This massive four-team trade just kicked off the NBA trade deadline
The NBA trade deadline is officially upon us, folks. We’re starting off the final day of this thing with an absolute bang.
We got not a two, not a three but a four team trade as the first deal completed a few hours ahead of the deadline.
The Milwaukee Bucks moved Donte DiVencenzo but got Serge Ibaka back. The Kings finally got rid of Marvin Bagley III. The Pistons got another project for the future. The Clippers saved themselves a whole lot of money.
There were a lot of moving parts to this thing. But don’t you worry — we’re going over all of them here and grading each one.
Here are six of the players to keep an eye on as we inch closer to the trade deadline.
The NBA trade deadline — February 10 at 3PM Eastern — is hard to predict and players may unexpectedly find themselves on the move. But there are some trends we’ve learned.
For example, NBA teams often make a decision about a player’s free agency before the free agency period actually begins. If an organization decides that they are going to move on from a player, it makes sense to see if they can get any assets in return.
That is one of the reasons why the Knicks recently moved on from Kevin Knox, who was recently traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal to land Cam Reddish.
Of course, some teams may be reluctant to trade for an upcoming free agent like Knox. But it’s occasionally advantageous because if they are able to bring a player into the fold before he actually hits the open market, they get the first opportunity to establish chemistry between the two parties. If it doesn’t work out, meanwhile, it’s a way of clearing up cap space on their salary books.
As such, when surveying the league to find the players most likely to see their name in trade rumors, upcoming restricted free agents are a good place to begin.
Here are six of the players to keep an eye on as we inch closer to the trade deadline:
Here’s a look at those players that will be headed to restricted free agency in 2022 after the rookie-scale extension deadline passed.
The rookie-scale extension deadline has passed with a flurry of extensions for the 2018 draft class. Eleven players were extended, including four players signing maximum extensions. These extensions combine for a total of $1.146 billion in guaranteed money.
Twelve players on rookie-scale contracts that were extension-eligible did not extend and it will be interesting to see how the 2022 free agent market shakes out for them. There are now only 4 teams that can generate significant cap space next offseason, which explains why so many players extended now. Here’s a look at those players that will be headed to restricted free agency in 2022.
With Malik Monk out of the rotation in Charlotte and Marvin Bagley III disgruntled in Sacramento, could the two sides work a trade?
While it’s early in the season, an interesting trend has emerged in the Hornets rotation. Malik Monk, a player entering his fourth year in the league who averaged 21.3 minutes per game last season, has yet to make an appearance in a contest this year.
However, once the regular season started, Monk was relegated to the bench. In the six games the Hornets have played, Monk has not seen a minute on the court. Head coach James Borrego has noted that he is healthy but the play of players off the bench, namely LaMelo Ball, Cody Martin and Caleb Martin, has forced him out of the rotation.
It’s a far fall for Monk, who was selected No. 11 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft and averaged 10.3 points per game last season. It could be a blip in the radar this season, which still has plenty left to unfold in the coming months and could see many more changes. But that he is even in this situation speaks to how he’s viewed by the current coaching staff.
Monk still has value as he’s had success in the league. But for a Hornets side with a thin front court even before Cody Zeller’s injury, is Monk’s greatest value to the team on the court?
That question has become more relevant in the last few days, on the other side of the country, the Sacramento Kings are going through a nearly annual circus. Fellow former top pick, Marvin Bagley III, has been in the middle of controversy after his father tweeted for the franchise to trade him. Bagley himself did little to help his case by refusing to even answer questions on the matter in the aftermath. Things moved to another level on Sunday when Richaun Holmes and De’Aaron Fox’s parents weighed in.
All this comes while the Kings are having an exciting start, going 3-3 with rookie Tyrese Haliburton turning heads. Bagley has played in all six games, averaging 25 minutes a night as a starter with 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds.
With both the Hornets and the Kings have unhappy young players, could a deal between the two sides make sense? Charlotte’s gaping hole in the middle could be filled by Bagley while a change of scenery for Monk could allow him a fresh start.
The trade would be more than a straight one-for-one deal with the Hornets needing to attach more either in the former of draft capital or young players. Charlotte does not owe any first round picks, allowing them flexibility in doing a deal.
