Kings GM Scott Perry sounds off on summer moves, DeRozan, LaVine, Sabonis
Kings general manager Scott Perry met with the media Wednesday to discuss the team’s offseason moves as Sacramento’s summer league squad prepared to leave for Las Vegas.
Perry addressed a wide range of topics, including the departure of DeMar DeRozan, the apparent return of Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, the decision to re-sign Precious Achiuwa and the possibility of bringing back Russell Westbrook.
The Kings waived DeRozan in a cost-cutting move Monday as Perry works to get the team’s payroll below the luxury tax line. The Kings saved $15.7 million on DeRozan’s $25.7 million salary, which was only guaranteed for $10 million. They can further reduce their payroll if they choose to use the stretch provision to pay out the guaranteed money over three years.
“I’ve been in the league 26 years, and (DeRozan) was one of my favorite players to work with,” Perry said during a media scrum at the team’s practice facility. “I’ve worked with some great players, some Hall of Fame players, in my career. His professionalism, his leadership, the way he went about preparing for his job each and every day was exemplary, and how he poured into our young players last year was very important and very much appreciated.”
Perry went on to say the Kings were hoping to keep DeRozan.
“We were trying to figure out ways we could keep him, but as we all know there is a financial component to this job,” Perry said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to figure out anything that would allow us to keep him, but I’m going to miss him. I’ll be honest with you.”
While DeRozan leaves Sacramento after two seasons to become an unrestricted free agent, LaVine and Sabonis appear to be returning for the 2026-27 season. LaVine is owed $49 million in the final year of a five-year, $215.2 million contract. Sabonis will earn $45.5 million in the third year of a four-year, $186 million contract.
Both players have been the subject of trade rumors and speculation, but Perry hasn’t been able to find a suitable deal.
“Zach and I have been in communication since the season has been over,” Perry said. “We have a very good relationship and a good understanding. Zach is still an excellent basketball player. He knows what’s expected of him coming back here this year. I’m very clear with him on that. He’ll be the first to tell you that, and I think he’s ready to come back, embrace that and perform to the best of his abilities this year.”
Perry has similar expectations for Sabonis, who was limited to 19 games last season due to injuries.
“He’s going to come in and compete just like everybody else,” Perry said. “Obviously, he’s an excellent player. He’s done it for a while in this league. I’ve been in constant contact with him as well during this offseason. Obviously, he missed a lot of last year, but he’s always played hard. I expect him to do that, provide some veteran presence for this team, really have a tremendous rebounding year and help us build some winning habits.”
Perry was also asked about re-signing Westbrook to fill the team’s need for a backup point guard who could mentor rookie Darius Acuff Jr. Perry didn’t rule out the possibility, but he indicated the Kings might not be able to afford Westbrook after he averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists on a minimum contract last season.
“Russ has always been a favorite of mine,” Perry said. “You know that. Russell Westbrook probably outplayed a minimum contract, which is all we have right now, so that’s really all I have to say about him right now.”
Achiuwa, on the other hand, will be back in Sacramento after agreeing to a new two-year, $11.5 million deal with the Kings. Achiuwa had a career year with the Kings last season, averaging 10.1 points and 6.7 rebounds while appearing in 73 games with 57 starts.
“Great to get Precious back here this year,” Perry said. “That was very important to us because he had options. He could have gone elsewhere, but he wanted to be here. I think he came here last year searching for a place he could call home. He quickly established himself, the way he competed each and every night at both ends of the floor. He’s a versatile athlete, and I can’t say it enough: I love having guys who want to be here and are invested in something they can build into something bigger than just themselves, and Precious embodies that.”
This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 2:57 PM.
