3 Sacramento Kings who definitely won’t be back next season
By Jakob Ashlin
Kings who won’t be back next season: 2. Chimezie Metu
The Kings have multiple big men set to hit free agency this summer: Alex Len, Chimezie Metu, and Neemias Queta.
Domantas Sabonis will see the lion’s share of minutes at the five. In addition, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, and Trey Lyles all excel at the four. Therefore, the only minutes up for grabs are at backup center. In the postseason, head coach Mike Brown gave most of those minutes to Len. In the first round, Len logged 54 total minutes, while Metu logged only six total minutes.
Logically, Len will be a higher priority for the front office this offseason. The Kings have Len’s early bird rights, and they can sign him for up to 175 percent of his previous salary. So, they can offer him up to $6,857,550 next season. That should be enough to retain him.
In addition, there is an important question here. After seeing a more than 50 percent decrease in minutes per game this season, does Metu want to come back? Will the 26-year-old seek a better opportunity somewhere else?
It’s certainly possible. The Kings have a crowded depth chart, and he could find a clearer path to minutes with another organization.