Zach LaVine talks Kings contract, Acuff and more at Tahoe golf tournament
Zach LaVine evaluated possible career paths this summer but decided to pick up his player option to return to the Sacramento Kings without a long-term deal.
“Going into it, I think it was the best-case scenario for me,” LaVine told The Sacramento Bee after finishing his first round at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe on Friday. “Being able to pick up the option, obviously we could have done some other things, with the Kings or with somebody else. But it made sense to come back, and I’m looking forward to it.”
LaVine picked up the option June 29 to make $49 million for 2026-27 with a chance at unrestricted free agency next summer. He’ll also be a trade candidate on his large, expiring contract.
But LaVine picking up the option means Sacramento doesn’t have much financial flexibility with LaVine and center Domantas Sabonis making $94 million combined in 2025-26. The Kings are roughly $6 million below the first apron after going 22-60 last season.
The 31-year-old shooting guard confirmed there had been discussions between his agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports and other teams about their interest in a multi-year deal, but ultimately they determined to come back to Sacramento despite the Kings being in the earliest stages of a roster-wide rebuild centered on younger players.
Both LaVine and Kings general manager Scott Perry have said the communication has been positive between the two sides despite being at an apparent crossroads.
“I think you guys know Scott just as well as I do. Come in ready to play,” LaVine said. “‘You do your thing. Obviously, Zach, if you come in and do what you’re supposed to do, we’re going to be in a very good spot as a team.’ So I’m ready for that.”
Said Perry last week: “We have a very good relationship, good understanding. Zach is still an excellent basketball player. He knows what’s expected of him coming back this year. I’m very clear with him on that. He’ll be the first to tell you that. I think he’s ready to come back and embrace that, perform to the best of his ability this year. So we can use a lot of the things that Zach LaVine is able to do on the basketball floor, so I’m looking forward to him taking a step forward with us this year, with how we want to play the game.”
LaVine had surgery to repair a torn tendon in his hand around the All-Star break in February and appeared in just 39 games. He averaged 31.4 minutes per game, the fewest since 2017-18 with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He averaged 19.2 points while shooting 39% from 3-point range.
LaVine said he’s been healthy since the offseason began and took up golf the last few weeks to prepare for this week’s tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. He was unhappy with his wedge play and finished the first round with negative-8 points in the Modified Stableford format, tied for 66th in the 90-player field.
LaVine is entering a contract year for the third time in his career. He entered restricted free agency with Minnesota in 2017-18. He signed an offer sheet with the Kings before returning to Minnesota. And he later played a contract year with the Chicago Bulls in 2021-22 before signing the five-year, $215 million contract that’s expiring after next season.
“When I’m healthy, I’ve always performed at the level I expect myself to,” LaVine said. “Last year, I didn’t perform the way I wanted to. I started off and I was very prepared for the year, and obviously we had some injuries and the way we played ... we had a little turning point during the season. It was a little frustrating on my end, especially with how prepared I was coming into the season. But that’s basketball. Obviously I got injured. I’ve played on two contract years. It’s nothing different for me.”
The turning point in the season was the Kings’ deciding to prioritize developing young players, which came around the time LaVine was shut down with his hand injury. Sacramento ended up with the No. 7 pick they used on Arkansas point Darius Acuff Jr., whom many expect to become the face of the franchise.
LaVine said he texted Acuff on draft night and has been impressed by what he’s seen in the California Classic and Summer League games.
“The kid’s off the charts. I think he’s the steal of the draft,” LaVine said. “Because you see it from him in college, the way he moves, the way he presents himself, he’s been an NBA-ready player for a while now. So get through Summer League, get used to all the bodies, the game speed, and then go to training camp and do the same thing in the preseason. He’s a player.”
This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 3:13 PM.
