SACRAMENTO -- On paper, Dewayne Dedmon looked like a perfect fit for the Sacramento Kings. A stretch five to play alongside Marvin Bagley who can rebound and give some rim protection.
In reality, Sacramento gave a three-year, $40 million deal to a player that couldn’t hit a shot, turned the ball over and complained after his poor play cost him his starting job.
The Dedmon era is officially over and it has a couple of dramatic effects for the Kings.
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First and foremost, NBC Sports California has learned through a league source that Bogdan Bogdanovic will remain a King through the deadline and enter the summer as a restricted free agent, where the team is likely to match any offer.
The Kings saved a minimum of $6.8 million for next season in dealing Dedmon for Jabari Parker and Alex Len. Parker has a player option at $6.5 million and Len is an unrestricted free agent. If Parker opts out of his deal, the Kings’ savings hits $13.3 million for next year.
Either way, the Kings plan to keep Bogdanovic, who was recently promoted to the starting lineup. They might let the market dictate his value and then use the right of first refusal. It’s also possible that they work out an extension prior to July 1 for the 27-year-old wing.
In addition to Bogdanovic sticking around and the Kings saving a substantial amount of cash off the books, dealing Dedmon also opens up a golden opportunity for Richaun Holmes, who is set to return from injury later this week.
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Holmes, who has bounced around the league over his five years, instantly became a fan favorite in Sacramento for his gritty style of play. It took him all of four games to take Dedmon’s spot in the rotation and now he doesn’t have to look over his shoulder.
Coach Luke Walton will need to figure out how to use Holmes and Bagley together, but there are worse problems to have.
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Lastly, the Kings have kicked the tires on Parker multiple times. He is still young and might be able to find a home with the team as an instant offense scorer who can play both forward positions.
All things considered, the Kings did extremely well on the eve of the trade deadline. They cleared out a player that didn’t want to be in Sacramento. They opened up salary for one of their better players. They gave a young center a chance to take ownership of his position, and they took a low risk gamble on a promising young player.
Programming Note: The "2020 NBA Trade Deadline Show" is coming your way this Thursday at 11:30am on the MyTeams appand on NBCSportsBayArea.com! Our NBA Insiders will analyze all of the news and rumors that could impact the Kings heading into the Noon deadline. Don’t miss it!