Report: Kings Among Two Teams to Monitor in Zach LaVine Trade
The rumor mill continues to keep moving for the Sacramento Kings, who recently headlined a report discussing a seemingly imminent move involving Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine.
It’s been no secret that LaVine and the Bulls require a long-awaited divorce. After holding onto the same underwhelming core of him, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic over the past three seasons and securing a singular playoff win, it’s time for this core group to move on and Chicago to hit the reset button.
With that, many whispers have connected LaVine to a variety of different candidates to facilitate a deal. One of the most prominent teams connected to him? The Kings.
Most recently, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Sacramento is one of two suitors that could become a team to watch in the coming weeks for a LaVine deal:
"Keep an eye on Sacramento and Golden State as they battle with inconsistency and tough roster decisions, and then there’s always the unforeseen injury that could happen to a team with deep playoff aspirations. In other words, a quiet market today could become very loud tomorrow or in the upcoming weeks."
While the Kings could be a potential landing spot for the 2x All-Star, it looks as there’s no market around the NBA for him as things currently stand. However, considering the downward spiral we’ve seen a team like the Golden State Warriors suffer from, making a shift via trade could be a welcomed option for those in the league who feel that an adjustment needs to be made.
Still, making a move for LaVine is much easier said than done. He’s on a hefty contract worth $178 million that will likely extend until the summer of 2027 if he accepts his $48.9 million player option. Any team acquiring LaVine effectively creates a strong financial bind that spans the next few seasons.
If the Kings decided LaVine was the guy to trade for, it would create a deadly offensive unit of him, De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Keegan Murray. It might be a high price to pay him, but the result may end up being worth it.
Having those monetary considerations in mind sets the stage for this process to be a slow one. Expect to hear a bit more movement as we inch closer to the deadline on February 8th.
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