NBA free agency: Sacramento Kings salary cap situation, team needs, trade rumors and more

The Kings will have a couple of important spending tools at their disposal when free agency begins at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Some fans were confused when Sacramento made a lopsided trade sending Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov and two second-round draft picks to the Toronto Raptors for Jalen McDaniels. The Kings paid a hefty price to offload more than $13 million in salary, but the cost-cutting move gives them some financial flexibility heading into free agency.

The salary cap for the 2024-25 season is projected at $141 million with the first luxury tax apron set at $178.7 million and the second apron at $189.5 million. According to Spotrac, the Kings have $159.3 million in active cap allocations and $16.4 million in cap holds. That puts them $34.7 million over the salary cap, but they are $15.7 million below the first luxury tax apron and $26.5 million below the second apron.

The Kings were projected to go over the luxury tax threshold after Malik Monk agreed to a new four-year, $78 million contract, but the Toronto trade helped them get under the tax line. That gives Sacramento access to the full $12.9 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception in addition to the $4.7 million bi-annual exception.

The Kings won’t be in the running for top-flight free agents such as LeBron James, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, DeMar DeRozan, James Harden and Klay Thompson, but they have tools to address roster needs. They also have the ability to take back salary if they revisit trade talks for the likes of Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma and New Jersey Nets forward Cameron Johnson.

The Kings explored a number of trade possibilities involving the No. 13 pick in the NBA draft. Ultimately, they chose to use the pick to select Providence guard Devin Carter.

The Kings hope to upgrade their roster after missing the playoffs last season. They are looking to add another key rotation player to a core that includes De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray and Monk. Sacramento needs more size, length, defense and depth at the forward and center positions.

The Kings also have to make decisions regarding their own free agents. Backup centers Alex Len and JaVale McGee are unrestricted free agents. Kessler Edwards, Jordan Ford and Jalen Slawson are restricted free agents, although they could become unrestricted if the Kings don’t tender qualifying offers before free agency begins.

A restricted free agent can sign an offer sheet with any team, but the player’s original team can match the offer to retain his services. An unrestricted free agent is free to sign with any team.

Many deals will be reached in the first hours of free agency, but teams can’t sign players until the free agent moratorium ends at 9:01 a.m. Saturday.