SB Nation Bay Area - Sacramento Kings Sign Chuck Hayes After Voiding Contract

NBA Free Agency: Kings Officially Re-Sign Chuck Hayes After Voiding Contract

2011-12-23T04:59:58Z

The Sacramento Kings have officially re-signed Chuck Hayes after voiding his original contract after failing his physical with a heart condition. While Chuck's wellbeing was obviously at the forefront of everyone's mind, the subtraction of the physical forward from Sacramento's roster would hurt greatly. Fortunately for both parties involved, Hayes is now cleared to play and re-signed with the Kings for four years and $22.3 million dollars.

That's a million dollars more than Hayes originally signed for, but the organization decided it was worth it to give a little extra cash to compensate the 6'6 forward for his troubles. Can't be too argumentative with that.

In his brief time with the Kings, everyone around the franchise had nothing but great things to say of Hayes and his work ethic. Known to be a physical, aggressive player in the paint, Sacramento will really benefit from having a hard-nosed player to compliment DeMarcus Cousins in the starting lineup. The move also solidifies the front court, with Jason Thompson and J.J. Hickson in the mix, as well.

Welcome (back) to Sacramento, Chuck.

Sacramento Kings Intend To Sign Chuck Hayes To Larger Deal

2011-12-22T23:49:25Z

It was looking like Chuck Hayes wasn't going to be part of the future plans for the Sacramento Kings after he seemed to be diagnosed with a heart condition that might have threatened his playing career. Turns out it was all a false alarm and Hayes is going to be alright!

And Sacramento seems really interested in keeping him around. Marc Stein of ESPN tweeted the following.

Hayes has not formally announced intention to rejoin Kings but one source says SAC expected to increase previous offer slightly to clinch it.

With Samuel Dalembert on his way to Houston, the signing of Hayes became all the more imperative. Because the Kings no longer have a big man defensive presence, Hayes will be a critical fill-in to keep the team stable inside the post, as his footwork and post presence is always formidable for other teams to combat. The Kings will probably commit more money to ensure that Hayes is comfortable with sticking around for a team that misdiagnosed his health situation.

But I'm sure everyone is just happy to see the Fresno product healthy again.

To discuss Hayes and the Kings, head to Sactown Royalty.

2011 NBA Free Agents: Chuck Hayes Cleared To Play, Would Like To Re-Join Sacramento Kings

2011-12-22T17:24:49Z

Just days after the Sacramento Kings voided their contract with free agent big man Chuck Hayes due to a failed physical, the acclaimed Cleveland Clinic has cleared him of any heart problems, according to CBS Sports' Ken Berger.

Hayes was found by Kings doctors to have a heart condition, but after spending most of Wednesday with "a full day of exhaustive testing and exams" by Dr. Steven Nissen, the chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, he was completely absolved from of heart conditions and can return to basketball immediately.

In a statement released by Hayes' agent Calvin Andrews Thursday morning, doctors told Hayes that "he does not have a heart problem" and that "their recommendation is that he can continue to play basketball without any concerns." Hayes was understandably excited about the news:

"I am happy to say I have a healthy heart and have been cleared to play immediately," Hayes said. "I look forward to getting back on the court as soon as possible."

According to a person close to Hayes, his preference is to play with Sacramento, and now without Samuel Dalembert, Hayes would be a better fit with the Kings now than he was before.

Hayes, 28, scored and average of 7.9 points and grabbed 8.1 rebounds in 74 games with the Houston Rockets last season.

For more on the Kings, head over to Sactown Royalty.

Sacramento Kings Withdraw Offer To Samuel Dalembert, Who Signs With Houston Rockets

2011-12-21T22:10:48Z

The Sacramento Kings and Samuel Dalembert looked like they were ready for another season together. The Kings would hang onto Dalembert for his ability to anchor the defense in the middle, and his ability to block shots and grab rebounds. Sacramento was a better team last season because of Dalembert, and it made sense to bring him back.

However, the deal has fallen apart. The Kings withdrew their offer and Dalembert has ended up elsewhere.

@sam_amick
Sam Amick Source says the Kings have pulled the offer for free agent center Samuel Dalembert.
Dec 21 via TwitterrificFavorite RetweetReply

@ESPNSteinLine
Marc Stein Just going up on http://t.co/Ir9HrM0O: Rockets and Samuel Dalembert reach terms on two-year contract. Link on way momentarily
Dec 21 via UberSocial for BlackBerryFavorite RetweetReply

Dalembert definitely helps out a Houston Rockets squad that is thin on the inside and will give them some rebounding and defensive presence to complement the rest of their lineup. Offensive hiccups aside, it's a solid pick-up for Houston.

Whether the Kings withdrew their off to Dalembert before or after they learned of the Rockets signing is unclear. The message did seem unusually curt, making you think that the Kings were unpleased and caught off-guard by the news. Sacramento will now have some serious defensive question marks going into the offseason.

For more on Dalembert and the Kings, head to Sactown Royalty. For more on Dalembert and the Rockets, check out The Dream Shake.

