Not sure I follow this thinking. He’s making 8 million a year not 20. That’s actually right around what Len/McGee make combined. By your salary = minutes logic, it would make sense for Lyles to play 15-20 mpg & Len/McGee to play 15-20 mpg too.
This is the same conversation almost every offseason when the Kings have a deep roster and somebody always seems to find that short straw when the season gets going. I figure Lyles was a rotation player last year making less, he got paid more, and for more than one year. The contract isn't a crippling thing but I would imagine for them to be that into re-signing him then the plan wasn't a cut in minutes or role. The Kings just added Sasha on top of it all, odds are some of those leftover Metu minutes at a whopping 10 per game are going that way. As always, for Len/McGee to play 15-20 minutes along with Lyles playing the same, work out the minutes. I don't think you can figure any of Barnes, Keegan, Sasha, or Lyles are playing much if any SG although a big lineup might work and hopefully Keegan breaks into legit starters minutes one way or another. Also some of the reason the Kings last year had decent looking minutes on some of the fringe guys like Metu/TD/Edwards was Brown would ride some guys some nights, and then they might not even play another night. So maybe some nights Lyles plays, some nights the true C's play which yes, is something Brown has done in the past. Outside of Lyles who played a lot of minutes next to Metu last year, the combo of "C's" of Metu, Len, Queta, and Holmes, none averaged more than 10 mpg last season except Metu and Metu played the most games at 66 of 82. If Len or McGee play the minutes you describe, someone else is getting cut to do it. Even during the season Lyles' big minute games usually came with Keegans time getting pinched in the process.