De'Aaron Fox
Rumor, via Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, citing "grumblings in NBA circles": De'Aaron Fox will push for a trade before the trade deadline. However, interested teams have a "strong belief" Fox – who hasn't requested a trade – is more likely to be available this summer than before the trade deadline, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
It can be tough to separate gossip from fact. Fox requesting a trade this season is the more scandalous – and, therefore, more likely to spread – rumor.
But it's also possible he wants to leave Sacramento with urgency. Though star trades usually happen in the offseason, this is about Fox's individual preferences rather than overall trends.
Ultimately, I'd be surprised if Fox requests a trade this season. It'd be even more surprising if he actually gets dealt by February. Star trades are difficult to execute in-season, when teams are reluctant to change directions and cap flexibility is more limited.
But there is at least some buzz about Fox asking out sooner than later.
De'Aaron Fox-Mike Brown
De'Aaron Fox did not get Mike Brown fired, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
I trust Amick's reporting, and he's especially well-connected in Sacramento. I believe Fox didn't direct the Kings to fire Brown.
But the Kings fired Brown, at least in part, because Fox was responding poorly to Brown's harsh coaching. That's a choice Fox made, and he is smart enough to understand the possible consequences.
That said, Fox is probably taking outsized blame because only players and interim coach Doug Christie are facing the public and answering media questions about Brown's firing. Vivek Ranadive and Monte McNair should hold a press conference to explain rather than just leaving that job to Christie and players.
Vivek Ranadive
Mike Brown believes Kings owner Vivek Ranadive was the driving force behind Sacramento firing Brown, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Further, Amick writes, Ranadive "should take accountability for the choice rather than general manager Monte McNair."
This counters Amick's own sources, who initially insisted it was McNair's call.
Brown might know. He might not. The coaching community definitely wants to pin the move on Ranadive, so to tie the firing to Michael Malone's (done by Ranadive, before the Kings hired McNair).
But Ranadive deserves no benefit of doubt. His impulses have been terrible over the years. At very best, Ranadive has overseen an organization where a savvy coach lost the team and the general manager felt pressured to fire the coach rather than doing the harder work of changing the culture to the point players respond to the coach. And that's a stretch to believe Ranadive isn't more directly involved in Sacramento's dysfunction.
Cameron Johnson
Sacramento and Brooklyn have had "extensive talks" about Cameron Johnson, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
The Kings want to win. Just No. 12 in the West, they are not pivoting into tanking. They're looking to go the other way and add help.
Johnson is a logical target. The Nets are tanking. His $22.5 million salary fits Sacramento's much-discussed Kevin Huerter+Trey Lyles+picks package. Brooklyn probably has some desire to unload the additional two years and $43 million on Johnson's contract, too.
At 28, Johnson could help the Kings win during this window with Domantas Sabonis (28) and De'Aaron Fox (27).
LaMelo Ball
LaMelo Ball leads Eastern Conference guards in All-Star voting by a sizeable margin. His 947,444 votes are well ahead ahead of Donovan Mitchell (718,084) with only Damian Lillard (709,914) also in striking distance. Fourth-place Jalen Brunson (477,253) and everyone else are way behind.
All-Star fan voting matters less than ever. It's merely half the formula – media and players 25% each – for choosing All-Star starters. Another five players – selected by coaches and/or the commissioner – will also start in the new four-team All-Star tournament. Once the All-Star games begin, nobody cares who started and who came off the bench, anyway. The leaders in fan voting won't even pick teams. Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal will.
But making an All-Star team still matters as a career accomplishment. And there will still be two Eastern Conference guards, two Western Conference guards, three Eastern Conference frontcourt players and three Western Conference frontcourt players who make it through this method.
Most of the other top vote-getters will be All-Stars, regardless: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Victor Wembanyama.
Ball is not a lock to get selected a reserve by coaches if not a starter. Though he's averaging more than 30 points per game, he commits more than his share of maddening mistakes that especially drive coaches crazy.
The only East guard locks are Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson. Beyond that, Damian Lillard, Trae Young, Tyler Herro, Darius Garland, Cade Cunningham, Derrick White, Tyrese Maxey, Tyrese Haliburton and Ball are fighting for 2-4 spots. I don't like Ball's odds in that crowded field.
Unless fans boost him into the All-Star game.
All-Star voting
All-Star voting leaderboard:
LeBron led the NBA in All-Star fan voting every year since Kobe Bryant retired in 2016 until last year, when LeBron finished second to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Now, LeBron is just third in his own position group, behind Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant (and also Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum).
Bryce James
LeBron James' other son, Bryce James, committed to Arizona.
Bryce isn't nearly the same caliber of prospect as Bronny. But will LeBron push to play with Bryce, too? It's a sublot that will get watched through Bryce's draft eligibility in 2026.
2024
I enjoyed Nate's and Danny's look at the biggest stories of 2024, in part because their picks differed so significantly from my own.
I would have had LeBron and Bronny playing together – which drew little more than passing mention on the pod – No. 1 for the exact reason Danny said: That story resonated outside typical NBA audiences so much (and drew plenty of intra-NBA intrigue).
Two other stories that would have been strong contenders for my top three (along with the Celtics winning the championship and aging stars leading Team USA to Olympic gold) didn't draw mention at all:
- Lakers hiring LeBron's podcast co-host – who had no coaching experience – as head coach
- Jontay Porter gambling scandal
J.J. Redick could be a monumental hire by a flagship franchise, and the circumstances around the Lakers hiring him were just so peculiar, including Los Angeles' Dan Hurley dalliance.
With sports gambling exploding, an NBA player essentially got caught betting against himself. Porter's name will forever live in infamy.
But, again, I also appreciate Nate and Danny taking different views, focusing more on larger trends with the game itself.
Golden Basketball
Kevin Pelton of ESPN awarded his Golden Basketball for the top player in the 2024 calendar year to Nikola Jokic.
The correct choice. Jokic closed strong to win MVP last season, has established himself as MVP frontrunner so far this season and – in between – excelled for Serbia in the Olympics. In a year lacking strong contenders, Jokic's relatively modest 2024 playoff success can be overlooked.
Tyler Kolek
Knicks rookie Tyler Kolek played a doubleheader yesterday – posting 36 points and 11 assists in 40 minutes for the Westchester Knicks in a 1 p.m. game then playing 12 minutes for the New York Knicks in their 7:30 p.m.-starting win over the Jazz. Kolek isn't the first player to play in the minor league and NBA in the same day, but that is still pretty awesome.
-Dan Feldman