The Sacramento Kings have been described as NBA hell, and one of their own players would probably agree with that sentiment.
Kings insider James Ham of ESPN 1320 reported this week that Kings guard Donte DiVincenzo is unhappy with the team and thinks that his playing time has been mishandled since he arrived in Sacramento.
“DiVincenzo and his group, his team, are not at all happy with the Kings,” said Ham. “They believe that the Kings, very specifically, did not start him down the stretch of the season to limit his value in free agency.”
Ham adds that DiVincenzo, who is a restricted free agent this offseason, would have been eligible for a higher qualifying offer (roughly $7.9 million) if he had made 15 more starts this season (to bring his total to 82 starts over the last two seasons). Instead, DiVincenzo is only eligible for a qualifying offer of about $6.6 million this summer.
DiVincenzo arrived from Milwaukee in a trade last February. Though he is a quality player who started 66 games for the eventual champion Bucks last season, DiVincenzo has made just one total start in 24 appearances this season for Sacramento. Instead, 33-year-old Justin Holiday has been starting over the 25-year-old DiVincenzo.
Granted, every team in the NBA engages in some sort of financial posturing and strategizing ahead of the offseason. But the Kings seem to have angered the player in the process, which isn’t even the first time this season alone that one of their own has been upset with them.
Photo: October 29, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive celebrates during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Sleep Train Arena. The Warriors defeated the Kings 95-77. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