Whether or not Monk is considered expendable, the Bagley situation is one Charlotte should be monitoring. As a young player that fits both the playstyle and needs of the Hornets, it could be worth pulling a trigger on.
With Malik Monk out of the rotation in Charlotte and Marvin Bagley III disgruntled in Sacramento, could the two sides work a trade?
While it’s early in the season, an interesting trend has emerged in the Hornets rotation. Malik Monk, a player entering his fourth year in the league who averaged 21.3 minutes per game last season, has yet to make an appearance in a contest this year.
However, once the regular season started, Monk was relegated to the bench. In the six games the Hornets have played, Monk has not seen a minute on the court. Head coach James Borrego has noted that he is healthy but the play of players off the bench, namely LaMelo Ball, Cody Martin and Caleb Martin, has forced him out of the rotation.
It’s a far fall for Monk, who was selected No. 11 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft and averaged 10.3 points per game last season. It could be a blip in the radar this season, which still has plenty left to unfold in the coming months and could see many more changes. But that he is even in this situation speaks to how he’s viewed by the current coaching staff.
Monk still has value as he’s had success in the league. But for a Hornets side with a thin front court even before Cody Zeller’s injury, is Monk’s greatest value to the team on the court?
That question has become more relevant in the last few days, on the other side of the country, the Sacramento Kings are going through a nearly annual circus. Fellow former top pick, Marvin Bagley III, has been in the middle of controversy after his father tweeted for the franchise to trade him. Bagley himself did little to help his case by refusing to even answer questions on the matter in the aftermath. Things moved to another level on Sunday when Richaun Holmes and De’Aaron Fox’s parents weighed in.
All this comes while the Kings are having an exciting start, going 3-3 with rookie Tyrese Haliburton turning heads. Bagley has played in all six games, averaging 25 minutes a night as a starter with 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds.
With both the Hornets and the Kings have unhappy young players, could a deal between the two sides make sense? Charlotte’s gaping hole in the middle could be filled by Bagley while a change of scenery for Monk could allow him a fresh start.
The trade would be more than a straight one-for-one deal with the Hornets needing to attach more either in the former of draft capital or young players. Charlotte does not owe any first round picks, allowing them flexibility in doing a deal.
Whether or not Monk is considered expendable, the Bagley situation is one Charlotte should be monitoring. As a young player that fits both the playstyle and needs of the Hornets, it could be worth pulling a trigger on.
HoopsHype’s new series gives an inside look at shoe deals, with part one focusing on the three different tiers of sneaker deals.
This is part one of a four-part series that gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at shoe deals and the sneaker-free-agency process, with insight from various NBA agents, sneaker executives and industry experts.
Today’s NBA players are earning tremendous sums of money from their respective teams, but that’s not their only revenue stream. Many players also get a substantial paycheck from their sneaker deal (and other endorsements). In some cases, that’s where players are earning their biggest paycheck.
“There are some players who make more money from their sneaker deal than their NBA contract,” one NBA agent said, pointing to examples like Derrick Rose (who makes more from adidas than the Pistons) and Kyle Kuzma (who makes more from PUMA than the Lakers).
HoopsHype’s new four-part series delves into the sneaker business. First, we’ll focus on the different types of shoe deals. There are three tiers: signature deals, cash deals and merch deals. Here’s a breakdown of each type of deal:
SIGNATURE DEALS
These are for the league’s biggest stars, as there are only 17 players who currently have a signature shoe. These individuals either have their own sneaker or one in development (since the process takes 16-to-24 months). According to ESPN sneaker expert Nick DePaula, signature deals typically pay players a base salary between $5 million and $15 million per year (depending on the player) plus bonuses from a wide variety of incentives.
These players typically get a five-percent royalty on all of their footwear and apparel sales (although the percentage is negotiable). Players also get a product allowance, which determines how much free gear they will receive. When a player has a signature shoe, there’s constant communication with the sneaker company to go over ideas, colorways, samples, etcetera.
DePaula notes that the biggest stars (like LeBron James) often have multiple models that are released each year and these models all have different technology, price points and distribution. When you consider that James earns a large base salary, bonuses from incentives and royalties from all of his models and apparel, it’s clear that he’s getting some big paychecks from Nike.
