Vivek Ranadive previously told one league insider he aspired for the Sacramento Kings to assemble a big three with Russell Westbrook joining DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay.

Before he tore his left Achilles tendon, Gay remained with the Kings because Ranadive believed deeply he would re-sign despite public and private comments to the contrary.

"Welcome to basketball hell," Gay reportedly said to George Karl upon the coach's arrival. 

Westbrook signed an extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2016 offseason in which he can't become a free agent until 2018. Westbrook is also widely expected to sign the same type of supermax extension the Kings expect to sign Cousins to as well.

Vivek Ranadive exercises the ultimate authority on all player personnel matters for the Sacramento Kings, according to sources.

Ranadive insists that he has empowered Vlade Divac to make those decisions. Ranadive also told one source the only decisions he has made have been trading for Rudy Gay in 2013 and refusing to deal DeMarcus Cousins.

Ranadive still won't entertain the prospect of trading Cousins.

"You would think that after making an ass of yourself, whether it's 4-on-5 or one bad hire after another, that you'd become more collaborative and seek out help," says a well-placed source. "Vivek has done just the opposite. Instead of putting together a brain trust, he's his own brain trust -- he and whoever the last person he talked to is."

One league source who knows the owner well says Ranadive, who still lives in the Bay Area, has an "unhealthy fixation on the Warriors." Sources close to the Kings partnership say that Ranadive "can't help himself" from claiming credit for innovations in Golden State.

"Vivek tries to portray himself as one thing, but he's meddlesome and it's hurting the basketball," says a high-level source who knows the Kings' operation. "It was a mess [under the Maloofs], and it's still a mess."

Rudy Gay has suffered a full rupture of his left Achilles tendon and will undergo surgery.

Gay underwent an MRI on Thursday to confirm the injury suffered on Wednesday.

Gay, 30, made it clear coming into the season that he intended to walk away from the final season of his Kings contract, valued at $14.3 million in 2017-18, to opt for free agency in July.

With the injury and a long recovery time, Gay could instead decide to opt into his contract with the Kings.

The Sacramento Kings believe Rudy Gay suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the Sacramento Kings' loss on Wednesday to the Indiana Pacers.

An MRI has been scheduled for Thursday to confirm the diagnosis.

‎Gay, 30, made it clear coming into the season that he intended to walk away from the final season of his Kings contract, valued at $14.3 million in 2017-18, to opt for free agency in July.

With the injury and a long recovery time, Gay could instead decide to opt into his contract with the Kings.

DeMarcus Cousins intends to sign a contract extension with the Sacramento Kings worth an estimated $207 million over five years.

Cousins and the Kings have discussed numbers and a deal will be done in the offseason barring a late change in direction by either side.

Under the new CBA, Cousins is in line for the league’s designated player exception, which allows Sacramento to give their franchise cornerstone an additional five-years on top of his current deal, keeping him with the Kings through the 22-23 season.

Cousins can sign for a starting salary up to 35 percent of the salary cap.

Cousins previously signed a four-year max contract in September of 2013 that was set to expire in 2018.

Matt Barnes was close to signing with the Los Angeles Clippers in the offseason, while he also considered the Golden State Warriors before signing with the Sacramento Kings.

“It came down to the Clippers, Warriors, and Sacramento kind of jumped in late,” he said. “[Coming home] was always something I wanted to do. I just didn’t know it was going to happen. I just happened to be home for the Fourth of July visiting my family and I signed. It was kind ironic that I just happened to be in Sacramento when they called.”

Barnes signed a two-year, $12.5 million deal with the Kings.

“I thought it was a done deal, I was going to the Clippers,” said Barnes. “The day before I was supposed to meet with Doc (Rivers), they decided to go in another direction with Wesley Johnson. That was obviously my first choice at the time, to be close to my kids. Golden State was always a choice; they just didn’t have very much money. I’ve always been the guy to take less money to play on a better team, but the price gap was too far on this one.

“It’s always been a dream and a goal of mine to come back home at some point. To get a chance to play with DeMarcus, Rudy [Gay], and some of these guys has been a great experience.”

The Clippers traded Barnes during the 2015 offseason for Lance Stephenson.

The Sacramento Kings will offer DeMarcus Cousins a contract extension this offseason using the Designated Player rule that will pay him in excess of $200 million.

The Kings were previously reluctant to move Cousins, who is currently scheduled to be a free agent in 2018. The NBA's new collective bargaining agreement made a trade involving Cousins even less likely due to the Kings' ability to pay him significantly more money than a rival team.

Sacramento remains in the playoff picture for the No. 8 seed in their first season in their new arena.

Cousins signed a four-year, $62 million max extension in 2013.

The Atlanta Hawks are holding Paul Millsap trade discussions with a number of teams.

Millsap can become a free agent this offseason.

The Sacramento Kings are "very interested" in Millsap, while the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers have also shown interest.

The Hawks agreed to trade Kyle Korver this week to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Portland Trail Blazers don't have interest in trading for either DeMarcus Cousins or Nerlens Noel.

Noel figures to remain on the trading block through the deadline as he approaches restricted free agency with the Philadelphia 76ers having a surplus of centers.

The Blazers could use a rim protector at center to anchor their defense, something Noel excels at. Mason Plumlee starts but offers little on the defensive end while Festus Ezeli is unlikely to play this season.

Cousins' future with the Sacramento Kings remains unclear but they are currently the eighth seed with a 15-19 record.

The Sacramento Kings have assigned center Georgios Papagiannis and forward Skal Labissiere to the Reno Bighorns.

Papagiannis has accrued averages of 10.7 points (.500 FG%, .750 FT%), 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 27.0 minutes per game in seven appearances for the Bighorns (four starts). In his last appearance with the Bighorns, he contributed a near double-double with a season-high 15 points while adding nine rebounds and a steal in a victory over the Austin Spurs on Dec. 21.  

The 28th overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft, Labissiere recently played one game with the Sacramento Kings in a New Year’s Eve contest against the Memphis Grizzlies, totaling two points and two rebounds in just over three minutes of action. In 12 starts for the Bighorns this season, he has posted 14.5 points (.451 FG%, .694 FT%), 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 30.0 minutes per game.