Sacramento Kings: Tim Hardaway Jr. would be ideal free agency target

The Sacramento Kings should target Atlanta Hawks’ restricted free agent Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency this offseason.

If you’re a Sacramento Kings fan, you’re probably excited about the upcoming offseason. Sacramento holds the No. 5 and No. 10 picks in the 2017 NBA Draft, which should result in two young starters with star potential. They also could free up some money to pursue free agents this offseason, depending on what Vlade Divac decides to do.

Sacramento would have to renounce the rights of some of their free agents or see them sign elsewhere in order to open up big money, but it is sitting there for them to do. Heading into the offseason, the Kings have just over $38.1 million in cap holds, with Tyreke Evans being the largest. Evans isn’t expected back next season barring a change, which would allow them to pursue a free agent or two.

While the Kings are going through a new rebuilding process, that doesn’t mean that they won’t aggressively try to speed that process up. What better way to do that than by signing a young player who is showing signs of taking his game to the next level?

Tim Hardaway Jr. will be a restricted free agent this offseason and looks like an ideal free agency targets for the Kings. He’s only 23 years old and showed off serious scoring potential last season. Atlanta will be able to match any offer that is given to Hardaway, but that doesn’t mean they will.

Last season with the Atlanta Hawks, Hardaway averaged 14.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He shot 45.5 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 35.7 percent of his three-point attempts. Those numbers would be a nice boost for a Kings offense that needed help last season.

If the Kings were to sign Hardaway, there is a good chance he would fill the sixth man role. Buddy Hield will be the starting shooting guard, which doesn’t leave room for Hardaway in the starting lineup unless head coach Dave Joerger decided to use him at point guard or small forward. Neither of those positions seems likely for Hardaway.

What would it take to sign Hardaway? Well, at this point in time the market value for him has not been estimated. He could look for anywhere between $12-20 million, although somewhere in the middle seems most likely.

Convincing Hardaway to leave a comfortable role with a playoff contender like the Hawks won’t be easy. Sacramento can’t offer him playoff contention immediately, barring a major surprise, and can’t offer him a starting job, unless they get creative. Despite the difficulties, Hardaway would be a perfect fit for the Kings.

Hardaway will get plenty of interest from other teams around the NBA as well. There are not a lot of players with the ability to score the basketball off the bench like Hardaway possesses, which makes him a coveted free agent. Atlanta likely should be viewed as the frontrunner to sign him, but the Kings should go ahead and throw an offer his way.

Expect to see Hardaway stay put in Atlanta. He seems to love his role there and the organization, which likely means he won’t leave. Sacramento should still throw an offer his way, just in case he considers other options outside of the Hawks.

Next: Will the Kings be active in free agency?

Do you think the Sacramento Kings should look to sign Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency this offseason? What other free agents do you think would be good fits for them? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!