When the Sacramento Kings traded for Domantas Sabonis, one of the big concerns was that Sabonis was due to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024. Those concerns are now fully laid to rest, as the Kings have reached an agreement to raise Domas’ 2023 salary using cap space, and then signing a contract extension based on that new higher amount, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Sacramento Kings All-NBA C Domantas Sabonis has agreed to a contract renegotiation and extension for a total of $217M over five years — including $195M in new money, his agents Greg Lawrence and Jason Ranne tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/JL9Yic3Zi8
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2023
James Ham did us the courtesy of breaking down the numbers involved:
If the $217 million figure for Sabonis’ extension is correct, the Kings gave him an extra $7.7 million on 2023-24 salary in renegotiate and extension, slightly off the $8M we predicted.
Breakdown:
23-24: $29.7M
24-25: $41.6M
25-26: $44.9M
26-27: $48.5M
27-28: $52.4M— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) July 2, 2023
While I know many of us went into free agency hoping the Kings could find a significant upgrade in free agency, this is still an excellent use of the team’s cap space by the Kings. Particularly if the Kings weren’t enamored with the options they saw in the free agency landscape.
Despite struggling in the Golden State series due to a defense designed entirely to target Sabonis and reduce his impact, it’s hard to oversell how important Domas was for the Sacramento Kings last season. Mike Brown and his staff implemented an offense where Sabonis is the hub, creating off dribble handoffs and finding open shooters. It helped Sacramento break a 16-year playoff drought. And Sabonis earned All-Star and All-NBA nods along the way. Oh, and he did all that while playing through a broken thumb.
When you have an opportunity to lock up your 27-year-old All-NBA player, you do it.
The Kings now have both Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox locked up long term. Fox’s max contract, which seemed risky when it was signed, now feels like a bargain. Fox has three years remaining on his deal, earning $32.6M this upcoming season, and $34.8M and $37M the next two.
The Kings are in a good position moving forward. After the success of last season and how happy Sabonis seems in Sacramento I wasn’t particularly concerned about him wanting to leave, but it’s wonderful to have that worry completely eliminated.
When the Kings get stars, they need to keep them. Fox and Domas will be here for a while now. Stability. Well done McNair.
Where does this move leave them cap wise this offseason?
STABILITY?!?!? Is this a new word that Webster recently added? For 17 years I’ve never seen it used on this website or on the website that this website used to be.
I must be getting old, all this new slang, I can’t keep up.
I’ll re-ask from the other post:
Which other playoff team – East or West – remained this stable? As of today
East:
Sixers, Cavs, Nets, Knicks (4 of 8)
West:
Nuggets(Bruce Brown is not a small change IMO), Kings, Clippers, Warriors, Lakers, TWolves, Thunder (6 of 8)
Ask me something easy!
Who is the starting center for the Sacramento Kings?
Hearing rumors it’ll be Big Cuz, with Domas moving to the 4.
Not only that, but I’m hearing they’re bringing back Tyreke Evans and Isaiah Thomas!
Gay likely gets released as well.
I wouldn’t hate a bench that included Cuz, IT, Reke and Gay.
🙂
Jason Thompson, incoming!
Nuggets got 3 late round picks of ? value but lost Brown, Jeff Green and Bryant.
duds lost Poole, Jerome, Ja Green and Jeremey Lamb and DDV. Gained a 50-year-old side kick to Jake from State Farm.
LAL got better, now have roster balance.
LAC- no real changes
Wolves- more stable as injuries return
OKC- added
The East- ? don’t really care.
I believe this and the Len deal put the Kings right around the cap on the nose; however, they still have the full $12mil MLE to spend, as well as the BAE (tho they can only use one of them this off-season).
I am really excited about this. With Domas and Fox each having the best season of their years, just at the beginning of their prime, both under contract along with Brown, and a likely cornerstone in Murray being on a rookie contract, it looks like a fun few years figuring out the peripheral pieces to sustained playoff success.
EXACTLY!!!
