2011–12 Sacramento Kings season

2011–12 Sacramento Kings season
Head coach	Keith Smart (interim)
General manager	Geoff Petrie
Arena	Power Balance Pavilion
Results
Record	22–44 (.333)
Place	Division: 5th (Pacific) Conference: 14th (Western)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	Comcast Sports Net California
Radio	Sports Radio 1140 The Fan

The Kings huddling prior to the tip-off of the 2011–12 exhibition opener against the Golden State Warriors

The 2011–12 Sacramento Kings season was the 67th season of the franchise, its 64th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 27th in Sacramento.

Key dates

• June 23: The 2011 NBA draft took place at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Possible relocation

Henry Samueli, the owner of the Anaheim Ducks and Anaheim Arena Management, has hoped to bring an NBA franchise to Honda Center in Anaheim since he took control of the arena in the early 2000s. The Sacramento Kings had expressed an interest in relocating to Anaheim from their current stadium, Power Balance Pavilion (formerly ARCO Arena). On March 3, 2011, a lawyer representing the Maloof brothers (owners of the Kings) filed federal trademark applications for names for a new basketball team based in Anaheim. Those names included Anaheim Royals, Los Angeles Royals, Orange County Royals, and Anaheim Royals of Southern California. Of note, the city of Anaheim has mandated that any team playing at Honda Center must use "Anaheim" as its only geographic identifier. This requirement was made after the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim added 'Los Angeles' to their official name. On May 2, 2011, the Maloofs announced they were staying in Sacramento for at least one more season, to try to make things work with a new Sports and Entertainment Complex in Sacramento.

