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Kevin Garnett Makes Zach LaVine Statement After Sacramento Kings Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Feb 11, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Sacramento Kings were very busy ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

Sacramento made many moves including acquiring Jonas Valanciunas and Jake LaRavia, but their biggest move was the once that sent their star guard De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs. In the blockbuster trade, the Kings sent Fox to San Antonio and acquired Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls, who were the third team in the deal.

Of course, this was a tough decision for the Kings to make, but with Fox not committing to the franchise long-term, they believed that a midseason trade would net them the best package for the star guard. They did receive a solid package as they added six total draft picks, including three first rounders as well as another All-Star in LaVine.

While the addition of LaVine in the trade was surprising, NBA legend Kevin Garnett believes that it was a great move.

"Zach LaVine trade ain't nobody talk about," Garnett said on a recent episode of the Ticket & The Truth podcast. "That's going to help Sac. Zach LaVine can come in and get buckets. Sac can make the playoffs."

Like Garnett said, nobody has talked about the LaVine to Kings trade. Most of the discussion has been centered around Fox to San Antonio as well as the two other blockbuster trades that saw the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks swap Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic as well as the Golden State Warriors landing Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat.

While the Kings’ trade for LaVine has been overlooked, it has worked out well thus far. In LaVine’s first four games with Sacramento, the Kings have gone 2-2, including an overtime win over the Mavericks on Monday. Of course, the Kings new-look lineup is still trying to adapt to one another, but they have shown promise since the addition of LaVine.

With LaVine being a primary scorer for the Kings alongside Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento should be able to find themselves in at least a Play-In spot by the end of the season, and they could be a sneaky team in the Western Conference once the playoffs begin.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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