"The excitement about signing Chuck Hayes for the Kings wasn't just that Hayes would improve the team defense.

It was that Hayes could have signed elsewhere but chose Sacramento. For a franchise looking for some good news this offseason, Hayes choosing to be a King was a sign things might be turning for the better.

So the news that a heart abnormality would cause Hayes' contract to be voided hit the team hard. Hayes is a likeable guy and had quickly won over coaches and teammates."