Why this trade makes sense for the Sacramento Kings
Buddy Hield, including this season, is owed $85M through the 2023-24 season and is on the books for $22.2M next season. That money could easily be used on two key rotational guys for the Kings that could combine to put up as much production as Hield does, which is why Buddy Hield is a very expendable player for the Kings.
He is a great three-point weapon and their second-leading scorer, but with the emergence of Richaun Holmes this year and Marvin Bagley III being in the final year of his rookie deal, the Kings will need to free up some cap space moving forward to keep their young core intact. This is why Hield could be on the move and why this trade could make sense for Sacramento.
Josh Jackson has been putting together a really solid season averaging 12.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and shooting 41.8% from the floor, which is why getting him with his one-year, $5M left on his contract for the 2021-22 season and a future first-round pick makes a ton of sense.
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Not only can Jackson put up just a little bit less offensive production than Hield can, but the Kings would then have salary space to play around with in free agency to improve their bench even more, while getting more draft assets in the process.
De’Aaron Fox is turning into a superstar caliber point guard this season and with him under contract through the 2025-26 season, the Kings will be focusing all of their attention on building around him through the next several seasons. As a result, they will have a big decision to make of who they will keep and who they will look to move.
