As the 2026-27 NBA season gets closer, the Sacramento Kings are starting to look pretty close to finished. Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk are still on the roster after an offseason full of speculation, and while there are still some loose ends - including LaVine’s role and recent chatter about the Kings adding another guard to help mentor Darius Acuff Jr. - the big picture is taking shape.
The cleanest way to read this roster is by contract size. At the top are LaVine and Sabonis, and both carry major numbers into next season.
• Zach LaVine: 2026-27 - $49.0 million
• Domantas Sabonis: 2026-27 - $45.5 million, 2027-28 - $48.6 million
LaVine’s deal comes off the books after this season, which gives the Kings some flexibility. Sabonis is a different story. He still has another year at $48.6 million in 2027-28, and the real question is whether Sacramento is the team paying that bill or whether a trade partner eventually takes it on at the deadline or next offseason.
The middle of the roster is where things get tricky. De’Andre Hunter, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk make up that next contract tier, but Sacramento doesn’t have many of those in-between deals that can be bundled into larger trades.
Murray is likely not available, which leaves Hunter as the most realistic trade chip if the Kings go that route. His expiring contract and position of need around the league make him the most movable name in that group.
• De’Andre Hunter: 2026-27 - $24.9 million
• Keegan Murray: 2026-27 - $24.1 million, 2027-28 - $26.1 million, 2028-29 - $28.0 million, 2029-30 - $29.9 million, 2030-31 - $31.9 million
• Malik Monk: 2026-27 - $20.2 million, 2027-28 - $21.6 million (PO)
Below that, the Kings are loaded with rookie contracts, minimum deals, and two-way players. That gives them depth, but not a ton of flexibility when it comes to constructing bigger trades, especially since most of these players are expected to stay in Sacramento through the season.
• Darius Acuff Jr: 2026-27 - $8.0 million, 2027-28 - $8.4 million, 2028-29 - $8.8 million (TO), 2029-30 - $11.2 million (TO)
• Precious Achiuwa: 2026-27 - $5.5 million, 2027-28 - $5.8 million
• Nique Clifford: 2026-27 - $3.3 million, 2027-28 - $3.4 million, 2028-29 - $6.0 million (TO)
• Alex Karaban: 2026-27 - $2.9 million, 2027-28 - $3.1 million, 2028-29 - $3.2 million (TO), 2029-30 - $5.9 million (TO)
• Daeqwon Plowden: 2026-27 - $2.4 million, 2027-28 - $2.7 million
• Maxime Raynaud: 2026-27 - $2.2 million, 2027-28 - $2.5 million
• Dylan Cardwell: 2026-27 - $2.2 million, 2027-28 - $2.5 million, 2028-29 - $2.7 million (TO)
• Emanuel Sharp: 2026-27 - $1.4 million, 2027-28 - $2.3 million, 2028-29 - $2.7 million (TO)
• Jonathan Mogbo: 2026-27 - Two-Way
• Adam Flagler: 2026-27 - Two-Way
The Kings also don’t have many offseason decisions left. DeMar DeRozan is already gone because of his non-guaranteed deal, though Sacramento still has until the end of August to decide whether to pay him his $10 million outright or stretch it over three seasons.
One more deadline is coming up before the season: Nique Clifford’s third-year team option. The expectation is that Sacramento will pick it up on or before the 10/31 deadline.
Scott Perry has at least given Doug Christie a roster with more balance than the Kings have had in recent years. For a while, Sacramento was short on size and vulnerable on the wings, but this group actually has some real size at small forward and power forward.
• PG: Acuff, Sharp, Flagler
• SG: LaVine, Monk, Plowden
• SF: Hunter, Clifford
• PF: Murray, Achiuwa, Karaban, Mogbo
• C: Sabonis, Raynaud, Cardwell
There are still some holes, especially at point guard behind Acuff, and that looks like the main offseason task still sitting in front of the Kings. Even so, the roster as constructed gives Christie several ways to mix and match lineups and try different combinations once the season starts.
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Zach LaVine has also come up in the conversation, but from Sacramento's side of the equation, the fit is far from simple. Financial and contractual hurdles make a deal look unlikely, and the Kings are not eager to take drastic measures to create one, leaving Miami to keep weighing whether its best route is a costly trade, a cheaper veteran option or simply trusting Erik Spoelstra to make more of what he has. [Read more 🡒]
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Domantas Sabonis has become a central figure in Sacramentos rebuild discussion, with the Kings already having open conversations with him about possible trade paths while also keeping the door open to a future together. He still has two years and $94 million left on his contract, which makes him both one of the franchises most valuable assets and one of the toughest pieces to move.
Sabonis has signaled a willingness to stay in place and help with the transition if that is where things settle, and the Kings are in no hurry to force the issue. For now, the focus is on player development and on waiting for a deal that truly changes the roster, rather than moving a veteran center just to make a move. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Offseason Pivot Around Patrick Williams Just Got More Serious
The Bulls offseason plans have started to crystallize around Patrick Williams, and the latest reports suggest Chicago is at least listening on the forward while also weighing a wider pivot for more draft capital. Williams still has three years left on his contract, which makes him one of the more interesting names on the market for teams hunting a young wing with upside, and the Bulls are also said to have interest in Bennedict Mathurin as they sort through their next move.
For Sacramento, the chatter is worth watching because the Kings have already surfaced in proposed framework conversations as teams around the league try to map out where Williams could land. Nothing has been finalized yet, but if Chicago keeps pushing for picks and a cleaner roster direction, the Kings could wind up part of a larger chain of movement before the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