Despite the fact that there are just 17 players with their own signature shoe, 65 percent of the NBA wears a signature sneaker model of some sort, according to DePaula.
“So many players around the league are wearing Kyries or Kobes or another signature shoe,” he said. “There are about 20 players who are currently wearing adidas’ Dame 4s. When you have a signature shoe, not only are you wearing it, many people around the league wear it and give visibility to your name.”
CASH DEALS
There are roughly 70-to-100 players around the NBA who are on a cash deal. These players can make anywhere from $200,000-to-$300,000 per year on the low end and $2 million-to-$3 million per year on the high end, per DePaula. They have a base salary, a wide variety of incentives and a product allowance (that allows them to order gear for free).
These are players who are notable enough to pique the interest of a shoe company, but they aren’t deemed marketable enough for their own signature shoe. However, many of these players do have PE (player exclusive) sneakers. Bradley Beal is an example of a player on a cash deal since he’s an All-Star-caliber player and Nike gives him PEs with his own logo and custom colorways.
Every brand is different, but Nike typically rewards All-Star players and top picks (such as Ben Simmons) with PEs. Jordan Brand gives players a PE of their favorite Jordan model when they sign with the company, and any Jordan Brand player who wins a championship receives PEs with gold accents.
“Jordan Brand is different because they only have 31 or 32 players. It’s an elite group… and everyone on the Hornets,” DePaula said with a laugh.
“The bigger the star, the more elaborate the contract and the negotiations are,” former NBA agent Matt Babcock explained. “The shoe company will likely demand a lot more from a star player in return for the lucrative contract. For a star (on a signature deal), some common terms that would need to be negotiated are the number of appearances, commercials and offseason tours. For a role player (on a cash deal), it wouldn’t be as elaborate, although there are some similarities like incentives.”
Some players turn down cash deals because they would rather be a sneaker free agent since that allows them to wear different brands throughout the year. Gilbert Arenas may be the most notable example of this. After parting ways with adidas, he spent the 2010-11 season embracing his sneaker free agency and wearing a ton of different brands (even rocking a pair of Dolce & Gabbana high-tops at one point).
Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
MERCH DEALS
Most of the NBA is on a merch deal, which means the player isn’t getting paid to wear the sneakers, but they do get a product allowance. These players are typically end-of-bench guys or big men (because there’s a commonly held belief in the sneaker industry that big men can’t sell shoes, which we’ll get to later in this series).
Not only does a merch-deal player get free product to wear during games, these players often get a product allowance as well. They basically get store credit and can order anything they want online (from sneakers to clothes to women’s and children’s apparel for their family).
Most players on a merch deal have a $25,000 product allowance, but that amount is negotiable. Each year, players must spend their allowance by September 30 and the money doesn’t roll over to the following season.
When players have funds remaining as September 30 approaches, they’ll either add a friend or relative to their account or find ways to give back. Some players order jerseys and shoes for their old high school or AAU team while others order gear to give away at their summer basketball camp.
“Look at it this way: If you’re a max player, you’re trying to get a signature deal. If you’re a mid-level player, you’re likely going to get a cash deal,” NBA agent Roger Montgomery said. “And if you’re a minimum player, you’re just going to get free product.”
Every NBA team has a storage room either at their arena or facility where they have a bunch of shoes in their team’s colors that brands send them. For players who don’t have any shoe deal, their team’s equipment manager will typically provide them with free shoes from this room.
ROOKIE DEALS VS. VETERAN DEALS
It’s worth noting that there’s a difference between a player’s first shoe deal when they enter the NBA (their rookie deal) and when they’re a veteran who goes through sneaker free agency.
Most rookie deals are finalized shortly after the NBA draft because the shoe companies want to see when a prospect is drafted and which market the player lands in before committing to them. Rookie deals are typically four-to-five years long and players can earn big money if they’re a top pick (especially if they’re in a large market like Los Angeles or New York).
“With a rookie, you just don’t know how they’re going to turn out,” said AND1’s head of sports marketing Dexter Gordon. “That’s why a lot of times, when an agent has a lottery pick, they try to hurry up and lock in a sneaker deal. I have to decide whether to put my money on a rookie with a lot of upside when I don’t know what’s going to happen or go with a veteran who has proven himself and is a bit safer because I’ve seen them play in the league.”
