Kings’ Zach LaVine exercises $49M option for next season, according to report
Zach LaVine’s agent says the Sacramento Kings player has exercised a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 NBA season, according to reporting by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday.
The next question is now how much LaVine will play this coming year for the Sacramento Kings.
LaVine, 31, arrived in the February 2025 trade for De’Aaron Fox with a history of injuries that has continued in Sacramento. LaVine played just 39 games last season and has averaged around 60 games a year for his career.
LaVine has averaged 20.6 points for the Kings on almost 50% shooting. This is in line with career averages for the two-time All-Star of 20.9 points per game, to go with 4.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
Sacramento went 22-60 last year and is in the early stages of a rebuild. LaVine has been just one of the high-paid veterans the team has reportedly considered trading over the past year, including DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis.
With the recent first-round draft selection of Darius Acuff Jr., the Kings will have to balance LaVine’s playing time with the development of other young players such as Nique Clifford, recent second-round draft pick Emanuel Sharp and Daeqwon Plowden, who is a restricted free agent but averaged 10.8 points per game after signing a two-way deal last summer.
