Kings Reportedly Decline Ben McLemore's Qualifying Offer; Will Be Free Agent

Ben McLemore will become an unrestricted free agent this summer after the Sacramento Kings reportedly declined to extend the 24-year-old an offer sheet. 

ESPN's Chris B. Haynes reported the Kings' decision to pass on giving McLemore an offer sheet. 

"

Ben McLemore is an intriguing young guard that most teams feel hasn't scratched the surface of his reaching his potential.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 28, 2017"

McLemore was eligible for a fourth-year contract extension last season, but the two sides couldn't agree to terms before the Oct. 31 deadline. 

If the Kings wanted to extend a qualifying offer to McLemore, they would have had the option of matching any offer sheet he received from another team as a restricted free agent. 

Haynes reported last October others around the NBA believed McLemore's "best playing days would come in a different uniform" after being with a Kings franchise seemingly in constant disarray. 

McLemore has been with the Kings his entire career since they used the seventh-overall pick in 2013 on the Kansas product. He demonstrated flashes of scoring and durability in those first two years and posted 8.8 points a night as a rookie and a career-best 12.1 points per game in 2014-15, all while never missing a game.

His durability hasn't been the same since, seeing as how he didn't play in 35 games the last two seasons. Still, he is a potent three-point shooter when on the floor, and his 38.2 percent mark from deep in 2016-17 helped him average 8.1 points per game.

McLemore came on down the stretch and scored at least 13 points in six of the Kings' final eight games, including two contests where he poured in 22 points.

He has shown flashes of being a quality shooter with a 35.2 percent success rate from three-point range and should command solid attention this summer as a low-cost young player who still has plenty of untapped potential.