Some prospects bet on themselves and wait until they take the court to sign a shoe deal. Damian Lillard waited until after he played at the Vegas Summer League to sign his first shoe deal, which was a risky move. However, Lillard was named the co-MVP of the tournament after averaging 26.5 points, 5.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds, and his patience paid off when he inked a lucrative rookie deal with adidas.
The biggest difference between rookie deals and veteran deals is that the former is all about projecting a prospect’s upside and marketability (like NBA teams do in the draft) and the latter is about evaluating a proven commodity (like NBA teams do in free agency). And unless a top pick develops into a star, they will likely earn less money on their second sneaker contract.
“I think the second deal is often more of a rude awakening for guys rather than a raise,” DePaula said. “Top prospects get paid a lot and then some of those deals look bad very quickly. There’s one rookie who was a top pick in recent years and he got $2 million per year, but months into his NBA career, the company was realizing, ‘This deal isn’t going to work out.’ That player will most likely get a merch deal when his deal is up. Rookie deals are kind of a crapshoot.”
In 2018, PUMA thought they hit a home-run by signing the draft’s No. 1 pick (Deandre Ayton), the No. 2 pick (Marvin Bagley), the No. 9 pick (Kevin Knox), the No. 14 pick (Michael Porter Jr.) and the No. 16 pick (Zhaire Smith). Now, that group feels relatively underwhelming, especially since PUMA missed on the up-and-coming stars from that class: Luka Doncic and Trae Young.
Be sure to check back later this week for part two of this series, which looks at what exactly has to be negotiated in sneaker deals and the many incentives that are included in shoe contracts.
The Sacramento Kings have traded for former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker, sending disgruntled Dewayne Dedmon back to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Sacramento Kings have traded for former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker, sending disgruntled Dewayne Dedmon back to the Atlanta Hawks.
Dedmon played for Atlanta from 2017 until last season and had started in 10 of the 34 games he played for Sacramento this year, including all six of his most recent appearances. The Kings also received Alex Len (who has missed the last six games with a right hip strain) to replace the minutes Dedmon was playing.
Len is a seven-footer who started 31 games for Atlanta last season. However, much like their other newly-added frontcourt player Anthony Tolliver, the big is currently on an expiring contract and likely does not factor into their long-term plans. But when looking at their roster even with that in mind, the Kings have a surplus of players in the frontcourt, which is bad news for 21-year-old center Harry Giles.
This problem is temporarily softened by the current absences of Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III, both of whom are out due to injury. Holmes has missed the past 13 games with a strained right shoulder. Bagley, meanwhile, will not be evaluated for another two weeks due to his mid-foot sprain.
Holmes, however, is expected to return to action on Friday and will be slotted back into the starting lineup. Once both he and Bagley return, Sacramento is going to have tough decisions on who will get playing time.
Imo, Jabari trade is good. He's only 24 y-o. He knows how to play. My concern is that his only correct offensive position is FIVE. He's a career 32% 3-pt shooter. 28% this season. Alex Len's only position is FIVE. So, add them to Holmes, Bagley, & Harry.
Parker (6-foot-9) is expected to play in the second unit as a scoring option off the bench. He has spent just two percent of his career minutes at the five, so it would be unlikely this happens often. However, he played the position for a career-high 11 percent of his time on the court while on the Hawks this year. When his three-point shot isn’t connecting, the five may actually be his most natural position due to floor spacing issues.
Nemanja Bjelica, who has spent six percent of his NBA minutes at center, is currently spending 14 percent of his time at center. It is worth noting that, according to Cleaning the Glass, the Kings have outscored opponents by 14.2 points per 100 possessions during those minutes. Their offensive rating when he has played center (123.7) is much higher than when Bjelica has been their power forward (108.2) in 2019-20.
But as noted by Yahoo’s Keith Smith, it is possible that the trade to land Parker could make Bjelica more expendable in return for an asset than he was before the trade deadline buzzer hits at 3:00 pm EST on Wednesday.
