It's safe to say that the Sacramento Kings haven't historically been known as a go-to destination for free agents. The lack of success which saw them make the playoffs just once in their first ten seasons in Sacramento, and miss the postseason 15 consecutive times prior to last year's breakthrough – along with a questionable history of front office moves – has meant that players with options have generally steered clear of the franchise.

But that doesn't mean they've never enjoyed any decent free agent signings. The Kings have struck gold a few times over their history, and while their list of quality free agents whose signatures they've secured isn't quite as deep as some other teams, there are still some reasonable names on the list. With that in mind, let's take a look at the ten best free agent signings in Kings' history.

10. Jim Jackson (2002)

Jim Jackson didn't exactly have a standout career, but free agency is often simply about finding a player whose value on the court outweighs their paycheck, and that was certainly the case with Jackson. He spent only a solitary season with the Kings and averaged only 7.7 points in it, but he was a knockdown shooter that season, hitting 45.1% of his long-range attempts while also providing some valuable perimeter defense on a team which really needed. What's more, Jackson was paid just $791,000, which, for a player who was a reliable contributor on a 59-win team, was peanuts.

9. Jim Les (1990)

Jim Les originally signed with the Kings on a 10-day contract, and having played just one full season in the NBA in which he averaged under 10 minutes and just 1.7 points, the prospect of him carving out a decent career in Sacramento probably seemed low. But he was subsequently signed to another 10-day contract, then the rest of the season, and would ultimately go on to play for the Kings for five seasons. His productivity wasn't exactly through the roof and he started just 13 games in his five seasons there, but he was a solid enough back-up who provided a constant threat from beyond the arc when he was on the court.

8. Malik Monk (2022)

Hopefully in a few years, Malik Monk will be a lot higher on this list. Signed in 2022 after a decent year with the Lakers, Monk was a sparkplug back-up guard for the Kings in their long-awaited return to the playoffs in 2022-23, averaging 13.5 points and 3.9 assists. Still just 25 at the time of writing, Monk still has room for improvement, and his ability to get on a heater makes him a dangerous weapon off the bench. The Kings are primed to spend many years towards the top of the Western Conference, and if Monk stays there he will likely play a key role for them. It's only been a year as I write this, but if he stays there for a few more he'll climb a long way up this list.

7. Darren Collison (2014)

Darren Collison stepped into fill the shoes of Isaiah Thomas in 2014, and though his career wouldn't reach the heights of his diminutive predecessor, he did prove a reliable point guard for the three seasons he spent in Sacramento. His first season was his most productive – he averaged 16.1 points and 5.6 assists in it – but those numbers stayed relatively constant the next two and he generally clicked well with his more highly touted teammates in DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay.

6. Beno Udrih (2007)

Beno Udrih was initially signed after being waived by the Timberwolves to replace the injured Mike Bibby, but he proved to be far more than just an insurance policy during his time with the Kings. Udrih was solid in his first season in Sacramento with 12.8 points and 4.3 assists, and he would go on to maintain similar numbers over the next three years with the team. The Slovenian left-hander was more of a shooter than a facilitator and he brought his fair share of defensive issues with him, but overall he was a solid player over four seasons for the Kings and offered them more than they would have likely anticipated when they initially signed him.

5. Jon Barry (1998)

Jon Barry didn't exactly put up numbers that jump off the page, but he brought plenty to the Kings' team during his three seasons with the franchise. He averaged between five and eight points and a little over two assists each year there, but he was a terrific shooter – knocking down 42.9% of his threes and 92.2% of his free throws during his best year with the team – as well as being a solid defender and passer. Jon Barry was only a bench player in Sacramento, but that bench was as good as any in the NBA and for three years, he was a major reason for that.

4. Scot Pollard (1999)

Scot Pollard was brought to the Kings as a bench player who could step in when Vlade Divac and Chris Webber missed time, but while he was no superstar he was a reliable big man who knew what he could – and couldn't – do, and as his eye-catching hairstyles suggested, was a positive presence on the team. Though he never averaged more than 6.5 points or 7.1 rebounds in a single season, Pollard was a really important defensive presence and did what he needed to do off the bench, and for a time was in the conversation for the best back-up centers in the NBA.

3. John Salmons (2006)

Salmons had two stints in Sacramento during his 13-year career, but it was the first which was well and truly the most productive. In a rare coup for the team, the exciting swingman signed with the team on a five-year, $25 million deal in 2006, and though he didn't see out that contract with the Kings he did provide three productive years. He improved significantly each season, and after averaging just 8.5 points in his first year with the team, was putting up 18.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 41.8% from three by the 2008-09 season. Add some lockdown d to the mix, and it's easy to see why he became a hot commodity after that and was subsequently traded to the Bulls.

2. Bobby Jackson (2000)

Bobby Jackson joined an improving Kings team which had won 44 games the season prior and 27 the season before that, and during his five seasons with the team they would win at least 50 games every year. Obviously that wasn't all down to this signing, but Jackson played a pretty significant role. Though he only rarely started, the 6'1″ Jackson brought plenty of energy off the bench and averaged over 11 points per game in all but the first of his five seasons in Sacramento. And while he may not have started, he often finished games, with his energy on both sides of the ball making him an important member of the finishing five on many occasions. Following his playing career, Jackson went on to become an assistant coach and player development coach with the Kings, so this signing benefited the team beyond just what he provided on the court.

1. Vlade Divac (1998)

There was never too much doubt about this one. Seven-foot plus Serbians who can pass are all the rage at the moment, but long before Nikola Jokic was terrorizing the league, Vlade Divac was showing his wares as a multi-faceted big man, establishing himself not just as one of the Kings' great free agent signings, but one of the Kings' greats. Divac had an immediate impact in Sacramento, averaging 14.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists in his first season, and though those numbers weren't replicated in any of his remaining five seasons there, what he produced was pretty similar. In 2001, he became an NBA All-Star for the first time for his contribution to a 55-win season, and it was no accident that his time with the team saw them consistently winning more than 50 games in a season. Divac's number 21 jersey is now hanging in the rafters of the Golden 1 Center, testament to the fact that Divac was unequivocally the best free agent signing in Kings' history.