The Sacramento Kings have learned the hard way what happens when loyalty and big-money extensions outrun sustained winning. That’s the backdrop for the latest warning aimed at general manager Scott Perry: be careful about handing out the max just because a player is important.
On “The Matt and Kayla Show,” hosts Matt George and Kayla Anderson pointed to the financial choices made under Monte McNair as a reason Sacramento’s flexibility has been squeezed. McNair gave De’Aaron Fox a five-year, $163 million contract and Domantas Sabonis a five-year, $217 million contract during his tenure.
Fox grew into the Kings’ franchise point guard in his third season and became a 20-point scorer, but Sacramento still missed the playoffs that year with a 31-41 record. Sabonis later helped end a 16-year playoff drought in 2023, pairing with Fox to form the kind of duo that made the future look promising. Even so, the Kings’ postseason run ended quickly in a Game 7 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
George said the league often pushes front offices toward rewarding stars with major deals, because the NBA is a player’s league.
"Monte McNair felt he had to give Fox the max contract when he first got in," George said in Thursday's episode. "He also did the same thing to Domantas Sabonis, gave him a max contract after everything that Sabonis did."
Since Sabonis signed his extension, Sacramento has not made the playoffs and finished tied with the Utah Jazz for the fourth-worst record at 22-60 last season. McNair also traded Fox to the San Antonio Spurs last February after Fox wanted out of the organization.
Those moves left Perry working with a roster and a payroll that are already boxed in. Zach LaVine, acquired in the Fox deal, picked up his $49 million player option, and Sabonis is due $94 million over the next two seasons. With those contracts on the books, the Kings’ options in free agency are basically limited to the veteran’s minimum.
That’s why Perry won’t need to face the same extension decision until rookie Darius Acuff Jr. becomes eligible for his rookie-scale extension. George and Anderson used that as the jumping-off point for their blunt advice on how Sacramento should handle the situation.
"If Darius Acuff Jr. does not look like your absolute 1A starting point guard on a championship contender by the time his rookie-scale contract is done, don't give him the max extension," George said.
The point is straightforward: the Kings still have a long way to go before they can call themselves a contender, and Acuff will need to develop into a true franchise point guard first. George also said there’s room for a middle ground financially if the sides need it, but the days of automatic max deals should be over.
In Other News...
Kings Final Roster Battle Is Heating Up In The Backcourt
With training camp approaching, the Kings are still sorting through the backcourt market and have lined up workouts for veteran options as they look to fill out the end of the roster. Sacramento has 13 players under contract and two openings after waiving DeMar DeRozan, which leaves the front office with a little flexibility and a need to keep adding competition before camp opens.
Among the names on the radar is Cameron Payne, while Elfrid Payton is also set to get a look as the team weighs experience and fit behind its established guards. The Kings have also continued to monitor Victor Oladipo, and his summer pro day in Las Vegas drew team personnel, another sign that Sacramento is still exploring every realistic path as it tries to settle a crowded but unfinished guard picture. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suddenly Have A Point Guard Decision Fans Should Watch
The Kings are still sorting out what their backcourt looks like behind rookie Darius Acuff Jr., and the search for a veteran point guard has quietly become one of the more interesting roster questions around the team. With Russell Westbrook retired, Sacramento has been weighing experienced options to help steady the room, and Victor Oladipo has been part of that conversation while the front office continues to look for the right fit.
Aaron Holiday has emerged as another name worth watching, and he makes sense on paper as a possible mentor and backup. The 29-year-old brings NBA experience, three-point shooting, defense and playmaking, and he could fit on a veteran minimum deal, which keeps him in the range of a practical add rather than a flashy one. For a team trying to support a young lead guard without overcommitting resources, this is the kind of decision that can shape the tone of the bench for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Priorities Could Decide Whether DeMar DeRozan Stays In Play
Denvers roster squeeze has created an opening that could matter well beyond one transaction, because the team now sits at just 13 players after moving Peyton Watson to Cleveland for future draft capital. The deal brought back a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick, but no immediate help, and the front office is now being forced to weigh how to fill out the depth chart while staying mindful of the second apron.
One name already tied to that vacancy is DeMar DeRozan, though the fit is far from simple. Denver would like to add veteran scoring on a minimum contract, but DeRozans camp is said to be looking for exception-level money, which the Nuggets cannot realistically hand out under their current financial constraints. For a team trying to balance win-now urgency with roster limits, the question is whether the market narrows enough for a deal to become workable. [Read more 🡒]