On the night Luka Doncic returned to Dallas, the Mavericks condensed his American basketball career into an emotion-filled two minutes full of game-winners, highlight passes and trick shots that helped connect the Slovenian star to the Texas city.

As Doncic watched the footage, occasionally hiding his eyes behind a white tear-filled towel, one moment in particular stood out as most special.

It was Game 2 of the 2024 Western Conference finals, his team down by two points, the final seconds ticking off the clock. Rudy Gobert, the league’s four-time defensive player of the year, stood out at the three-point line attempting to stop the inevitable from happening.

Doncic, in one of the biggest moments of his career, moved Gobert to the left, to the right and then back toward the paint, opening a window for Doncic to make the big shot in the big moment.

Read more:NBA insiders break down the Lakers-Timberwolves playoff series

He celebrated with a scream, joy and anger combining for uncontainable passion and an image that’ll define Doncic.

“I like big games,” Doncic said with a half-smirk on Thursday. “Playoffs is a fun time.”

The Lakers are about to see if Doncic’s reputation as one of the league’s premiere big-time players carries over to their stage. After he was dealt from the Mavericks, some people wondered how Doncic would fit in Los Angeles, the star player living mostly in the shadows off the court. Would he even want the kind of stardom that Los Angeles could give him?

That was the wrong question. It wasn’t about being a star; it was about having the stage.

“Typically guys that love being on stage and love the performance aspect of it are typically elite players and great players,” coach JJ Redick told The Times after the Lakers' win in Dallas. “And like when I think about Luka, it’s performance art. He’s on stage. He’s, he’s in some ways ad-libbing… and there’s an element of art to it. The same way that an actor on a Broadway show goes on stage. It’s the live aspect of being able to perform and then feed off the energy in the building.”

And that moment with Gobert encapsulates how electric those performances can be.

Since Doncic is so big and because he’s so in control on offense, teams are forced to try all different kinds of defensive strategies to slow him down. Sometimes, teams will double team. Sometimes teams will blitz multiple players at him to force pass. And, sometimes, teams will surrender and switch, putting players like Gobert on an island against one of the NBA’s best one-on-one players.

“Always since I came to the league, I like to play pick and roll,” Doncic said. “I like to get a center on me. That's what I've been doing since I came into the league.”

Read more:How Austin Reaves earned his place among the Big 3 on the Lakers

Through experience and inherent intelligence, he’s become an expert on how to dissect the ways teams try to stop him.

“He thinks that there's not a person in the world that can guard him,” Redick said Wednesday. “So I think he takes that seriously.”

Ever since he was a rookie, Doncic has played with tremendous confidence when the moments were the toughest, Dorian Finney-Smith said.

“He always wants the ball in the big situations. He always wants that moment,” Finney-Smith said. “I’ve seen that from the beginning since his rookie year. You would’ve said like, Harrison [Barnes] probably was our go-to guy, but end of the game, it just magically became his time to shine.”

While the Timberwolves have one of the NBA’s best defenses and multiple players who they’ll use to try to stop Doncic, the Lakers have the luxury of spreading the offensive responsibility to an emerging star in Austin Reaves and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in LeBron James as complementary options.

After some rough minutes for the three on the floor, the Doncic-James-Reaves lineups are plus-10.8 points per 100 possessions over 103 minutes in their last five games of the season.

And the Lakers and Doncic understand that there are still ways for those three players to develop even more chemistry to the gains they’ve already made.

While Doncic was far from alone in taking down Minnesota in the Western Conference finals a year ago, he was in the center of the spotlight.

“It’s a different team,” Gobert told reporters Thursday. “But it’s still Luka Doncic.”

And it shouldn’t be a surprise if he ends up there again, another performance of his show and his favorite scenes, with everyone watching him try to take down a giant defender.

“At certain points in the game, he just feels like nobody can guard him. Even if Coach telling us to put certain guys in the action, Luka don't care,” Finney-Smith sad. “Sometimes he’s just yelling, 'Just bring ’em Doe.’ Don't care who it is.

“Sometimes he just gets in a mode where you know whoever in front of him is just a cone."

And sometimes, that cone has to hear Doncic celebrate with a scream.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Kings stars hint at uncertain futures entering pivotal offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – All good things must come to an end. So must all bad things.

