Sacramento Kings trying to buy out Jimmer Fredette’s contract

The Sacramento Kings are trying to buy out guard Jimmer Fredette’s contract.

Fredette was a first-round pick in 2011 after being named college player of the year after a spectacular career at BYU.

“Concerns about Fredette’s defense, ballhandling and inability to create his own shot also kept him from playing consistent minutes and trumped his shooting ability,” according to Jason Jones, who writes the Kings Blog for the Sacramento Bee.

Sacramento already has declined to pick up the option on his contract, so he was gone at the end of the season. The Kings tried and failed to trade him before last week’s trade deadline. If they complete the buyout, the Kings would waive him and he’d become a free agent. Several NBA writers are saying the Memphis Grizzlies are interested in signing Fredette.

Fredette has been buried on the bench in Sacramento behind starting point guard Isaiah Thomas and rookie Ray McCallum.

Fredette’s stats have sunk as his playing time decreased in each of his three years with Sacramento. This season, he was averaging 5.9 points and 1.5 assists in 11.3 minutes a game. His career average is 7.0 points a game.