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SACRAMENTO, CA — Former BYU All-American Jimmer Fredette was informed on Thursday that the Sacramento Kings would not pick up the fourth-year option on his contract.
If Fredette's option had been picked up, it would have paid him 3.1 million dollars for the 2014-2015 season. Instead, the former National Player of the Year will become an unrestricted free agent at season's end.
Fredette told Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports, "this is a business decision for the Kings and they are doing what they believe is best for the organization. I will continue to work hard and be the best I can be moving forward in my career."
Since being drafted 10th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by Milwaukee, and then traded to the Kings, Jimmer's career has been filled with ups and downs.
He's battled for minutes on a guard-heavy team, and seemingly went into every game wondering if he would play big minutes or never see the floor at all. Jimmer has averaged 7.4 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists during his career in Sacramento.
As he enters his 3rd season in the NBA, Fredette is still trying to figure out what his role is, while dealing with his third head coach in as many seasons.
The question now is, what will the Kings do with Jimmer this season? They could trade him before the February deadline and get something in return, or simply let him walk at the end of the season. They could also resign him in the off-season, but that scenario seems unlikely.
Sam Amick of USA Today, reported that at least six NBA teams have contacted the Kings regarding a trade for Fredette, but that the Utah Jazz are surprisingly not believed to be among them.
The Jazz are still in need of a player that can score from the perimeter, and there is no doubt that the team would see an financial benefit from bringing the former BYU Cougar back to Utah.
The NBA is a business and decisions such as these are made with that in mind. Jimmer Fredette will no doubt be playing in the NBA next season, it just won't be in a Sacramento Kings jersey.
