The Sacramento Kings have expressed interest in Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine and Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker, both restricted free agents that are bound to garner attention as the second wave of free agents get their very own deals.
According to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee, the Kings, while interested, would need to shake up their current roster to make a move for either of the two free agents to sign a long-term deal.
“The Kings have expressed a level of interest in both, a league source said, but a deal would require the Kings to reshape their roster that has a lot of young players they'd like to develop.”
The trend in the league has been to sign free agents to one-year deals, waiting for a more friendly salary cap in 2019 — but unless LaVine or Parker are willing to bet on their own future, a deal seems unlikely.
LaVine averaged 16.7 points per game after returning from a torn left ACL, having posted a career-best 18.9 points for the Minnesota Timberwolves before suffering the injury and eventually being traded on draft night.
Parker posted 12.6 points and 3.9 rebounds after coming back from a second torn ACL, coming off a 20-point scoring season with the Bucks. His time with the Bucks seems to have come to a close, no longer a starting option or viewed as a sidekick to the talented Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Kings haven't sat back in this free agency period, but “are determined to avoid multiyear contracts that would affect next year's salary cap or don't fit with the team's long-term vision of adding younger players,” per Jones.
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