At 36, Kings center JaVale McGee is one of the NBA’s oldest players, but he doesn’t feel like he’s close to the end of his career, writes Marcus D. Smith of The Sacramento Bee. McGee, a first-round pick in the 2008 draft, just wrapped up his 16th season. He’s played for nine teams and won three titles, but there’s a lot he still wants to accomplish, including joining a select list of players who’ve spent two decades in the league.
“Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) played 20 years also and (he) played at a very high level for 20 years,” McGee said. “This is before you had a (physical therapist) for every player and the ACL surgery that you can come back from in six months, you know what I’m saying? So there’s a lot of progress and a lot of things in the world now where it’s easier. I don’t say it’s easy, but it’s easier to last that long, so I definitely think it’s possible.”
McGee will be an unrestricted free agent after signing a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with the Kings last summer. He hopes to stay in Sacramento, a city where he spent part of his childhood when his mother played for the WNBA’s Monarchs, and he wants to help the Kings get back to the playoffs after being eliminated in this year’s play-in tournament. He talked about the team’s chances, saying it will be vital to re-sign free agent guard Malik Monk and make a few other roster additions.
“Definitely getting Malik back is important,” McGee said. “… Getting some more dogs on the team is really important also. I feel like the squad is well put together. We just need to make sure everybody’s on the same page.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- As expected, J.J. Redick had an interview with the Lakers today to discuss their head coaching job, sources tell Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times (subscription required). Multiple members of the organization reportedly talked with Redick, including general manager Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss.
- Heading into free agency, long-time Warriors guard Klay Thompson has stopped following the team’s Instagram account, according to Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Gordon points out that unfollowing social media accounts is becoming a common practice for NBA players during negotiations, so it may not be a sign that Thompson intends to leave the Bay Area. However, he reportedly turned down a two-year, $48MM offer before the start of the season, and several suitors figure to be waiting if he can’t reach a new agreement before June 30.
- Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports examines opportunities the Suns might have to trade up or down in the draft. Bourguet notes that past deals have gutted the team’s supply of draft assets to the point that it only controls the 22nd pick this year and its first-rounder in 2031. He identifies the Pacers, Bucks, Timberwolves, Knicks, Jazz and Wizards as potential trading partners if Phoenix wants to move down, while the Spurs‘ pick at No. 8 and the Trail Blazers‘ selection at No. 14 could entice the Suns to trade up.