Chuck Hayes Contacted By Kings, Agent Says

by Tom Ziller on Dec 2, 2011 11:30 AM PST in Free Agency/Trades

The Sacramento Kings have expressed interest in free agent power forward Chuck Hayes, his agent told MyFox Houston. The Kings were one of five teams, including the incumbent Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves were the other four teams who have made early contact, though rumors have suggested any number of championship contenders having interest.

Hayes, No. 19 on my Top NBA 2011 Free Agents list, is a defensive-minded power forward and center with little offensive capability beyond crashing the class. He's just 6'6, but he was still one of five or best defenders at center according to John Hollinger's All-Defense column. John Schuhmann of NBA.com also notes that of the Rockets' five most heavily used lineups last season, all included Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry. But only the three most successful of those lineups had Hayes.

One would assume that barring a brewing trade, given the current frontcourt depth of the Kings, Hayes would come at the expense of Samuel Dalembert. The Kings have DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson to swing between the two frontcourt positions, and J.J. Hickson at power foward. Theoretically, with Hayes or Dalembert, you'd have four players who could mix and match in any combination.

In my look on underpaid players based on Win Shares, I wrote that while Hayes made just $2.1 million last season, he produced the Win Shares of a player worth $9 million. (I hope the Kings do not spend $9 million on him, because his market value, as opposed to on-court value, seems much lower.)

Hayes' agent Calvin Andrews also sheds a little light on exactly how the free agency period is going so far, saying that talks with interested teams have been serious enough that he has ranges of potential contract offers, and expects to have an idea of where Hayes will land this weekend. Stay tuned.

Thanks to Ed for the FanShot, where there's some great discussion.

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Comments

Hayes is a lot of substance with little style on the defensive end

which is what I think turns people off on him. I still think the Kings will make a run at Dalembert first, but if that falls through, Hayes would be a very solid pick up.

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by Aykis16 on Dec 2, 2011 11:33 AM PST reply actions

Also consider that Petrie may be about to pull the Howard & Paul trades you proposed

and knows he’ll need some replacement bigs for Dalembert, Cousins and Hickson.

by SPTSJUNKIE on Dec 2, 2011 11:43 AM PST up reply actions

I would love this pick up

as he wouldn’t demand a lot of minutes, and the contract would be reasonable. I think we need to have DMC, JT, and Hickson really playing as much as they can, as we will have decisions to make with JJ and JT next year.

by MichaelMack on Dec 3, 2011 12:06 AM PST up reply actions

Real nice defender,

but I’d rather the Kings find a way to bring Dalembert back. If Hayes replaced only JT, then I’d be okay with it. :-P

by DiegoKing on Dec 2, 2011 11:34 AM PST reply actions

It's really nice talking about our Kings again.

Nice change of scenery!

by DiegoKing on Dec 2, 2011 11:38 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

Great thing about Hayes

is that he knows exactly who he is on the court. Whereas Dally at times thinks he is Hakeem Olajuwan.

I would still hope we resign Dally though.

by amack10 on Dec 2, 2011 11:49 AM PST reply actions

I'm no expert by any means

But it seems like a guy who is as small as Chuck Hayes has to be very fundamentally sound when it comes to footwork and positioning to ever be successful at his position among guys who have a clear physical advantage against him. Do you guys think that part of the motivation for acquiring him may be for him to have some sort of tutoring influence on our young big men?

Also we might have a slight advantage, since he’s a Modesto native. This might be a homecoming for him.

by jveezy on Dec 2, 2011 1:25 PM PST reply actions

Hayes would become a fan favorite

I’m not sure how I feel about a front line of Cousins/Hickson/Hayes/JT, but Hayes is Jon Brockman with defensive chops and the ability to stay out of foul trouble. My bet is that I’d be more excited about his arrival after he logged a few games in a Kings uni.

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by section214 on Dec 2, 2011 2:02 PM PST reply actions

I am a fan of bringing him here

even over Dalambert, who to me is a bit of a risk, as his contract will be substantial, and I worry about his emotional stability over the next four years.

by MichaelMack on Dec 3, 2011 12:08 AM PST up reply actions

im thrilled about this

Ive always been a big fan of the chuckwagon. Despite his height he seems like a great fit on the roster. I actually prefer him to sammy, for the money at least. Im worried about having enough possessions on our roster for all the scorers, and chuckwagon certainly wont be stealing shots from reke and DMC.

by CoolFinity on Dec 2, 2011 2:08 PM PST via mobile reply actions

If the Chuckwagon becomes a King

the you can say goodbye to JT. He will immediately become the first big off of the bench with JJ and Cousins starting (if we don’t acquire another center). Yes, JT will get some spot minutes, and with injuries he may yet have a role, just a drastically reduced role (I hate JT at center BTW even though he was decent at it). If a center is signed then JT might as well pack his bags as he will be on his way out to anybody who will take him.

"If the 49ers success offends you, so be it."

by Mityt on Dec 2, 2011 2:18 PM PST reply actions

isnt that going to be the case if we sign any big..?

by CoolFinity on Dec 2, 2011 2:31 PM PST via mobile up reply actions

I would tend to agree

If the Kings sign Hayes, JT either becomes trade bait or injury insurance.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Dec 2, 2011 3:39 PM PST up reply actions

I'd so rather have J.T. being our 3rd big...

