Kings might lose Hield due to Barnes' five-year, $85M contract



Buddy Hield is starting to know his worth. The team find themselves into a turbulent contract-extension negotiation with their marksman.

The Kings reportedly offered Hield a four-year, $90 million contract. Hield is reportedly asking for $110 million over the same timespan. The deal could have been possible had they not made an earlier splurge.

Sacramento just re-signed Harrison Barnes to a five-year, $85 million contract just this summer. The franchise has instantly feeling remorse over this decision. The overspending on Barnes will surely cost the team on its other due contracts to come.

Barnes or Hield?

Barnes hasn't played a single game yet on his new contract which may only return average rewards for the Kings. Hield has provided better averages than Barnes last season. It isn't the sole determinant of salary however.

The Kings had a better sense of their spending power when they re-signed Barnes. His front loaded contract is enough to keep the veteran happy enough to produce for them. Besides, Sacramento knows they shouldn't waste all their cap space.

Technically, the team was able to afford to offer Hield more money than Barnes. It's the demands of the former that is putting Sacramento into a turbulent spot.

Lucky move by Sacramento

The Kings already know what they're getting from Barnes. They think that contract is just the right one for him. Hield's can wait til next season.

Not extending Hield means they get to see if Hield indeed plays his asking price next season. If he does, he'll probably get offer sheets as a restricted free agent which Sacramento can match. There is even a possibility that Hield will have no choice but to sign with a lower offer with them next offseason.

The team didn’t have that leverage over Barnes. It's a good thing they are getting a solid signing despite the little amount of attraction the team gets from talented players. It might have been worth overpaying him just to have him.

The only bad side there is to this though is that other players will think it's going to be that easy to ask for outsized deals from the Kings too.


Did the Sacramento Kings indeed overpay Barnes? Is Hield worth his asking price? Leave a comment and tell us what you think about the Kings franchise.

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