Draft and free agency offer opportunities to infuse youth. Sacramento targets younger talent and financial breathing room to reshape its roster.
It is a long wait until mid-June for the Sacramento Kings, but the keys to their offseason are plain and simple: getting younger and increasing their financial flexibility.
Tied for the fourth-worst record in the league (22-60) with the Utah Jazz, the Kings have the opportunity to get younger in a star-studded draft. Players like BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Kansas' Darryn Peterson, Arkansas' Darius Acuff and many more are all projected top-10 picks.
Sacramento could exit the draft with an impact contributor who's under the age of 23, but general manager Scott Perry said he is aiming to continue getting younger through free agency.
"As we look to free agency or potential trades, if we can get a little bit on the younger side, that will help us," Perry told reporters in his exit interview last Wednesday. "We'll incrementally keep working towards getting a little bit younger."
Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Maxime Reynaud are the only players who are 23. Devin Carter, Nique Clifford, Dylan Cardwell and Keegan Murray are players 25 or younger.
Entering last season, the Kings' average age was 27.27, ranking as the 27th-oldest team in the league. Veterans like Russell Westbrook (37), DeMar DeRozan (34) and Doug McDermott (31) were among the oldest players.
Another aspect of getting younger as a team that could benefit Sacramento is becoming more financially flexible.
Rookie salaries for the first 10 picks range from $6 million to $13 million. The No. 1 pick would earn $13.8 million, and the No. 10 pick would earn $6 million.
Young players on cost-controlled contracts give teams like Sacramento more flexibility in attacking the offseason to build a winning team.
For example, the Brooklyn Nets are heading into this offseason with an estimated $45 million to $55 million cap room. Michael Porter Jr. and Nicolas Claxton are the only two players earning over $20 million.
However, it is a different story for the Kings. Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, DeAndre Hunter, Malik Monk, Murray and DeRozan's salaries cost $148.5 million when the new fiscal year begins.
That is 72.4 percent of Sacramento's maximum cap next season. As a result, ESPN's Bobby Marks noted DeRozan could be a financial casualty since his contract next season is partially guaranteed.
$10 million of DeRozan's $25.7 million contract is guaranteed, and waiving him could benefit the Kings' money books. They are $3.9 million over the dreaded second-apron punishing teams by freezing draft picks and limiting spending resources in-season and in the offseason.
Sacramento answered one question weighing heavily on its head: the fate of coach Doug Christie. The organization decided to keep Christie for his second full season.
Now, the Kings have two goals they must prioritize in the offseason: getting younger through the draft, trades and free agency, and expanding financial flexibility.
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