Timeline of events

• July 1, 1997: Sacramento obtained a $70 million loan for the Kings. A "Team Owner's Relocation Assurance Agreement" recites that Kings agree to stay in Sacramento for 30 years or until the loan is repaid. But the contract includes a term prohibiting the City of Sacramento from preventing a relocation.
• November 8, 2003: As early as 2003, there had been speculation that the Kings may move to Anaheim. The Los Angeles Times reported that the Maloofs (then and current owners of the Kings) were interested in purchasing the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim who played (and still play) at the Arrowhead Pond/Honda Center. In that same article, Gavin Maloof was quoted as saying that "I think Anaheim would be a plus for the league. The arena is beautiful. The market is so rich. Three teams in that market, it could handle it." This, naturally, set off speculation that the Maloofs were considering a move to Orange County, however, a spokeswoman for the Maloofs quickly shot down the idea calling a possible Kings move to Anaheim "laughable."
• February 13, 2009: Speculation was renewed by the Orange County Register/Sacramento Bee that the Kings may be looking at Southern California as a possible new home.
• September 23, 2010: Anaheim Ducks and Anaheim Arena Management owner Henry Samueli renewed his interest in an NBA franchise relocating to Honda Center.
• December 6, 2010: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and other news agencies were reporting that Anaheim is on the NBA's short list for a possible franchise relocation. At this time, however, speculation surrounded the New Orleans Hornets franchise and also the cities of Kansas City, Missouri; San Jose, California; Seattle, Washington; and Chicago, Illinois; along with Anaheim.
• January 9, 2011: Randy Youngman of the Orange County Register re-kindled the Kings to Anaheim speculation and the Register continued to publish Kings to Anaheim speculation for a week.
• February 10, 2011: The Sacramento city council unanimously voted to approve ICON and David Taylor to conduct a feasibility study for a new sports and entertainment center in the state capital. The Maloofs, at that time, reportedly agreed to hand over 11 years of financial/arena information documents to help in this study.
• February 19–22, 2011: NBA Commissioner David Stern acknowledged that there are ongoing talks between the Kings and Anaheim officials about a possible relocation during the All-Star festivities at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
• February 25, 2011: The Kings asked for an extension to the relocation filing deadline. The deadline is normally March 1.
• February 28, 2011: Kings fans organized to sell out then-ARCO Arena for a game against the Los Angeles Clippers in response to the relocation rumors.
• March 1, 2011: The NBA moved the relocation filing deadline back from March 1 to April 18 for the Kings.
• March 6, 2011: It was reported that the Taylor/ICON group would delay their report until they knew whether or not the Kings were staying in Sacramento.
• March 23–26, 2011: Jim Crandell reported that there is a possible "game changing" proposal that could keep the Kings in Sacramento. It was later reported, however, that the Maloofs had rejected this plan which calls for a renovation of Power Balance Pavilion.
• March 28, 2011: The Orange County Register reported that an official in the city of Sacramento had sent a letter to the city of Anaheim insisting that they cease negotiations with the Kings because of a $73,725,000 loan that is owed to the capital city by the Maloofs. Kings co-owner quickly shot back, saying that the letter was "below the belt" and that Sacramento should "not interfere with our business." The next day, the Los Angeles Times reported that California state senate president pro tempore Steinberg (D-Sacramento) is considering legislation that would prevent the Kings from moving until the debt is paid in full.
• March 29, 2011: The city of Anaheim unanimously approved a 75 million dollar bond to bring Honda Center up to modern NBA standards.
• April 14, 2011: The NBA Board of Governors met at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City where George Maloof, on behalf of the majority owners, made his case to the other owners that relocation was advisable. Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait, Anaheim City Manager Tom Wood, Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli, and Anaheim Arena Management official Michael Schulman all attended the meetings to make the argument for relocation to their city. Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson also attended the meetings and made the case why the Kings should remain in California's capital city or why Sacramento deserves a new team if the Kings leave. Johnson also announced during his presentation that Ron Burkle, a billionaire credited with helping keep the Pittsburgh Penguins in their home town, wanted to purchase the Kings franchise and keep them in Sacramento. Burkle's firm later sent out a press release confirming his interest in purchasing the Kings and keeping the NBA in Sacramento. The Orange County Register also reported that the fate of the Kings may be known by Friday, April 15.
• April 15, 2011: At an NBA Board of Governors meeting at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City, the NBA moved the relocation filing deadline for the Kings from March 18 to May 2.
• April 18, 2011: The Kings' second deadline to file for relocation. An extension to May 2 was granted on April 15.
• April 29, 2011: The Orange County Register reported that the relocation committee headed by Oklahoma City Thunder owner has suggested that the Kings remain in Sacramento. In response, Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli upped his offer to the Maloofs, promising to pay for up to 70 million dollars in upgrades to Honda Center. He also reportedly secured 30 million dollars (to counter the 10 million that Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson secured) in corporate funding and a six-year television deal that would pay out 24 million dollars annually. Samueli also upped his personal loan to the Maloofs to 75 million dollars and offered to buy a minority stake in the Kings. Following this report, the Maloofs have not filed for relocation and the relocation committee has not changed their reported suggestion.
• May 2, 2011: George Maloof announces that the Kings will remain in Sacramento for at least one more season.

Cities considered future sites for the Kings

The Kings not only looked at Anaheim in relocation plans, the team was offered deals in possible relocations to Kansas City, where the Kings once played until their move to Sacramento in 1985, Cincinnati, where the Kings used to be the Cincinnati Royals from 1961 to 1972, Pittsburgh due to a radio station report about the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins may purchase the team, Las Vegas, Nevada where the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, and Seattle the former home of the Oklahoma City Thunder (was the Seattle SuperSonics) when the team moved to Oklahoma in 2006. The Kings wanted to reuse the "Royals" namesake for Anaheim not to confuse with the NHL's Los Angeles Kings whose cross-region rival is the Anaheim Ducks, but if they move to Seattle, they will keep the "Kings" moniker and their closest opponent will be the Portland Trail Blazers in Oregon. ESPN's Basketball Editor in Chief recently told a Seattle Sports Station that Vancouver, Canada is the most "viable" option.