The Kings missed the playoffs for the 18th time in 19 years with an NBA play-in loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center. It marked the end of their unfathomable 2024-25 season but also a sign that major change is on the horizon.

Well, more change.

Sacramento’s lone playoff appearance since 2006 came two seasons ago during its magical 2022-23 “Beam Team” run. The starting five for that historic campaign consisted of: De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis. Three of those players no longer are part of the team, and the future for the other two in Sacramento also is cloudy.

Sabonis will seek clarity on the organization’s future plans, per a report from The Athletic last month, after major changes included parting ways with their head coach and franchise player midseason. 

While discussions will be had this summer, the Kings center made it clear where his mind is at moving forward.

“First of all, I want to say I love it here,” Sabonis said Thursday morning during his end-of-the-season exit interviews. “I want to stay here. I want to win here. I also do want to know what’s going to happen. 

“All these things are happening so quick. I want to get together with the new people, whoever comes in, and really try to get this right and get it back to what it was.”

Sabonis will make $43.6 million next season, $46.7 million in 2026-27 and $49.9 million in the final 2027-28 year of his contract. That’s $140.3 million over the next three years. The three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA member has proven his worth, but after the Kings missed the playoffs two years in a row and Sacramento needing to shed some salary, a potential divorce could be best for both sides.

Sacramento acquired Sabonis in the blockbuster trade that sent Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers in 2022. Sabonis has averaged 19.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 7.1 assists in a Kings uniform.

Perhaps the biggest question marks surround DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine’s futures with the team. Both were first-time Kings this season, with LaVine’s tenure limited to just 32 games after Sacramento traded for him midseason.

An emotional DeRozan was very candid while speaking to the media after the Kings’ season-ending loss Wednesday night. Even 12 hours later speaking at the same podium, the 16-year vet didn’t shy away from his truth after missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

“Watching other teams still play, that sucks,” DeRozan said Wednesday night. “For me, just the realization of going into my 17th season. That’s the reality of it for me. You don’t have many opportunities left to get yourself a chance to compete in the playoffs. And that’s all you want at this stage of your career, just a chance to get in there and see what happens.

“To know that window is closing, it ain’t like this job is like being a teacher or being a reporter, when y’all can do this as long as you can. So for me, that’s where frustration and the emotional side come from.”

DeRozan, who turns 36 this summer, said he doesn’t want to play another five years. He knows his clock is ticking, and that will be top of mind while making a decision for Year 17.

The six-time NBA All-Star is under contract with the Kings through the 2026-27 season after agreeing to a three-year, $73.9 million contract last July. While DeRozan averaged 22.2 points on 47.7 percent shooting, with 3.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 77 games during his first Kings season, his individual success didn’t lead to the team success the organization had hoped for.

Sacramento could explore trading DeRozan to retool its roster. If both sides decide to stay united, organizational stability is a key factor for DeRozan.

“You always want a foundation that’s stable and understanding going forward,” DeRozan said. “I’m pretty sure a lot of decisions got to be made from top to bottom. Just a structure and a foundation of a compete level. I think all year we had such an uncertainty of everything. You can’t really operate in any successful environment if you have so much uncertainty. 

“I think for me, just the certainty of what it’s going to be going forward. I can always work with that. As long as you put something on the table, I can work with that. But the uncertainty for me has always been the frustrating part.”

While the season admittedly was frustrating for the NBA veteran, he doesn’t regret coming to Sacramento, and he acknowledged from his July 9 introductory press conference to nine months later just how special it feels to be wanted.

It was a similar sentiment shared by LaVine, who doesn’t imagine being anywhere but Sacramento for the years to come. When asked about his long-term prospects with the team, LaVine made his stance unequivocally clear.

“I’m very happy with where I’m at right now,” LaVine said Thursday. “The team that just traded for me obviously is the team that values me. So that’s something I’ve always put very high. If this is going to be an organization that’s going to build with me and with us, then we’re going to go in the right direction. Why wouldn’t I want to be in a great place like this? 

“From what I’ve seen in these 35 games, even if we didn’t end the season the way we wanted to, I’d be crazy if I said I wouldn’t want to be in Sacramento.” 

