LAS VEGAS - So I'm not quite sure yet whether this post belongs in the "breaking news" category or the "get real!" bin, but it's intriguing either way.
Could Jason Williams still be a possibility for the Kings? His agent says yes.
While wandering around UNLV's Cox Pavilion on Thursday, I ran into Dan Tobin. Without much prodding whatsoever, the agent for the former Kings player who is an unrestricted free agent indicated that he continues to talk with the Kings about a White Chocolate return.
Admittedly, I didn't approach Tobin to discuss this topic and was rather surprised at the revelation first put forth here by Scott Howard-Cooper. More on the specifics on how this could work after the Q&A...
Q: So you still see (Williams to Sacramento) as a possibility at this point?A: I do, no question. Both the team (the Kings) and Jason had a lot of success there (from 1998 to 2001). That's been one of the situations we've looked at from the beginning. We've obviously been patient.
Q: Have you talked to Geoff about it recently?
A: Yeah. We continue to talk to him. We're looking for a specific type of situation where Jason can help elevate a team to that next step. That's what he's been really good at. When you look at where Sacramento was before he got there and where they were four years later, a perennial playoff team. It was the same (thing) in Memphis, where the team had never done anything and then they're three years in the playoffs. He gets to Miami the first year and they won the championship. So he's looking for a very specific type of situation.
Q: They just signed Beno, though, for (five years and $32 million). What about that?
A: Well, that was their decision. That was someone they wanted to have.
Q: But all they have left to offer, really, is the bi-annual exception (worth approximately $2 million to start per season).
A: There's probably some things they would have to do to make it work. But that's a situation that has been interesting from the beginning.
Q: Any other irons in the fire?
A: There's absolutely other irons in the fire. We're just being patient.
I'll try to flush this out from the Kings side today, but it's safe to say that they would have to dump some of their payroll to make it happen. Money-wise, Williams made $9 million last season and the likely target for his next contract would be in the $3 million-$4 million per year range. The Kings are already pushing the luxury tax threshold with a final tally of around $70 million.
I'd be lying if I said I saw where this was going. I didn't think paying a combined $8-9 million for their top two point guards was the sort of mode the Kings were currently in, nor does it sound like Williams is looking to be a backup. Even if he is, the Kings seem to be high on draft pick Sean Singletary and there has been much talk at summer league that he has a real shot at the backup spot and serious minutes. It's J-Will, though, which means it qualifies as intriguing chatter every time. - Sam Amick
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.