…mostly because i hate undersized forwards. I think a lot of people here are undervaluing J.T.‘s worth. Some may counter that i’m overvaluing him, but c’mon.. Chuck Hayes is not the difference maker that the Kings desperately are in need of. I agree Hayes is a very good defender, especially for his size, and that he assumes the role of the defensive work horse, but acquiring him is a half ass move. This team, organization, and its fans need and deserve to make a splash and not for the sole purpose of turning heads.

by KingsFromNY on Dec 2, 2011 3:42 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

Well,

it all comes down to price. Statistically speaking, Hayes has been a better player than Thompson, by raw data, PER, pretty much any statistical yardstick that you’d want to use. Now, JT will make $3m this year and has a $4.1m QO next year. So it all comes down to the price tag on Hayes. At $5m a year, he’d be a nice addition, and a guy that would likely play to (and perhaps in excess) of his contract. As the price climbs, he becomes less attractive. His acquisition does not change the fact that the team still needs to add top tier talent, but it probably makes the team a little bit better.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Dec 2, 2011 3:49 PM PST up reply actions

I would tend to agree with that sentiment

And would be equally upset if the Chuckwagon was the marquee acquisition; however I am praying to all that is holy in this world that Hayes is not it.

Stepping back from the forest to see the trees, if your goal is to get better then you cannot be upset at picking up a better player. Hayes is, at this point, a better player than JT. There is no argument about this point in my mind. Perhaps JT can get better and I will concede that Hayes is what he is, but we have been waiting for JT to make the big jump and I’m fairly certain that JT is what JT will be, and that ain’t bad.

To sum up in equation: Hayes > JT = Team improvement.

"If the 49ers success offends you, so be it." Jim Harbaugh

by Mityt on Dec 2, 2011 4:19 PM PST up reply actions

If Hayes is so good

Why have the Rockets been dying to replace him the last 3 or so years? I could see making him an offer if everything else falls through but come on. This has Westphal’s name all over it. Just like the Salmons trade.

Maybe he thinks we could win with what we have plus a few veteran role players? I don’t know. If that’s true I’d have to disagree but what do I know?

by Allbenji on Dec 2, 2011 3:59 PM PST via mobile reply actions

Again, I think it's perspective

The Rockets loved him as Yao’s backup – they just didn’t love him as Yao. His skill set would be a nice addition to what Cousins and Hickson bring to the table if the price is right. It all comes down to the price.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Dec 2, 2011 4:01 PM PST up reply actions

PER-spective

Hayes was 16th amongst centers that averaged at least a half a game a night last year, landing in between Bargnani and Okafor. At $5-6m he’s a nice addition. At $8-9m he’s too expensive.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Dec 2, 2011 4:03 PM PST up reply actions

I think he settles for 2-4 million

by SPTSJUNKIE on Dec 2, 2011 4:05 PM PST up reply actions

2-3 would be ok

by Allbenji on Dec 2, 2011 4:22 PM PST via mobile up reply actions

I would do backflips if the Kings could get him for that price

I’ve watched a fair amount of the Chuckwagon and he brings it every night. He is a huge fan favorite here in H-town and I would be surprised if Houston lets him go. Especially as they have zero frontcourt talent/depth after Scola (who is underrated; he and Beno, the Spurs’ only mistakes).

"If the 49ers success offends you, so be it." Jim Harbaugh

by Mityt on Dec 2, 2011 4:25 PM PST up reply actions

That'd be about right

The Rockets offered him a 2.5 million per year extension but he turned it down. His agent said he was looking for offers with more years.

by wayno on Dec 7, 2011 3:22 AM PST up reply actions

I wouldn't say Hayes is useless offensively

He’s an excellent passer, and, subjectively, improved quite a bit as a finisher last year. He’ll never be a great scorer, but you can have a great offense if he’s your fifth option.

by mr. eggplant on Dec 3, 2011 7:18 AM PST reply actions

If he's anything BUT 5th option, ur offense must really suck

" 1 + 1 = 3 " - David Kahn

by Shizzo on Dec 3, 2011 8:29 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

According to Yahoo, we want to sign him to a one-year contract

The Sacramento Kings have emerged as a frontrunner to sign Rockets free-agent forward Chuck Hayes, league sources said. Sacramento had wanted to sign Hayes to a lucrative one-year deal to keep cap space for the summer of 2012, but could come back with the kind of multiyear offer now needed to acquire him. For Hayes, a native of nearby Modesto in Northern California, it would be a unique chance to return home.

by sumostojakovic16 on Dec 4, 2011 12:50 AM PST reply actions

Hate the idea...

…Of signing him to a lucrative 1 year deal. If there is any truth to that, it totally deflates my enthusiasm for the coming season.
I am tired of waiting for next year, every year. I realize there are not many free agents to choose from, but why blow our load on a one year rental?

The endless pounding.
A hole, blacker than despair.
John Salmons is back.

by twasserm on Jun 23, 2011

by Dirkula on Dec 4, 2011 8:38 AM PST up reply actions