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Smart said guard Tyreke Evans should be available for tonight's game against Toronto. Evans, who missed the last two games with a bruised left knee, was held out of parts of practice Tuesday but had a good workout, Smart said. "He came in and did some treadmill work, did some sprint work on the floor and then got up his shots," Smart said. "I just wanted to get him to where he did some change of direction on the floor and ran into someone, but I think he'll be ready to go." Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Keith Smart, Injuries, Tyreke Evans 

The team's lack of improvement and charisma have left Petrie with few allies among the owners. His contract expires at the end of the season, and if the trend continues, he could be gone within weeks. The Maloofs wholeheartedly endorse Keith Smart and are adamantly opposed to firing another coach. Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Geoff Petrie, Joe Maloof, Keith Smart 

Under Petrie, the NBA's longest-tenured top basketball executive, the Kings have missed the playoffs for six consecutive seasons; four coaches have been scorched in the process, with Keith Smart's job security suddenly not so secure; the slow start has dampened preseason enthusiasm and furthered the belief that the Maloofs don't care and Smart can't coach, and that Petrie's Princeton pedigree notwithstanding, he is no longer the brains behind a highly successful venture. (NBA scouts summarized the Kings as a low-IQ roster that lacks a floor leader/facilitator, and has too many small guards and duplicating small forwards, a dearth of perimeter shooters, terrible chemistry and inexplicable offense.) Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Geoff Petrie, Keith Smart 

Cousins, who missed Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, did not meet with media following Monday practice in Natomas. Teammates and coaches avoided offering any details on what Cousins may or may not have said to Spurs’ color commentator Sean Elliott following Friday’s loss at Sleep Train Arena. Geoff Petrie was also asked to address the Cousins situation, but the Kings president of basketball operations declined to meet with reporters. Cowbell Kingdom also reached out to the NBA for further clarity, but the league doesn’t release details of their investigations to such incidents, according to an official. “He told me his story, his side,” Kings head coach Keith Smart told the media pack present at Monday’s practice. “That’s between my center and the coach of the Sacramento Kings.” Cowbell Kingdom

Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, Geoff Petrie, Media, Keith Smart, Sean Elliott 

Kings coach Keith Smart has discussed the incident with Cousins. "Any little mark is gonna knock you all the way back down again," he said, remembering their conversation. "So you've got to stay one step ahead and be perfect, with everything that goes on. You've got to be a man now and accept what's happening. And then we've got to move on. But understand that everything you do until you are this person that we believe you can become, you have to do things perfect, because when you make mistakes they affect not just you but it affects our entire team. "So let's put this behind you, we've got the right people in place now to get you through all these things and we're looking forward to the polished person to eventually come out." ESPN.com

Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, Keith Smart 

Offensively speaking, it’s been a rocky start to the NBA season for newcomer James Johnson. The Sacramento Kings small forward hasn’t been able to find his rhythm and is shooting a team-low 23 percent from the field through four games. Johnson has looked out of sync when the Kings have had the ball, but his struggles aren’t a major concern for Keith Smart. The Kings head coach believes that the 25-year-old forward is still adapting to his new surroundings. “I don’t think there’s anything ailing him,” Smart said of Johnson following Tuesday practice. “I think it’s all new to him. I’m giving him freedom to function as a wing player and I think that’s maybe something new to him. “I’m saying to him do whatever you need to do and do it decisively,” Smart added. “And I think he’s kind of shell-shocked (with) that, you know?” Cowbell Kingdom

Sacramento Kings, Keith Smart, James Johnson 

Jon Santiago: After practice today, Keith Smart backtracked about his starting lineup situation. Tmrw's starters may not be the opening night starters. Twitter @itsjonsantiago

Sacramento Kings, Keith Smart 

Chris Haynes: Kings head coach Keith Smart say he & Stotts are good friends. Says he's noticed how happy Stotts is having someone like Damian Lillard. Twitter @ChrisBHaynes

Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart, Damian Lillard, Terry Stotts 

