Guaranteed Contracts
- John Salmons ($8,083,000)
- Marcus Thornton ($7,525,000)
- Francisco Garcia ($6,100,000)
- Chuck Hayes ($5,486,250)
- Tyreke Evans ($5,251,825)
- DeMarcus Cousins ($3,880,800)
- Travis Outlaw ($3,000,000)
- Jimmer Fredette ($2,339,040)
- Tyler Honeycutt ($809,875)
Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Hassan Whiteside ($854,389)
- Isaiah Thomas ($762,195)
Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Jason Thompson ($7,503,210)
- Donte Greene ($4,199,785)
- Terrence Williams ($1,060,120 – QO)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (Pending lottery; 7.6% chance at first overall pick)
- 2nd Round (36th overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary (including likely options): $42,475,790
- Non-Guaranteed Salary, Cap Holds: $14,379,699
- Total (not including draft picks): $56,855,489
It was an ugly season for Sacramento both on the court, where the team only managed 22 wins, and off the court, where a handshake agreement on a new arena gradually fell apart. The Kings will play the 2012/13 season in Sacramento, but the franchise's long-term future is very much up in the air.
For all the uncertainty surrounding the Kings' arena, the roster itself appears unlikely to be overhauled significantly this summer. Of Sacramento's current 14 players, nine have guaranteed contracts for next year, two are on non-guaranteed deals, and three are restricted free agents — if they chose to, the Kings could bring all 14 players back, along with their lottery pick.
Of course, after finishing with the league's fifth-worst record, it's more likely that the Kings make at least a few small changes. Isaiah Thomas will certainly have his deal guaranteed, and Jason Thompson and Terrence Williams seem like decent bets to re-sign with the club, but it wouldn't be surprising if the team parted ways with Donte Greene and Hassan Whiteside.
Even if they re-sign Thompson and Williams and lock up their lottery pick, the Kings would have a little room to bring aboard a free agent or two. However, given the on- and off-court situation in Sacramento, the team will likely have to overpay to bring aboard a decent player. When the Kings had cap room last summer, Chuck Hayes and Travis Outlaw were their major additions, and now represent two of their most undesirable contracts.
Sacramento's best chance to make a splash this summer involves two of its wing scorers, John Salmons and Tyreke Evans. Salmons is the only real amnesty candidate on the roster, since only pre-lockout contracts are eligible under the provision. After coming over from Milwaukee, Salmons had a tremendously disappointing 2011/12 campaign, hampered by injuries and averaging just 7.5 points per game. He's under contract for nearly $16MM over the next two seasons, and has a partially-guaranteed year for 2014/15. If the Kings are able to draft a player like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Bradley Beal to replace him, it could make sense to amnesty Salmons, their highest-paid player.
Evans, meanwhile, is entering the final season of his rookie contract and will be eligible for a contract extension, but a trade seems at least as likely as an extension. Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee suggested recently that the Kings would "entertain offers" for Evans this summer, and it would definitely make some sense to deal him and move forward by building around DeMarcus Cousins, Marcus Thornton, and this year's first-round pick.
With free agents unlikely to sign in Sacramento and the team's owners unlikely to spend big on outside talent anyway, the Kings' best chance at improving their roster will come via trades and the draft. If Sacramento can find a reasonable offer for Evans and make it through the lottery with a top-five pick, that could be enough to consider the offseason a success.
Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.