5 Best Sacramento Kings contracts heading into the 2024-25 season

Mar 31, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) dribbles against the Utah Jazz during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) dribbles against the Utah Jazz during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports | Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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5. Jordan McLaughlin

Average Annual Value: 2.4 million dollars

Production Value: 5.4 million dollars

Difference: 3 million dollars

In our initial article on the Jordan McLaughlin signing, we tampered with expectations by saying that he wouldn't be factoring into their playoff rotation. But keep in mind that, at the end of the day, you pay players for their regular season production, not what they do in the playoffs.

In the regular season, McLaughlin can give you steady minutes as a backup floor general. He won't wow you with a jaw-dropping above-the-rim game or dazzling perimeter shooting. Still, he does give you good passing (82nd percentile or higher in assist rate every year of his career) and a knack for playing the passing lanes (88th percentile or higher in steal rate every year of his career).

The Kings signed McLaughlin to the minimum amount you can offer a five-year NBA veteran (2.4 million in 2024-25), but based on our formula, he produces like someone who is certainly worth more than that (three million more than that, to be exact).

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