Shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic didn't accept the Kings' contract offer in October, but that doesn't mean he won't return whenever this season ends.
Bogdanovic will be a restricted free agent this offseason, giving the Kings the opportunity to match any offer sheet he signs, so you can expect that the versatile guard will be back.
As The Athletic's Jason Jones wrote Friday, Bogdanovic is the No. 1 item on the Kings' offseason to-do list.
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"Re-signing restricted free agent Bogdan Bogdanovic will be the top priority. The Kings intend to match any offer sheet from another team, should Bogdanovic sign one," Jones said.
Bogdanovic has become a fan favorite in Sacramento, and he has also emerged as a key piece of the team.
On Jan. 24, when the Kings were 15-29, coach Luke Walton made a change by inserting Bogdanovic into the starting lineup and putting Buddy Hield on the second unit.
That changed played a part in the Kings going 13-7 over the next 20 games before the global coronavirus pandemic halted the NBA season.
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Bogdanovic will likely command more than the $51.4 million contract the Kings offered him seven months, and the team has to think about paying De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley in a few years, but keeping Bogdanovic is imperative to Sacramento trying to end their NBA playoff-drought.