Sacramento Kings stock up, stock down
After snapping a 16-year playoff drought this season, the Sacramento Kings will look to make the transition from a feel-good story to legitimate Western Conference contenders come 2023-24. Here are four Kings players whose stock is trending either up or down entering a pivotal offseason:
Stock Up
Domantas Sabonis, C: Sabonis is fresh off a dominant 2022-23 campaign, averaging 19.1 points, a career-best 7.3 assists and a league-high 12.3 rebounds per game. While his production did dip in the postseason, Sacramento remains fully committed to their rising big man.
“Domas is a huge part of what we do and we're going to do all we can to keep him here and build around him," said reigning Executive of the Year Monte McNair during the team's end-of-season press conference.
With Sabonis entering the final year of his deal, the Kings will likely offer him a contract extension worth north of $30M annually. Chances are the All-NBA third-team selection will be eyeing a maximum contract. Either way, Sabonis is going to get paid.
Sasha Vezenkov, F: Vezenkov is a wild-card selection here. The Kings exclusively took ownership of the sharpshooter's NBA rights in 2022 when they traded the 49th overall pick to the Brooklyn Nets. Currently starring for Olympiacos Piraeus of the Greek A1 Basket League, Vezenkov earned EuroLeague MVP honors in 2022-23. In 38 games, he averaged 17.2 points and knocked 38.5% of his three-point attempts.
Vezenkov remains under contract with Olympiacos but does have buyout language in his deal. NBA insider Marc Stein reported in May, citing a source, that a deal between Vezenkov and the Kings is "trending toward inevitable."
Stock Down
Harrison Barnes, F: At 31 years old, Barnes remains a serviceable veteran starter with a championship pedigree. However, his production and efficiency have been on the decline for the better part of two seasons now. In Sacramento's first-round playoff series, Barnes shot just 24% from three-point range and logged a grand total of 29 minutes in Game 6 and Game 7.
The Kings would be best served to seek an upgrade from Barnes this offseason, one they can rely on to play big minutes during big games.
Barnes is extension eligible through June 30 and would still garner sizeable interest from suitors should he hit the open market.
Richaun Holmes, PF/C: Similar to Barnes, the price tag simply doesn't match the usage when it comes to Holmes. The 29-year-old big man is earning $12M per year to play 8.3 minutes per game.
Holmes has approximately $25M remaining on his deal over the next two years, including a player option in 2024-25. The Kings could benefit from some size behind Sabonis, but Holmes and his inability to stretch the floor isn't the answer there. Finding a trade destination for Holmes would be an ideal salary-cutting scenario for McNair and the Kings this offseason.
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