with the team and Eric Bledsoe.

Listen Here: Phoenix Suns Podcast Episode 59

Tune In/Subscribe: Click Here

RSS Feed: Click Here

P.S.

Sorry Sacramento Kings fans, but when the jokes are this easy they just happen. We did not intend for this. No Kings were hurt in the recording of this podcast... Well, maybe hurt feelings.

It's been a depressing past 12 months for the #FreeJimmer community, as Jimmer Fredette's career continues to be a rollercoaster ride of uncertainty. After being relegated to the end of the Sacramento King's bench for most of the past three seasons, there was a flicker of hope this year for Jimmer fans when Fredette was bought out of his contract with the Kings and joined theChicago Bulls on March 2nd. This felt like a tender mercy to tortured Fredette fans and a perfect situation for Jimmer's career to begin to flourish. He was going from one of the most dysfunctional franchises in the NBA to one of the most stable. The knock against Jimmer has always been his poor defense, and here he would be able to learn under coach Tom Thibodeau, who is highly regarded as the smartest defensive coach in the NBA. The Bulls needed a shooter to improve their dreadful offense and Jimmer happens to be quite good at shooting basketballs into hoops from long distances. It seemed like a match made in heaven. And it got off to a pretty decent start:

The tables were set. Jimmer would get more playing time, Thibodeau would teach him to play defense, and Jimmermania would start anew!!!

And then... the DNPs kept on coming.

He played in only eight of Chicago's 29 remaining games, averaging seven minutes and four points per game in those eight contests.

On July 1st he became an unrestricted free agent. In the blink of an eye he had gone from being the 10th overall pick to a free agent with limited options. After reports of multiple teams interested and a possible offer to play for Panathinaikos in Greece, there was little to no buzz about teams pursuing Jimmer for the past two weeks. Until yesterday, when he reportedly agreed to a one year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans for the league minimum.

For a player that has proven to be an elite shooter-a skill in high demand in the NBA- why weren't there more teams chasing after Jimmer? Why hasn't he gotten a real chance to play extended, meaningful minutes in the NBA? The facts about his career so far are:

• He had four coaches in three years: Paul Westphal (liked Jimmer, but was fired 7 games into his rookie season), Keith Smart, Mike Malone and Tom Thibodeau.
• He's made 7 career starts (all in his rookie year), and has a career average of 15.0 minutes per game.
• He is a career 40% three-point shooter.
• He led the NBA last season in three-point shooting at 47.6% (on only 84 attempts).
• He was drafted into the absolute worst possible situation (okay, I realize that's not a fact, but it's true.)
• Many think he is a great teammate. After a game last season where Jimmer scored 17 points off the bench, Bulls Center Joakim Noah said,  "Jimmer's a good dude and he's a worker. I've never seen a dude work so hard on his game every day, and it just shows. Hard work pays off. He came through, hasn't played for a long time. He comes in and delivers when we need him. That says a lot about his professionalism."

The Pelicans may not be a bad situation for Jimmer. There's good reason to hope he can work his way into their guard rotation, where he'll likely be competing with Austin Rivers and Russ Smith for playing time in the backup roles. The fact that he only got a one-year deal at the league minimum, however, is a powerful statement about his status in the league. Why has he been labeled a bust without ever getting a real chance to play consistently?

Let's refer back to what Jeff Van Gundy said about Jimmer during his debut with the Bulls,  "He can play offense in the NBA, his issue is can he guard?... to create a role for himself on a really good team."

There is no doubt Jimmer can make shots in the NBA. In fact, although in limited minutes, Jimmer's offensive efficiency ranks among the top in the league. He also ranks higher than many guards that have already signed bigger deals with new teams during free agency. Take for example, this comparison done by Andrew Bailey of Bleacher Report:

Jodie Meeks: 3 years/$20 million Ben Gordon: 2 years/$9 million Jimmer Fredette: Not good enough to play in the NBA pic.twitter.com/2R6NcZtKoL

— Andrew Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) July 2, 2014

The defensive end is where coaches seem to believe Jimmer is so bad that they can't put him on the floor. Is he really that awful?

Per Adrien Kaeslin of squeezetheorange.com, "According to synergy, he gave up 0.97 PPP in total, 401st in the league. Among players who played a similar amount of minutes tohim he finished last in defensive winshares 5, and perhaps most tellingly of all, he had a defensive RAPM 6 of -4.9, a bottom 20 number in the league."

This is a really complicated, analytical way of explaining that Jimmer has a hard time staying in front of his man and preventing him from dropping the ball through the net. That being said, his career defensive rating is 114, but that number improved to 110 this past season. That ranked better than Trey Burke, Brandon Jennings, Brandon Knight, Eric Gordon, and others.

It's doubtful Jimmer will ever be a great defensive player, but in the right system, a coach should be able to help him become solid enough to stay in the rotation. Even after acknowledging his poor defensive performance, his shooting numbers have been so superior, why wouldn't a team that needs shooting (like the Bulls, Pacers and Thunder) be eager to bring him on and hope to help him improve his defense? Why on earth are players like Ben Gordon, Brian Roberts, Sebastian Telfair, and Luke Ridnourreceiving much better contracts than him?

Is it possible Jimmer has entered the Tebow Zone? Where the fan and media circus he attracts has become more of a distraction than teams want to deal with for a mediocre player? Many fans thought it would be a no-brainer for the Jazz to sign Fredette because of the millions it would surely bring in ticket and jersey sales. But you also have to consider the effect that would have on the team and locker room. Jimmer's locker would constantly be surrounded by reporters, and fans would invariably be chanting his name and insisting he play a high number of minutes. The fact is Jimmer will polarize any fan base he plays for in the NBA. This may be an enigma that scared everyone else away. Apparently the one-year deal was the best (or only) offer for him this off-season, and it sure looks like it may be his last chance to prove he belongs.

I still believe Jimmer will have his moment in the NBA. In the right situation, with the right teammates, coach, and role, he could unleash at least a glimpse of the college Jimmer. He's already shown it in small flashes. Given the correct opportunity, he can contribute to a good team in the NBA. I know he could do it. I just hope he gets the chance.

And if he doesn't... well, we'll always have Jimmermania.