Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The Sacramento Kings endured a rollercoaster season, which ultimately led to a Play-In Tournament appearance with no trip to the playoffs to show for it.
During the season, Sacramento fired 2023 Coach of the Year Mike Brown, assistant coach Luke Loucks left for the Florida State head coaching job, and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox left to join the University of Utah as its general manager. Eventually, general manager Monte McNair and the Kings parted ways, followed by hiring Scott Perry.
While there was a lot of movement in the coaching and front office for Sacramento, the Kings most notably traded their franchise point guard, De’Aaron Fox, in a blockbuster trade, which resulted in Zach LaVine becoming a King.
Looking ahead to the offseason, rival NBA executives are monitoring the trio of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan with the belief that Sacramento will explore the possibility of trading at least one of those players either this offseason or before the trade deadline in February.
Sabonis, who’s led the league in rebounding three straight seasons and has arguably been snubbed for the past two All-Star games, is owed $136.42 million through the next three seasons.
As a King, no player has been more consistent than Sabonis, who’s averaged 19.2 points on 59.7 percent shooting with 13.2 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.
Yet, rival executives are monitoring whether Sabonis will eventually request a trade if Sacramento continues to sputter and not show improvement as anything more than a Play-In Team.
After an injury-marred 2023-24 season with Chicago, LaVine bounced back last season, shooting career highs from the field (.511) and beyond the arc (.446) with 23.3 points per game.
The 30-year-old guard is owed $47.50 million this season, has a $48.97 million player option for the 2026-27 season, and a 15 percent trade kicker in his contract.
It’s worth noting that before returning to Sacramento’s front office, Perry was critical of LaVine on “The Hoops Genius Podcast” with BJ Armstrong, who joined him as Sacramento’s new assistant general manager.
“No question that Zach LaVine can score the basketball,” Perry said in November 2023. “Does he impact winning? LaVine has been to one playoff series in nine years. He’s played a total of four playoff basketball games. I’m looking at playing $40, $43, $46, and $49 million for a guy who – to this point – has not impacted winning to the level that his money says he should impact.”
During Perry’s introductory press conference, he cleared the air on where he stands now on LaVine and their relationship.
“I’ve had the chance to speak with Zach,” Perry told reporters at his press conference. “I knew Zach a little bit well before I took this job. When he was a young player at UCLA who was coming out, I was scouting him and watching him a lot – terrific talent, athletic, career 40 percent 3-point shooter. And he and I, like I said, had a good conversation. My job now (is) to help put pieces around him and others to enhance his ability to start winning.”
Meanwhile, Sacramento’s other top wing scorer, DeRozan, remained impactful, averaging 22.2 points on 47.7 percent shooting. He turns 36 in August, has $24.57 million on the books for next season, and only $10 million of his $25.74 million salary for the 2026-27 season is guaranteed.
Similarly, backup center Jonas Valanciunas is owed $10.40 million this season, and his $10 million salary for the 2026-27 season is non-guaranteed.
Thus, DeRozan and Valanciunas are considered movable salaries.