Where Kings and Zach LaVine Stand Ahead of NBA Free Agency

The Sacramento Kings are just days away from selecting seventh in the NBA Draft on Tuesday and hopefully bringing in their next franchise player, but right around the corner are player and team options that will shape the upcoming free agency season. For the Kings, they don't have much money to spend on free agents this year, that is, unless Zach LaVine were to opt out of his $49 million player option.

But as everyone expected, that doesn't seem likely for the former All-Star guard. The Athletic's Sam Amick joined Sactown Sports 1140 on the Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross and stated that LaVine is sure to opt into his option for next year.

"[Zach LaVine and his agency] are not leaving that money on the table. So, he's not opting out."@sam_amick joined @CarmichaelDave & @JasonRoss1140 to share his intel on Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine's pending $49 million player option: pic.twitter.com/Z6xJe2e3oM
— Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) June 18, 2026

That's no surprise, as there's little money out there around the league and almost no way LaVine can get that type of money for next season. It was possible he could look at getting a longer deal at a lesser average salary, but even that could be hard for the scoring guard to get in the current NBA landscape.

In 39 games last season, LaVine averaged 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 47.9% from the field and 39% from three. Those are solid numbers, but far from the type of performance that the Kings needed to get back to the postseason. Sacramento had no shortage of issues last season that ultimately led to just 22 wins, but LaVine's struggles to play at the level many hoped for when the Kings traded De'Aaron Fox for him were a big reason.

What it Means for the Kings

Jan 18, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) shoots over Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Even though LaVine is set to pick up his option, it doesn't mean he'll return to the Kings for a third season. Scott Perry has been attempting to trade the Kings' veterans since he took over as General Manager last offseason, but with the large contracts, he wasn't able to find any takers on the trade market.

But now that they all have one less year on their contracts, it should be (theoretically) easier for Perry to move off the vets this offseason. Even at $49 million, LaVine being an expring contract should make him movable this offseason. That's a lot of money to come off the books following this year, and with every team trying to reset their books within the new tax apron landscape, expiring contracts are valuable assets in the trade market.

Along those same lines, Perry and the Kings could run out the year and take advantage of that expiring deal themselves. It's been reported that the Kings are going to shift their focus to the young players once again this year, which could mean LaVine could come off the bench or have a reduced role, even with his $49 million salary.

The player option always felt like a formality for both LaVine and the Kings. With it right around the corner, Perry and the rest of the front office can now look at the next steps to trade LaVine now that it is nearly done.

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