This season, the Sacramento Kings are still searching for their first win. However, they recently made a decision that impacts their future. Earlier this week, the Kings exercised their 2020-21 options on Marvin Bagley III and De’Aaron Fox. Kings General Manager Vlade Divac made the announcement.
Fox enters his third season as he finished last season as a Most Improved Player candidate. He averaged 17.3 points, 7.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals. Fox surpassed his rookie averages in every category (including field goal percentage and 3-point percentage). This season, Fox is off to a decent start averaging 16.2 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.6 rebounds.
Fox is a key piece of the Kings’ core. The Kings drafted him with the fifth pick of the 2017 draft, and he has impacted Sacramento ever since. So, the Kings decided to pick up Fox’s fourth-year option for $8.1 million. While the Kings picked up Fox’s option, they also picked up the option of one of their other core players. The Kings also exercised an $8.96 million third-year option on Bagley.
Bagley was the second pick of the 2018 draft. He averaged 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds in 62 games. He finished the first game of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Then, Bagley suffered a fracture in his right thumb and will be out for four to six weeks. Despite the injury, Bagley remains a crucial player and picking up his option benefits the Kings.
Marvin Bagley III (Photo by Sergio Estrada)
The Kings made their decision as the deadline to exercise rookie-scale team options was Thursday. They picked up Bagley and Fox but declined the options of Harry Giles III and Caleb Swanigan.
Sacramento is still a rebuilding team, and they need to hold onto their core players. By picking up the options of both Bagley and Fox, the Kings can continue their rebuild. With the right players beside Bagley and Fox, the Kings are on the right track. If everything goes accordingly, they can become a competitive team of the future.
Featured Image courtesy of USA Today Sports
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