NBA Trade Rumors: Could Kings’ Zach LaVine Be On Move Yet Again?

Already traded twice in his first 11 seasons — first in the Jimmy Butler deal from Minnesota to Chicago, then again this year to Sacramento — LaVine just can’t seem to stick. And frankly, he might want to keep those moving boxes handy.

The Kings, after a disappointing exit in the Western Conference play-in, are clearly entering another transition phase. They just fired GM Monte McNair and replaced him with Scott Perry, a longtime executive who’s not exactly known for his patience with flawed rosters or expensive scorers. And LaVine? He checks both boxes.

Let’s be honest — Sacramento’s attempt to replicate the late-stage Bulls out West with LaVine and DeMar DeRozan wasn’t just uninspired. It was doomed. De’Aaron Fox is gone, Domantas Sabonis wants answers, and Perry? He’s on record questioning LaVine’s impact on winning.

“There’s no question that Zach LaVine can score the basketball,” Perry said on a 2023 edition of the Hoop Genius podcast. “But does he impact winning?”

That quote hit NBA Twitter like a thunderclap. It also raised the obvious question: How much longer will LaVine even be a King?

LaVine Questions are Pressing

To be fair, LaVine was incredible offensively this season. Across Chicago and Sacramento, he averaged 23.3 points on a scorching 63.9% true shooting. That’s not just good, that’s elite. He shot 44.6% from three on high volume (536 attempts), finishing second in the NBA behind Charlotte’s Seth Curry, who shot fewer than 200.

That puts LaVine in rare company: only five players averaged 23+ points on 63%+ TS —Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, Karl-Anthony Towns, and LaVine. That’s a who’s who of MVP-level talent. But unlike the rest, LaVine has never found the right team, the right fit, or the right moment.

The Contract and the Clock

Here’s the challenge: LaVine makes $47.5 million next year, with a $48.9 million player option for 2026-27. He just turned 30. If you’re a GM, do you trade for him now, hoping to unlock his ceiling, or wait a year and try to get him as an expiring?

Sacramento might not wait. They’re retooling. Sabonis says the Kings need a point guard, and Fox isn’t walking back through that door. DeRozan is aging.This thing could come apart fast — and LaVine might be the first domino.

Who Could Make a Move?

The Denver Nuggets reportedly sniffed around LaVine at the deadline, but Chicago wanted no part of Michael Porter Jr. The Los Angeles Clippers could circle back depending on what happens in the playoffs. The Orlando Magic feel like a natural fit, with elite defense and cap space, and sitting dead last in the NBA in 3-point shooting.

And let’s be honest, LaVine’s never had the luxury of being a third option next to real stars. Imagine him playing off a Jokic or Joel Embiid. That’s a totally different world than carrying the post-Jimmy Bulls or floundering in Sacramento.

Bottom Line

LaVine has been a high-efficiency, high-volume scorer in some of the league’s most dysfunctional environments. He’s been miscast for years. His defense? Still a liability. His decision-making? Still spotty. But in the right setting, with the right role?

He could be a major difference-maker.

We just maybe shouldn’t expect it to happen in Sacramento.