There have been more than a few social media posts from fans and sports talking heads discussing how the Sacramento Kings haven't made any free agency moves this offseason. That's because they can't afford to. And to be honest, they don't really need to right now. This is the long game.
Free agency is that magical time of year in the NBA when players' contracts come to an end. Then, they become available to talk to other front offices about moving to new teams and trying to win titles there. It's like a really big version of speed dating with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line.
Unless you're LeBron James, apparently. In his case, it takes a long time and finishes with a veteran minimum contract, but he might win his fifth title. Some have criticized the Kings for not being in the mix for LeBron, considering he was so affordable. That wasn't going to happen for two reasons.
First and foremost, he's not winning his fifth title in Sacramento. The Kings are working through a rebuild, and they're a long way off from being contenders. He wasn't going to sign with Sacramento. Second, these people have severely underestimated exactly how bad the Kings' money problems are.
The Kings literally cannot afford to make any free agency moves
With their current roster, Sacramento is just a shade below the first apron. Crossing that line means penalties including strict trade matching rules, sign-and-trade bans, and buyout/waiver market limits. None of that is good for a team currently working their way through a tenuous rebuild process.
That means the Kings are not going to be signing any free agents this offseason, which unfortunately includes Russell Westbrook. Even if they make a trade to move a big-money contract like Zach LaVine's, that doesn't guarantee they'll alleviate their salary cap stress or improve their roster.
Basically, the Kings likely have to wait until Zach LaVine's current contract finishes at the end of the 2026-2027 season. Then, nearly $50 million of cap space opens up, and Sacramento can start making moves on the open market. They'll also have to hand out some extensions to existing players.
For now, Sacramento will have to work with what they have. The Kings have drafted well the last couple of years, made solid trades and signings that will help, and continue the rebuild from there. Once the big-money contracts are gone, they'll have a strong foundation to make moves from.
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