Kings Rumors

2019 Offseason In Review: Sacramento Kings

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2019 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2019/20 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Sacramento Kings.

Signings:

  • Standard contracts:
    • Harrison Barnes: Four years, $85MM. Re-signed using Bird rights.
    • Dewayne Dedmon: Three years, $40MM. Third year partially guaranteed ($1MM). Signed using cap room.
    • Cory Joseph: Three years, $37.2MM. Third year partially guaranteed ($4MM). Signed using cap room.
    • Trevor Ariza: Two years, $25MM. Second year partially guaranteed ($1.8MM). Signed using cap room.
    • Richaun Holmes: Two years, $9.77MM. Signed using room exception.
    • Tyler Lydon: Two years, minimum salary. First year partially guaranteed ($50K). Second year non-guaranteed.
    • Hollis Thompson: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed.
    • Tyler Ulis: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed.
  • Two-way contracts:
  • Non-guaranteed camp contracts:

Trades:

  • Acquired the draft rights to Kyle Guy (No. 55 pick) and cash ($1MM) from the Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Ignas Brazdeikis (No. 47 pick).

Draft picks:

  • 2-40: Justin James — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. Third year non-guaranteed. Signed using cap room.
  • 2-55: Kyle Guy — Signed to two-way contract.
  • 2-60: Vanja Marinkovic — Will play overseas.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

  • Fired head coach Dave Joerger.
  • Hired Luke Walton as new head coach.
  • Walton investigated, cleared on sexual assault allegations.
  • Hired Igor Kokoskov as assistant coach; hired Lindsey Harding as assistant coach; hired Stacey Augmon as assistant coach; hired Bob Beyer as assistant coach.
  • Signed general manager Vlade Divac to contract extension.
  • Hired Joe Dumars as special advisor.
  • Fired assistant GM Brandon Williams.

Salary cap situation:

  • Used cap space; now over the cap.
  • Carrying approximately $112.46MM in guaranteed salary.
  • No exceptions available.

Story of the summer:

No lottery team had a more encouraging 2018/19 season than the Kings, whose 39 wins were the franchise’s highest total since the 2005/06 campaign. Despite ultimately falling nine games short of a playoff spot, Sacramento was in contention for the No. 8 seed for most of the year and saw several encouraging signs from its young roster.

Buddy Hield made a persuasive case to be considered the NBA’s best high-volume shooter outside of Golden State (his 278 made three-pointers in a single season ranked third all-time among players not named Stephen Curry). Marvin Bagley III showed why the Kings’ decision to pass on Luka Doncic might not go down as a major gaffe. Harry Giles got healthy and made his NBA debut. And most importantly, De’Aaron Fox enjoyed a breakout season in which he flashed All-NBA upside.

On the heels of that promising season, the Kings entered the summer of 2019 with a ton of cap flexibility. However, the team also recognized that keeping its young core intact would mean retaining some of that cap flexibility for the next year or two, when players like Hield, Bogdanovic, and Fox are up for new contracts.

As such, the Kings didn’t go all-in on a single maximum-salary player, and mostly avoided long-term investments. Although they signed four veteran free agents to contracts exceeding $10MM per year, only one of those four – Harrison Barnes – received more than two fully guaranteed seasons.

That approach to summer spending was probably a necessary one — after all, superstar free agents didn’t enter the offseason with Sacramento atop their wish list. But it was also a savvy one. Those veteran signings could help the Kings take another step forward in 2019/20 without compromising their ability to retain the players who are most responsible for helping take them take their first big step forward in ’18/19.

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2019/20 Over/Unders: Pacific Division

The 2019/20 NBA regular season will get underway in just eight days, which means it’s time to get serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

Having already looked at the Atlantic, Northwest, and Central, we’re moving onto the Pacific today…


Los Angeles Clippers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Clippers poll.


Los Angeles Lakers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Lakers poll.


