The Week That Was: Kings to retire Peja's jersey, LeBron high on Love and Irving
Welcome to the The Week That Was, where we recap the newsworthy happenings in the NBA over the past seven days.
Kings to retire Peja Stojakovic's jersey
On Dec. 16., the Sacramento Kings are set to raise sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic's no. 16 jersey to the rafters in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After being selected with the 14th pick by Sacramento in the 1996 draft, Stojakovic went on to play eight seasons for the Kings over which time he averaged 18.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game on 40 percent shooting from beyond.
More importantly, Stojakovic played a significant role in the Kings' glory years in the early 2000s. Along with Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby, Chris Webber and Doug Christie, the Kings made a number of forays in the postseason, ultimately falling short of a championship each time.
LeBron thinks highly of Irving and Love
LeBron James is a big fan of Kyrie Irving's game, and he thinks Irving has the potential to develop into the "best point guard in the league very soon."
Additionally, James also thinks that teammate Kevin Love is already "in the discussion as far as being the best power forward in the league."
James's claims are obviously biased, but there's some truth in his assertions. Irving made the All-Star team twice over his first three seasons in the league, and recently captured the tournament MVP of the FIBA World Cup. Love, on the other hand, qualified for the All-NBA second team last year.
Report: Suns not interested in Eric Bledsoe sign-and-trade
Sorry, Minnesota. The Phoenix Suns aren't interested in a potential sign-and-trade involving point guard Eric Bledsoe.
As the summer winds to a close, the Suns and Bledsoe remain without a long-term deal. Bledsoe has a one-year, $3.7 million qualifying offer on the table from Phoenix, but he's said to be looking for a max extension.
If they were to deal Bledsoe, the Suns would reportedly want an All-Star or potential All-Star in return.
Timberwolves, Rubio remain apart in extension talks
Phoenix isn't the only team having trouble locking down its point guard of the future. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Ricky Rubio are said to be a "good distance" apart on negotiations.
Rubio's agent is believed to be demanding a maximum extension, but Rubio's shooting numbers work against his favor. He has yet to post a season wherein his field-goal percentage topped 40 percent. Rubio does, however, excel at the other facets of the game excluding scoring, including playmaking and on-ball defense.