Hield’s contract talks with Kings complicated
The silence you’re hearing now regarding contract talks between Buddy Hield and the Kings is the sound of two sides talking behind closed doors – or not talking at all.
These negotiations are complicated and nuanced, influenced by fluctuations in freeagent market projections and world events. If both sides are willing to move a little toward the middle, there’s still time to get a deal done before Monday’s deadline for rookiescale contract extensions. If not, the situation will remain unresolved as the Kings enter their most promising season in more than a decade.
The Kings acquired Hield, 26, in the trade that sent Demarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017, making him the first piece in a rebuild that brought excitement back to Sacramento. Losing him now would be an unmistakable setback, especially if they were to lose him in free agency this summer without compensation.
Hield has made his feelings well known since first expressing frustration over contract talks in an interview with The Sacramento Bee on Oct. 10. He walked right out on Front Street and announced that, while he wants to stay in Sacramento to finish what they’ve started here after winning 39 games last season, he was insulted by the team’s initial offer. He said he feels undervalued and talked about changing teams, hinting he might demand a trade if a deal isn’t finalized before the deadline.
Hield explained himself further when pressed on the message he was sending in a quiet moment with The Bee following a larger media scrum in front of his locker after Wednesday’s preseason game against
Melbourne United. He doesn’t want to wait for the Kings to match some other team’s offer this summer. He wants a new contract now and will consider seeking a way out of Sacramento if that doesn’t happen.
“I think I gave you all clue points of exactly what I’m saying,” Hield said. “If you can match it, if you know what I’m going for, why not give it to me now? What’s the point of waiting so long? That means you don’t trust what I bring to the table.
So why wait till other teams give me something I deserve and why didn’t you do it? Hopefully it’ll happen by Monday. If it don’t, might have to find a new home.”
This is an uncomfortable position for the Kings. They love Hield but must manage their cap space carefully. General manager Vlade Divac and his front-office staff have said nothing publicly, choosing instead to hunker down with their salary cap sheet, Ken Catanella’s calculator and an eye on mounting revenue losses in China.
The Kings have offered Hield a four-year, $90 million extension, but Hield wants $110 million, league sources told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The team has to weigh the cost of re-signing Hield now against the potential cost of matching an offer if he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. The Kings also have to determine what percentage of their salary cap they can allocate to Hield now while earmarking enough money to re-sign point guard De’aaron Fox and forward Marvin Bagley III over the next two years.