Kings Blog and Q&A

Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) focused on the return of Chuck Hayes in today's newspaper.

The Kings' search for a frontcourt defender ended where it started.

One week after the Kings announced Chuck Hayes had an abnormality in his heart that would lead to the team voiding his contract, the forward-center was cleared to resume his basketball career Thursday by the renowned Cleveland Clinic. The team announced Thursday night it had reached an agreement with Hayes. He is expected back in Sacramento tonight.

The deal is worth $22.4 million over four years. That is $1 million more than Hayes signed for Dec. 9, the first day free agents were allowed to sign with teams following the 149-day NBA lockout.

More recent links on Hayes:

• Ailene Voisin (@ailene_voisin) writes in a blog post this morning that the "Kings acted prudently" in protecting the franchise and Hayes.

• Jonathan Santiago (@itsJONsantiago), of TrueHoop Network affiliate Cowbell Kingdom, spoke to Paul Westphal, John Salmons, Jimmer Fredette, and Marcus Thornton about the return of Hayes.

More Bee coverage:

• "For Paul Westphal's young and undersized squad to be upwardly mobile within the Pacific Division, (Tyreke) Evans must develop into the multidimensional threat he says he has always wanted to be," writes Ailene Voisin (@ailene_voisin) in today's newspaper.
• Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara), in a blog post yesterday, reported that Salmons remains day-to-day with a right quadriceps contusion.
• Jones hosted a live chat yesterday. Check out the replay here.

Bee video:

• Westphal addresses the media after practice yesterday.

• Fredette addressed various topics, including his progression during the abbreviated training camp.

More links:

• "I should've known Fredette would be fine in the NBA," writes Rick Reilly (@ReillyRick) in a column for ESPN where he admits being wrong about the rookie.
• "I think Fredette is going to become an excellent, relatively pure point guard this season, while mixing in his scoring talent later this season and next," writes David Thorpe (@coachthorpe) in a his preseason Rookie Watch column for ESPN.
• "It's tough to imagine a 24-win team from a year ago making much noise in the much-improved Pacific Division ... but the Kings do look poised to take a small step forward," writes John McMullen (@JFMcMullen) in his season preview for The Sports Network.
• Jaimie Canterbury (@SubZEROxPaste) writes that Evans, Thornton, Fredette and Isaiah Thomas make one of the "Top 5 Up-And-Coming Backcourts" in a feature for Dime magazine.
• "On paper alone, the Kings look like one of those killer rec league teams," writes Sean Sweeney (@SEANesweeney) in his Pacific Division preview for Dime magazine.
• Ian Thomsen (@SI_IanThomsen) identified the Kings as the biggest flop and Sam Amick (@sam_amick) picked Westphal as the coach on the hottest seat in the NBA writers preview for Sports Illustrated.
• Akis Yerocostas (@Aykis16) reminds us of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" in his season preview on SB Nation affiliate Sactown Royalty.

Tweets of the day:

Words can't explain how I feel, with the support of family, friends, fans, and the love/power of GOD, PRAYER WORKS, I love and thank you ALL

— chuck hayes (@c_hayes44) December 22, 2011

Preciate everybody for there concernsfeeling better and better everyday GOD is good

— Marcus Thornton (@OfficialMT23) December 22, 2011

When I tell u I wanna be great...I'm not just saying it I really do and as long as I stay focused and do what I gotta do nobody will stop me

— Tyler Honeycutt (@thoneycutt23) December 23, 2011

If you see a Sacramento Kings-related story or blog post that we should feature, e-mail me at nmiller@sacbee.com or send me reply on Twitter at @journalistnate.