NEW YORK — Sacramento Kings center Dewayne Dedmon was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Thursday after admitting in a newspaper interview that he wants to be traded to another club.

The punishment was imposed for "public statements detrimental to the NBA and its teams" based upon his comments to the Sacramento Bee before a game Sunday against Denver.

"I would like to be traded," Dedmon told the newspaper. "I haven't been playing so I would like to go somewhere where my talents are appreciated.

"I want to be somewhere where I get to play."

The league's agreement with the players union forbids public trade demands, the NBA notably fining Anthony Davis $50,000 last season after his agent went public with a trade request while Davis, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, was with New Orleans.

Dedmon, a 30-year-old US 7-footer, signed a three-year contract worth $40 million with the Kings last July. He has averaged 4.8 points and 3.8 rebounds but has played in only two of Sacramento's past 12 games for a total of seven minutes.

Dedmon joined the NBA in 2013 and has made previous stops with Golden State, Philadelphia, Orlando, San Antonio and Atlanta.

Pelicans rookie Williamson

returns to practice

Number one draft pick Zion Williamson could make his NBA debut soon after taking part in full practice with the New Orleans Pelicans for the first time since having knee surgery in October.

"If it was up to me, I would have been out there two weeks ago," Williamson said after returning to practice on Thursday. "It was just good to get back out there."

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters there was no target date for the 19-year-old Williamson to take the court.

He said it would not be during the Pelicans' upcoming road trip, which tips off with a game against the Lakers in Los Angeles on Friday.

"That won't happen," Gentry said.

"We really do have to take it a day at a time to see what kind of progress he makes," Gentry said. "See what happens after he goes through practices and things like that.

"Like we said and will continue to say, he'll play when the time is right for him to do that. When that is, I'm not real sure of. But I know he's making progress, that's the thing that matters most." — AFP