SACRAMENTO -- Vlade Divac just bet on his young core.
NBC Sports California has confirmed through an NBA source that the Kings and shooting guard Buddy Hield agreed to a new four-year, $86 million contract extension Monday, just hours before the NBA deadline for rookie extensions. Hield can earn an extra $20 million through incentives.
The Athletic's Sam Amick first reported the news.
According to a league source, the four-year deal has a starting salary of $24 million for the 2020-21 season, but declines by eight percent per year. He'll make $22 million in Year 2, $20.3 million in Year 3 and $18.7 million in the final year, which accounts for just 13.5 percent of the projected salary cap.
In addition to the guraunteed money, Hield has up to $20 million in incentives over the course of the deal that are tied to both players and team objectives, including All-Star and playoff appearances.
While the negotiations spilled out into the press over the last week, the two sides still were able to sit down at the table and come to an agreement in time for the start of the 2019-20 regular season.
Hield is the first of four core pieces to come up for an extension for the Kings over the next 24 months, but his shooting ability helps open the spacing on the floor for the team's uptempo offense.
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Hield took a huge step forward in his third NBA season, leading the Kings in scoring at 20.7 points per game while making a franchise record 278 3-point attempts.
Hield will play out the final season of his rookie scale contract this season. He'll make $4.9 million during 2019-20, before seeing a massive spike in his salary during the 2020-21 campaign.
With Hield locked up, the Kings can shift their focus to the upcoming season where the franchise is attempting to snap a 13-year playoff drought.
The Kings have a standing extension offer for third-year shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic as well, but he has until June 30 to make a decision on whether to sign the deal or head into free agency next summer.
Point guard De'Aaron Fox also is eligible for an extension in the summer of 2020. The 21-year-old slasher likely is looking at a five-year designated player max extension. Second-year big man Marvin Bagley is eligible for a similar extension during the 2021 summer.