Now the team will be tweaking on the margins and trying to grow as a group with a nice 3-year runway to get to the Promised Land. Let’s do it.
Whatever you think of Monte’s work this Summer this is a crowning achievement of the work he and Brown did this year and I think the grounds for the draft day trade. Anyone acting as if this was assuredly a reality I think might have still amnesia from the highs of this year. We have extended an All NBA center on what I’d argue is a marginal value contract. An extension it should be noted that runs the same length as who he was traded for in relation to team control, but is also a lower number. Haliburton may deserve to earn more but in the same token Sabonis being extended on lower than the rookie max should afford longterm flexibility. That should be acknowledged now when discussing the initial deal. I think most would have expected Sabonis to walk but here we are.
I think this deal has grounds to looking like value as the ceiling rises or at comfortably market rate. Broadly I think McNair has handled this window brilliantly. We have assured our quality maybe with little gains but afforded flexibility moving forward. I think a year or two is maybe where we make a big swing to push us over the top and add a player of pedigree to Fox and Domas. Nothing done this summer should get in the way of that. And the flyers are engaging going all the way to pick 54.
I cant believe we have a competent GM and Sabonis for his prime. Maybe we are only good when we have all star passing big men. Thanks Napa for playing your part. Things are good in Sacramento and look like they will continue to be.
Wow, excellent post!
QUICK!
Everybody convene in Napa for a celebration!
Drinks are on *me!
.
.
.
(*not me)
We’ll just use Labradford’s credit card.
I work at a winery in Napa, so….
Nice!
Which one (if it’s ok to ask)?
It’s a small one, B Cellars. Only person from the NBA who has been here that I know of is Westbrook, but I wasn’t here that day.
Domas I think is more in Suisun/Fairfield area.
We’re like a real NBA team now! 😃
crazy, I was skeptical this day would ever come in my lifetime. 2 bonafide stars in Fox and Ox with Spock looking like he could be the other banana of a legitimate “big 3”. Throw in some Red Velvet, a Monk, a Mitchell, a Trey and you have yourself a damn good team that gets to grow together. Monk being the only one who’s not signed past this coming season but who I would expect to stay in sacramento with a second contract. Who knows what’s up with this Sasha guy, that could be a game changer if it works.
The point is, The Kings now have 8 players who will be growing together and getting better together. If one or two or even three of those 8 get traded at some point (it’s part of the nba) you’ll still have a core of 5 guys that know how to play with each other. And that’s not including the two rookies we just selected who hopefully earn a spot with the big club sooner rather than later.
continuity
consistency
stability
Internal growth is how 90% of all NBA championship teams came to be.
Let’s do this!!!
Totally agree — kept the starting 5 plus the best 3 guys off the bench (Monk, Mitchell and Lyles), then added Duarte, Sasha and Colby Jones (R), plus kept Len for backup duties. I think the new players make the team deeper/better, but it’s growth as a unit that pushes team to 50-55 wins and playoff success.
So how much cap space do we have left after the Domas extension? Is it still possible to get another backup center? I like Len, but I would rather have someone who would be more capable of starting in the event that Domas has to miss time.
I think Len is completely capable of starting. He was impressive during the playoffs. It’s not sexy or flashy or even exciting that Monte chose to bring back Len as the backup to Domas. But… Len is pretty good. There’s a very small drop off (arguably none at all) between a lot of these “sexy names” likely Plumlee or Woods and Alex Len.
Throw in the familiarity, continuity, stability and it makes the move even better. Toss in the role that he impressively carved out for himself in the playoffs and it makes even more sense. One can assume that Mike Brown and the staff feel like they have something cooking with Len. This makes the move even better.
I agree there isn’t a significant drop-off between Plumlee and Len. Wood s a different player, with much more upside offensively.
Can’t agree with you there.
Clippers are looking at starting Plumlee (as did Charlotte), no NBA team is considering starting Alex Len.
I can’t see Plumlee leaving a starting/near starting role to back up Sabonis. Alex Len is your 3rd big.
