The Sacramento Kings and Buddy Hield have agreed on a four-year contract extension that could pay him up to $106 million when it is all said and done. The team confirmed the deal on Monday afternoon.
Kings Sign Buddy Hield to Contract Extension » https://t.co/ZNkiTXShWz pic.twitter.com/kfDQvzq2eX
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 21, 2019
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Sam Amick of The Athletic both report the Kings and Hield agreed to a four-year, $86 million deal today. With incentives and other bonuses, however, Hield could make an additional $20 million over the course of the deal.
Most of the incentives in Hield’s contract are team-based, including things such as All-Star and Finals appearances. His salary declines 8% year over year, and is slated to take up just 13.5% of the salary cap in his fourth year, Amick reports. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports there are no team or player options attached to Hield’s extension.
Source tells @TheAthletic the Kings have agreed to terms on a four-year extension with Buddy Hield worth $86 million in guaranteed money and with $20 million in possible incentives. Big win for both sides to avoid a split here. sides.https://t.co/OzTdN4l1wc
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) October 21, 2019
Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield has agreed to a four-year, $94M contract extension with bonuses that could reach $106M, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 21, 2019
Sources: No team or player option attached. Four years guranteed. https://t.co/s90AXeINxb
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 21, 2019
Over the summer, the Kings re-signed forward Harrison Barnes to a reported four-year, $85 million deal. The Kings were somewhat busy in the offseason, signing veterans Cory Joseph, Trevor Ariza, Richaun Holmes and Dewayne Dedmon in free agency to round out a core led by Hield, De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic is also eligible for an extension, but recently said he is taking a “wait-and-see” approach to sticking around with Sacramento.
The Kings acquired Hield in a 2017 trade with the New Orleans Pelicans that sent the former No. 6 overall pick of the 2016 draft to Sacramento for All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins. He showed promise in his 25 games with the Kings in 2016-17, averaging 15.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 25 games (18 of which were starts).
Earning the green light in his third NBA season, Hield upped his scoring average from 13.5 to 20.7 points per game, the fifth-biggest jump in the NBA among starters. He also set a Kings franchise record for 3-pointers made (278 – the seventh-highest total in NBA history) and led the Kings in offensive win shares (4.3) and offensive box score plus-minus (3.1).
Hield improved his efficiency in both catch-and-shoot (46%, third among players with as many attempts) and pull-up situations (37.1%, fourth). A year ago, Hield came off the bench in all but 12 of his 80 appearances and thrived as the primary scoring option against second units, while typically relying on teammates to set him up for spot-up opportunities.
As a full-time starter in 2018-19, he showcased vastly improved ball-handling skills that allowed him to create space with quick step-backs and function as a secondary creator (a career-high 2.5 assists per game) alongside Fox or Bogdanovic. More comfortable than ever with the ball in his hands, Hield cut his turnover rate down from 11.3 to 9.2 percent this season despite averaging nearly 20 more touches per game.
