Kings 2026 Salary Cap Tracker: How Much Room, Flexibility Do They Have This Offseason

The Sacramento Kings head into the offseason with a lot of work to do, but not much wiggle room for Scott Perry and the front office to reshape the roster.

Apr 12, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) warms up before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The disappointing NBA season for the Sacramento Kings is finally over, which means the lottery-bound team and fanbase can now look ahead to an exciting and optimistic offseason, right? Right? Well, not so much for Scott Perry and the rest of the front office. They head into the offseason with more questions than answers, and a roster with little to no wiggle room thanks to the expensive contracts for the team's veteran players.

Domantas Sabonis is owed $45.5 million next season and Zach LaVine is sure to pick up his $49 million player option. The two of them alone make up $94.5 million, which puts the Kings nearly halfway to the projected $201 million luxury tax line for next season.

Throw in DeMar DeRozan's $24.8 non-guaranteed deal, Keegan Murray's first year of his extension at $24.1 million, and Malik Monk's $20.2 million, and you can quickly see why the Kings are in such a perilous situation. The good news is that Sacramento has a lot of money coming off the books after next season, but that doesn't help them much this year.

According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, the Kings are projected to have $225 million on the books for next year, putting them over the second apron. That's a lot of money for a team that just finished with 22 wins and tied for the fourth-worst record in the league.

https://t.co/7XKc8SBY2v pic.twitter.com/Cuz8dtoQM5

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) April 12, 2026

A Little Bit of Wiggle Room

Fortunately for the Kings, they have a little bit of wiggle room. The biggest money-making move they can make is cutting ties with DeMar DeRozan. The future hall of famer has only $10 million of his contract guaranteed. They would have still have that $10 million on the books for the year, but if the goal is to save as much as possible, that would save a little over $15 million.

The contract structure, as well as DeRozan's continued strong play this season, also make him a likely trade candidate. The hard part with trades though, is that the Kings will have to bring money back in most circumstances.

Another way the Kings could save a few million is by declining Killian Hayes' $3.0 million team option. Hayes has looked solid since joining the team, but he hasn't lit the world on fire. The Kings do need point guard depth, and they might value Hayes as a true facilitator, which is something Perry and Doug Christie often talk about having on the court to lead an offense.

Trades Incoming?

Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) talks with forward Domantas Sabonis (left) and guard Zach LaVine (8) during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

If the Kings do want to clear their books for next season, the only viable way to do so is with trades. But if they are trading their veterans, they shouldn't expect to get much back in terms of talent. Fans and media often talk about who 'won' a trade, but for the Kings, the priority might have to be salary over talent, which is a hard sell for fans.

It could also be that none of the players are valued around the league, and it makes sense for the Kings to take advantage of the expiring contracts themselves next offseason. But that would lead to yet another lost season next year. Only time will tell which direction Perry and the front office choose to go, but it's clear that this expensive roster is not worth going into either apron for. It's great that we're past last year and into the offseason, but the real work starts now for Perry.