If they do end up holding on to Bjelica, he will obviously receive plenty of playing time. So, too, will both Bagley and Holmes. They will have to balance that with minutes they are also giving to Parker, Len, Tolliver and Harrison Barnes – who has started every game he has played since January 14, 2016. That leaves seven players who are going to want minutes in the frontcourt before even counting Giles.
I'm sorry to keep harping on this, but we really need to remember how colossally stupid it was to decline Harry Giles' option. He's a really solid role player who would have been cost-controlled at $3.9 million next season.
This situation does not bode well for Giles, who surprisingly did not receive a qualifying offer from the Kings during the offseason. This means that the young center will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, allowing him to fully test the market.
But the timing of all this is unfortunate considering Giles has finally seemed to turn over a new leaf with his recent play. More time on the court would’ve given him more opportunity to show what he is capable of doing when he is healthy, which is something the basketball world has not seen much since he was the top-rated recruit in the nation coming out of high school in 2016.
During his recent game against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 1, for example, the big man was given just the fourth start of his professional career. Giles put up a season-high 16 points and connected on 7-of-8 field-goal attempts. He also grabbed 8 rebounds in just 16 minutes of action.
Yet his best skill is his passing, which is incredibly impressive for someone his size. Giles has an assist percentage (17.2 percent) ranks 92nd percentile among big men, per Cleaning the Glass.
Harry Giles high post is the most fluid offensive system that the Sacramento Kings have. His passing ability gives them so many options.
Since they have handed the keys of their offense to De’Aaron Fox, they’ve also been a team that likes to play fast. Last season, their pace (103.9) ranked third-best in the NBA. But this year, that mark has fallen considerably (98.6) and they rank No. 25 in the league, second-worst in the Western Conference.
Quite a bit of that problem in that regard is their personnel in the frontcourt. Their pace when Dedmon (99.7) and Holmes (98.2) have been on the court has been significantly slower than the ideal version of what the Kings should look like. Their pace with Giles (102.4) is far closer to what Sacramento head coach Luke Walton, who ran a fast-tempo offense with the Lakers, wants to see from his offense.
What is most perplexing is that Giles actually fits this style of play better than any other big on their roster does. The Kings have played at an incredibly fast pace (107.4) when Fox and Giles have been on the court at the same time. Among Sacramento’s various two-man lineups that have been on the floor for at least 90 minutes so far this season, that combination has by far been their fastest.
Giles has averaged 19.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per 36 minutes when playing alongside Fox. That is highlighted by this absurdly awesome alley-oop off a pass from the point guard against the Lakers, embedded above.
According to league insider Zach Lowe, it is possible that the Kings get some kind of asset back for Giles before the deadline passes (via ESPN):
“Keep an eye on Harry Giles III. Sacramento declined his third-year option for next season – a bizarre decision, even given Giles’ spotty health record – and a few teams have poked around, sources say.”
For the sake of his development, one would hope that such a suitor would emerge so that Giles can finally show what he is capable of on an NBA team.
If nothing else, his passing skills alone can make him a valuable option in the frontcourt as a role player in a rotation. Giles is just 21 years old and though his professional career did not get off to an ideal start, there should be plenty of interest from front offices either now or when he becomes a free agent.
Meanwhile, after spending three seasons waiting for him to become a viable option, the Kings may lose Giles right before he is ready to take that leap.
Previewing Wednesday’s Sacramento Kings at Detroit Pistons sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.
The Sacramento Kings (15-28) visit the Motor City to play the Detroit Pistons (16-28) at the Little Caesars Arena for a 7 p.m. ET tip Wednesday night. We analyze Kings-Pistons odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
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Kings at Pistons: Key injuries
KINGS
PF Richaun Holmes (shoulder) out
PISTONS
PG Tim Frazier (flu) out
SG Luke Kennard (knee) out
PF Blake Griffin (knee) out
PG Reggie Jackson (spine) questionable
C Andre Drummond (mouth) questionable
PF Markieff Morris (toe) probable
PG Bruce Brown (thumb) available
Kings at Pistons: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Wednesday at 12:50 p.m. ET.
The Kings dropped their fifth straight Monday with a 118-113 overtime loss at Miami after a crushing fourth-quarter collapse. Detroit lost 106-100 at Washington Monday to end a two-game winning streak. Derrick Rose had his ninth consecutive 20 or more points game against the Wizards, however, and his name has been included in trade rumors due to the Pistons being a tank candidate.
