Zach LaVine’s time in Sacramento may already have an expiration date, no matter how this season plays out.
That’s the uncomfortable reality facing the Kings as they try to reset around a roster that already has nearly $100 million tied up in LaVine and Domantas Sabonis this season. Those contracts aren’t the only obstacle in the way of bigger moves, but they’re a major one, and LaVine in particular has become the player fans are pointing to when they talk about what went wrong last year.
Sabonis still carries a different kind of standing in Sacramento. Fans generally hold a lot of respect for him, and around the league he remains viewed as a highly regarded big man when he’s healthy, even if defense isn’t his calling card. Last season, injury issues made things tougher for him.
LaVine, though, has drawn a much colder reaction. Fair or not, he’s become the face of the frustration from last season, and plenty of Kings fans want him gone, whether that happens through a trade or by letting him leave in free agency.
That matters because Sacramento’s rebuild depends on keeping its fan base on board. Kings fans have stuck with the team through nearly two decades of being in the NBA’s basement, and that kind of loyalty is a huge part of what makes the market tick.
But the frustration around LaVine could test that loyalty. If he has a better season and the Kings start thinking about keeping him beyond his contract, that could create a real problem. The fans have already made their stance clear, and ignoring it could open a rift between the franchise and the people it needs most.
The likeliest outcome is still that the Kings move on, and that LaVine moves on too. Even if he settles in and finds his rhythm, this feels like a relationship that needs to end. For Sacramento and for LaVine, a clean break would offer the freshest path forward in the NBA.
In Other News...
Kings Already Face One Alex Karaban Decision That Really Matters
ESPNs projected depth chart already gives a hint of how the Kings may view Alex Karaban, slotting the rookie as a third-string small forward and fifth-string power forward. That kind of placement is hardly unusual for a late first-round pick, but it does underline the challenge ahead for Sacramento as it tries to turn a traded-up draft choice into a meaningful piece rather than just another name buried behind veterans.
Scott Perry spent picks to move near the end of the first round and bring Karaban in at the 2026 NBA Draft, so the real question now is how the Kings plan to get him on the floor often enough to matter. The depth chart is only a projection, and for a team that made that kind of investment, even small shifts in his role could say a lot about how quickly Sacramento wants to accelerate his development. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Still Have A Late Offseason Question Worth Watching
The late-summer roster shuffle around the NBA still has a few moving parts, and the Cavaliers are one of the teams worth watching as the calendar creeps toward the Oct. 20 start of the 2026-27 season. With major names already changing addresses, from LeBron James landing with the 76ers to Giannis Antetokounmpo going to the Heat, the leagues landscape has been reshaped in a hurry, but a handful of clubs are still leaving themselves room for one more decision before camp fully takes over.
Open roster spots remain around the league, and that leaves the Cavaliers with at least one unresolved question as they sort out the final edges of their roster. Some expected business, like Jalen Duren returning to his current team, may get settled without much drama, but other situations could still turn on a signing or a waiver before opening night. For a team trying to make sure every spot is accounted for, the next move may be less about splash than about timing. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Could Be Back On The Kings Radar Soon
Jonathan Kumingas next move has already been shaped by an eye on the future, and that is exactly why he remains one of the more intriguing names for teams like the Kings to monitor. He signed a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves that includes a player option for the second season, and his agent, Aaron Turner, said the choice was made with basketball fit and flexibility in mind rather than simply taking the biggest immediate payday.
Kuminga had previously passed on a richer extension from the Golden State Warriors, a reminder that the long view matters here as much as any single contract. With his camp positioning him for the 2027 free agency market and multiple cap-space teams expected to have interest next offseason, Sacramento will have reason to stay plugged in if its own roster plans and appetite for another swing at upside line up at the right time. [Read more 🡒]