Sacramento Kings: Make Signing Buddy Hield A Priority
It’s imperative that the Sacramento Kings get a deal done with Buddy Hield before October 21st deadline. The last thing this team needs is a distraction heading into the 2019-20 season. If no deal is reached, Hield will only see his value go up, and that could spell doom for the Kings front office.
Hield can make a lot of money in Sacramento. He’s eligible for a four-year rookie-scale extension that could be worth upwards of $130 million, or a five-year extension worth up to $170 million. The Kings, who have shown the desire to sign Hield to an extension, have to pull the trigger on one of these deals. He’s about as important to the Kings as any player on the roster.
While De’Aaron Fox might be the heart and soul of the Sacramento Kings, Hield is the team’s best scorer and three-point shooter. His 20.7 points led the Kings last season. In addition, he ranked 4th in the NBA with 278 made there’s last season. Those numbers are hard to let go if you’re General Manager, Vlade Divac.
You can’t really replicate the kind of production Hield gives. The Kings don’t have many other options. As far as pure scorers go, Hield is the preferred option. His place in the NBA as one of the most lethal scorers is fully justified, as would giving him a max contract.
Indeed, Hield does deserve max money. It might not be well documented by analysts or fans outside of Sacramento, but this is one of the league’s top talents. He deserves to get paid like one. That’s what the Kings need to do in order to keep Hield, who wants to stay in Sacramento. He told the following to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee,
“We need to get that done. I want to get that done, for sure. If it doesn’t get done, things could go the other way. This is where I want to be, so it would be good for me to be here in Sacramento. If I’m their guy, I think they should make it happen already. I want to build a future here. I want to be here, but we have to see something. Something’s gotta come to the table. We have a week and a half to see what that brings, but I want to be here.”
It’s apparent by what Hield states to Anderson that Sacramento is his preferred choice in city. However, he wants to get paid what he’s worth and have that commitment from the organization. It’s known the Kings want to keep Hield. And by all accounts, they probably will, there’s just a lot of uncertainty right now regarding his situation.
Buddy Hield is a key piece to the Sacramento Kings. For this team to continue the upward trend they are on, signing him is a must. There shouldn’t be a reason to not re-sign Hield. He’s the best scorer on the roster. Hopefully, his best years are still to come.
Image Source: Garrett Ellwood, 2018 NBAE
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