A young big would be an interesting get at this point, someone to develop: maybe that’s Queta. I thought it might be TJD, but McNair says no. I expect them to figure it out. From what Monte prefers, not a 19 yr old project. Seeing the success of the Mitchell Robinsons, Nic Claxtons, Williams III – maybe something like that. Perhaps that isn’t the fit they like.
I just don’t like Plumlee, and maybe I’m wrong for that. If the Clips had Domas, would they still be considering starting Plumlee? Monte doesn’t seem as interested in adding the fabled rim-protector many of us keep hoping for. It may be better to stick to what this group does well, score points, and just keep adding ingredients that compliment our proven recipe, rather than try to mix it up with something different that throws off the flavor. Wood seems more like a guy who can compliment the formula currently in place, without betting big on a risky signing, and he can stretch the floor.
Also people keep suggesting Plumlee as a cheap option. If he isn’t coming to Sac for the bag, and he has a chance to start in LA, then why would his agent want him in a Kings jersey?
Clips would need to move Zuba, and likely others, first. They currently don’t have the cap space to re-sign Plumlee unless it’s the vet’s minimum.
I could easily root for Plumlee at a price near the minimum. Would Zubac make sense here, if the Clips wanna go in a different direction? Also the Blazers are trying to move off of Nurkic’s money. Is there a way he could be an option?
As others have alluded, Christian Wood has moved from team to team, despite prodigious talent –
maybe it’s the personality, BBIQ, combo? Maybe none of that. Maybe his game fits well but his demeanor does not. We can only guess.
This current Kings crew has one other important quality – they appear to truly enjoy being together. They are a team, not just a collection of players. And as the brimstone of Sacramento as Hell continues to cool, having talent that wants to be in Sac is an important component of a winning franchise. At the same time, winning cures many ills.
Welcome to “Cool Hell”. I love it.
I have reserves about Wood, as well. Dollar for dollar, I like his game better than Plumlee. I don’t see the strong chemistry in big D, and others have noted the lack of fraternity there also. Monte should have a better idea of what is going on with these guys, and really has shown little interest in either. As usual, the key is likely the dollar figures involved, and I would say the Len signing speaks to that fact loudly.
They’re such different players even their numbers are difficult to compare. I like Plumlee’s rebounding, especially offensively, and I like Wood’s shooting. They’re both TO prone, but Plumlee is the better passer. One thing I noticed in their stats; Plumlee’s numbers, and especially his efficiency, jumped in LA, while Wood’s sagged, in Dallas. This fact would indicate a good fit for Plumlee, and a less ideal fit for Wood. I would have more optimism Wood can replicate his numbers in Sac, Compared to Plumlee.
playoff Len with a defined role of 12-15 minutes a night would put up much better numbers. I would argue very close to what Plumlee would produce.
if Len were given the starting role with the clippers and played 30 minutes a night I think his stats would be nearly equal (possibly higher, possibly lower) to what Plumlee’s number were/are going to be.
Len cost 3 million. That’s pretty cool.
Per 36 stats comparison per bb-ref:
https://stathead.com/sharing/65Fe3
Thanks, pretty hard to argue with.
Len is a better career 3 point shooter than Westbrook? Of course he is.
Yep, I hope we can still land Wood.
I think the major difference between Len and Plumlee, is that the latter has shown passing skills. He can operate out of the elbow in a similar fashion to Sabonis, meaning the offense doesn’t have to drastically change. Len, on the other hand, hasn’t shown those skills. Where Len does have the advantage is in rim protection.
Honestly, it would be lovely to have both of them so they could platoon the center role in case Sabonis had to miss time.
It would be a luxury to have both. That’s for sure!
All of last year’s starters locked up for 3 years and most of the key bench players in for 2 years (next year, Malik). The foundation is solid let’s keep building!
The prospect of Sabonis walking was always the only thing I was worried about with the Hali trade. Build a steady foundation first, tweak the margins later. With regards to the draft, trades and free agency, if the pitch is out of the strike zone, don’t swing. I’d rather have the stability and future flexibility we have now then a high risk signing that backfires.
