The Warriors are still working the phones on Kristaps Porzingis, even after the 7-foot-3 big man said he was stepping away from basketball. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer report that Golden State continues to look for a trade path for Porzingis’ contract, with the team hoping to get something done before December 16.
That date matters for a very specific reason: it’s the last day the Warriors could acquire a player by trade and still re-aggregate that contract in another deal before the February 11 deadline. Golden State is also banking on two things helping the market - Porzingis’ partially guaranteed deal for next season and his reported openness to discussing a buyout. If teams push for draft compensation, the Warriors may have to decide whether that’s worth it.
They have not shut the door on using draft capital, but Stein reports they would be careful about the kind of player coming back in any such move. One name they do not appear eager to move is Moses Moody. The Warriors are unlikely to include him in a mid-season deal, since they still expect him to contribute once he returns from injury.
Elsewhere in Stein’s latest newsletter, the Kings’ decision to move Nique Clifford to the Thunder for two second-round picks came as a surprise to plenty of people around the league. Still, Clifford had drawn interest from multiple teams once it looked like his spot in the rotation was slipping. The Pacers, Nuggets and Lakers all checked in, but Oklahoma City’s package proved too strong to beat.
The Thunder were able to offer quality second-round picks and absorb Clifford into a trade exception, which moved Sacramento more than $6MM away from the luxury tax line. That mattered, especially since the Kings did not have a second-round pick over the next seven years before the deal. Fischer reported that the exception Oklahoma City used was the one created when they sent Aaron Wiggins to the Hawks.
Sacramento now has 13 roster spots filled and plans to add a 14th player. One option being considered is Gabe Vincent.
The Kings can sign the 30-year-old guard without going into the luxury tax if they choose to go that route. Vincent split last season between the Lakers and Hawks, averaging 4.4 points in 16.6 minutes per game.
Kevin Porter Jr. is another guard on Sacramento’s radar. The Bucks cut him in mid-October, and if the Kings go elsewhere, Porter is expected to draw interest from other teams too, including the Trail Blazers and Heat.
Portland’s guard depth makes that an unusual fit, but Miami could use another ball-handler. Financially, though, a deal there would be tough.
Stein also reported that Jeremy Sochan passed on overseas offers and instead chose a G League path with the Mavericks’ affiliate, the Texas Legends, because of his long relationship with Mavs GM Mike Schmitz. Sochan told Stein that he wants a strong run with the Legends to lead to an NBA opportunity.
And in Toronto, the Raptors signed former Knick Kevin McCullar Jr. to a two-way deal on Thursday, but before that move they considered using the opening on Rob Dillingham. Dillingham was waived by the Hornets in September after being part of the deal that sent Buddy Hield to the Bulls.
In Other News...
Heat Catch Sacramento At The Right Time For A Needed Opportunity
The Kings are trying to steady a season that has gotten away from them early, and a matchup with Miami offers a chance to reset in a hurry. Sacramento enters at 1-8, but the rotation could look a little healthier if Keegan Murray is able to return from injury, while backup center Dylan Cardwell has already given the team a fresh body in the frontcourt after making his season debut.
Miami comes in at 3-6 with no injuries reported, which gives the Heat a cleaner setup for a game Sacramento badly needs to compete in. There is also the added wrinkle of Davion Mitchell coming back to Sacramento in a Miami uniform, a familiar face in a building where the Kings will be trying to show some signs of progress, even if the bigger question is whether they can finally turn a difficult start into something more manageable. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Fans Know This Coaching Question Is Not Going Away
The Kings may be committed to keeping Doug Christie in place for now, but the broader coaching conversation around Sacramento has hardly gone quiet. Team officials have made it clear there is no plan to make a change during the current season, a stance that fits with the organizations stated preference for stability while the roster and season continue to take shape.
Still, the long view is where the questions linger. Christies contract includes a team option for the 2026-27 season, and that detail alone ensures the discussion will keep resurfacing as the Kings weigh what kind of direction they want next. Names such as Natalie Nakase and Tom Thibodeau have already surfaced in the background, but for the moment there has been no official move, only a reminder that this is a topic Sacramento fans are unlikely to stop revisiting anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Move On From Recent First Round Pick Shockingly Fast
The Kings wasted little time making their first move of the 2026-27 regular season, sending guard Nique Clifford to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for two second-round draft picks. Clifford arrived as a recent first-round selection and had shown enough as a rookie to look like part of the long-term picture, but his role shrank in his second year before Sacramento decided to move on.
For a team trying to keep reshaping the back end of its roster, the deal suggests the front office is willing to turn a young, recent investment into future flexibility rather than wait for a bigger payoff. It is a quick reversal for a player once viewed as a promising piece, and it leaves the Kings with draft capital in hand while the rest of the roster picture continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]