Buddy Hield wants to be a Sacramento Kings. He also wants to get paid.
Following the Kings’ 105-88 victory over the Phoenix Suns Thursday evening at Golden 1 Center, the 26-year-old shooting guard made his opinion known in a conversation with The Sacramento Bee.
“We need to get that done,” Hield told The Bee. “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.”
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The Kings have until Oct. 21 to work out an extension for the fourth-year guard. If they fail to reach an agreement, Hield enters next summer as a restricted free agent in what is considered a very weak free agent class.
“I know what I’m worth,” Hield said. “I know what I bring to the table. I know what my value is. Not many guys can shoot the ball like me in the league. I make other guys better by just being on the court because they can’t leave me, and if they leave me it’s 45 percent my shot is going in, so I’m sure other teams would like that, too.”
Hield is coming off a breakout season where he led the Kings in scoring at 20.7 points per game. He is an elite shooter from the perimeter, knocking down 42.7 percent from distance last season and 41.9 percent for his career.
“As a player, you want to have that trust that the franchise has your back and we’re just waiting for them to make a move and come to an agreement,” Hield said. “They’re talking, but nothing is moving yet. Nothing has moved. I’m ready to make things happen, man. I want to make Sacramento my home. I’m ready to get this sh-- done. I want to be here and if it doesn’t happen, then things can go the other way.”
NBA
Hield is the first of the Kings young core to come up for a rookie scale extension. He is eligible for a massive extension up to 25 percent of the team’s salary cap. With the 2020-21 cap expected to come in at $116 million, down $2 million from earlier projections, Hield is eligible for a maximum four-year deal around $130.7 million or a five-year, designated player extension, right around $170 million.
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Sacramento is likely reserving their two “designated player extensions” for De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley. Fox can receive an extension next summer and Bagley the year after that.
It is unknown at this time what parameters the two sides have discussed, both in years and dollar amounts.