3 Players Who Won't Be on Kings Roster Next Season

With a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, the Sacramento Kings' 2025-26 campaign has officially come to an end. Finishing with a 22-60 record was obviously not how they thought the season would play out, but now they get to move into the offseason and make some much-needed changes.

With head coach Doug Christie reportedly sticking around, the Kings' attention will turn toward their roster management. The Kings need to make significant roster improvements, which means some players will be on the move this summer.

Here are three players who will likely not be on the Kings' roster next season:

DeMar DeRozan

While DeRozan is under contract for the 2026-27 season, his deal is only partially guaranteed. If the Kings keep him past January 10, 2027, they will owe him $25.7 million. However, he is guaranteed only $10 million before that date.

At 36 years old and entering his 18th NBA season, DeRozan will likely be ready for a new home this offseason. There was plenty of speculation about DeRozan moving on during the 2025 offseason, but he obviously stuck around. This offseason, though, will likely be different.

A veteran scorer like DeRozan on an expiring, partially guaranteed contract should be popular on the trade market, so hopefully the Kings have better luck trying to find a trade partner for him. At this stage of his career, being stuck on a rebuilding team has to be far from ideal, so sending him to a playoff contender could be best for all parties involved.

Keep in mind, though, even if the Kings cannot find a trade partner for DeRozan, they can waive him and take the $10 million penalty.

Drew Eubanks

The idea of signing a veteran center to back up Domantas Sabonis in last summer's free agency was a solid plan at the time, but Drew Eubanks' one-year tenure in Sacramento did not work out. Even when Sabonis went down with an injury, Eubanks sat behind the Kings' rookie center duo of Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell.

Unless the Kings want to bring Eubanks back on a minimum deal to be their fourth-string center, he will likely be finding a new home this offseason. The 29-year-old veteran is still capable of playing impactful basketball, but he will likely struggle to find consistent minutes anywhere he goes.

Letting Eubanks walk in free agency is the most obvious choice the Kings can make this offseason.

Zach LaVine

Another trade candidate is two-time All-Star Zach LaVine. He is expected to accept his player option for the 2026-27 season, worth just under $49 million, but the Kings will do what they can to get off that money.

On an expiring deal, LaVine could be a trade target for a few teams. Especially if he can commit to signing a cheaper extension, there should be teams out there willing to give up assets to get him. Is that guaranteed? Of course not, but Kings GM Scott Perry will be working the phones in an attempt to get it done.

LaVine has averaged 20.7 points per game throughout his 12-year career, while shooting 39.1% from three-point range. At a cheaper price tag, he would be seen as a high-level offensive player, but his huge contract has overshadowed any on-court impact over the last few years. Now that he has just one year left on his deal, it is time for the Kings to find a trade suitor.

If LaVine does not get traded in the offseason, though, he will be a top trade candidate by next year's deadline.

Other candidates

Nov 26, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) reacts to a call during the second quarter of the game against the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center. | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The Kings have a few more notable pending free agents, but there are certainly scenarios where they re-sign them: Russell Westbrook, Precious Achiuwa, Doug McDermott, and Daeqwon Plowden.

While we should not expect the Kings to bring these guys back, it would be shocking if they did not re-sign at least one or two of them. Achiuwa is the most likely candidate to get brought back to Sacramento, as long as the Kings are willing to pay a bit extra for him. They should certainly look into bringing back Westbrook as well, as long as he would be the backup point guard.

There are also a couple of other trade candidates, as they potentially look to move on from Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk, or Devin Carter, but they seem less likely to be moved.