Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian still may squabble over who gets custody of the wedding cake, but the 6-foot-9 power forward probably won’t be hurt in his quest for a hefty free-agent contract when the war on the NBA labor front is resolved, according to several team executives around the league.
One Western Conference team executive — stressing his team is not in the market for a power forward — said he would not reject Humphries because of any fallout from his marriage to Kardashian, who sought a divorce after 72 days. Humphries claimed he was “devastated” by the move, as were those who had 11 weeks in office pools.
“Because of our situation, I haven’t given any thought as to what he would be worth,” the exec said anonymously because team officials are forbidden from commenting publicly on any players. “But I don’t think I would let the situation sway me. You hear he’s a good kid, so where I would feel for him is in the heckling he’ll probably get around the league.”
Humphries is coming off a career year with the Nets, who originally were scheduled to open last night in Washington. He averaged a double-double (10.0 points, 10.4 rebounds) and, after declining to opt out of a $3.2 million deal last season, set himself up for a free-agent windfall.
“I don’t think [the divorce] will affect his situation, I really don’t,” said one exec in the East. “Anybody who is interested in him will talk to him first and, like you do with college kids, assess where he’s at psychologically. People will figure for themselves and if they think he can help them, that is what they care about. This might actually help him in a way because he won’t be thinking Hollywood.”
Humphries, who has said he wanted to stay with the Nets, may find his biggest worry is the size of a contract because of the labor dispute. When or if it is resolved, free-agent payouts should be less than forecast.