Golden State Warriors

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Warriors poll.


Sacramento Kings

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Kings poll.


Phoenix Suns

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Suns poll.


Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Philadelphia 76ers (54.5 wins): Over (54.9%)
  • Boston Celtics (49.5 wins): Under (57.0%)
  • Toronto Raptors (46.5 wins): Under (59.1%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (43.5 wins): Over (58.3%)
  • New York Knicks (27.5 wins): Under (54.9%)

Northwest:

  • Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): Over (51.8%)
  • Utah Jazz (53.5 wins): Under (50.8%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (46.5 wins): Over (78.7%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (35.5 wins): Under (57.5%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (32.5 wins): Under (55.1%)

Central:

  • Milwaukee Bucks (57.5 wins): Over (63.5%)
  • Indiana Pacers (46.5 wins): Over (56.6%)
  • Detroit Pistons (37.5 wins): Over (69.8%)
  • Chicago Bulls (33.5 wins): Under (56.2%)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (24.5 wins): Under (70.0%)

Western Notes: Hield, Kings, Grizzlies, Poole

As the Kings mull over whether to offer fourth-year guard Buddy Hield a contract extension, Hield has received strong praise from a major voice in the organization: De’Aaron Fox.

“Everybody deals with their own, so it’s something I worry about, but obviously I want to continue to play with a guy like that,” Fox said, according to James Ham of NBC Sports California. “For me, just hopefully they get it done.”

Hield has expressed interest in signing an extension with the Kings, and the 26-year-old hasn’t demanded a max-salary offer to this point, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. He averaged a career-high 20.7 points, five rebounds and 2.5 assists per game last season, appearing in all 82 contests.

“As a player, you want to have that trust that the franchise has your back and we’re just waiting for them to make a move and come to an agreement,” Hield said last week. “They’re talking, but nothing is moving yet. Nothing has moved. I’m ready to make things happen, man. I want to make Sacramento my home. I’m ready to get this s— done. I want to be here and if it doesn’t happen, then things can go the other way.”

Hield, who would become a restricted free agent next summer if the two sides fail to reach an extension, is due to make $4.8MM with the Kings this season. The deadline for teams to reach decisions on rookie-scale extensions is October 21.

Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:

  • Kings forward Trevor Ariza underwent a successful procedure to remove a lipoma from his back last week, the team announced, as relayed by James Ham (Twitter link). He is expected to miss the remaining two preseason games and be reevaluated after the Oct. 16 game against Melbourne United. Sacramento also announced that Harry Giles (sore left knee) is expected to miss the rest of the preseason after an Sept. 30 MRI revealed no new findings on the injury.
  • Michael Wallace of NBA.com evaluates where every Grizzlies player stands as the team crosses the halfway mark of the preseason. Wallace examines the likes of No. 2 overall pick Ja Morant, veteran forward Jae Crowder, third-year guard Dillon Brooks and more.
  • The Warriors’ overall confidence in rookie guard Jordan Poole is gradually beginning to grow, Monte Poole of NBC Sports writes. “He’s really advanced,” Draymond Green said of his teammate on Thursday, moments after Poole scored 19 points in 21 minutes against the Timberwolves. “He’s very good with the basketball and he can shoot it, which is obviously at a premium in this league today. But he can really create shots for himself and can really stretch and space the floor out.”

Buddy Hield Willing To Accept Less Than Max To Remain With Kings

Buddy Hield is eligable for a rookie-scale contract extension and while the Kings would love to lock him up long-term, it’s unclear what they are willing to offer the shooting guard.

Jason Jones of The Athletic hears that Hield is willing to accept less than the max in order to get a deal done. However, Hield doesn’t want an offer that would be considered an “insult.”

Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray are among the few players from the 2016 draft class to receive rookie-scale extensions this offseason. Both players signed max deals and it’s arguable that Simmons and Murray are the only players from the draft class who have shown as much promise as Hield.

