Buddy Hield, Kings reach deal on four-year, $86M extension including $20M in possible incentives, per report

Hield wanted a long-term commitment from Sacramento, and he just got it

By Michael Kaskey-Blomain

Oct 21, 2019 at 12:59 pm ET • 1 min read

Buddy Hield got the contract extension that he has been campaigning for from the Sacramento Kings. The two sides reportedly agreed to terms on a four-year extension on Monday worth $86 million. The deal, which also includes $20 million in possible incentives, will now keep Hield in Sacramento through the 2023-24 NBA season.

The incentives attached to the deal are both team and player-based, and include appearances in the All-Star Game and Finals, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. Under the extension, Hield's salary declines 8 percent year-over-year, and projects to take up just 13.5 perfect of the cap in the final year, which leaves the KIngs with some solid financial flexibility. The two sides got the deal done just in time, as Monday was the deadline for upcoming fourth-year players to extend their rookie-scale contracts.

Hield has made no secret of his desire to remain in Sacramento, and to be fairly compensated by the Kings for all that he brings to the floor. Over the weekend, Hield even flashed a money sign at Kings general manager Vlade Divac at the team fan fest. He had also been very vocal about his desire to lock up a deal throughout the preaseason.

"We need to get that done," Hield said of an extension earlier this month. "I want to get that done, for sure. If it doesn't get done, things could go the other way. This is where I want to be, so it would be good for me to be here in Sacramento. If I'm their guy, I think they should make it happen already. I want to build a future here. I want to be here, but we have to see something. Something's gotta come to the table. We have a week and a half to see what that brings, but I want to be here ... As a player, you want to have that trust that the franchise has your back and we're just waiting for them to make a move and come to an agreement."

Last season, Hield averaged career-highs in points (20.7), rebounds (5.0), assists (2.5) and minutes (31.9) per game for the Kings, and now that he's locked up for the foreseeable future, he will be expected to play a large role in helping turn the Kings back into a perennial playoff team, and ultimately a championship contender.