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![“I respected [Spoelstra] because he put me out there …](https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/gcdn/content-pipeline-sports-images/sports2/nba/players/1061659.png?format=png8&auto=webp&quality=85,75&width=140)
Mitchell further elaborated during his appearance on the Sacramento-based podcast. “The beginning of the year last year, I was going through a lot mentally,” he said. “Having a kid. Honestly, I didn’t feel I was in the best shape at the beginning of the year last year. Spo understood that and respected everything I do. He knows how I work hard. “It was a time that I was so messed up in the summertime, there were times in camp I didn’t feel like myself. I was super quiet, not even myself. “I respected [Spoelstra] because he put me out there and made me grow as a player. He really believed in me. I was going through so much mentally, it was hard to have confidence in everything I was doing. It wasn’t basketball; it was life. People don’t understand we’re still human.”
Oh No He Didn't: Marc Spears on Jalen Duren and Sacramento: "Scott Perry has a relationship with Jalen Duren dating to when he was trying to get the Knicks to draft him which they did, but they traded him to the Pistons...Duren likes Scott Perry a lot, he likes Sacramento a lot, but the Pistons, they're focused on bringing him back, they have some optimism, but it's complicated. I just hear that Jalen, it's not about money right now. He feels disrespected...there's a black cloud going into camp...they gotta try to fix it, and I don't know if they can in time"
Following his major agency shift, the Lithuanian big man is eyeing a new contract and commitment with another NBA team outside Sacramento. "There's been some talk that Domantas Sabonis wants out of Sacramento himself, and that seems to be evident by the fact that he changed agents from Wasserman to CAA this summer," NBA insider Jake Fischer said on Bleacher Report. "He's extension-eligible. … In today's NBA, in this second-apron era, if you're up for an extension, you don't want to get to free agency, you want to secure that next bag from your incumbent team, or you want to get traded to the next team that is willing to do that."
James Ham: "Scott Perry went and had a dinner with Jalen Duren in Miami early in free agency. I will tell you, if you're Jalen Duren and his representative, I would look at the Sacramento Kings and know they can get up to max cap space next summer. Zach LaVine is coming off the books. Scott Perry is completely turning the franchise over, and I can tell you he has Jalen Duren's name in highlighter pen looking at next summer's free agency, if Duren is willing to take the qualifying offer."
Do you miss the NBA at all? Is there any chance we'll see you again “It's tough now because here is my family ... here is my life,” Vezenkov said. “With Olympiacos we won a lot of stuff. But in my life, I know it's better to never say never. “Sometimes I think it was not a fair chance (in 2023-24 with the Kings) from both sides ... neither from my side and neither from Sacramento. But I don't regret it all. It was a great experience.
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Legion Hoops: REPORT: Ben Simmons is open to a long-term stay with the Kings, per @MarcJSpears. “One thing he likes about Sacramento is… he’s never played in a small market and sometimes that’s a safer haven. You go to Sacramento, it’s about basketball. I’d put their fans up there with anyone in the world.” (via @Sactown1140)
Napear spent the next five years podcasting before returning to radio last August as a daily host on Fox Sports Radio in Sacramento. He had also faced controversy for defending disgraced former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling and later calling former broadcast partner Doug Christie a “coward” for not defending him after his 2020 firing.
Shams Charania: Just in: Three-time All-Star Ben Simmons has agreed on a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings, his agents Max Wiepking, Sean Tribe and Ryan Arney tell me and @MarcJSpears . The one-time All-NBA star is back in the NBA for a 10th season after sitting out 2025-26.
Shams Charania: Simmons traveled to visit the Kings in Sacramento on Monday, undergoing in-depth medical exams, an on-court workout and meetings with coach Doug Christie and other staffers, sources said. In late August, Simmons also worked out for general manager Scott Perry and met with Perry for an hour. By all accounts within the Kings as well as Team Australia officials where Simmons participated in a players-only minicamp last month, the 30-year-old has looked and felt strong health-wise.
Michael Scotto: The Sacramento Kings are stretching DeMar DeRozan’s remaining $10 million salary for the 2026-27 season, league sources told @hoopshype. As a result, DeRozan will be on Sacramento’s books for $3.33 million each of the following three seasons.
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The Sacramento Kings today announced that players will wear a commemorative black band on the upper-left shoulder of their jerseys throughout the 2026-27 NBA season to honor Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman, recognizing one of the most influential figures in franchise history. The tribute commemorates Adelman’s extraordinary impact on the Kings organization, the city of Sacramento and generations of fans.
The Nuggets have been monitoring DeRozan’s situation in Sacramento dating back to February, when they were prepared to pursue him on the buyout market if the Kings had released him then, league sources told The Post. When he became a free agent this summer, Denver put together a sustained recruitment that involved players, coaches and executives, one source close to DeRozan said. Aaron Gordon and assistant coach Jared Dudley were two of the key individuals with prior relationships to DeRozan who spoke with him in recent weeks.
One more pressing Kings note as relayed by The People's Insider Jake Fischer: League sources say that Sacramento covets a veteran point guard to mentor prized rookie Darius Acuff Jr. and is thus now weighing the prospect of bringing back Russell Westbrook … or bringing in Victor Oladipo to fill that role. The Kings were among the teams to attend Oladipo's recent workout in Las Vegas during summer league.