All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis was not a free agent this summer. And neither will he be for the next few summers.
Sabonis has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Sacramento Kings, one that will keep him signed through the 2027-28 season, a person with knowledge of the talks confirmed Sunday.
The extension includes raising his salary for next season to nearly $31 million, and his salary for the next four years will average about $47 million, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced. the signature.
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Domantas Sabonis #10 of the Sacramento Kings reacts after missing a basket against the Golden State Warriors in the first half of game two of the Western Conference first round playoffs at the Golden 1 Center on April 17, 2023 in Sacramento , california. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The total value of the deal is about $217 million. ESPN first reported the deal on Saturday night, and The Sacramento Bee later confirmed it as well.
It was part of a big spending start for free agency this summer: Counting the free agent deals that have been closed, this year’s rookie class signings and extensions, NBA teams have combined to dish out over $3 billion in contract value as of Friday night. .
Sabonis would have been in line to enter the free agent market in the summer of 2024, but the Kings made sure that doesn’t happen. He’s a big part of the Kings’ current surge; the team reached the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006 and has all of its five starters — Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray — returning.
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Domantas Sabonis #10 of the Sacramento Kings celebrates a play during Round One of Game One of the 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors on April 15, 2023 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. (Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
Sabonis is a three-time All-Star and averaged a league-high 19.1 points and 12.3 rebounds per game last season, earning him an All-NBA nomination for the first time.
Utah was also finalizing an extension for guard Jordan Clarkson on Sunday, a second person told the AP on condition of anonymity because it had not been signed. He will be worth a total of $55 million over the next three years, the person said; Clarkson had opted for a contract that would have paid him $14.3 million next season and will now average around $18.3 million over three years.
Clarkson averaged a career-high 20.8 points for the Jazz last season, and the extension will boost his on-court earnings to more than $100 million over his career.
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Sacramento Kings guard DeAaron Fox (5) and forward Domantas Sabonis (10) celebrate during the second half of the NBA basketball game between the teams against the Los Angeles Lakers in Sacramento, Calif., on Wednesday, December 21. of 2022. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Villegas)
Also Sunday:
— Miles Bridges has signed his $7.9 million qualifying offer from Charlotte for next season, a source told the AP after ESPN first reported the deal. Bridges missed all of last season after he was charged with domestic violence in the summer of 2022. He eventually pleaded no guilty and is serving three years of probation. The NBA gave Bridges a 30-game suspension earlier this offseason, but added that because Bridges missed the entirety of 2022-23, 20 of those games are considered over.
— Eric Gordon has agreed to a contract with the Phoenix Suns, a source told the AP after The Athletic first reported on the deal. Gordon is a 37% career shooter from 3-point range, and is entering his 16th NBA season.