LaVine pieced together his most efficient shooting season this year, and in 32 games with the Kings, he averaged 22.4 points on 51.1 percent shooting from the field and 44.6 percent from 3-point range, with 3.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

Despite the career shooting splits, it took LaVine some time to adjust to Sacramento’s offense. He often looked out of place, but to be fair, the Kings lost their offensive identity since trading Fox.

Nonetheless, LaVine is ready to move forward with the Kings. Maybe adjustments around him are what’s needed, but he wants to leave that up to the front office. Whatever team they assemble around him is the team he’ll be prepared to compete with. And more than anything, he’s looking forward to a full season in Sacramento to make things right again for the basketball-loving city.

“This city loves basketball. I’ve known that for a long time, growing up in Seattle and watching basketball,” he said. “Sacramento fans are some of the best. I’ve seen that since being here and how devoted they are. As players, especially with the situation I’m in, you want to give them what they deserve and the product that they deserve. 

“So it’s something I’m looking forward to going into the offseason. We want to go out there and compete and be ready.”

Like LaVine, Malik Monk’s stance is clear. The always-straightforward guard shared where he stands after a calf injury abruptly ended his third season with the Kings.

“I’m all in. I’m all in,” Monk said Thursday. “Yeah, no question. Don’t question that.”

While Monk acknowledged some of the challenges of the up-and-down season, noting he felt like he had to be “four different players” with the constant role changes, he is confident he has found a long-term home in Sacramento.

“I signed here because I feel at home,” Monk said. “They treat me like home. Everybody’s welcoming. Fans are crazy, I love that. Why not be all in?”

Monk showcased a career year in his eighth NBA season, averaging 17.2 points, 5.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds. Last offseason, he signed a four-year contract worth a reported $78 million to remain in Sacramento.

Another foundational piece of Sacramento’s past success and potential future fortune will surround Keegan Murray, whom the Kings drafted No. 4 overall in 2022. He enters the final year of his rookie contract next season and will become a restricted free agent in 2026-27.

Murray said he wants to be in Sacramento and will talk to his agent and the Kings about a potential extension this summer.

Keon Ellis, after a full season of proving he belongs in the NBA, wants to leave his complicated contract talks to his agent.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’ll leave all that up to my agent and let him do his job on that one,” Ellis said of his future with the Kings. “But I definitely would love to be back. One, I hate moving. The fans here are great. The hype, the love the fans have given me since I’ve been here and where I started out at, everything’s been great.

“So it would definitely be good to remain here.”

The Kings hired Scott Perry as their new general manager after mutually agreeing to part ways with Monte McNair. Perry is a longtime, respected NBA executive, but the task at hand waiting for him in Sacramento is a tall one, even for him.

A roster rebuild could be in store. Who stays and who goes will be top of the to-do list for Perry, and make all the difference in bringing winning basketball back to Sacramento.

Kings stars hint at uncertain futures entering pivotal offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – All good things must come to an end. So must all bad things.

The Kings missed the playoffs for the 18th time in 19 years with an NBA play-in loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center. It marked the end of their unfathomable 2024-25 season but also a sign that major change is on the horizon.

Well, more change.

Sacramento’s lone playoff appearance since 2006 came two seasons ago during its magical 2022-23 “Beam Team” run. The starting five for that historic campaign consisted of: De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis. Three of those players no longer are part of the team, and the future for the other two in Sacramento also is cloudy.

Sabonis will seek clarity on the organization’s future plans, per a report from The Athletic last month, after major changes included parting ways with their head coach and franchise player midseason. 

While discussions will be had this summer, the Kings center made it clear where his mind is moving forward.

“First of all, I want to say I love it here,” Sabonis said Thursday morning during his end-of-the-season exit interviews. “I want to stay here. I want to win here. I also do want to know what’s going to happen. 

“All these things are happening so quick. I want to get together with the new people, whoever comes in, and really try to get this right and get it back to what it was.”

Sabonis will make $43.6 million next season, $46.7 million in 2026-27 and $49.9 million in the final 2027-28 year of his contract. That’s $140.3 million over the next three years. The three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA member has proven his worth, but after the Kings missed the playoffs two years in a row and Sacramento needing to shed some salary, a potential divorce could be best for both sides.

Sacramento acquired Sabonis in the blockbuster trade that sent Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers in 2022. Sabonis has averaged 19.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 7.1 assists in a Kings uniform.

