Sacramento Kings guard Seth Curry will become a restricted free agent in July, as he plans to decline his $1 million player option for next season, according to The Vertical's Shams Charania. Curry said in early April that he was undecided, but his play down the stretch of the season made this a no-brainer.
In seven games in April, Curry averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds, shooting 45.9 percent, including 48.9 percent from 3-point range. Those great numbers might not be sustainable, but he shot 45 percent from deep all season and proved that he's valuable as a playmaker. It also guaranteed that he will get a raise, especially given how many teams will have money to spend this summer.
Curry, 25, should have been in Sacramento's rotation all season long. Instead, he was still getting DNP-CDs with less than a month left in the season. That probably won't be the case next year, but that doesn't mean he's necessarily leaving the Kings -- if Curry signs an offer sheet with another team, Sacramento will have the option to match it.
Without knowing the Kings' other plans for the offseason, it's hard to know where Curry fits in. Starting point guard Rajon Rondo will be an unrestricted free agent, and backup Darren Collison will be entering the last year of his contract. Also, there is the small matter of finding a new coach. There is a fair but of uncertainty here.
This time last year, though, Curry was not in the NBA. Thanks to his strong play in limited minutes, he's in a much better position now.