[RELATED: Early Maximum Salary Projections For 2020/21]

“I think everyone knows we love Buddy,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “That’s him and the front office dealing with that.”

October 21 is the deadline for teams to come to terms on rookie-scale extensions. The Kings have several young players who will be up for new deals soon, as our own Luke Adams recently explained. De’Aaron Fox will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension next summer and Bogdan Bogdanovic will be a restricted free agent at that time.

 “As a player, you want to have that trust that the franchise has your back and we’re just waiting for them to make a move and come to an agreement,” Hield said earlier this week. “They’re talking, but nothing is moving yet. Nothing has moved. I’m ready to make things happen, man. I want to make Sacramento my home. I’m ready to get this [explicit] done. I want to be here and if it doesn’t happen, then things can go the other way.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Kings Waive Mika, Pineiro; Sign Hollis Thompson

5:08pm: Thompson’s signing is official, according to a team press release.

11:20am: The Kings are making a series of changes to their 20-man roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived camp invitees Eric Mika and Isaiah Pineiro. Sources tell Jason Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Sacramento has agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with Hollis Thompson, who will fill one of those newly-opened roster spots.

Mika, a former BYU center who went undrafted in 2017 and has played overseas in recent years, joined the Kings for Summer League play in July, then signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the club in August. He racked up four points and six rebounds in just four minutes of action in his lone preseason appearance for Sacramento

Pineiro, an Auburn, California native, also signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Kings after playing for the team in Summer League. Like Mika, the forward appeared in one preseason game for Sacramento.

Both players look like candidates to ultimately join the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate. They’d be eligible for Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $50K if they spend at least 60 days in Stockton.

As for Thompson, the former Sixers and Pelicans swingman last played in the NBA during the 2016/17 season. The Georgetown alum averaged 7.7 PPG and 3.1 RPG with a .386 3PT% in 265 NBA contests, and has played in Greece, Germany, and the G League since then.

It’s not clear if Thompson will get a chance to compete for the 15th and final spot on the Kings’ regular season roster. Tyler Lydon and Tyler Ulis are currently vying to fill that opening.

Buddy Hield On Extension: “We Need To Get That Done”

The Kings and Buddy Hield have 10 more days to work out a contract extension that would lock him up beyond the 2019/20 season. If the two sides don’t reach an agreement by the October 21 deadline, Sacramento would still be in position to re-sign Hield next summer when he becomes a restricted free agent, but the shooting guard would prefer to get something done sooner rather than later, as he tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

“We need to get that done,” Hield said. “I want to get that done, for sure. If it doesn’t get done, things could go the other way. This is where I want to be, so it would be good for me to be here in Sacramento. If I’m their guy, I think they should make it happen already. I want to build a future here. I want to be here, but we have to see something. Something’s gotta come to the table. We have a week and a half to see what that brings, but I want to be here.”

Few players have a better case for a rookie scale extension this fall than Hield, who enjoyed an underrated breakout season in 2018/19, establishing new career highs in PPG (20.7), RPG (5.0), APG (2.5), and several other categories. He increased his productivity while maintaining his impressive efficiency, converting 42.7% of 7.9 three-point attempts per game.

Kings general manager Vlade Divac suggested last month that the team wants to work out a deal with Hield, and the 26-year-old confirmed that his agent – Brandon Rosenthal of Landmark Sports – is talking to Sacramento. However, it doesn’t sound like any agreement is imminent.

“They’re talking, but nothing is moving yet,” Hield said. “Nothing has moved. I’m ready to make things happen, man. I want to make Sacramento my home. I’m ready to get this s–t done. I want to be here and if it doesn’t happen, then things can go the other way.”

Although Hield wouldn’t be able to sign outright with a new team as a restricted free agent in 2020, he could put pressure on Sacramento by threatening to ink a non-team-friendly offer sheet with a rival suitor. If the Kings finalize an extension for Hield, they’d likely want to make it at least a four-year deal, whereas he could make the team match an offer sheet that gives him an out after just two or three years.

