Kings' Rest-of-Season Plan for Veteran Stars Revealed by Scott Perry

The Sacramento Kings were expected to move on from their veteran stars at the trade deadline, but as it came and went, guys like Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook, and Zach LaVine are still on the roster.

For a Kings team that will likely be looking to lose games toward the end of the season, speculation began about the team potentially buying out or waiving any of these veterans. However, that is far from reality. Kings general manager Scott Perry confirmed that this was not the case.

"I expect the veterans to be here through the end of the season," Perry said during his press conference on Friday.

"I expect the veterans to be here through the end of the season."
-Scott Perry on potential buyouts

He added that he expects them to play hard when they are on the court and mentor when they aren't
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) February 6, 2026

Kings are keeping their veterans

Not only would it not make much financial sense to buyout any of their veterans, but in general, they are much better off waiting until the offseason to reevaluate their futures. Of course, ideally, the Kings would have been able to find trades for each of their veterans, but being stuck with them until the offseason is not the end of the world.

The biggest issue was finding minutes for their young guys, which is harder to do on a veteran-filled roster, but they are already working around that problem. In their loss to the LA Clippers on Friday night, rookies Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and Dylan Cardwell played more minutes than any of their veterans.

While DeRozan, LaVine, Westbrook, and Sabonis will be on the roster for the rest of the season, the Kings should continue to find ways to make their young players the center of attention. The Kings know they are aiming for a high draft pick with no playoff hopes at this point, so focusing on the development of their rookies is the priority.

14 PTS 👑 14 REB 👑 8 OREB 👑 7/11 FG

Dylan Cardwell signed a standard NBA contract and proceeded to have a CAREER-HIGH scoring and rebounding night for the @sacramentokings! #GLeagueAlum pic.twitter.com/8dApFqY9AR
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 7, 2026

What will happen in the offseason?

It was no secret that the Kings were shopping their veterans at the trade deadline, with a Sabonis deal seemingly coming very close, but no major changes were made. Now, all pressure falls on Perry and the front office to make those expected changes in the offseason.

DeRozan, especially, will be a huge trade candidate in the offseason, while LaVine could also draw some interest. Both offensive-minded veterans will be on expiring deals, and the Kings could look to capitalize on that. With their rookie center duo of Raynaud and Cardwell now making waves, the Kings will certainly explore trades for Sabonis again as well.

After a particularly quiet trade deadline, the Kings will have a big offseason. However, until then, no changes will be made to their veteran core, regardless of how badly the fans want them off the roster.

The Kings' next test comes against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, and it will be interesting to see if they turn to their young guys over their veterans for the second straight night.

Kings are keeping their veterans

What will happen in the offseason?

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