If you can believe it, free agency is here already and the Sacramento Kings are in prime position to sign one of the top available centers on the market: Richaun Holmes.

Holmes, who first signed with the Kings as a free agent in 2019, has been open about his desire to return to Sacramento this summer, and all of the reports leading up his unrestricted free agency have suggested that he intends to keep his word.

But the Kings have to hold up their end of the bargain as well, and according to Marc Stein of the New York Times, their first offer isn’t expected to seal the deal:

An offer in the range of $50 million is far from the $80 million that James Ham of NBC Sports reported that Holmes was looking for in May, but it’s close to what they can offer him with his Early Bird Rights. The Kings don’t have the cap space to offer him much more.

That could change if the Kings find a way to get out from under Buddy Hield’s contract or if they dump salary elsewhere on the roster, but, in their current financial situation, Holmes would have to accept a four-year, $50.2 million contract to stay in Sacramento long-term.

No one but Holmes or his agent can say for certain that he won’t do that, but given that teams with cap space have reportedly expressed interest in him, it’s highly unlikely. Hopefully both parties can work something out before it’s too late.