LaVine Kings Option
Zach LaVine Opts In for $49 Million With Kings, Raising Questions About Future Role and Trades
Key Points
If LaVine stays in Sacramento, the Kings plan to lean on developing the 2026 No. 7 overall pick, Darius Acuff, with LaVine taking more of a back-seat role.
LaVine posted 47.9% shooting from the field and 39% from three-point range across 39 games last season.
He underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right pinky (hand) in February.
LaVine arrived in Sacramento at the 2025 trade deadline as part of a three-team deal that also sent De'Aaron Fox to the Spurs.
By opting into the $49 million option for 2026-27, it will be the final guaranteed year of his five-year, $215 million deal, with unrestricted free agency to follow in 2027-28.
Zach LaVine is staying in Sacramento. The Kings guard exercised his $48.97 million player option for the 2026-27 season, his agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports confirmed, according to TSN and ABC30. The move locks LaVine into the final guaranteed year of his five-year, $215 million deal, with unrestricted free agency to follow in 2027-28.
The decision was widely expected. LaVine had little leverage to opt out. He played just 39 games in 2025-26 before undergoing surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right pinky in February. Teams were not lining up to offer a 31-year-old scorer coming off hand surgery a bigger deal on the open market.
A Shortened Season Left Little Negotiating Power
LaVine averaged 19.2 points per game across his 39 games with Sacramento in 2025-26 — his lowest scoring average since 2017-18, according to Heavy. He shot 47.9% from the field and 39% from three-point range before the injury shut him down before the All-Star break. His rebounding and assists also dipped, averaging just 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
The hand injury came during a February 10 game against the Golden State Warriors. Surgery followed five days later. LaVine was ruled out for the rest of the season. The Kings finished tied for the worst record in the Western Conference, according to Heavy. That lost time made walking away from a guaranteed $49 million nearly impossible.
LaVine Arrived in a Trade That Sent Fox to San Antonio
LaVine came to Sacramento at the February 2025 trade deadline in a three-team deal with the Bulls and Spurs. The Kings sent franchise point guard De'Aaron Fox to San Antonio in that move. Sacramento also received draft capital. The trade was a major bet on LaVine as the next cornerstone of the franchise, according to ClutchPoints.
That bet has yet to pay off. Fox has thrived in San Antonio, and Sacramento fans have been vocal about the comparison on social media. LaVine's $49 million cap hit is now the headline number in every conversation about the Kings' offseason plans.
Kings Face a Tight Cap and Few Trade Options
By opting in, LaVine pushes the Kings further toward the NBA's second apron — a hard spending threshold set at roughly $189 million. Teams above that line cannot use certain free-agent exceptions. They also cannot combine player salaries in trades, meaning Sacramento cannot swap LaVine plus another player for two players in return. Any LaVine trade must be a straight one-for-one deal or close to it.
The Kings are carrying nearly $100 million combined between LaVine and center Domantas Sabonis. Sacramento remains in trade discussions involving both players, according to ABC30, but the large contracts make deals hard to complete. Teams willing to absorb $49 million for an expiring deal are likely to ask for draft picks in return — assets the Kings are reluctant to move.
Rookie Darius Acuff Now Shapes LaVine's Role in Sacramento
The Kings used the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on point guard Darius Acuff just days before LaVine made his option decision. Sacramento's internal plan calls for LaVine to take a back-seat role and help develop the 19-year-old rookie, according to reporting from Head Topics. That is a significant shift for a player who has been a primary scorer for nearly a decade.
LaVine's camp has pushed back on any narrative of discontent. Klutch Sports has said publicly that LaVine will "thrive in any environment." The 2026-27 season will test that claim. Sacramento must develop a rookie, manage two max contracts, and stay competitive — all while working under the tightest salary cap rules in NBA history.
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