Draft picks

Main article: 2011 NBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	10	Jimmer Fredette¤	Guard	United States	BYU
2	35	Tyler Honeycutt	Forward	United States	UCLA
2	60	Isaiah Thomas¤	Guard	United States	Washington

¤:Draft rights traded to Sacramento from the Milwaukee Bucks

Roster

Sacramento Kings roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY–MM–DD) From C 15 Cousins, DeMarcus (C) 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 270 lb (122 kg) 1990–08–13 Kentucky G 13 Evans, Tyreke (C) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1989–09–19 Memphis G 7 Fredette, Jimmer 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1989–02–25 Brigham Young G/F 32 García, Francisco 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1980–12–31 Louisville G 85 Davis, Baron 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1979-04-13 UCLA F/C 42 Hayes, Chuck 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1983–06–11 Kentucky F 3 Honeycutt, Tyler 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1990–07–15 UCLA F 25 Outlaw, Travis 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 207 lb (94 kg) 1984–09–18 Starkville HS (MS) G/F 5 Salmons, John 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 207 lb (94 kg) 1979–12–12 Miami (FL) G 22 Thomas, Isaiah 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1989–02–07 Washington F 34 Thompson, Jason 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1986–07–21 Rider G 23 Thornton, Marcus 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1987–06–05 LSU C 33 Whiteside, Hassan 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1989–06–13 Marshall G/F 55 Williams, Terrence 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1987–06–28 Louisville	Head coach Keith Smart Assistant coach(es) Jim Eyen Alex English Bobby Jackson Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended (DL) On assignment to D-League affiliate Injured Roster • Transactions Last transaction: 2012–03–21

Preseason

Due to the 2011 NBA lockout negotiations, the programmed preseason schedule, along with the first two weeks of the regular season, were scraped, and a two-game preseason was set for each team once the lockout concluded.

2011 pre-season game log
Pre-season: 1–1 (Home: 1–0; Road: 0–1) Game Date Time Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 1 December 17 @ Golden State L 96–107 Jimmer Fredette Marcus Thornton (21) J. J. Hickson (7) Tyreke Evans (7) Oracle Arena 16,523 1–0 2 December 20 Golden State W 95–91 Marcus Thornton (21) DeMarcus Cousins (10) Tyreke Evans (7) Power Balance Pavilion 12,425 1–1
2011–12 season schedule

Regular season

Standings

Pacific Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Los Angeles Lakers	41	25	.621	–	26–7	15–18	9–5
x-Los Angeles Clippers	40	26	.606	1	24–9	16–17	7–7
Phoenix Suns	33	33	.500	8	19–14	14–19	9–5
Golden State Warriors	23	43	.348	18	12–21	11–22	7–8
Sacramento Kings	22	44	.333	19	16–17	6–27	3–10

#	Western Conference
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	c-San Antonio Spurs	50	16	.758	–
2	y-Oklahoma City Thunder	47	19	.712	3
3	y-Los Angeles Lakers	41	25	.621	9
4	x-Memphis Grizzlies	41	25	.621	9
5	x-Los Angeles Clippers	40	26	.606	10
6	x-Denver Nuggets	38	28	.576	12
7	x-Dallas Mavericks	36	30	.545	14
8	x-Utah Jazz	36	30	.545	14
9	Houston Rockets	34	32	.515	16
10	Phoenix Suns	33	33	.500	17
11	Portland Trail Blazers	28	38	.424	22
12	Minnesota Timberwolves	26	40	.394	24
13	Golden State Warriors	23	43	.348	27
14	Sacramento Kings	22	44	.333	28
15	New Orleans Hornets	21	45	.318	29

Transactions

Trades

June 23, 2011	To Milwaukee Bucks----Stephen Jackson Shaun Livingston Beno Udrih Draft rights to Tobias Harris	To Charlotte Bobcats----Corey Maggette Draft rights to Bismack Biyombo----To Sacramento Kings----John Salmons Draft rights to Jimmer Fredette
June 30, 2011	To Sacramento Kings----J.J. Hickson	To Cleveland Cavaliers----Omri Casspi 2012 first-round pick

Free agents

Additions
Player	Date signed	Former team
Marcus Thornton	December 9	Sacramento Kings
Travis Outlaw	December 17	New Jersey Nets
Chuck Hayes	December 23	Houston Rockets
Terrence Williams	March 31	Sacramento Kings (previously signed a 10-day contract)

Subtractions
Player	Date signed	New team
Marquis Daniels	December 9	Boston Celtics
Samuel Dalembert	December 26	Houston Rockets
Jermaine Taylor		Rio Grande Valley Vipers

See also

• 2011–12 NBA season

External links

• Official site of the Sacramento Kings