Perhaps the biggest question marks surround DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine’s futures with the team. Both were first-time Kings this season, with LaVine’s tenure limited to just 32 games after Sacramento traded for him midseason.

An emotional DeRozan was very candid while speaking to the media after the Kings’ season-ending loss Wednesday night. Even 12 hours later, speaking at the same podium, the 16-year vet didn’t shy away from his truth after missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

“Watching other teams still play, that sucks,” DeRozan said Wednesday night. “For me, just the realization of going into my 17th season. That’s the reality of it for me. You don’t have many opportunities left to get yourself a chance to compete in the playoffs. And that’s all you want at this stage of your career, just a chance to get in there and see what happens.

“To know that window is closing, it ain’t like this job is like being a teacher or being a reporter, when y’all can do this as long as you can. So for me, that’s where frustration and the emotional side come from.”

DeRozan, who turns 36 this summer, said he doesn’t want to play another five years. He knows his clock is ticking, and that will be top of mind while deciding for Year 17.

The six-time NBA All-Star is under contract with the Kings through the 2026-27 season after agreeing to a three-year, $73.9 million contract last July. While DeRozan averaged 22.2 points on 47.7 percent shooting, with 3.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 77 games during his first Kings season, his individual success didn’t lead to the team success the organization had hoped for.

Sacramento could explore trading DeRozan to retool its roster. If both sides decide to stay united, organizational stability is a key factor for DeRozan.

“You always want a foundation that’s stable and understanding going forward,” DeRozan said. “I’m pretty sure a lot of decisions got to be made from top to bottom. Just a structure and a foundation of a compete level. I think all year we had such an uncertainty of everything. You can’t really operate in any successful environment if you have so much uncertainty. 

“I think for me, just the certainty of what it’s going to be going forward. I can always work with that. As long as you put something on the table, I can work with that. But the uncertainty for me has always been the frustrating part.”

While the season admittedly was frustrating for the NBA veteran, he doesn’t regret coming to Sacramento, and he acknowledged from his July 9 introductory press conference to nine months later just how special it feels to be wanted.

It was a similar sentiment shared by LaVine, who doesn’t imagine being anywhere but Sacramento for the years to come. When asked about his long-term prospects with the team, LaVine made his stance unequivocally clear.

“I’m very happy with where I’m at right now,” LaVine said Thursday. “The team that just traded for me obviously is the team that values me. So that’s something I’ve always put very high. If this is going to be an organization that’s going to build with me and with us, then we’re going to go in the right direction. Why wouldn’t I want to be in a great place like this? 

“From what I’ve seen in these 35 games, even if we didn’t end the season the way we wanted to, I’d be crazy if I said I wouldn’t want to be in Sacramento.” 

LaVine pieced together his most efficient shooting season this year, and in 32 games with the Kings, he averaged 22.4 points on 51.1 percent shooting from the field and 44.6 percent from 3-point range, with 3.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

Despite the career shooting splits, it took LaVine some time to adjust to Sacramento’s offense. He often looked out of place, but to be fair, the Kings lost their offensive identity when they traded Fox.

Nonetheless, LaVine is ready to move forward with the Kings. Maybe adjustments around him are what’s needed, but he wants to leave that up to the front office. Whatever team they assemble around him is the team he’ll be prepared to compete with. And more than anything, he’s looking forward to a full season in Sacramento to make things right again for the basketball-loving city.

“This city loves basketball. I’ve known that for a long time, growing up in Seattle and watching basketball,” he said. “Sacramento fans are some of the best. I’ve seen that since being here and how devoted they are. As players, especially with the situation I’m in, you want to give them what they deserve and the product that they deserve. 

“So it’s something I’m looking forward to going into the offseason. We want to go out there and compete and be ready.”

Like LaVine, Malik Monk’s stance is clear. The always-straightforward guard shared his perspective after a calf injury abruptly ended his third season with the Kings.

“I’m all in. I’m all in,” Monk said Thursday. “Yeah, no question. Don’t question that.”

While Monk acknowledged some of the challenges of the up-and-down season, noting he felt like he had to be “four different players” with the constant role changes, he is confident he has found a long-term home in Sacramento.

“I signed here because I feel at home,” Monk said. “They treat me like home. Everybody’s welcoming. Fans are crazy, I love that. Why not be all in?”

