Now that the NBA trade deadline has passed, Sacramento Kings head coach Keith Smart is focused on the rest of the season.
“If they were gonna be made, they would have been made,” Smart said after morning shootaround when asked if he expected the Kings to make any deals before yesterday’s 12 pm deadline. “So I focus on the floor. And then when we get to the floor (with what) we have, that’s what I coach.”
Smart says he, Kings president Geoff Petrie and the Maloofs constantly engage in conversations regarding the team’s direction. So with his input considered valuable to front office and ownership, I asked Smart if the Kings actively pursued any trades at the deadline.
“I was actively sitting at my desk,” Smart said in jest, refusing to go into detail about what the Kings did or didn’t do yesterday. “The day is gone now and we moved on…We’ll get ready for the next game and we’ll finish the season (go into) the summer and play from there.”
Doc Rivers on J.J. Hickson rumor
According to a report from Fox Sports Ohio, the Boston Celtics were allegedly interested in acquiring the Kings’ J.J. Hickson. The rumored interest surprised Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.
“I read it in the newspaper,” said Rivers with a laugh following morning shootaround at Power Balance Pavilion. “Honest to god, it was the first time I had heard that, was when I read it in San Francisco’s paper. I said ‘Wow, that’s interesting.'”
Rivers said he didn’t expect any shakeups to his roster. And unlike seasons past, Rivers added that he and Celtics President Danny Ainge didn’t have many discussions about making moves before this year’s deadline.
“We didn’t talk a lot this year,” Rivers said. That’s the point I was making to guys. Years previous, we’ve had a ton of conversation and I can just feel that it was pretty quiet and we didn’t talk much.
“If we did, we talked about Marquette spanking BYU,” the Celtics head coach added with a chuckle.
Hickson was not at shootaround this morning and therefore unavailable to comment.
Kings assistant to the Knicks?
According to Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday, New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson is expected to add Kings assistant Jim Todd to his staff.
I pressed Smart about the reported departure of Todd, but the Kings head coach declined to comment. I did see Todd at morning shootaround, working with players like he usually does after each Kings practice, so take that for what it’s worth.
Todd has ties to Woodson. From 2008 to 2010, the Kings assistant spent two seasons in Atlanta in the same capacity under the current Knicks coach. Todd is also native of the east coast and resides in Massachusetts in the offseason. Todd is usually spotted working with the Kings’ big men.
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