Free Agent Cop or Drop?: Darren Collison

Darren Collison will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Should the Sacramento Kings resign him or let him walk?

Despite the Sacramento Kings having another disappointing season, the play from their point guards was exceptional. Darren Collison was part of this group.

For the season, Collison averaged 13.2 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game. Collison did most of his production on the offensive side of the ball as he was a reliable scorer that shot 47.6% from the floor, 41.7% from beyond the perimeter, and 86% from the free-throw line.

Defensively, however, Collison struggled as he was part of a perimeter defense that was putrid for the Kings this season.

Overall, Collison did a great job for the Kings as was definitely one of their best and most consistent players in the 2016-2017 season. But is it logical for the Kings to bring him back?

Cop or Drop?

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I think there needs to be serious consideration to bringing Collison back on the Kings. For a team that has experienced inconsistency for the last few years, Collison was one of the few players during that span that was reliable when it came to production.

Although there is a demand for a new and young point guard in Sacramento, there also should be a need for a veteran guard on the team.

In my opinion, the market for Collison could be around the range of $15-20 million per year. I think if the Kings were to offer Darren a 3 year/$54 million contract this summer, it would be a solid deal for the Kings. The organization would not need to rush in having a young facilitator run the team straight out the gate, but instead, be guided and mentored by an established guard in Collison.

Final Thoughts

Throughout his three years with the Kings, Collison has been everything Kings fans have wanted and more. Because of how productive Collison was with the Kings is why Vlade Divac should seriously considering resigning the veteran guard back.

He may be past his prime at the age of 29, but I’m confident if Collison does come back in purple that he will be an asset for Sacramento.