Kings' Caution For These Contracts May Limit Deadline Moves

The Sacramento Kings are reportedly being cautious with what types of contracts they are willing to take back in trades.

Nov 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) and guard Zach LaVine (8) celebrate at mid court after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Trades in the NBA are becoming increasingly complicated with the introduction of the second apron, and even teams that aren’t up against the apron have a lot to consider before making a major move. That’s where we find the Sacramento Kings right now. The Kings are filled with veterans who aren’t expected to remain on the team for long; unfortunately, they aren’t the most in-demand players in the league right now.

While that doesn’t mean they are immovable contracts, Jake Fischer’s report that the Kings aren’t interested in taking on long-term money might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for this deadline.

“The Kings have also let it be known that they are reluctant to take back long-term salary as part of any in-season business they might conduct.”

Are The Kings Being TOO Cautious?

Fans watching the Kings this season want nothing more than to see the veterans moved and a chance to cheer for a young, rebuilding team. Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Dennis Schroder, Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk, and others are expected to be moved before they finish out their contracts in Sacramento, but that’s much easier said than done. Each player has their own set of baggage that makes them harder to trade, some more than others. 

Updated Sacramento roster

There are $3.6M (DeRozan $1M/Sabonis $2.6M) in unlikely bonuses that count toward the apron. pic.twitter.com/7qFyg4FOVM

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 15, 2025

Zach LaVine may be the most challenging to move with his upcoming $49 million player option for next season. LaVine is one of the better shooters in the league and can absolutely help a team; the issue is he isn’t worth nearly what he’s being paid. Domantas Sabonis is in a similar boat, but he’s younger and has proven he can help a team win (at least in the regular season). The rest of the guys mentioned are on easier-to-digest contracts, but that doesn’t mean they are guaranteed to be moved this season either. 

There are absolutely teams that are willing to take on LaVine, Sabonis, or DeRozan, if they’re able to send the Kings long-term contracts back. Fischer reports that the Kings have no interest in Ja Morant, nor do they want anything to do with Immanuel Quickley or Jakob Poeltl’s contracts. The question is, will the Kings get any trades done without taking on at least one bad contract?

“The latter is a major roadblock in any discussion regarding Toronto's oft-discussed interest in Domantas Sabonis, and all of the above would seem to limit the likelihood of the Kings as a Morant landing spot.”

Waiting Out the Storm

As Fischer mentions, the Kings’ unwillingness to take on long-term contracts will be an issue when it comes to making something happen. It’s possible that the Kings could’ve already made a major move if they weren’t taking this stance, whether it be LaVine, Sabonis, or someone else. As great as it would be to see the Kings steer into a full rebuild before the season is over, it’s the right move to try to avoid any long-term deals just for the sake of moving one or more of their veterans.

Just in: For the first time, the Memphis Grizzlies are entertaining offers to potentially move two-time All-Star Ja Morant ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/SD0RT9Jhuj

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 9, 2026

Ja Morant is an interesting target because he’s just 26 years old and only a few seasons removed from his back-to-back All-Star nods. At his best, Morant was averaging 25+ points per game and over seven assists while being one of most explosive players in the league. The problem with Morant is that he has gotten to the basket less and less each year, he’s never been a reliable shooter, and his defense leaves a lot to be desired. That’s a lot of flaws for a guy making $87 million over the next two years, not to mention he doesn’t align with Scott Perry’s pillars that he has hammered home since he took the GM job. 

“New Kings general Scott Perry routinely talks about what he regards as organizational “pillars,” which feature tenets such as “discipline, accountability and professionalism.””

Players like Quickley and Poeltl also make little sense for the Kings when you look at their contracts. Quickley is set to make over $32 million for the next three seasons, and Poeltl hasn’t even had his three-year, $84 million contract extension kick in yet. Either contract would be too much to take on for a team that is staring at a multi-year rebuilding process and needs as much flexibility as possible. 

As painful as it may be, this may be a situation where the Kings need to wait things out when it comes to some of their larger contracts. Regardless of who is active, it seems that the Kings are destined to stay near the top of the lottery, which should be the focus right now. LaVine will be an expiring deal next season, same with DeRozan, who is only guaranteed $10m after this year. Schroder has a team option for his third year, while Sabonis and Monk will be in much higher demand with just two years left on their deals. 

Why a Quiet Deadline Isn’t the End of the World

None of this is a guarantee that the Kings will stand pat at the trade deadline; there’s still a good chance we see some moves before February 5th. The point is that giving up long-term flexibility for a short-term win isn’t in the Kings’ best interest. Moves for expiring contracts, young players with upside (Jonathan Kuminga), and/or draft picks are all the Kings should be looking for at the moment. If those kinds of moves aren’t available to Sacramento, waiting until the summer is in their best interest.