5 People who turned their backs on the Sacramento Kings

4. Willie Cauley-Stein 

Willie Cauley-Stein did not have an easy time as a King. He came to Sacramento as the sixth pick in the 2015 draft and played four seasons with the team. Most of his numbers, including playing time, increased with every season, but the Kings were losing a lot, and fans criticized Cauley-Stein’s game. 

Even Vlade Divac labeled the center as inconsistent. His agent, in turn, blamed the organization with its roster and coaching changes for any inconsistencies in Cauley-Stein’s game. 

The Kings weren’t going anywhere, so Cauley-Stein decided that he would. When he entered restricted free agency in 2019, he didn't want the Kings to make him an offer because he wanted a chance to get a fresh start somewhere else. 

The Kings did make an offer that was later rescinded in order to make cap space available for Corey Joseph. Cauley-Stein got his fresh start when he signed with the Golden State Warriors, but it didn’t do too much good for his NBA career. 

After stops in Dallas and Philadelphia, Cauley-Stein went to Italy, blaming the NBA’s selfish style of play for his move to Europe.