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Sacramento Kings: 3 reasons why Harrison Barnes opting-out is a good thing

By Justin Fried

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 11: Harrison Barnes #40 of the Sacramento Kings passes the ball against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on March 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 11: Harrison Barnes #40 of the Sacramento Kings passes the ball against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on March 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Sacramento Kings
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 07: Dewayne Dedmon #14 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after hitting a three-point basket against the Toronto Raptors at State Farm Arena on February 07, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Sacramento Kings Harrison Barnes (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

3. Backloaded contract could mean best of both worlds

So if Barnes stays then it’s a win for the Kings but if he leaves, they could use that cap space to help sign a star player. But why not get the best of both worlds?

Even if the Kings do sign Barnes to a long-term contract, there’s a good chance that Sacramento asks him to backload the deal. And if that’s the case, the Kings would free up upwards to $5-7 million additional in cap space.

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And when you’re a small-market team like the Kings, every extra dollar of cap space matters.

The Kings could use that additional money to help fill their additional holes as well as potentially still sign a superstar player. Even if Barnes returns, that wouldn’t necessarily preclude them from pursuing a player like Harris.

In an ideal scenario, they’d target someone like Nikola Vucevic in free agency but recent reports indicate that they could be out on the talented Orlando Magic big man. And if that’s the case, a cheaper alternative could be Atlanta Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon.

Dedmon would be an ideal fit for the Kings offense as he’s proven to be effective as a shooter outside of the paint, can rebound efficiently, and is used to an up-tempo offense like Sacramento’s having played for the Hawks last season.

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Bringing Barnes back on a backloaded deal and still pursuing a star player to give a max deal to is likely the best plan of attack for the Kings at this point. But regardless, it’s clear that the team has options regardless of what happens with Barnes.

Either way, this should be considered a good thing for the Kings.

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