“If the pitch is out of the strike zone, don’t swing” really seems to be Monte’s MO. He doesn’t gamble on “raw” draft prospects with “high ceilings” (read: great athletes who can’t actually play basketball well yet) or on expensive free agents with talent but whose fit with the existing roster and culture is uncertain (Kuzma, Grant, etc). It’s a recipe for stability and long-term success, and boy am I here for it.
Monte McNair is the anti-Vivek.
The ever shifting, next gamble move after move after move that we saw with Ranadive has ceased to be. The 3 seconds ahead looks like the last three seconds for a change. And for the next three seasons.
Maybe VR can learn from his mistakes.
Maybe? He hired Monte McNair, did he not?
The beauty of having Fox and Sabonis locked up long term is no Monte can truly build around that core. There is no more swinging for the fences. Monte just needs to hit some solid singles and doubles to build out this roster for the next half decade. In all reality the Kings have a very solid core rotation locked up for the next 3 years. The only possible wrinkle is Monk’s expiring deal at the end of the season, but he is a ancillary piece that can likely be retained or replaced with ease.
Hey! I just said this same thing but in different words.
Haha! You’re right, and you said it better!
Not only that, but both our stars are taking up a smaller % of cap space than in places like PHX, LA, GS, etc.
Having 2 All-NBA guys at the start of their primes locked up for the next 3 years on arguably value deals? Decent work to say the least.
No only that, but it seems to me that the new CBA makes it more difficult cost prohibitive to build a “Big 3.” Three max deals are now harder to build around unless you can get a bunch of vet minimum guys. Maybe Monte’s intent is to build around his 2 with mid-salaried and deeper talent as opposed to seeking out a 3rd star.
Not only that, but we have a foundation upon which to build continuity.
We have previously bemoaned the lack of continuity, while discussing that change for the sake of change was not a good plan, while deep down we probably knew there was never a solid basis for continuity.
For poper building you need a solid foundation, and it seems to me that we finally have that.
It helps if the 3rd “star” is on a rookie scale deal. Is Keegan that guy who develops into the kind of star with gravity that can attract those ancillary talents for minimum money?
Couldn’t you have started your post with “Not only that”?
I thought we are a team?
not that only (apparently)
Not only that, I’m not worthy of the same team with the legendary RikSmits.
Not only that, but both our stars are taking up a smaller % of cap space than in places like PHX, LA, GS, etc.
Excellent point. Fox and Ox’ contracts are going to age well with the CAP rising.
“In all reality the Kings have a very solid core rotation locked up for the next 3 years.”
The key to making reliable forecasts, lies in making timely revisions. Rather than commit to what appears to be a “surefire” plan, at this moment, MM has allowed himself the flexibility to pivot. Whether this core is “very solid,” or future results necessitate a trade or two, there will be options going forward, barring some unforeseen catastrophic event.
Of the deals made in free-agency, this one surprised me most in it’s size, and yet it’s the best move of them all. Fox’s deal, which was the most controversial, looks so cheap now! And they all will, soon enough, barring major injury.
Happy that Sabonis stayed…
But I was way thrilled for Chris Duarte coming in……he can really be a X-Factor…and lead the 2nd unit…..(but that may affect the ball-handling of Monk)
Also, excited for Sasha commited and come to the Kings…
As if we needed another reason to love the guy:
Monte looks like he’s following a tried and true playbook- lock in your studs with value contracts, then upgrade the pieces around them over time (also on reasonable deals) to build to a championship contender.
We’re not a championship contender yet, but hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day and it certainly looks like Monte has us on one of those paths that leads to Rome, so I’m good!
I think given the amount of parity in the West, we are contenders. You have Denver in its own class and then a bunch of teams kind of on the same level which includes the Kings.
I don’t see any difference in terms of upside between the following:
Kings
LaL
LAC
Duds
Suns
Grizz
I think this next season will be a little more difficult for us. We aren’t going to sneak up on others as easily it was dismissed last season. We still have the talent to be a high seed again, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted. We were very lucky on injuries.
