James Ham on Marvin Bagley: I think they look at him as an $11.8 million, expiring contract. That’s because that’s the feeling I get from people within the organization… they will not trade him, because there could be a bigger deal that they need his salary to throw in on. And so they’re not going to take some some crummy deal that might give them a little bit more talent now, when it costs them the ability to go do something much bigger down the road.
More on Marvin Bagley Trade?
Marc Stein: For those of you who missed my report about Detroit’s interest in Marvin Bagley III … as Bagley gets minutes for the Kings tonight against the Pistons: marcstein.substack.com/p/new-possibil…
There’s a disgruntled No. 2 overall pick just sitting on the bench in Sacramento. His name is Marvin Bagley III, and it’s clear the big man’s future with the Kings won’t last much longer. Per sources, the Pistons have kept an eye on Bagley and his situation in Sacramento for some time. Marc Stein has also reported on Detroit’s interest in the big man. The injury to Olynyk could cause Detroit to act. However, are we sure a trade between the two sides makes sense?
When Bagley III broke a bone in his hand, the Kings and his agent, Jeff Schwartz, agreed to let him rehab at home in Phoenix. That’s usually a precursor to a trade, but the deadline passed without a deal, with sources saying it’s because the Kings did not find a deal to their liking.
While in Detroit, I was advised to put the Pistons down as a team to watch as a trade suitor for the Kings' disgruntled Marvin Bagley III. No trade anywhere is considered likely, sources stressed, until after Dec. 15 arrives and the league's pool of players eligible to be dealt grows considerably. That's the date that trade restrictions on numerous players who signed new contracts in free agency in August gets lifted.
The Pistons, though, have been tracking Bagley since last season, league sources said — long before the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 fell completely out of favor in Sacramento.
Marvin Bagley has only appeared in one game for 10 minutes out of Sacramento’s 12 regular-season games so far. His absence from the rotation was expected after his representation posted a tweet blasting the Kings for the decision. They have about four other backup centers who could make this list with their inconsistent roles, but Bagley has the biggest pedigree of them. Like Dragic, the Kings will likely also hold onto him through the deadline in case a trade comes. Sacramento could use his $11 million salary as ballast to match for a player who can help them get back into the playoffs for the first time in 16 seasons.
Sean Cunningham: Multiple sources told me that Marvin Bagley III refused to check into Sunday's game when Luke Walton called upon him in the second half vs. the Suns. I didn't report it, wanting to first talk to the Kings coach. Walton said he & Marvin are in communication and has to be ready pic.twitter.com/m3E6JxaeVk
Jason Anderson: Kings coach Luke Walton when asked if Marvin Bagley III refused to enter Monday's game against the Suns: “Anything that happens within our group, that’s between our group, so the thing that matter is people know what’s expected and we continue to move forward tonight.”
Jason Anderson: Luke Walton on Marvin Bagley III's chances of getting into the rotation at some point: "The chances are great. Everyone on our team is going to get opportunities this year. We’re going to need everybody. Every practice we’ve had, including the one yesterday, is high energy."
Jeff Schwartz has attempted to get Bagley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft, traded for more than a year without success, sources said. Last season Bagley suffered a broken wrist a month before the trade deadline which might've affected his trade market. As they guard their depth and monitor their new smaller style of play to start the season, the Kings aren't actively looking to trade Bagley, sources said.
The 76ers were widely believed to be holding out for a chance to acquire Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, but Lillard recently said he isn’t leaving Portland, “not right now at least.” As for Sacramento, sources have suggested the 76ers would only be willing to consider an offer that includes De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton. The Kings are unlikely to part with either player, but they can offer Buddy Hield, a prolific 3-point shooter who would space the floor for Joel Embiid; Marvin Bagley III, a former No. 2 pick who has yet to reach his potential; and other assets, including multiple first-round draft picks.
League sources said earlier this week that Sacramento is also exploring the market for Marvin Bagley III.
NBA Central: "I think there’s probably a new home for him on the horizon." - Adrian Wojnarowski on Marvin Bagley (Via ESPN)
Kings forward Marvin Bagley III doesn’t understand why fans got so upset when he liked a tweet saying “we gotta get @MB3FIVE outta Sac” and removed any mention of the Kings from his social media bios. Bagley addressed his latest social media controversy on an episode of the “Halfway Decent Pod,” saying he can do whatever he wants on his personal Twitter profile.
“First of all, it’s my Twitter, bro,” Bagley said. “It’s my Twitter. It has my name on it. I can like whatever I choose and please, and whatever I feel like liking.”
“That just came from frustration,” Bagley said, elaborating on his reasons for liking a tweet that disparaged his team. “I wouldn’t even say frustration, just that built-up fire. I think I did it after watching Trae Young go for 50 in the playoffs and they’re winning. As a competitor, that just makes me want to get to that and I need to be there. I want to be there bad. I think, doing that, it was just one of those things where the competitor came out in me, like I’ve got to be there. I’ve got to do whatever I’ve got to do to be in this position.
“… For me, personally, my personal goals and where I’m trying to get to in my career, I’ve got to make it happen. I’ve got to do everything I’ve got to do to make it happen. I think liking that tweet, that’s where that came from and it is what it is. People (are) going to take it and run with it. It is what it is. I did it. It’s my Twitter. I can like and do whatever I want on my account. I’m not hurting nobody. I’m not harming nobody, but you already know how the fans take stuff and want to run with something.”
The Kings explored their options leading up to the trade deadline in March, but they were unable to find an equitable deal. One league source recently referred to Bagley as “unappreciative” of the opportunities the Kings have given him despite the injury setbacks and his struggle to grasp team concepts at both ends of the floor.
