While the Kings’ offseason was much less drama-filled than those some other teams had to endure, they still made plenty of moves. They re-signed Domantas Sabonis, Harrison Barnes, Trey Lyles, and Alex Len, traded for Chris Duarte, got JaVale McGee in free agency, signed Sasha Vezenkov, drafted Colby Jones, and inked Keon Ellis, Jalen Slawson, and Jordan Ford to two-way deals among other moves.
Most of these were good decisions. The Kings needed frontcourt depth, Lyles was a key piece on last season’s team, and the starting five is now locked up through the 2025-26 season.
When it comes to money, however, not all of these contracts are perfect. So, let’s look at one overpaid and two underpaid Kings heading into the 2023-24 season.
Underpaid player #1: Malik Monk
In July 2022, Malik Monk signed a two-year $19 million deal with the Kings and is set to make $9,045,830 for the 2023-24 season. That makes him the fifth-highest-paid player on the Kings’ roster, but there is a big drop off from Kevin Huerter’s $15,669,643 to Monk’s salary.
Last season, Monk averaged 13.5 points on solid shooting, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 22.3 minutes per game. He was their spark off the bench, often closed games, and played well in the playoffs. It was the first postseason run in his career, but he still averaged 19 points and had some impressive performances, including his 28 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal in a big Game 6 win over the Warriors.
Due to his contribution to the Kings’ success, Monk finished fifth in Sixth Man of the Year voting behind Malcolm Brogdon, Immanuel Quickley, Bobby Portis, and Norman Powell. If you compare Monk’s salary to those of the other finalists for the award, he seems rather underpaid.
Out of Brodgon, Quickley, Portis, Larry Nance Jr., Powel, Russell Westbrook, and Austin Reaves, Quickley and Westbrook are the only other players to earn less than $10 million this upcoming season. Quickley is still on his rookie deal, however, and Westbrook is also crazily underpaid, so where does that leave Monk?
Most of these players recorded similar numbers to Monk last season and yet there is a significant pay gap. Brogdon, for example, shot significantly better from three than Monk but also played fewer games and only averaged around one point more. Nevertheless, he will earn over $22 million in 2023-24 compared to Monk’s salary, which doesn’t quite yet scratch the $10 million mark.
All this is pointing to the fact that the Kings’ sixth man has outplayed his current contract and is indeed underpaid. We shouldn’t expect him to make quite as much money as Brogdon, but once he hits free agency this summer, a pay raise should be coming his way.
Underpaid player #2: Harrison Barnes
Harrison Barnes just inked a new three-year $54 million extension and will earn $17 million in the 2023-24 season. At first glance, that might not seem like he is underpaid. After all, Barnes is already 31 and struggled at certain points in the playoffs, but that overlooks everything he can still offer the Kings.
Barnes is a valuable veteran presence with championship experience and is very reliable even though he is getting older. Last season, Barnes didn’t miss a single game and played an average of 32.5 minutes per contest.
In that time, he averaged 15 points on 47.3 percent shooting from the field and 37.4 percent from three, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Those are not the numbers of a player who will soon age out of playing meaningful basketball.
Considering all this, the extension was a really good deal for the Kings. The deal is team-friendly, they could not get a younger high-impact forward, and it allows the team to have continuity. For Barnes, it offers an opportunity to compete on an exciting young team and to impart his wisdom to the next generation.
If we compare the deal to what other starting forwards are making, it seems like a real steal for the Kings, though. Just this summer, Jerami Grant, Cameron Johnson, and Kyle Kuzma inked new contracts. All three are set to make over $25 million in 2023-24 which is a giant step up from Barnes’ salary.
While Grant and Kuzma both put up better numbers than Barnes did last season, they were empty stats. Out of this group, Barnes is the only one to start for one of the top teams in the league, which makes this pay gap seem even bigger.
Overpaid player #1: Kessler Edwards
The Kings are not overpaying many of their players. At the very top of the roster, De’Aaron Fox’s and Domantas Sabonis’ salaries for next season are right on track with those of other All-Star guards and centers of their caliber.
Kessler Edwards might just be the only Kings player who is overpaid, and even then, the overpay is very small. This summer, the Kings picked up his $1.9 million team option. In NBA terms, that is not a lot of money, but the Kings could have declined his team option and signed him to a new, cheaper deal in free agency to save some money.
Yes, Edwards is still young and can still grow into a solid NBA role player, but this season, it will be difficult for him to even crack the main rotation. Behind the starting five, Davion Mitchell, Malik Monk, Trey Lyles, and Sasha Vezenkov, there are not many spare minutes to come by, especially now that the Kings will be the hunted and not the hunters anymore. Besides, Chris Duarte will be competing for pretty much the same minutes.
While it is good for the Kings to have young wing depth, a player who will most likely be near the end of the bench is not really worth more than the minimum salary. After the Kings traded Richaun Holmes to clear cap space, it was somewhat surprising to see them make this deal when a cheaper option could have been available.
Of course, things can change quickly. All it takes is an unfortunate injury that pushes Edwards into the rotation, and suddenly, he puts together a great season that makes this deal look like a steal instead.