As much as it kills me, I would say LAL has improved the most of the teams you listed. GSW and Suns improved their starters but we will see about the rest of the team.
Has it been enough to catch Denver? Probably not this year. I think we need more seasoning in the playoffs to help. Color me cautiously optimistic.
I agree, I’ve said before it wouldn’t surprise me if we are a top 3 seed again or border line play-in. It’s going to be crazy in the West. But that’s my point, there’s like 7 teams that can legit win the West next year and it wouldn’t be a surprise IMO.
Not so sure about that. The Kings were very lucky last year.
Improved. Sure. A powerhouse?. If Huerter and Barnes are the starters next year. Kings aren’t going too far with them as 40
percent of the starting lineup
One Commonality.
Every single one of those teams you mentioned. And you forgot the Pels who were the best team in the West first 2 months of the season.
All those teams with the exceptions being Denver and Sac had major injuries to their major stars.
Every single one of those teams you mentioned had lost their stars for key stretches and multiple games.
The Kings we’re benefactors.
Kings definitely a playoff team. But I wouldn’t bet the house on them being a 3 seed again.
The West will be a bloodbath next year. With the exceptions being the Blazers,
‘Jazz, OKC.
and a rebuilding Spurs.
But Blazers, Rockets, Spurs Jazz and OKC have varying levels of talent and are not pushovers.
Bloodbath at the top but bloodbath for all not just the kings.
Injuries, home games and back to back very key.
Teams shouldn’t sign players that can’t play. Those millions upon millions of dollars lost on players like Zion and Chet are lost to the media and the franchises suffer.
It’s difficult to over-state how positive this Sabonis signing really is. It’s obviously not cheap, but, so long as it’s not my money I just see no downside to this guy, and the money spent is only going to look less expensive with time.
I like how the contract is structured. Slowly increasing every year and the CAP should increase yearly about 7-10 percent.
MM knows what he’s doing.
I’m curious what our current cap situation is now? Do we have room to sign anyone?
If Len is signed for the Vet Minimum, like Greg had mentioned yesterday, then yes, there should be about $5M I believe.
Hopefully we can land a decent big for that amount.
and can drop Dozier
Go get a veteran 3rd string point guard and call it a day.
Ish Smith hasn’t been a King…yet!
Yup they still have money to sign another FA. Rumor was Kings are one of the teams that is interested in signing Torrey Craig.
I’d think Sabonis being locked up really helps with the whole free agents wanting to sign here scenario as well.
I like all these moves and obviously Sabonis is the the cornerstone but how has this team improved defense and rebounding? Would this squad fair any differently against the Warriors in those playoffs? Same basic team with more playmaking. No more interior defense or rebounding. Not sure what’s left for about 5mil…
The Warriors have years together with their core.
Brown, known as a defensive coach, installed a very good blueprint for an offense in just one season. I expect him to expand on that offense and also turn more attention to defense.
Also, the Warriors core (and the same applies to the Lakers and Clippers) is ageing, while our core is hitting it’s prime.
Will it be enough this year? I don’t know. But the future looks pretty good, IMO.
I like your opinion.
I saw this re: Sacramento Kings future
&ct=g
Jerry always says that talent beats culture. But here we have BOTH! A well-liked coach along with a smart, sensible general manager. Two stars who are willing to play happily for less than they could get on the open market. A rising second year player who seems to play without ego. Intense practices where players compete to make one another better (De’Aaron and Davion). And a locker room filled with mutual support.
And I hardly see any flopping… A pure pleasure to watch.
Where’s the third star that many of us were hoping would be signed/acquired this offseason? It looks like Monte thinks he’s already on the team. The emphasis on locking up Sabonis (Star #2) and Barnes (Quality Support #1) suggests Monte views Keegan Murray as a viable Star #3 in the making. A third star doesn’t necessarily need to be an All-Star, but an exceptional player who fits very well with Stars 1 and 2 and adds enough secret sauce/”X factor” to the mix to keep opponents perpetually scrambling, a la Aaron Gordon and MPJ in Denver. Murray showed he’s capable of becoming that guy. It’s a longer play than throwing around big money for the Kuzmas, Grants, and Middletons of the world, but if it works, it’s a much better option, both financially and culturally.
