How Rich Paul Is Impacting Zach LaVine's Future With the Kings

The biggest looming question of the offseason for the Sacramento Kings is Zach LaVine’s $49 million player option. Usually, it’s a foregone conclusion that a player would opt in to a deal of that stature, and until recently, it seemed that was the case for LaVine as well. NBA careers only last so long, and LaVine has only appeared in four playoff games at 31 years old.

Whether it leads to anything or not, The Athletic’s Sam Amick thinks that LaVine’s agent, Rich Paul, is exploring all options for his client.

“His camp has absolutely said that he was picking that option up, and obviously, when he spoke publicly, he seemed to leave a little bit of a window open," Amick said.

So You’re Tellin' Me There’s a Chance?

Amick joined the Carmichael Dave Show on Sactown Sports 1140 to talk about the Kings’ offseason and was asked about the possibility of agents looking for deals for players with impending options. Amick confirmed that it happens, but obviously, both parties need to be aligned. One question you may be asking is, why would LaVine pass on nearly $50 million?

“I have great confidence that Rich [Paul], pretty openly and in the light, has had discussions with all kinds of teams about Zach to find out what might be out there for him," Amick said.

LaVine’s option is a massive number, but if he opts in and things don’t go well, he may be looking at a massive pay cut with his next contract. I’m not going to go as far as saying that he will be looking at purely vet minimum contract offers after next season, but it isn’t that far-fetched.

LaVine has dealt with a myriad of injuries throughout his career, and on top of that, he hasn’t proven to be a winning player. If there’s a chance for him to find a deal for 3+ years, he may very well be willing to take a pay cut.

At the start of the season, Zach LaVine had the 9th-worst career plus/minus (data available since 1996–97). One month in, he’s already moved up to No. 5. pic.twitter.com/pJd9vSFH2z
— Crazy Stats (@NBAcrazystats) November 22, 2025

Oh, the Places You’ll Go

Dr. Suess’ 1990 book is all about life’s ups and downs, and finding success in life. LaVine has the talent to help a team win meaningful games, but he needs to find the right fit for his game. A team that needs scoring and shooting could really use a career 20-point-per-game scorer who shoots 39% from three. The issue is that whatever team brings in LaVine has to have other playmakers and great defenders around him.

LaVine’s career 11.1% assist percentage was good for 323rd in the league this season, and it highlights how much he struggles to make plays for others with the ball in his hands. He’s excellent at creating for himself and often prefers to shoot off the bounce, which could be useful for the right team. Unfortunately, unless he’s going to become a low usage movement shooter, his best role on a playoff team might be coming off the bench.

Zach LaVine 43 points on 16/28 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Bj5R9eg5Qn
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) April 8, 2025

On Thursday night, we saw Bones Hyland light up the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of the first round, helping put the game back out of hand after the Nuggets started to claw back. Similar to LaVine, Hyland was initially viewed as a purely offensive player who was a liability on defense. Now, Hyland is playing meaningful minutes for a real contender in the Western Conference. If LaVine can find a team like the Minnesota Timberwolves that needs a scoring punch off the bench, he might be able to make a real difference.

What Would It Mean for Sacramento?

Being able to shed that much salary would be massive for the Kings and completely change their outlook for next season. As of now, the Kings are projected to be in the luxury tax and, barring a miracle, will not have the success to make that worthwhile. If LaVine finds another team willing to give him a long-term contract, the Kings would still be over the cap, but they would have significantly more room to take on salary under the tax and the first apron.

Zach LaVine says he remains undecided about picking up his $49M player option.

"I will go back and look at the best course of action and ask what is most important to me right now"

(Via @JakeGadon_TV ) pic.twitter.com/IxQk07dHrx
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 13, 2026

For a rebuilding team like Sacramento, flexibility is key, and currently, they don’t have much. Not having to take on LaVine’s player option would save them millions in tax, but it would also ensure that they have access to the full mid-level exception in 2027-28. On top of that, getting under the second apron allows the Kings to use the bi-annual exception, acquire players via sign and trade, use more than 100% salary matching in a trade, and use traded player exceptions created in the prior season.

The Kings have other avenues to getting under the tax and the first apron, but moving on from LaVine also opens time for Nique Clifford, who should be the focus right now. It also gives the Kings insurance in case they fail to find a trade partner for Malik Monk in the offseason. This is nothing against LaVine. I do believe he can contribute on a good day, but the Kings should certainly be hoping that Rich Paul can work another miracle.

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