When the Sacramento Kings decided to sign Precious Achiuwa to a one-year contract, he was a free agent. And that was several games into the season. Now, he's playing incredible basketball for the Kings with the potential to be a key player in the rebuild if he gets the chance.
Anyone from the Kings' front office looking at the caliber of basketball Achiuwa is playing and doesn't think he needs a long-term contract should be fired immediately. They needed a defensive-minded power forward with explosive offensive capabilities. That's exactly what he's brought to the table.
So far in the month of March, he has three double-doubles as well as four other games that were right on the edge of joining them. On top of that, he has 12 blocks, four of which came in one game against the Clippers. He's doing this all in an average of 33.1 minutes per game while shooting 66.2%.
Big time play from Precious Achiuwa
Since the 16-game losing streak came to an end, the Kings have six wins and five losses in 11 games. A big part of that success has been due to the efforts of Achiuwa. When they need him to step up, he does. When he needs to step back and let it be someone else's game, he does.
This is a man who is playing for a permanent spot on the team. He started this season without a roster, and it's unlikely he has any desire to go back to that. Achiuwa has the skill and the drive to continue to be a key player going forward.
Keeping all of that in mind, there's a much bigger issue looming that may end up preventing the Kings from signing Achiuwa in the long-term. Once again, the issues surrounding expensive "stars" Sacramento doesn't need pops up and could hold the front office back from making a move.
Trapped between Sabonis and a salary cap
As this season comes to an end, there are several players whose contracts are coming to an end. That means the Kings are going to have some decisions to make. Unfortunately, that doesn't include their two most expensive contracts, Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis.
The front office is going to have to make hard choices regarding who stays and who goes as they continue to manage these two expensive players. That will be especially important as they work out what to do with the three picks they have in the upcoming draft.
Making sure Precious Achiuwa stays on the roster should be a priority for the Kings. He adds important depth, both as a defensive power forward and as a backup at center. However it works out, he has proven once again how good he is, and likely earned a spot on another team if he can't stay.