Indeed, we may just see a big leap this year from Keegan. As many of us have discussed before, he has a Paul Pierce/Middleton thing going on with his game. Let’s see how he does in year 2. It took Middleton years to develop in to the player he became in his prime.
Additionally, the way MM has structured contracts, if a star player becomes available at the deadline or next offseason, the contracts and picks are there to make a move. Overall, I think we’re in a good spot.
Denver has it’s own drafted Joker and Murray but the other guys- MPJ, Gordon and KCP are good role guys. They do not have a third.
The new CBA will make it tough on the 3 star approach.
But Denver relied on adding good pieces but lost 2- Brown and Jeff Green.
I’m a big believer in Murray, and didn’t want to have someone brought here that would take the ball away from him. I wanted someone more like Anunoby, if he was available
MALPRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Wooooo!
JJ is a prick.
He has openly admitted he was wrong and given the Kings their props. To me, that’s as much as we can ask. We all get things wrong, very few folks in the national media are willing to hold themselves accountable. I don’t always agree with everything JJ says, but I think he’s one of the better national analysts currently working.
I agree with you both… great analyst with intricate analysis and a douchebag.
Finally a core of guys that are actually legitimately good NBA players.
Sabonis, Barnes, and Fox are a core group that can consistently be good. For three years this team has a real chance at winning. MM built something out of the pieces of wreckage.
Still some solid FA bigs available to fill the need with the small amount of cap space left:
Cousins (kind of wouldn’t hate it for old times sake and nostalgia)
WCS lol
Dedmon lol
Saric
Wood
IT (to fill the Delly role)
Seeing Cousins ride the bench for a 10 day contract could be fun. It was always his shit head antics that made the most impact. He can still do that.
He would be what Len was last year, the end of bench big who never plays, similar to DJ in Denver. I know it’s not going to happen but it’d be kind of cool.
How many technical fouls he can get from the bench would have some impact.
I think Saric is going to the Warriors.
If he’d been paid the max for 24-28, how would that amount have broken down by year? Just curious as to how much money Sabonis left out there.
Looks like 20 M or so. The extension starts earlier and is lower so the escalation is not as steep.
and it looks like Kings under cap right now. This affords lots of flexibility for now. That status will disappear by next year (Fox and Monk contracts)
The other Euro who signed at OKC signed for 3 years 23.5 M, higher than Sasha.
I fretted over the draft, trades and free agency. I had sugar plums dancing in my head- all these “improvements”. I was so far off base that it is embarrassing. I am not a GM.
Monte says “maintain and improve”. That’s what he did. Lost Holmes, TD, Metu and Delly. Got Sasha, Duarte, Jones and Slawson (probably 2 way). Kings go more versatile, longer, more BB IQ and better shooting. Was this a big splash? No. Did the big splashes cost a ton of money? yes.
Kings under cap, have 12.5 M trade exception, signed star to extension, have depth and versatility at all positions. While the big star teams may look good periodically in the regular season, they are vulnerable to inevitable injury and do not adjust as well in the 7 game playoffs to teams with more depth.
Predictions: Kings win 48 or less but do better in playoffs. West is tough- no cupcakes. So individual games much tougher but in playoffs, just have to win one more than the other guy.
and I boldly predict that our rookie C. Jones outperforms the duds rookie- Podz.
All I hear from over there is how “James” is as good as Wilt, how Kuminga is the prototype new NBA wing, how Poole is lil stephie’s heir apparent and then poof! all those pronouncements go away. Now it is Podz who will be a star immediately because all the vets will pass him the ball. Yep.
I was disappointed that Kings passed on OMP at #24 but now I see the light. Monte likes proven guys.
Was this perfect? Probably not but it sure all fits together in the end. N Mike Brown has got a lot of toys.
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