Sacramento Kings: 3 big questions heading into 2019-20
2. What money will Buddy and Bogdan command in RFA?
Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic are entering contract year before they will both be hitting restricted free agency in a mediocre class where they will have legitimate arguments of being two of the top-10 available players. Both of them will want a significant chunk of change and you can’t blame them. They are quality players that are deserving of a nice paycheck.
Buddy is less of a question mark here, as he is without a question a vital piece moving forward. He was the leading scorer on the roster, averaging 20.7 points per game, as well as finishing with the ninth-best 3-point percentage of players that attempted at least three shots from distance per game, per NBA.com.
Buddy Buckets can shoot with the best of them, fits the identity perfectly as a former track star, puts out continuous effort on both ends and seems to want to be in Sacramento. The Kings would likely prefer to stay below a max deal with him but will likely work out an extension sooner rather than later.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is a great player, but he’s behind Fox, Buddy, and Bagley in priority. All three of the aforementioned players will demand max money and come close to it. Buddy, as was touched on, will need a new deal in the upcoming offseason, Fox is the following year and then Bagley comes up the year after that. Vlade Divac also agreed on a four-year, $85-million contract with Harrison Barnes that keeps him on the books until 2023 season.
The other guards available in free agency are headlined by Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic, and Jeff Teague. With so many of the teams with available cap space focused on the future, Bogdanovic will be a major target. Sacramento will have its hard-line that it will not cross when it comes to his contract, and it’s possible that one of the listed teams to pass that threshold when the time comes.
As much as Bogdan has been an exciting piece throughout the growing process, his fit with the core of this fast-paced team is a bit questionable as a player who likes to create in a half-court setting. His personality and swagger will be missed, but Sacramento will move along from him fine.
Buddy and Bogi are close friends, but there is a real chance they will have to say goodbye and see each other only a few times a year following this season. How far under the max will Sacramento be able to negotiate with Buddy, and will Bogi impress enough to get himself paid elsewhere?