Sacramento Kings fans have received good news on the Precious Achiuwa free-agent front, as the veteran big man is expected to return.

The Kings signed Achiuwa to a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Sacramento last year for $2.45 million. He ended up being a bargain for Sacramento, as he played in 73 games (57 starts), averaging 10.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 23.9 minutes.

The 26-year-old Achiuwa proved to be a high-energy player for a Kings team that benefited from his motor, rebounding, scoring, leadership, and team-first play.

Although the Kings missed the playoffs and had one of the worst records in the NBA, Achiuwa was a great fit in Sacramento, and most Kings fans want him back next year.

It looks like they will get their wish.

Precious Achiuwa Expected Back in Sacramento

According to James Ham, a Kings insider for ESPN 1320 Sacramento, Achiuwa is expected to re-sign in Sacramento and return to the team next season.

“The word I’m hearing it’s verly likely that Precious Achiuwa will be back next season. Sources I’m hearing that there’s a very good chance that things are gonna move well with Precious and that he’ll be back next year,” Ham said.

The Kings have a number of potential moves they could make this summer, including trading All-Star center Domantas Sabonis. But it’s clear that bringing back Achiuwa is a priority for the team, and it appears that the player wants to be back, too, so look for a deal to get done soon with free agency starting on June 30.

Potential Precious Achiuwa Contract Number

When asked what kind of money Achiuwa could expect on his next Kings’ contract, Ham said there are several different routes the team can take with the veteran big.

“No. 1, he could play on a minimum contract like he did last year. That’s always a possibility. But I think the way he played, specifically his ability to defend three or four positions, was super impressive. It might actually get him slightly more money than the league minimum. Just keep in mind, when players accept the league minimum, very rarely do they ever go back up in dollar amount, even for young guys. Even for younger players like Precious, it’s a really, really difficult world that they live in,” Ham said.

“So, when it comes to Precious, there are a couple of mechanisms in place. No. 1, the Kings will have a partial mid-level or potentially a full mid-level exception, and that can be up to $15 million. I don’t think Precious is getting that at all, but a mid-level is up to four years, and you can break it up into multiple contracts, so you can have four different guys as part of your mid-level exception as long as they’re all working at the right dollar amount.

“The bi-annual exception is gonna be a little over $5 million this year, and it’s good for two years, so you could sign him to a two-year, $10 million deal, and that would make sense as well for Precious. I think that’s probably more in the range of what he’s looking for.”