Kings Paid a Former Player $300,000 This Season

The Sacramento Kings had Nerlens Noel on their payroll this year.

Jan 31, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes (22) defended by New York Knicks' Nerlens Noel / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Sacramento Kings paid $300,000 to former NBA player Nerlens Noel this past season, despite Noel not playing a single minute in a Kings jersey.

After signing with Sacramento in late July last summer, the Kings cut Noel before the regular season tipped off. At the time, Noel was a 10-year veteran looking to extend his time in the league.

The Kings oddly paid Nerlens Noel $300,000 this season despite the veteran center not playing a single minute for Sacramento 🤔https://t.co/W1C84PcTQY

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) May 15, 2024

Due to Noel's veteran status, the Kings still owed some guaranteed money left on his deal when the team cut him. The former sixth overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft was able to earn over a quarter million dollars despite not playing in the league this past season.

In his career, Noel averaged 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while notching an average of 22 minutes. With a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Noel was drafted to be a shot-blocker who could dominate the paint. After spending time with seven different organizations, Noel couldn't land himself a roster spot for the 2023-24 season.

There's still plenty of time for the 30-year-old to find a team before next season, especially with elite length that many teams could utilize. Sacramento could be looking for a backup big man if center Alex Len doesn't return to California's capital for the 2024-25 campaign.

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