The edge goes to the road team — Kings -115 — in this matchup. Motivation has to be through the roof for Sacramento to snap its losing streak and the Kings have won their last two meetings against the Pistons (both last season). Plus look at the injury report for the Pistons, who could be without five key contributors. Rebounding is key to this matchup — the team that got the most rebounds won eight out of the previous 10 Kings-Pistons games — so if Drummond isn’t out there, the Pistons could be in big trouble on the glass. Also, Detroit has played the second-easiest schedule in the NBA.
BET KINGS -115. New to sports betting? You would need to bet $115 on the Kings to win outright to make a $100 profit.
UNDER 222.5 (-106) is the right play here mostly because both teams are trash offensively. The Kings rank 24th in points per game and 21st in offensive rating, while the Pistons are 21st in PPG and 19th in offensive rating. Both teams also play at a slower tempo; Sacramento ranks 28th in Pace and Detroit ranks 20th. Furthermore, the referees assigned to this game have a combined over/under record of 40-45 so far this season.
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Previewing Wednesday’s Dallas Mavericks at Sacramento Kings sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.
The Dallas Mavericks (25-15) visit the Bay Wednesday night for a 10 p.m. ET tip-off against the Sacramento Kings (15-25) in the Golden 1 Center. We analyze Mavericks-Kings odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Mavericks at Kings: Key injuries
MAVERICKS
PF Kristaps Porzingis (knee) probable
SG Ryan Broekhoff (knee) out
KINGS
PF Nemanja Bjelica (ankle) probable
SG Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) doubtful
PF Richaun Holmes (shoulder) out
Mavericks at Kings: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Wednesday at 2:10 p.m. ET.
The injury report is crucial with both Kristaps Porzingis and Marvin Bagley set to return for the Mavericks and Kings, respectively. Could Porzingis’ return mess up the chemistry? Dwight Powell has filled in nicely for Porzingis, scoring 13 points per game on .719 field-goal percentage in the last eight games Porzingis has missed.
But as of now, back the KINGS +145 to end their two-game losing streak and beat the Mavericks, who’ve won back-to-back games. Sacramento has had recent success versus the Mavericks, winning the last four games straight up and against the spread. De’Aaron Fox hears the Luka Doncic hype and shows up to play against him:
Not only have the Kings owned the Mavericks outright recently, but they have a decided edge ATS, as well. The Mavericks are 5-17 ATS in the last 22 meetings and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games in Sacramento. The Kings are 3-0 when spotted 3-4.5 points. Also, Sacramento brings full effort in games and makes it tough for their opponents to get hustle points; they rank third in opponent’s second-chance points, second in opponent’s fast-break points and 11th in opponent’s points in the paint.
BET KINGS +3.5 (-106) for some insurance on our moneyline bet. New to sports betting? A $106 wager on the Kings to win by at least 4 points returns a profit of $100.
The Mavericks have been getting buckets all season long: Dallas is ranked first in offensive rating, has the third-highest Over % with a 24-16 over/under record, and scores the third-most PPG in the NBA. On the other side, the Kings offense has shown up as of late in scoring at least 110 points in five of its last six games. Also, Mavericks-Kings games have trended Over recently; the Over is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
BET OVER 226.5 (-129).
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Bagley missed the last 22 games for the Kings after suffering a non-displaced thumb fracture in Sacramento’s season-opening loss to Pheonix.
The Thunder won’t be the only one with a player returning to action after injury Wednesday night in Sacramento.
Marvin Bagley III is expected to play against Oklahoma City after missing the last 22 games following a non-displaced thumb fracture that he suffered in the Kings’ season-opening loss to the Suns.
In that game, Bagley recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes.
The second-overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft averaged 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds a game last year.
Bagley won’t be back in the starting lineup on Wednesday. Kings coach Luke Walton told the media that Bagley will come off the bench and that the staff will “keep an eye on his conditioning”. Per Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman, Walton said that Bagley III will not be on a minutes restriction.
Bagley will come off the bench. “We’ll keep an eye on his conditioning,” Walton said, but he doesn’t have a strict minutes restriction. https://t.co/AunY6uE8EI
