Jerry Reynolds on what the Kings should do with Sabonis & LaVine

Sacramento Kings legend Jerry Reynolds doesn’t believe the organization should rush to move either Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis simply to accelerate a youth movement.

Appearing on Sactown Sports’ The Drive Guys, Reynolds pushed back on the growing narrative that Sacramento should prioritize minutes for its younger players over proven veterans.

Instead, he believes the Kings should continue putting their best players on the floor while maximizing the value of two of their biggest assets.

“I guess my simplistic answer would be, why don’t you try to get your best players on the floor?” Reynolds said.

The comments come as LaVine enters the final season of his $49 million contract. After an injury-shortened campaign in which he played just 39 games, the 31-year-old still averaged 19.2 points while shooting 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range.

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

More on Zach LaVine & Domantas Sabonis

While some fans have suggested Sacramento should reduce LaVine’s role to create opportunities for younger players like second-year wing Nique Clifford or rookie guard Emanuel Sharp, Reynolds believes that approach would ultimately hurt the franchise.

“There’s a reason that Zach LaVine has got a $49 million contract,” Reynolds said. “He’s a big-time scorer. I just don’t think it makes sense for a team with very few assets to diminish a potential asset.”

Reynolds believes LaVine’s value could actually increase if he performs well before the trade deadline.

“If he plays as well as he’s played for most of his career, I think there’d be certainly, if you decided you wanted to trade him, a chance to get something of value for him,” Reynolds said. “And if you don’t, he comes off your books.”

The same philosophy applies to Domantas Sabonis, who has been one of the NBA’s most productive big men.

Over the last four seasons, the 30-year-old has averaged 19.0 points, 13.1 rebounds and 7.0 assists while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc across 250 games.

Sabonis also has two seasons and approximately $94 million remaining on his contract.

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Asked whether Sacramento should move on from Domantas Sabonis because he may not fit the team’s long-term timeline, Reynolds instead suggested the Kings may need to rethink that timeline.

“I think things are different,” Reynolds said. “I think with the relegation stuff, you better try to win as many games as you can.”

He added that in today’s NBA, teams without elite lottery positioning must rely more heavily on trades than draft picks to improve their roster.

“If you want to build your team, you’re probably going to have more with trades than anything else,” Reynolds said. “The only way to trade is to have guys somebody wants.”

For Reynolds, that makes the path forward relatively straightforward.

Rather than rushing into rebuilding decisions, the Kings should allow Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis to continue producing, preserve their trade value and only make a move if it meaningfully improves the franchise’s future.

Listen to The Drive Guys from 2 – 6 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.

Click here for full episodes of The Drive Guys.

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 Domantas Sabonis 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)

Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on X/Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Related

49ers bring back WR Deebo Samuel on 1-year, $7 million deal49ers OC praises Brock Purdy, WR growth early in Training CampFaithful Flashbacks #30: The Pick at the StickSharks’ Macklin Celebrini inks 5-year deal at record $18.8M annuallyShould the Sacramento Kings have done more this offseason?NBA Insider believes Darius Acuff Jr. can change the Kings’ culture