The Sacramento Kings are shopping big man Richaun Holmes ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline, to little surprise. While the big man could very well find a new NBA home via trade, it’s equally possible a market doesn’t materialize and the Kings find themselves keeping him as the deadline passes.
It was previously speculated that he could be an outside possibility on the buyout market if the Kings fail to find a new home for him. It was always unlikely, given his contract and the Kings situation.
Still, other teams found the situation at least worth monitoring. That meant they thought there was some sort of a chance it could happen, however small that chance might be.
According to Marc Stein, the actual chances of a buyout might be even smaller than anyone around the league was thinking. Stein referenced someone with knowledge of the Kings thinking being adamant those hoping for a buyout are poised to be disappointed.
Why a Richaun Holmes buyout from Kings is highly unlikely
Usually, NBA buyouts happen under two specific scenarios. One, the player being bought out is on an expiring contract anyway so the team that has no use for him cuts him loose. Both parties are then able to move on sooner rather than waiting until the end of the season.
The second scenario is a situation that is so bad for all parties that it has to end pretty quickly. This kind of situation would be a player on a deal that doesn’t outweigh whatever situation he’s involved in. Very rare circumstances here, when a player has multiple years left under contract.
Richaun Holmes has multiple years remaining on his contract. The Kings would be hurting themselves long-term if they wanted to buy him out. Although he is rarely playing minutes that matter right now, he holds more value on the roster than he does off of it with no replacement.
Plus, once the season ends, he gains value as he transitions into an expiring contract for next season. It remains the case that a Kings buyout of Holmes is highly unlikely.