The Sacramento Kings’ offseason has turned into a clear reset, and Zach LaVine looks like one of the biggest names who could be next out the door.
After a 22-60 finish last season, Sacramento is not pretending to be in title mode. The focus has shifted toward player development and building an identity, which has opened the door for more change around the edges of the roster.
DeMar DeRozan is already gone and likely headed to Miami, while Russell Westbrook may be finished in the NBA altogether. That leaves Domantas Sabonis and LaVine as the remaining veteran pieces, and LaVine’s situation appears especially shaky after tough conversations about his role for the upcoming season.
According to the latest intel from James Ham, the Kings have been direct with him about where things stand. “They’ve been honest with [Zach LaVine] and said, ‘Look, all bets are off if you opt in…We as a franchise have to make a business decision with regards to you, and if he’s going to get bought out it should happen now. Because after this it’s not advantageous to anybody.”
LaVine’s reputation has followed him around the league, including the fallout with the Chicago Bulls that ended in a dramatic exit. Still, the production is real. In 2025-26, he averaged 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field.
The contract is the obstacle. LaVine is earning roughly $45 million a year on the five-year, $215 million deal he signed in 2022, which is a big reason he was viewed as untradeable. But if Sacramento buys him out, he’d be able to sign with any team for the minimum, instantly turning him into a tempting free-agent target.
If that happens, a few teams stand out.
Miami is one obvious fit. The Heat have been hunting for low-cost help, and LaVine would bring exactly the kind of perimeter scoring they’ve been missing.
After the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, they had to part with most of their best shooters, including Tyler Herro, and that has left them thin on true outside threats. That’s why they’ve also been tied to veteran names like Klay Thompson.
LaVine, though, is the cleaner answer at 31. His shooting and explosive isolation scoring would give Miami a real jolt, and he’d have a chance to play a major role for a competitive team under Erik Spoelstra.
From his side, the appeal is simple: a big role, a winning environment, and the chance to play next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who creates easy looks for teammates.
Golden State is another possibility. The Warriors missed on their top targets this summer, and there’s been talk that they’re already thinking about the post-Steph era.
But if they want one more serious run with Curry, who plans to sign an extension, LaVine makes sense. He’s a three-level scorer who would take pressure off Stephen Curry and could help fill the gap if Jimmy Butler isn’t ready until midway through the season.
For Golden State, it would mean more scoring, more youth, and another star to lean on. For LaVine, it would be a chance to show what he can do while learning from Steph on offense and Draymond on defense.
Detroit rounds out the list. It has been a rough summer for the Pistons, with Cade Cunningham unable to land the reinforcements he hoped for.
Tobias Harris is already gone, and Jalen Duren is still holding off on extension talks while looking for a better deal. LaVine would help ease some of that sting and signal to Cunningham that Detroit is serious about competing.
The Pistons may not suddenly become East favorites, but they’d be better equipped to handle backcourts in New York, Philadelphia, and Cleveland. The question is whether they’d be willing to extend him.
Even so, Detroit would give LaVine a chance to become Cunningham’s ideal running mate on a young team with some stability and the promise of meaningful games ahead.
In Other News...
Kings Cannot Afford To Get This Jalen Duren Decision Wrong
Jalen Durens name is already floating around the Kings orbit for reasons that go beyond simple curiosity. After a strong regular season in Detroit, the young big man became the kind of player Sacramento could picture alongside its core, and the Kings even explored a sign-and-trade framework that would have sent Domantas Sabonis the other way. Detroit, unsurprisingly, shut that down, but the interest alone says plenty about how aggressively Sacramento is looking to reshape its frontcourt.
The problem is that the Pistons are staring at a difficult decision of their own, and Durens playoff showing only made it harder. His production dipped sharply when the games tightened, which is why contract talks have become so delicate, and why the Kings have to be careful not to overestimate how clean this fit might be. Sacramento can see the upside, but if Detroits hesitation lingers and the market keeps shifting, the next move on Duren could become one of those decisions that defines more than one team. [Read more 🡒]
Nique Clifford Is Running Out Of Time To Claim A Kings Starting Role
Nique Clifford arrived in Sacramento as the No. 24 pick in 2025 and quickly carved out a real role in his rookie season, the kind of early traction that usually buys a young player some runway. The Kings valued his ability to help right away, but the numbers also showed how much work remains if he is going to be more than a useful piece. His shooting efficiency lagged badly, and his shot profile did not exactly scream future starter for a team trying to sharpen its offense.
Cliffords path to a larger role may come down to how much he can clean up his scoring game while the Kings sort out who handles the ball and who benefits from those touches. He did not get to the line nearly enough for a player with his minutes, and the next step is less about proving he belongs than showing he can create easier offense for himself and the group around him. If Sacramento is going to keep him in the starting conversation, the margin for error is getting smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Kings May Finally Have A Real Path To Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kumingas next move is suddenly one of the more interesting front-office dominoes to watch, and Sacramento has at least been connected to the conversation. The Kings have shown interest in the forward, and the appeal is easy to see: he brings upside, athleticism and a chance to reshape a roster that could use more long-term swing talent, especially if the money and contract structure line up in a way that makes sense for both sides.
The wrinkle is that any real path for Sacramento would likely have to be creative, because the Kings are not just shopping for talent, they are trying to solve a roster puzzle. DeAndre Hunters expiring contract gives that idea some logic, and it is the kind of asset that can open doors in a negotiation, but the rest of the framework is still very much in the speculative stage. For now, the intrigue is less about whether Sacramento likes Kuminga and more about whether the pieces can be arranged in a way that makes the deal worth doing. [Read more 🡒]