Edited by VF21 to include entire article, primarily because of its relevance:
Kings watch Evans depart
He signs a three-year offer sheet with Detroit, and Geoff Petrie says Sacramento can't match it.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Mo-Town it is.
Maurice "Mo" Evans is headed out of Sacramento and on to Detroit, where the hits have been coming for two straight seasons and the 26-year-old is looking to be the Pistons' version of a big-time backup singer. Detroit has signed Evans to a three-year offer sheet that starts at $1.5 million next season. The Pistons may be hoping the overworked legs of shooting guard Richard Hamilton and small forward Tayshaun Prince can rest without worry on the team that was one game away from winning two straight NBA titles.
Despite Evans' status as a Kings restricted free agent - which stipulates the home team has a right to match the offer within seven days - team president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said Wednesday he couldn't match the offer if he wanted to.
Without salary cap space or exceptions, any offer higher than the approximately $895,000 offered by the Kings in late June would mean no mo' Mo. The $5 million mid-level exception that could have been used on Evans went to forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who was signed two weeks ago. The Pistons' offer is believed to be guaranteed for the first two years, with a team option for the third.
"We don't have any rights of any kind," said Petrie, who had not yet received the offer sheet but knew it was on its way. "It's unlikely that we would do it anyway at this point with the way our roster is."
Which is to say Petrie likes the Kings' roster as is, although it's not quite complete yet. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, teams must have at least 13 players (12 active, one inactive) and can have as many as 15 under certain circumstances.
According to Petrie, the Abdur-Rahim signing put the Kings' budgeted payroll for 13 players over the salary cap - including a slot for one who has yet to be signed. Considering co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have made their desire to avoid luxury tax spending clear, the next addition will be the last and, most likely, not one of major consequence. Barring a trade, the new-look Kings are virtually in place.
"It's unlikely that we would keep a 14th or 15th guy that we would pay tax on," Petrie said. "There's still a lot of players out there. There'll be a lot of players in training camp who will be waived, and there will still be players available then. But the roster we have at the moment, the way it's comprised, are the guys who will play all the minutes.
"It's unpredictable. Sitting where I'm sitting today, I don't think I feel any rush to fill (the 13th spot), but that could change tomorrow."
On paper, the likely starting five of Mike Bibby, Bonzi Wells, Peja Stojakovic, Abdur-Rahim and Brad Miller is among the league's best, with six new additions since the Kings' five-game loss to Seattle in the first round of the playoffs.
Aside from signing lucky No. 13, the last bit of business is the future of restricted free agent Darius Songaila. The forward is being pursued by Chicago and Denver, with his return via a straight-up signing unlikely but a sign-and-trade with another team always possible.
The Kings - who are already "forward-rich," as Petrie says, with Abdur-Rahim, Stojakovic, Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson - can match an offer for up to $5 million, because of the Early Bird rights they hold.
Evans' NBA initiation came back in the 2001-02 campaign, when he played in 10 games for Minnesota after going undrafted out of Texas in 2001. But he didn't stay in the league on the first try, playing overseas in Italy, Greece and Russia before signing with the Kings in 2004.
Evans - who made $620,046 last season - was a solid backup to shooting guard Doug Christie early, then to Cuttino Mobley after Christie was traded to Orlando. He contributed 6.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and shot 44.2 percent from the field while averaging 19 minutes.
Evans and his agent, Roger Montgomery, did not return calls for comment.
Adding strength - The Kings have hired Daniel Shapiro as their strength and conditioning coach. Shapiro replaces Al Biancani, who retired in early July after 18 years.
Shapiro, who worked for the Seattle SuperSonics for seven years and the WNBA's Seattle Storm for three seasons earlier in his career, spent the last two as the strength coach for the University of Dayton men's and women's basketball teams.
About the writer:The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13469291p-14310176c.html
Sounds like as I thought, at least one more player to be added, or a trade. Maybe both.
Kings watch Evans depart
He signs a three-year offer sheet with Detroit, and Geoff Petrie says Sacramento can't match it.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Mo-Town it is.
Maurice "Mo" Evans is headed out of Sacramento and on to Detroit, where the hits have been coming for two straight seasons and the 26-year-old is looking to be the Pistons' version of a big-time backup singer. Detroit has signed Evans to a three-year offer sheet that starts at $1.5 million next season. The Pistons may be hoping the overworked legs of shooting guard Richard Hamilton and small forward Tayshaun Prince can rest without worry on the team that was one game away from winning two straight NBA titles.
Despite Evans' status as a Kings restricted free agent - which stipulates the home team has a right to match the offer within seven days - team president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said Wednesday he couldn't match the offer if he wanted to.
Without salary cap space or exceptions, any offer higher than the approximately $895,000 offered by the Kings in late June would mean no mo' Mo. The $5 million mid-level exception that could have been used on Evans went to forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who was signed two weeks ago. The Pistons' offer is believed to be guaranteed for the first two years, with a team option for the third.
"We don't have any rights of any kind," said Petrie, who had not yet received the offer sheet but knew it was on its way. "It's unlikely that we would do it anyway at this point with the way our roster is."
Which is to say Petrie likes the Kings' roster as is, although it's not quite complete yet. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, teams must have at least 13 players (12 active, one inactive) and can have as many as 15 under certain circumstances.
According to Petrie, the Abdur-Rahim signing put the Kings' budgeted payroll for 13 players over the salary cap - including a slot for one who has yet to be signed. Considering co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have made their desire to avoid luxury tax spending clear, the next addition will be the last and, most likely, not one of major consequence. Barring a trade, the new-look Kings are virtually in place.
"It's unlikely that we would keep a 14th or 15th guy that we would pay tax on," Petrie said. "There's still a lot of players out there. There'll be a lot of players in training camp who will be waived, and there will still be players available then. But the roster we have at the moment, the way it's comprised, are the guys who will play all the minutes.
"It's unpredictable. Sitting where I'm sitting today, I don't think I feel any rush to fill (the 13th spot), but that could change tomorrow."
On paper, the likely starting five of Mike Bibby, Bonzi Wells, Peja Stojakovic, Abdur-Rahim and Brad Miller is among the league's best, with six new additions since the Kings' five-game loss to Seattle in the first round of the playoffs.
Aside from signing lucky No. 13, the last bit of business is the future of restricted free agent Darius Songaila. The forward is being pursued by Chicago and Denver, with his return via a straight-up signing unlikely but a sign-and-trade with another team always possible.
The Kings - who are already "forward-rich," as Petrie says, with Abdur-Rahim, Stojakovic, Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson - can match an offer for up to $5 million, because of the Early Bird rights they hold.
Evans' NBA initiation came back in the 2001-02 campaign, when he played in 10 games for Minnesota after going undrafted out of Texas in 2001. But he didn't stay in the league on the first try, playing overseas in Italy, Greece and Russia before signing with the Kings in 2004.
Evans - who made $620,046 last season - was a solid backup to shooting guard Doug Christie early, then to Cuttino Mobley after Christie was traded to Orlando. He contributed 6.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and shot 44.2 percent from the field while averaging 19 minutes.
Evans and his agent, Roger Montgomery, did not return calls for comment.
Adding strength - The Kings have hired Daniel Shapiro as their strength and conditioning coach. Shapiro replaces Al Biancani, who retired in early July after 18 years.
Shapiro, who worked for the Seattle SuperSonics for seven years and the WNBA's Seattle Storm for three seasons earlier in his career, spent the last two as the strength coach for the University of Dayton men's and women's basketball teams.
About the writer:The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13469291p-14310176c.html
Sounds like as I thought, at least one more player to be added, or a trade. Maybe both.
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