Stephen Curry Injures Ankle As Sacramento Kings Beat Golden State Warriors 95-91

2011-12-21T06:07:09Z

The Sacramento Kings wrapped up their short preseason by splitting their two game series with the Golden State Warriors. Marcus Thornton hit a clutch three with under a minute left to put Sacramento up, and that ended up making the difference. Thornton finished with 21 points and seven rebounds to lead the Kings to victory.

DeMarcus Cousins made his season debut; despite having 10 rebounds and two blocks, he turned the ball over nine times and made only two of his nine shots, plus two of his seven free throws. J.J. Hickson was actually the better big, scoring 19 points and hauling in nine boards. Tyreke Evans was also inconsistent, posting seven assists but also seven turnovers to go along with his 15 points. Jimmer Fredette was decent with 13 points of his own.

David Lee led the Warriors with 30 points and 13 rebounds, while Monta Ellis put in 19 points and six assists. Stephen Curry went down early with an ankle injury, which has been originally diagnosed as a right sprain. Klay Thompson had to take most of Curry's minutes, and he struggled mightily, shooting two of 15 from the field.

To discuss the game with Kings fans, go to Sactown Royalty. To discuss the game with Warriors fans, head to Golden State of Mind.

NBA Free Agency: Samuel Dalembert Expects To Re-Sign With Sacramento Kings

2011-12-21T05:03:25Z

It has been a tumultuous last few days for the Sacramento Kings after learning of recently-signed Chuck Hayes' heart condition that led to a voided contract, but the team may be on the verge of re-signing Samuel Dalembert. Once believed to have moved on from the defensive specialist with the signing of Hayes, recent events have led to the Kings working closer to a deal with Dalembert. Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports has the update:

"If things work out, everything structurally (with the contact), it will be Sacramento," Dalembert said in a phone interview with FOX Sports Florida from his Boca Raton, Fla., home. "It's close."

"There are no hard feelings (after not originally being wanted by Sacramento)," said Dalembert. "I think we can do something exciting. Last season, it seemed we were getting the excitement back in the city."

Dalembert has reportedly been working towards a one or two-year deal, which would work out financially for the Kings as well. Should the veteran center join Sacramento, he would be the fourth piece of a solid front court including DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson and J.J. Hickson. The Kings struggled defending the paint last season and the re-signing of Dalembert should help greatly.

For more on the Kings, head on over to Sactown Royalty.

Jimmer Fredette Earning Praise From Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins Impressed

2011-12-20T01:11:22Z

After being the poster child of college basketball in his senior year, Sacramento Kings rookie Jimmer Fredette could have came into the league feeling he had nothing to prove. He featured an incredible stat line from BYU, was the team's go-to guy for all 40 minutes and seldom was required to defend on a regular basis. Fortunately for head coach Paul Westphal, Jimmer has done the exact opposite and is working at a very high level every day in practice.

Fredette's hard work has earned the praise of his teammates, most notably DeMarcus Cousins. The second-year big man had nothing but good things to say about Jimmer in this latest update from Sam Amick of SI.com.

"I love Jimmer, man," Cousins said. "Jimmer's a cool dude. He's a real good rookie. I just love the fact that he's always trying to get it right and he's always learning. He's very humble. And him being the big star that he was you kind of expect him to come in and have swag and have his chest out, but he's the complete opposite. I've enjoyed him from the beginning."

It's never easy incorporating a rookie into a system -- especially a rookie as unique and talented as Jimmer -- but it sounds like all of his King teammates have already embraced him in Sacramento. And while it takes two to tango, Fredette has reportedly done a nice job distributing the ball on the court and is learning to buy into the team concept that he did not always have to follow in college.

The Kings are one of the most exciting young teams in the league. If the group of guys are able to gel and dig in defensively, they have a chance to fight for a playoff birth in the Western Conference. Just a few weeks into his career, Jimmer Fredette is already doing his part to making this goal a reality.

For more on the Kings, head on over to Sactown Royalty.

2012 Sacramento Kings Offseason: Recently Signed Forward Chuck Hayes Fails Physical, Contract Voided

2011-12-19T20:31:35Z

The Sacramento Kings have received a tough blow to their up-and-coming young team as, according to Matt Steinmetz, forward Chuck Hayes has failed his physical and thus his recently signed contract is void.

Steinmetz went on to quote Kings GM Geoff Petrie in multiple tweets saying:

"This morning, in one of the most heartbreaking moments of my professional or personal life, Chuck Hayes was notified that he failed his physical exam with the Sacramento Kings. Subsequent to that, the contract signed on December 9th has been voided. At Chuck's request, we will have no further comment at this time."

Hayes would have been part of a frontcourt rotation that includes DeMarcus Cousins, J.J. Hickson, Jason Thompson and Hassan Whiteside. Hayes is the best defender of the bunch and his calm, professional demeanor is a balance to the enigmatic Cousins. This opens the door for more playing time for Hickson.

For more on the Kings, head to Sactown Royalty.