In addition to weighing that risk, the Kings must determine how heavily they want to invest in Hield when so many of their other young building blocks will up for new deals soon too. Bogdan Bogdanovic will also be a restricted free agent in 2020, while De’Aaron Fox will be extension-eligible at the same time. Marvin Bagley will become eligible for an extension in 2021.

In a discussion with Zach Lowe, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link) noted that many of the teams projected to have substantial cap room next summer are rebuilding clubs – including the Hawks, Grizzlies, Knicks, and Cavaliers – who may be more inclined to make a maximum-salary offer to an RFA like Hield than to pursue a top unrestricted free agent, since he fits their contending timeline. As such, there will be pressure on the Kings to offer an amount approaching the max.

Based on the NBA’s latest cap projections, a five-year max from the Kings for Hield would be worth about $168MM, while a four-year max would come in at just under $130MM. As a free agent, Hield’s maximum salary with a new team projects to be $124.7MM over four years.

Praise For Kings' Addition Of Holmes

  • Richaun Holmes is the sort of role player the Kings needed to add to complement their up-and-coming young stars, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Jones suggests that Holmes could be one of the team’s most important acquisitions of the summer since the big man knows his job is to be a “rim-runner, rim protector and energy man,” and won’t try to do more than that.

No New Knee Issues For Harry Giles

  • Kings big man Harry Giles didn’t join the team on its trip to India because of knee soreness, but he received some good medical news this week, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. An MRI didn’t reveal any new issues with Giles’ surgically repaired left knee.

California Notes: Green, Harkless, Training Camp, Kings

The Warriors enter this season a slightly different version of the dominant Golden State squads from recent years. While mainstays Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson remain, the departure of Kevin Durant and a slew of new faces has changed the landscape in Oakland.

While Thompson’s outlook is unclear given his recovery from a torn ACL, the presence of Curry and Green — to go along with the new addition of D’Angelo Russell and others — keeps the Warriors in the discussion of top Western Conference teams. However, given the roster turnover, Green says adjusting to the new personnel has been a focal point early in training camp, ESPN’s Nick Fridell writes.

“Just the lack of familiarity,” Green said. “You get used to a certain thing for so long, and then it’s not that. The normal reads that you would make, just kind of second nature, you got to make sure they’re there. It’s just a lot more making sure everyone’s on the same page, or getting there. Everybody’s not on the same page, which is to be expected, so just getting everybody there is the difference.”

Check out more notes related to California teams:

  • The change within the Warriors‘ organization has not been limited to just the players. Anthony Slater of The Athletic explores how Golden State’s coaching staff is getting acclimated, especially defensive specialist Ron Adams, who remained with the team but in a reduced role.
  • Ethan Strauss of The Athletic writes that despite the perception of the Warriors acquiring Russell just to eventually trade him, Golden State is operating under the belief that the All-Star guard will be a fixture of the team for the future.
  • Given the Clippers‘ active offseason, the addition of Maurice Harkless flew under the radar. However, now that training camp has begun, Harkless is hoping to stand out as an effective role player, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes. “Like about a month ago when we first started meeting together as a coaching staff, you start thinking, ‘Oh, we got Mo Harkless.’ We have more on our team. And then you watch what he can do,” head coach Doc Rivers said.
  • While superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are set in stone, along with Patrick Beverley and Ivica Zubac as starters, other positions for the Clippers will feature training camp competition. Jovan Buha of The Athletic examines all the competition in L.A. and how the team’srotation may shake out.
  • After finishing just outside the postseason picture last season, the Kings entered the offseason looking to acquire veteran players who have experience in a winning culture. As Jason Jones of The Athletic writes, the additions of Cory Joseph, Trevor Ariza and Dewayne Dedmon all aligned with that goal.

Talks Involving Steven Adams Didn't Go Far