Sacramento Kings’ Ideal Offseason: Take A Chance On Zach LaVine
Sacramento finished the year ranked 16th in net rating and missed the playoffs by one game. With the Western Conference getting stronger by the minute, the Kings need to shoot for upside and embrace risk in order to build a contender around De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
Check out my ideal offseason for the Kings, which includes a strong draft, a free agency signing, and the acquisition of one Zach LaVine.
Ideal Offseason for the Sacramento Kings:
- Trade for Zach LaVine
- Draft depth at the forward position
- Bring back Alex Len
Trade For Zach LaVine
The Kings are not legitimate contenders as currently constructed. They need another high-level scorer who can break down playoff defenses, so buying low on former All-Star Zach LaVine is worth the risk.
- Zach LaVine
- Kelly Olynyk
- Harrison Barnes
- Sasha Vezenkov
- Chris Duarte
- 2028 1st via Kings (lottery protected; obligations fulfilled if not conveyed)
- Kevin Huerter
Chicago gets off the nasty LaVine contract, acquires a protected future first-rounder, and picks up three veteran forwards that can potentially be flipped for draft capital.
Toronto gets significantly younger and collects a jumbo sharpshooter who complements Scottie Barnes and boosts a Raptors squad that ranked 27th in 3PT% last season.
As for Sacramento, over the past five seasons, LaVine averaged 24.9 points and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 38.7% from 3-point range. When healthy, he’s a dynamic scorer with the ability to play on or off-ball. LaVine can score off the catch after utilizing an off-ball screen, isolate defenders on the wing, or create shots out of high ball screens. His versatility is huge for an unorthodox Sacramento offense that deemphasizes the traditional pick-and-roll.
This acquisition would remove the scoring burden from Sabonis’ shoulders and allow him to play to his strengths as a facilitator. LaVine and Fox would lead the way every game, while Malik Monk, Keegan Murray and Sabonis could be the third 20-point scorer on any given night.
There are plenty of downsides to acquiring LaVine though, which is why the trade price is so low.
First, he’s owed about $138M across the next three seasons – an average annual value of $46M. Because the new CBA punishes expensive teams with the unforgiving second apron, that’s a tough pill to swallow for a non All-NBA talent and subsequently is one of the worst contracts in the league.
Second, LaVine has battled injuries recently and turns 30-years-old in March. The Kings are not receiving a youthful guy with no concerns. Now, Chicago is known for having players push through injuries in an effort to reach the playoffs and generate revenue. If Sacramento takes a cautious approach when LaVine picks up a minor injury, then it should not snowball into a serious issue.
Finally, the veteran is an average defender at best, which does not help a Kings squad that ranked 14th in defensive rating last year.
Despite these negatives, the offensive upside is too beneficial for Sacramento to pass on acquiring LaVine. They would have a chance against anyone given their firepower, especially since the offense already prioritizes great shot quality and 3-point shooting.
The Olynyk portion of the deal cannot be forgotten either. He’s a role player replica of Sabonis, which allows the Kings to constantly run their offense even when Sabonis rests. Overall, Olynyk is an ideal backup center given his playmaking (especially in dribble-handoffs) and perimeter jump-shot, and Sacramento would have him locked down for the next two years.
Draft Depth at Forward Position
After obtaining LaVine and Olynyk, the Kings need to add defense and improve the forward rotation. They are armed with the 13th and 45th overall picks to accomplish these feats.
Tristan da Silva (13th)
The Colorado forward is a knockdown 3-point shooter who went 118-for-299 (39.5%) over the past two seasons. He’s comfortable as a cutter, spot-up shooter, handoff recipient, post-up scorer, transition weapon, and quick-decision passer. Essentially, da Silva is a Swiss Army knife with a ton of role versatility.
Defensively, few prospects are smarter team defenders than da Silva, who excels on rotations and weak-side help. At 6’9” tall with a 6’10” wingspan, he possesses NBA size too.
The Kings will not receive any self-created scoring from him, but that’s the least of their concerns. Sacramento secures a versatile, two-way forward who is ready to contribute immediately.
Jalen Bridges (45th)
A 6’7” forward who shot 41.2% from 3-point range on large volume and defends well across numerous positions – where do the Kings sign? That archetype fills a clear need for them, as they currently lack 3&D wings. Like da Silva, Bridges is not providing self-created scoring, and he’s not much of a passer. However, Sacramento receives quality depth here and fortifies the rotation.
Bring Back Alex Len
Sacramento’s offensive ceiling now reaches contending heights, and they added key forward depth. The Kings still have a touch more work to do once free agency hits though.
Alex Len admirably held down the backup center post last season, and it would be wise to re-sign him. He understands the system, defends the rim at a decent level, and is a quality rebounder.
It’s unlikely that Len receives stronger offers than the veteran minimum, and his apparent connection with the city could lead him to take a slight discount if he does get a larger offer – just like Monk. Therefore, the Kings sign Len to the veteran minimum and solidify the rotation.
Future Outlook
After all of these transactions, Sacramento is roughly $3M below the second apron and subsequently ceases further action in order to avoid the peril. They enter the 2025 season with the following rotation:
- De’Aaron Fox, Keon Ellis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis
- Malik Monk, Davion Mitchell, Tristan da Silva, Trey Lyles, Kelly Olynyk
- Colby Jones, Jalen Bridges, Alex Len
The Kings will have to lean on their two-way contract players to be the 14th and 15th rotation spots, but that’s inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.
Although they would not be a top tier contender, this depth chart has explosive scoring, plenty of playmaking, and enough defenders to get by. If Sacramento gets hot, then nobody will want to see this team during the playoffs.
They would have a legit puncher’s chance, which is more than the current roster can say. Will the LaVine move be a complete failure? It’s definitely possible, but fortune favors the bold. Remaining in the clutches of safe mediocrity will not earn them a Finals appearance.
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