DeMarcus Cousins showed up in the best shape of his NBA career. It's a good thing, too, because Kings coach Keith Smart is setting the bar even higher for the third-year center. Smart is focusing on defense for this training camp and is asking Cousins to take a bigger role in leading the Kings from the bottom of the league in points allowed and field-goal percentage allowed. "One thing I've already put to him is, 'You should be honorable-mention All-Defense this year,' " Smart said. " 'If you put your mind to it, you should be honorable-mention All-Defense.' " Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, Keith Smart, Training Camp 

Jason Jones: Clifford Ray, who joined the Kings as a consultant last season is now a fulltime coach, said head coach Keith Smart. Twitter @mr_jasonjones

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart, Clifford Ray 

I actually had a long talk with Keith Smart about Evans when we were in LV at summer league. The knock on Tyreke is that he can’t knock down the open jumper during games. He rains them down during practice, but is reluctant to shoot during games. Coach wants to see him gain the confidence he needs to shoot when he’s open, and if he can, Smart wants to keep him. If Evans won’t engage, he’ll continue to be the subject of trade talks. HoopsWorld

Sacramento Kings, Keith Smart, Tyreke Evans 

Brian T. Smith: Jimmer Fredette's hoping for a clean slate with the Kings and believes his relationship with coach Keith Smart continues to improve. But if Fredette remains at the bottom of Sacramento's depth chart and the team struggles, it wouldn't be surprising to see him moved before the 2013 #NBA trade deadline, if not sooner. Twitter

Sacramento Kings, Trade, Keith Smart, Jimmer Fredette 

Jimmer Fredette on how he's viewing situation with Sacramento: I just worry about the things that I can control. And that's right now just working on my game and becoming the best player I can be. When it comes to the training camp, I know that I'll be ready to go. I'll show them that I can be a very good player in this league and a guy that can help their team. That's what my focus is right now. Whatever happens in the future, I can't really predict that. But I'm working on becoming the best player that I can be. If I control that and be the best player that I can be, I'm going to find a spot and be in the right place. Sulia

Sacramento Kings, Trade, Keith Smart, Jimmer Fredette 

The Kings could have waited a few months and made Keith Smart prove himself more before deciding he was their coach beyond the 2012-13 season. But in Smart's first six months, Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie said he had seen enough. The Kings announced Monday that Smart had agreed to a contract extension through the 2013-14 season. "We had talked about it at length somewhat after the season, after the draft," Petrie said. "We just really moved forward on it in the last couple of weeks. It's something I'm really in favor of. He's the right coach at the right time for the group of players." Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

Jason Jones: Petrie on Keith Smart: "He’s the right coach at the right time for this group of players." Twitter

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Geoff Petrie, Keith Smart 

The Sacramento Kings today extended the contract of Head Coach Keith Smart for the 2013-14 season, it was announced by Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie. NBA.com

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

There were 10 players in town last week working out voluntarily, on their own dime, at the Kings facility. That's seen as a sign Smart's message is reaching players, who during last year's lockout didn't get together at all. Sulia

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

Sounds as if Keith Smart's hope his team would bond in the offseason is happening. Ten of the players on the roster are in Sacramento working out and playing 5-on-5. The only players that could not be in town are John Salmons, James Johnson, Chuck Hayes and Francisco Garcia. It's important that young nucleus that the franchise is depending on (DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton) is in town. Also have to like that new PG Aaron Brooks is getting to know his new teammates. Definitely a step in the right direction and something that's needed to build team chemistry. Sulia

Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, John Salmons, Keith Smart, Marcus Thornton, Tyreke Evans, James Johnson, Aaron Brooks, Francisco Garcia, Chuck Hayes 

Kings coach Keith Smart said as many as four noncontract summer-league players could be considered for invitations to training camp in the fall. The player who seems most likely to be called back is Tony Mitchell, an athletic small forward who impressed with his athleticism and activity. Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Free Agency, Summer League, Keith Smart, Tony Mitchell 

Jason Jones: Keith Smart is in the stands chatting with agent Tony Dutt, who reps Robinson, Thornton and Honeycutt #timetospeculate Twitter

Sacramento Kings, Keith Smart, Tony Dutt