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Buddy Hield is hoping the Sacramento Kings lock him up long-term after a career-best season in 2018-19, but neither party has made significant progress, remaining at a stalemate, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
Hield is not demanding a max-level extension, but he seeks more than the team has been offering up to this point. There has been “no new movement” in recent discussions as of Saturday afternoon.
The 6-foot-4 shooting guard averaged 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists last season, becoming the team's leading scorer and one of the reasons why the Kings threatened for a playoff spot during the first half of the NBA season.
Should the Kings not come to an agreement with Hield, the Oklahoma product would become a restricted free agent next summer, allowing Sacramento to match any incoming offers from other teams.
Hield is expected to get some deep interest from several teams, considering he's already developed into one of the league's best 3-point threats, holding an impressive career mark of 41.9% from beyond the arc.
The 26-year-old became a full-fledged starter in 2018-19 and has proved to be among the most durable young stars of this game, having missed only two games in his first three seasons in the league. Hield has All-Star potential written all over him, and getting him for less than the max-level extension could prove to be a bargain for a team that hopes to grow this young core of players into title contenders.
