Sacramento faces tough contract decisions regarding Zach LaVine. Do they let him walk, or even impose a rare waive-and-stretch strategy.
Zach LaVine has not opted in or out of his $49 million player option, but the Sacramento Kings must decide how to address his contract heading into the offseason.
LaVine's $49 million player option would make him the team's highest-paid player. The Kings' keys to this offseason are getting younger and gaining financial flexibility. LaVine, who is 31, does not fulfill either need.
James Ham, the host of the "Locked On Kings" podcast and a Kings beat reporter for ESPN 1320, highlighted the different scenarios Sacramento could replicate when it comes to LaVine's contract.
Ham said the Kings could keep the former UCLA Bruins star and let his contract expire or trade him. This could happen either in the offseason or at next season's trade deadline when expiring contracts become more attractive to teams chasing cap space.
He did point out another interesting scenario, one that follows in the footsteps of the Milwaukee Bucks handling Damian Lillard and the Phoenix Suns handling Bradley Beal's contract — waiving and stretching.
Waiving and stretching a player extends guaranteed money over the next few years while opening up a roster spot.
"If the Kings were to do that, and I've talked about this a couple of times, it would save the Kings roughly $36.6 million this year," Ham said. "But then they would be on the hook as far as part of their salary cap would be dedicated to Zach LaVine next year."
However, Ham said that according to his league sources, it's unlikely the Kings resort to this method.
Another scenario Ham highlighted is LaVine and his agent pursuing a sign-and-trade. A sign-and-trade scenario would mean LaVine opts out of his contract, negotiates with other teams for a new contract and Sacramento would receive assets in return.
The Kings acquired DeMar DeRozan through a sign-and-trade in 2024. It's a scenario that could benefit both parties, but is a complicated process because of the layered interactions.
"He would get to go to the spot that he wants to go," Ham said. "The team would be able to absorb that contract because they're going to send out additional contracts to make up for what they're taking back. The Kings would take back a lot less money."
Sacramento will enter the new fiscal year paying its roster $205,159,538, which would make them the sixth-highest paid team in the NBA.
For the five teams ahead of the Kings — Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic — investing over $200 million in the roster highlights their potential to become title contenders.
However, that's not the case for Sacramento, which finished the season tied for the fourth-worst record (22-60).
LaVine is a prolific, efficient scorer, dropping over 20 points on 47 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from three-point range and 83.5 percent from the free-throw line in his career.
He's exploded for 30 and 40-point performances on multiple occasions while in a Kings uniform. However, the two parties could head in different directions.
This offseason is a difficult one for Sacramento to navigate. The organization wants to become younger and gain financial flexibility, and the path to that reality starts with deciding what they'll do with LaVine's contract if he opts in.
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