The Sacramento Kings avoided disaster by extending Buddy Hield

The Sacramento Kings finally extended Buddy Hield early Monday for four-years and $86 million, avoiding long-term disaster for an otherwise up-and-coming franchise.

As Buddy Hield seemingly fought back tears during a postgame presser last week, it looked like the Sacramento Kings‘ bright future would soon crumble over a few million dollars. For a franchise as maligned as the Kings, it felt almost expected.

Hield, the 26-year-old sharpshooter, first joined the Kings as part of the Demarcus Cousins trade package in 2017. After two middling campaigns in the Central Valley, Hield bloomed alongside De’Aaron Fox during last year’s 39-43 run.

On the year, Hield knocked down 278 three-pointers — the seventh-most in a single season in the league’s history — without compromising efficiency, converting at an astonishing 42.7 percent rate.

But it wasn’t only Hield’s long-distance excellence that excited. There was also Fox’s second-year leap (17.3 points and 7.3 assists) and rookie Marvin Bagley‘s per minute dominance (14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds).

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Suddenly, it seemed as though the Kings had strung together three complementary pieces — not to mention Bogdan Bogdanovic, who’s seeking a contract extension himself — that could one day drag them out of the dregs of the Western Conference.

Cue the tears.

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Hield, eligible for an extension of his rookie contract, reportedly sought a four-year, $110 million extension, per Yahoo’s Chris Haynes. However, the Kings offered four years and $90 million.

This disagreement upset Hield, who threatened to “look for another home” if the two sides couldn’t reach common ground. To any Kings fan, this spelled doom — would they really destroy this up-and-coming core before it ever had a chance to flourish?

But somehow, by the grace of who-knows-what, the Kings caught their break and Hield signed for four years and $86 million with $20 million in incentives early Monday, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal, more than anything, represents a critical step toward relevance in Sacramento. In an era of endless player movement, Hield wanted to stay, and Sacramento thankfully came to their senses.