Monk showcased a career year in his eighth NBA season, averaging 17.2 points, 5.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds. Last offseason, he signed a four-year contract worth a reported $78 million to remain in Sacramento.

Another foundational piece of Sacramento’s past success and potential future fortune will surround Keegan Murray, whom the Kings drafted No. 4 overall in 2022. He enters the final year of his rookie contract next season and will become a restricted free agent in 2026-27.

Murray said he wants to be in Sacramento and will talk to his agent and the Kings about a potential extension this summer.

Keon Ellis, after a full season of proving he belongs in the NBA, wants to leave his complicated contract talks to his agent.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’ll leave all that up to my agent and let him do his job on that one,” Ellis said of his future with the Kings. “But I definitely would love to be back. One, I hate moving. The fans here are great. The hype, the love the fans have given me since I’ve been here and where I started out at, everything’s been great.

“So it would definitely be good to remain here.”

The Kings reportedly are hiring Scott Perry as their new general manager after mutually agreeing to part ways with Monte McNair. Perry is a longtime, respected NBA executive, but the task at hand waiting for him in Sacramento is a tall one, even for him.

A roster rebuild could be in store. Who stays and who goes will be top of the to-do list for Perry, and make all the difference in bringing winning basketball back to Sacramento.

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Dillon Brooks not-so-subtly leaving Warriors-Rockets ejections to somebody else originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors’ upcoming first-round NBA playoff series against the Houston Rockets will be spicy.

That’s the safest bet on the planet.

The second safest bet? There will be ejections.

Golden State and Houston don’t like each other, and each team has combustible players, so there surely will be fireworks as the best-of-seven series progresses.

Rockets forward Dillon Brooks, who earned 16 technical fouls during the 2024-25 regular season, was asked by reporters Thursday if there will be ejections during the series, which starts Sunday at Toyota Center.

“I don’t know,” Brooks said. “I’m not going to get ejected. I’ll leave that to somebody else.”

Dillon Brooks on how many ejections to expect in the Rockets and Warriors series

"I don't know. I'm not gonna get ejected. I'll leave that to somebody else."

(Via @JTGatlin)
pic.twitter.com/hD1GUgbhh0

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) April 17, 2025

That “somebody else” Brooks is referring to likely is Warriors forward Draymond Green, who has his own history of arguing with referees and fiery antics with opponents.

Green picked up 13 technical fouls during the recently completed season, three fewer than Brooks.

Ironically, Green and Brooks were each ejected just once this season. But Houston guard Fred VanVleet was ejected three times this season, while second-year guard Amen Thompson was disqualified early twice.

So while Brooks might be insinuating that he’ll leave the ejections to Green, the eight-year NBA veteran is more likely to see one of his teammates get an early shower.

The fact that ejections are a topic of conversation leading into the series speaks to everyone’s expectations for the Warriors and Rockets.

So, get your popcorn ready.

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Kerr shares blunt reasoning for Kuminga's reduced Warriors role originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

While there are plenty of buzzworthy stories surrounding the Warriors as they enter the 2025 NBA playoffs, Jonathan Kuminga’s reduced role in Golden State’s two biggest games of the season continues to remain a sticking point among fans.

The fourth-year veteran registered a DNP in consecutive contests after not seeing the floor in the Warriors’ pivotal matchups with the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr offered very blunt reasoning for why the 22-year-old seemingly has fallen out of the Warriors’ rotation at the most critical juncture of their season during an interview with 95.7 The Game’s Mark Willard and Dan Dibley.

“Mostly, I feel for JK, because I like him. He’s been here for four years, he’s a talented guy. Sometimes things go in a different direction. I think what happened here is pretty obvious; I’ve talked about it. Jimmy Butler came in,” Kerr told Willard and Dibley. “When JK was out, we traded for Jimmy and they play the same position. Our whole team changed. We became an ISO team with Jimmy. Movement with Steph [Curry] and iso with Jimmy. Jimmy is one of the best players in the league, so it’s not as simple as just saying, ‘Oh, OK we’ll just play them together.’ Basketball doesn’t work that way.

“The puzzle has to fit. We found a really good formula when JK was injured and we got Jimmy, I think we went 18-2 or something right away. So we found lineup combinations that have clicked, and we’re winning and we have to stick with that. It’s brutal for JK, it really is. He’s a young player, he wants to play and he’s absolutely talented enough to play. He still may be a part of the equation in this series and maybe the next series after that. So we just have to keep plugging away and keep moving forward and he’s doing a good job of that, and I definitely feel for him.”

Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in 47 appearances during the 2024-25 NBA season, playing a critical role in the Warriors’ rotation before being sidelined for over two months with an ankle injury.

The No. 7 overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga already has first-hand experience with what the NBA playoffs entail after helping the Warriors secure their 2022 championship as a rookie.

While his role this season appears to be much different, Kuminga still could end up playing a crucial role for Golden State during the Warriors’ upcoming postseason run.

But for now, the 22-year-old wing appears to be entrenched near the bottom of the pecking order as Kerr and Co. pursue another piece of hardware for the franchise’s trophy case.

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DeMar DeRozan, Kings stars stunned by ‘rollercoaster' 2024-25 NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – Seven hundred and forty-nine days separated the beginning of an exciting new voyage for Kings basketball and the volatile ending of a sinking ship in Sacramento.

The Kings clinched their first playoff berth in 17 years on March 29, 2023, as the Western Conference’s No. 3 playoff seed. A first-round playoff exit at the hands of the then-defending champion Golden State Warriors was far from disappointing, as it signaled what was supposed to be the start of sustainable success in Sacramento.

The Kings would not make the playoffs in the two seasons following.

General manager Monte McNair and coach Mike Brown helped bring a winning culture back to the state’s capital two years ago. As of Thursday morning, neither remains with the organization as Brown was fired midseason and McNair and the Kings mutually agreed to part ways after Wednesday’s season-ending NBA Play-In Tournament loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Somewhere in between, Doug Christie stepped in as interim coach, franchise point guard De’Aaron Fox was traded midseason to the San Antonio Spurs, which meant implementing new pieces such as Zach LaVine and Jonas Valančiūnas with the clock ticking on the season, and an assistant coach and assistant general manager leaving midway through the season.

It was a season DeMar DeRozan, a 16-year NBA veteran who has seen just about everything the league has to offer, still is trying to wrap his head around.

“I think it really won’t hit me for the next couple of days,” DeRozan said Wednesday night after the Kings’ 120-106 loss. “It’s probably the most I’ve been through in my 16-year career. The season that we had, it was a lot. It’s too hard to kind of fathom right now, but I’m pretty sure over the next couple of days it will kind of hit, the reality of everything that we all went through.”

DeRozan and his Kings teammates spent Thursday morning talking to the media during end-of-the-season exit interviews, each trying to find the right words to articulate the season they just endured.

DeRozan explained the year, his first with the Kings, as difficult, frustrating and emotional. Having missed the playoffs the previous two seasons during his time with the Chicago Bulls, DeRozan sought a fresh start and figured Sacramento was the perfect place.

The No. 9 seed and a win-or-go-home play-in game probably wasn’t what he expected, especially when the result was the latter.

“I put so much time, effort, preparation, sacrifice into the game of basketball,” DeRozan said Thursday. “As much as I care for it, it’s hurtful when you just don’t give yourself the opportunity to play for what matters, and that’s to make it to the playoffs, give yourself a chance, and then not knowing what could have happened. It sucks.”

DeRozan’s veteran leadership was believed to benefit a mostly inexperienced team. It was. But all the moving parts weighed on the team’s production on the court. And even as a respected, well-established NBA vet, this Kings season was like no other he’s endured.

“I mean, first time in my career I dealt with the firing of the coach in the middle of the season. I’ve never had that before. So that alone was a first,” DeRozan said. “You have a GM leave. Throughout the season, an assistant coach leaves in the middle of the season. A lot of those things were definitely a first. A lot of stuff that people on the outside may not understand what we go through internally, what we see every day, the people we got to deal with every single day, see them here and then all of a sudden see them gone.

“The aura of so many changes like that could change internally that people don’t get to see so that can make it definitely difficult.”

Domantas Sabonis, part of the original “Beam Team” two years ago, labeled the past season as “crazy.” He said he wasn’t consulted on the team’s decision to part ways with McNair, nor the decision to hire Scott Perry as the new general manager. The Lithuanian big man made it known that he wished he could be more involved in those discussions, but added he understands his role as a player and to leave those moves to the front office.

