Last season may have been the best for the Kings in years, but it wasn’t great for everyone involved. Kings big man Willie Cauley-Stein may have started 81 games, but his minutes didn’t increase from the previous season and he looked generally unhappy throughout the campaign. Cauley-Stein vibe’s of moodiness created concern about his future in Sacramento, and according to his representation his time in Sacramento is likely coming to an end.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cauley-Stein’s agent informed the Sacramento Bee that Cauley-Stein would like to leave the Kings as an unrestricted free agent. Which would mean the Kings can’t give him a qualifying offer. If they do then Cauley-Stein would instead become a restricted free agent, which would allow the Kings a chance to match any offers.
But Cauley-Stein and his agent don’t seem to want that. Roger Montgomery, who works for Roc Nation Sports, says that Cauley-Stein needs a “fresh start” with another team.
“I really think Willie needs a fresh start,” said Roger Montgomery, a representative of Roc Nation Sports. “Based on how things have gone for him there in Sacramento, I just think it’s time for Willie to move on and we’d really like him to move on.”
The Kings issued a brief statement to The Bee on Saturday night in response to Montgomery’s remarks.
“Willie is a great player who has shown he can fit our style of play,” the team said. “Beyond that, we can’t comment further.”
It’s likely the Kings will give Cauley-Stein his wish and let him go in free agency free to find a new team. His fit with the team has always felt kind of awkward and you never want to keep around an openly unhappy player. They have the cap space and personnel necessary to replace what he brings to the team with little problem.
Cauley-Stein, on the other hand, is in need of a fresh start, but hopefully he can prove to be a more consistent and better player at a new destination. Teams don’t want a moody big man that proved to not always be reliable. He has a long summer ahead of him to prove that he’s more than that, and he and his agent are hoping a team other than Sacramento gives him a chance to do just that.
