Kings general manager Vlade Divac said he wants to keep Buddy Hield, who’s eligible for a contract extension for 10 more days.
But Sacramento hasn’t offered enough to complete a deal yet.
Hield, via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee:
Other teams would surely like Hield’s production. But he can’t unilaterally leave Sacramento. If he doesn’t sign a contract extension by Oct. 21, he’ll become a restricted free agent next summer, the Kings holding the ability to match any offer.
Hield should be seeking more than $20 million per year, the exact amount depending on his appetite for risk. He might command a max offer sheet in free agency.
That projected to be worth $125 million over four years ($31 million annually). But it’s far from guaranteed Hield would get a max offer. If the NBA loses China revenue, the max could also drop.
Entering his age-27 season, Hield is in the thick of his prime. This is his best opportunity for a big payday.
The Kings have incentive not to extend him, though.
They could let him hit restricted free agency next summer, hold him against the cap at just $14,583,623, use their cap space then exceed the cap to re-sign him. If Hield signs an extension now, his cap hit to start next offseason will be his (presumably, higher) starting salary in the extension.
Sacramento also has another young extension-eligible shooting guard in Bogdan Bogdanovic. The Kings could leverage those two against each other rather than rushing to overpay one.
But Sacramento also has good vibes after last year’s breakout season. Not extending Hield could undermine chemistry. Look at the noise he’s already making.
Neither the Kings nor Hield have easy answers here. What they do have: 10 days to find common ground.