Making Sense of Why the Kings Rejected a Trae Young-Zach LaVine Trade

After trading De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs, the Sacramento Kings were in search of their next franchise point guard. In exchange for Fox, the Kings received Zach LaVine, and they reportedly had the chance to flip him for a four-time All-Star ball-handler, Trae Young.

On a recent episode of the Locked On Kings podcast, Kings insider James Ham reported that Sacramento turned down a LaVine-for-Young swap.

"The Kings, of course, have been offered Trae Young at one point in exchange for Zach LaVine. Zach LaVine to Atlanta and Trae Young to the Sacramento Kings," Ham said. "The Kings said no to that deal, from what I know. Very specifically, according to a source of mine. They said no because they knew that the second he got off the plane, he wanted an extension, and the Kings were not fully prepared to be in the long-term Trae Young business."

Dec 29, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles guarded by Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

While Ham does not give a timeline for when this would've gone down, we know it was sometime between the 2025 offseason and the 2026 trade deadline. At last season's deadline, Young was ultimately shipped to the Washington Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, signaling what his value would've been for the Kings.

Should the Kings have accepted this?

The Kings have made it obvious that they are ready to get out of the Zach LaVine business, which made things even worse when he opted into his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season. However, they turned down an opportunity to trade him? On the surface, it does not make much sense, but really, the Kings would have made a mistake by taking this deal.

Sure, Young is a star point guard, but the Kings might've dodged a bullet. After he was traded to the Wizards, he signed a four-year, $212.8 million contract. As Ham said, the Kings would not have wanted to be tied down to Young's $212.8 million contract, which would likely put them in a worse situation than LaVine's remaining $49 million.

BREAKING: Trae Young intends to sign a four-year, approximately $212 million deal to stay with the Washington Wizards, with a player option in Year 4, sources tell ESPN. The four-time NBA All-Star declined his $49M player option for a long-term commitment ahead of free agency. pic.twitter.com/BAGANqomo0
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2026

In hindsight, it makes it even more clear why the Kings turned this down. In the 2026 NBA Draft, after the Kings turned down the chance to trade for Young, they drafted Darius Acuff Jr. with the seventh pick. Taking a chance on an offensive-minded 19-year-old rather than a proven 27-year-old star is worth the risk for Sacramento.

There is no guarantee that having Young on the roster would put the Kings in a better position, as they would likely still be stuck in mediocrity. Where they stand now gives them a chance to reset and try to build something better than what Young would have given them. LaVine's contract expires in 2027 and Domantas Sabonis's in 2028. The Kings' rebuild is here, and Young would have been far from the solution.

If this offer came in the 2025 offseason, this could've had a much different outcome. At that point, the Kings likely still felt that they could stay competitive with Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan. But assuming this offer to Scott Perry at the 2025-26 trade deadline, in the middle of Sacramento's 22-win season, they were no longer in the market to go all-in on a star.

This was likely a tempting offer for Perry and Sacramento's front office, as they had the chance to finally end their search for a point guard, but they made the right decision to turn it down.

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