The Kings’ most memorable season in nearly two decades officially ended Sunday afternoon in their 120-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 7.
It’s now time to turn attention to the offseason ahead.
Sacramento's core is locked in for the 2023-24 NBA season. Four of the Kings’ five starters -- De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis -- will return. So will their sixth man Malik Monk.
But veteran forward and starter Harrison Barnes is a free agent for the first time since 2016. He is one of six Kings players who will hit the open market this summer, setting up an interesting offseason for Sacramento general manager Monte McNair.
Here’s a quick look at the Kings’ six players on expiring contracts:
Harrison Barnes
Barnes has been in Sacramento since the Dallas Mavericks infamously dealt him mid-game to the Kings during the 2019 trade deadline.
Four-and-a-half seasons later, Barnes now is 30 years old. This summer could be his last chance to sign a lucrative, long-term contract.
Barnes played and started all 82 games for the Kings this season, averaging 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while logging his worst 3-point percentage (37.4) since 2017-18.
The Kings might be motivated to bring Barnes back. He gave them invaluable veteran experience on a young, up-and-coming roster, and there won’t be many high-quality wings on the open market this summer.
NBA
Terence Davis
All Kings fans remember “The TD Game.”
In 26 minutes off the bench, Davis went off for a season-high 31 points on 12-of-16 shooting (7 of 10 from deep) in the Kings’ 153-121 victory over Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 15.
The win improved the Kings’ record to 7-6 and was their early-season proclamation to the rest of the league that this team was for real.
Like most role players on coach Mike Brown’s bench, Davis’ role fluctuated throughout the season. He scored in double figures 18 times and appeared in four playoff games against the Warriors, including his 14-point effort in Game 7.
Davis proved he could be a microwave off the bench when needed, a role every team leans on when its stars' shots aren’t falling.
Matthew Dellavedova
After spending last season in Australia, “Delly” signed a one-year contract with Sacramento in late July to reunite with Brown, his coach on the Cleveland Cavaliers as a rookie in 2013-14.
Dellavedova appeared in 32 regular-season games for the Kings this season, playing double-digit minutes seven times when called upon. He served as a veteran leader on Brown’s bench and was praised again and again for his leadership on the sidelines during the Kings’ playoff stint.
Dellavedova only is 32 years old, so it’s possible he’d like to play another season. If he decides to call it a playing career, it’s a safe bet to say there's an open spot for him on the Kings’ coaching staff.
Alex Len
Len, the 7-foot center from Ukraine, had perhaps the most unique season of any Kings player.
He appeared in just 18 of Sacramento's first 74 regular-season games before proving he belongs in the playoff rotation over the final eight contests.
Len played in all seven postseason tilts against the Warriors, and he electrified the sellout Golden 1 Center crowd in Game 1 and Game 2 with thunderous dunks and two memorable blocks on Warriors villain Draymond Green.
The Kings’ backup center behind Domantas Sabonis is one of the biggest question marks of the offseason. Could Len be the answer moving forward like he was in the playoffs?
Trey Lyles
Lyles has made it crystal clear he wants to return to Sacramento next season and beyond.
“One-hundred percent,” he said Sunday when asked if he wants to play for the Kings moving forward. “This is the most at home I’ve felt of any team I’ve been on. These guys are like brothers to me, one through 14 everybody gets along so it’s just definitely an atmosphere and someplace I’d want to stay in.”
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The 27-year-old forward averaged 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game while giving Sacramento whatever it needed, including playing significant minutes at center. He shot 36.3 percent from 3-point range while attempting a career-high 3.2 triples per game.
Lyles would like to stay in Sacramento. The Kings likely want him back, too.
Chimezie Metu
Metu saw his role dip in his fifth NBA season.
After playing 21.3 minutes per game last season, he was on the court for 10.4 minutes per game in 2022-23, averaging 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds.
Metu, at 6-foot-9, flashed his elite athleticism at times and threw down a few highlight-reel dunks throughout the season. But he never was able to secure the Kings’ backup center role, which doesn’t fare well for his chances to serve the same role in Sacramento next season.