Kings Don’t Need To Rush To Trade LaVine or Sabonis

The Sacramento Kings have been attempting to shop veterans Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine seemingly since general manager Scott Perry took over last offseason. Yet, they’re in no rush to do so.

Anthony Slater, NBA Insider for ESPN, shared his understanding of Sacramento’s desires and direction to Allen Stiles on The Drive Guys. “Scott Perry’s phone lines are open,” Slater said. “I think that’s one of the things we’ve learned… he’s got connections across the league, and he talks plenty.”

Previous Kings’ front offices have tried to jump back into postseason contention sooner than advisable, but it seems the current team is planning a more patient approach.

“(Perry’s) also been given, I think, a pretty patient mandate of being able to rebuild this thing properly.” Rebuilding through the draft is a priority, with incoming rookie lottery guard Darius Acuff Jr. as the only true centerpiece currently rostered.

The top of their salary books is filled by LaVine’s expiring $49 million deal, and the two-year $94 million Sabonis has remaining. Add in more than $20 million for each of De’Andre Hunter, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk, and they pushed just under the first apron.

It’s an unideal salary structure for a team that lost 60 games last season, which is why they want to move on from their top deals. While LaVine’s figure is a clear overpay, he’s still a talented scorer, and his deal will expire at the end of the season. If Perry can’t find a deal, he could simply let the guard walk in free agency.

“If they just let LaVine’s contract run out, sure, you don’t get any type of trade package back,” Slater said. “But if the trade packages you had been offered for a couple of years aren’t appealing, maybe it’s just the cap space that’s the appealing part of it.”

Sabonis, with two seasons left, makes it a bit more complicated, but there shouldn’t be any harm in letting him play two seasons as a pick-and-roll or dribble-handoff partner for Acuff. Slater also points out that Sabonis could have some value on the trade market.

“The Sabonis one, I think there was more of a chance and remains more of a chance to maybe get an asset,” he said.

Since consecutive season top-10 in MVP voting, it’s been two quieter seasons for the three-time All-Star. Last year, he played in a career low 19 games, largely due to a season-ending surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Before that, he had never played fewer than 62 games in any given season.

Performing well early in the season could rekindle some league-wide interest in the versatile big man. No team was reportedly linked to Sabonis more than the Toronto Raptors last season.

If Sabonis, LaVine, and even Monk can have standout beginnings to their 2026-27 campaigns, Perry could be presented with promising deals. Should that not happen, he and his staff also seem to be in no hurry to attach assets or accept poor offers.

Worst case, they can wait out the deals and free up their books by letting them walk.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

What is the next Sacramento Kings Offseason Event?

The start of the 2026-27 season is quickly approaching for Zach LaVine and the Sacramento Kings.

Sacramento will begin training camp in late September as they prepare to begin preseason play on Monday, October 5th when they face Luka Doncic and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center.

Be sure to stay tuned into Sactown Sports all offseason for roster updates, schedule announcements, analysis, and much more.

Upcoming Sacramento Kings Offseason Schedule

• August TBD – 2026-27 NBA Schedule release
• Late September – NBA training camps begin

Sacramento Kings 2026-27 Preseason Schedule

• Monday, October 5th vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7 P.M. PST)
• Thursday, October 8th @ Los Angeles Lakers (7:30 P.M. PST)
• Saturday, October 10th @ Golden State Warriors (5:30 P.M. PST)
• Tuesday, October 13th vs. Portland Trail Blazers (7:00 P.M. PST)
• Friday, October 16th @ San Antonio Spurs (7:00 P.M. PST)

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