The ongoing contract negotiations between Buddy Hield and the Sacramento Kings have appeared to hit a strange impasse. Hield is eligible for an extension, and he’s made it clear that he’d like to cash in on his productive tenure with the team, with one report claiming he would take less than a max extension.
A recent report highlights the gap the two sides need to make up. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Sacramento has offered a deal in the vicinity of four years and $90 million. Hield, meanwhile, wants that number to be around $110 million, a huge gap that would need to be made up between now and Monday, Oct. 21, the deadline to get an extension done. If that does not happen, Hield would enter restricted free agency this summer, which could open up a can of worms for both player and team.
Hield does not want to wait until then, something he made abundantly clear on Wednesday night following the Kings’ win over Melbourne United in a preseason matchup. According to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee, Hield did not view the $90 million offer favorably.
“I see it like an insult,” Hield said. “I feel like I’m worth more than that. If you say I’m your guy and you want to build around me, I just need you to show it. Actions speak louder than words. If you’re just talking and not showing nothing, I’m not going to respect it. I love playing here. I want to be here. This is my home. I’m trying to buy a house here, but everything is on stall mode because I don’t know if they’ll really commit to me.”
Hield was not done, going as far as to say that if the two sides can’t figure something out, he might have to seek a new place to play.
Buddy Hield speaks openly about his ongoing contract negotiations with the Sacramento Kings pic.twitter.com/fBTyuw9qjZ
— Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) October 17, 2019
It is hard to see this situation resolving itself before Monday, which would lead to questions about whether the Kings would keep him around or if Hield would try to get out of Sacramento before the year ends. His skill set is one that all 29 other teams would covet in that instance, meaning that while every young dude up for an extension is interesting to one extent or another, all eyes might be on how things work out between Hield and the Kings.