One of the most popular hypothetical trades among fans in Sacramento would send Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley III to Philadelphia as part of a package for Ben Simmons. The Sacramento Bee submitted this proposal to a number of NBA agents and executives to get outside perspectives on what it would take to get a deal done.
One league source felt Simmons was a “pipe dream” for Sacramento, saying the 76ers would want Hield, Bagley and a minimum of three future first-round draft picks, including the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft. The source felt there was a better chance of an alternate deal involving 76ers forward Tobias Harris, suggesting Philadelphia might prefer to move Harris to clear salary cap space.
Another source questioned why either team would make that deal, specifically saying it doesn’t do enough to address Philadelphia’s need for leadership. The source suggested the Kings could make a serious play for Simmons if they make De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton available. Some believe the 76ers could make a move for Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard instead.
One source referred to Bagley as “unappreciative” of the opportunities the Kings have given him despite the injuries and his struggle to grasp team concepts at both ends of the floor. The organization has faced harsh criticism since picking Bagley over the likes of Luka Doncic and Trae Young, but the Kings have stood by Bagley, patiently waiting for him to tap into his enormous potential.
The Jump: Marvin Bagley likes tweet saying he should leave Sacramento 👀 #TheJump
Sources said the Kings hadn’t received an offer to their liking for Bagley and teams are hoping the Kings eventually sell low to shed Bagley and the $11.3 million he’s due next season.
The Sacramento Kings have made the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA draft [Marvin Bagley] available for a trade, with the Kings recently being turned down by the Detroit Pistons, having offered Bagley III for promising rookie Saddiq Bey, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
It appears no secret in NBA circles that Marvin Bagley III is interested in a change of scenery. The 2018 No. 2 overall pick is now sidelined for at least four weeks, a difficult proposition for any front office looking to evaluate him before early-extension conversations this offseason. Bagley would also bring an expensive cap hold onto his team's books in 2022 free agency, and Sacramento has maintained an asking price of a first-round pick, sources said.
Amick: The stuff with his dad has not helped. It sends a strong message that even though Marvin hasn’t said it publicly, he’s never denounced what his father said. To be honest, it’s really awkward and uncomfortable. Marvin’s not a kid, but he’s a very young man, and that’s his father, so those dynamics are sensitive, but the bottom line is it sends the wrong message about his part in the Kings’ future. The flipside of that is the Kings have been open to talking about Marvin. My understanding is the offers have been just nothing to write home about at all. I’ve talked to otherexecutives about this, Marvin’s owed $11 million for next year, and I think it’s a $14 million qualifying offer as he goes into restricted free agency. That’s the problem with being that high of a pick.
Rival executives say Bagley III is up for discussion in trade talks, but the interest in him is widely seen as minimal because of his struggles these past two seasons.
Fox, however, is outspoken like his father Aaron, and had no problem squashing the notion that players’ parents could lead to beef in the locker room or disrupt play on the court. “I don’t think anybody’s out there playing basketball worried about two tweets,” Fox said. “And if you are, this ain’t what you should be doing because muthafuckas gonna tweet you every day of your life while you’re playing in this league. If that’s what you’re worried about, then I don’t know what to tell you.”
Fox, who is about as engaging as any Kings player on social media, said there’s nothing hanging over the team because of the tweets. “One, it hasn’t been brought up,” Fox said. “Me, Marvin, Luke talked for five seconds because it wasn’t a big deal. But like I said, when you’re playing basketball if you’re thinking about what somebody said on Twitter, then this ain’t for you. I’m 100 percent completely honest with you when I tell you nobody’s thinking about that while we’re on the court.”
Fox was asked if it would have cleared things up in the locker room had Bagley dismissed the trade talk when he spoke to the media Sunday. “I doubt 95 percent of the team has seen the interview so I don’t think that would have changed what happened tonight,” Fox said. “We just didn’t play well.”
The Kings would tell you there is no correlation between the tweets and their worst loss of the season. “No, I don’t think so,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “I don’t think that was part of our play tonight. We just played bad basketball tonight.”
De'Aaron Fox: Jesus Christ
The Kings’ third-year big doesn’t want to talk about his father popping off on Twitter and demanding that his son be traded. “Before we start, I just want to say that if there are no questions about the game tomorrow or what we’re going to do tomorrow, please don’t ask, I don’t want to give any extra information on nothing,” Bagley said on Sunday to open his media availability. “If you don’t have any questions about the team and tomorrow’s game, then hold off.”
This, of course, puts Bagley III, who did not speak to the media after the game, in a tough situation. He has often expressed his love and admiration for his father and family and would not want to say anything to disparage them. But if he says anything other than “I do not want to be traded,” he would appear to be co-signing on the unhappiness of his father. That has simmered since his rookie season, according to league sources, when Bagley Jr. did not like the coaching of Dave Joerger.
Q: I’m a long-suffering Knicks fan disgusted by the Kristaps Porzingis deal. If the target was salary-cap relief, future draft picks and a top young player, surely there had to be more viable options on the table. I have two suggestions myself: Why didn’t the Knicks try to make a similar deal with Sacramento to get Marvin Bagley — or with the Clippers to get Shea Gilgeous-Alexander? — Michael Saponara STEIN: Let’s use your proposed deals. I’m told that the Knicks, for starters, tried to engage Sacramento on the Bagley trade concept you suggest. But much like their attempts to engage the Kings in De’Aaron Fox discussions, those inquiries were flatly rejected.