Another player who has seen the ins and outs of the association is LaVine, who was brought to Sacramento from Chicago as part of the deal that sent Fox to San Antonio.

He refused to make excuses for how the season ended, simply stating all the moving parts are “the nature of the business.”

Malik Monk, as expected, was a bit more straightforward with his assessment of the turbulent season. He has had a fair share of adversity over his eight-year career. From the rock-bottom lows in Charlotte to getting a fresh start with the Los Angeles Lakers to finding a place he loves to call home in Sacramento, Monk is no stranger to change and adaptation. 

Still, nothing compares to what he experienced this year with the Kings.

“Not s–t like this,” Monk said when asked if he’s seen anything like this Kings’ season. “Nothing at all. I haven’t seen anything like this before.”

Like the Kings’ season, Monk’s role this year changed sporadically. He went from a top Sixth Man of the Year candidate to the starting shooting guard to the starting point guard and then back to the bench in that sixth-man role before injuring his calf and missing the season’s final four games.

Monk said he felt like he had to “four different players” this season but wouldn’t complain. He doesn’t know which role he’ll play next season, though he admitted feeling most comfortable at the starting two-guard position.

Whatever role, whichever coach, players, or executives are around him, all he longs for is a little stability moving forward.

“I feel like NBA players, we go off routine and stability,” Monk said. “And when you tweak that a little bit, something can happen. So yes, it’s always good to have stability in life, man. Because if you’re going up and down, life is not fun. So having stability, it just makes it level out and makes everything go smoother. So I feel like we need that for sure.”

Keegan Murray labeled his junior year “a whirlwind of a season.” Keon Ellis seconded that notion: “The whole season has been crazy.”

It was a similar theme echoed by most players, including Trey Lyles, who believes the inconsistencies affected his performance this season.

“I’d say this season in a nutshell has been a rollercoaster,” Lyles said. “From teammates leaving, teammates coming in, coaches leaving, coaches coming in, and that type of thing, it was a pretty up-and-down season. For myself, I told Doug I feel like when I got consistent minutes, my game was consistent. When it wasn’t consistent, I wasn’t consistent.

“So that’s just where it was going into games, not knowing how much I was going to play, sometimes being told I wasn’t going to play. So just all over the place with that. As a player, it’s hard to stay consistent with those things going on.”

Players spoke to the media from 10:45 a.m. PT to 1 p.m. on Thursday. Over that two-hour-and-15-minute span, the one consistent talk point was the lack of consistency within the organization.

Before reporters could finish their questions asking the players to evaluate the up-and-down season, several players’ facial expressions said everything for them before actual words came out of their mouths.

But after the twists and turns, loops and sudden drops, this rollercoaster ride officially has come to an end. The ride will undergo a major makeover and construction might take some time, but eventually, it’ll be time to sit down, buckle up and brace for yet another journey of Kings basketball.

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Jimmy Butler channels Steph Curry by rocking custom Warriors jersey in workout originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Everyone wants to shoot like Steph Curry, including Warriors teammate Jimmy Butler III.

As Golden State prepares to face the Houston Rockets in their first-round NBA playoff series, Butler held a private workout and rocked a custom Warriors jersey featuring his name and Curry’s No. 30.

Jimmy’s custom Steph-Butler jersey 🔥

[📸 via @JimmyButler IG] pic.twitter.com/tTL6kL8mCA

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 17, 2025

While media members and portions of Dub Nation might want Butler to shoot more 3-pointers, he’s fully aware of his strengths.

“I can shoot,” Butler told reporters after the Warriors’ NBA play-in game win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. “I just choose not to shoot 3’s. I’d rather drive into the paint, get me a layup, a middy or pass the ball to somebody that’s probably a much better shooter than I am.

“I think you and everybody else wants me to shoot more 3’s but I like shooting some layups.”

Since joining the Warriors after the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, Butler is shooting just 27.9 percent from 3-point range, but he’s shooting 52.6 percent on 2-point field goals.

But the six-time NBA All-Star does know the impact of his occasional 3-pointers.

“I think it’s deflating whenever I hit a three because everybody thinks that I can’t shoot,” Butler told reporters Tuesday. “Love it. Keep backing off.”

If Butler takes — and makes — more 3-pointers during the Warriors’ NBA playoff run, channeling Curry’s superpowers might have been the magic touch.

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