Zach LaVine isn’t leaving Sacramento just yet.
After months of trade speculation and uncertainty surrounding his future, the veteran guard has exercised his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The decision keeps LaVine under contract with the Kings for at least one more year after what was a disappointing campaign for both the player and the franchise.
LaVine’s future had been in question for much of the past year. The Kings reportedly explored moving both him and All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis before the trade deadline, but neither deal materialized. Sacramento also gave LaVine and his representatives permission to explore sign-and-trade scenarios before his player option deadline, though no suitable destination emerged.
Instead, the two-time All-Star chose the security of a $49 million payday.
The decision also creates another financial hurdle for Sacramento. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Kings now sit roughly $16 million above the luxury tax line, more than $13 million over the first apron and are hovering around the NBA’s restrictive second apron. Reports have suggested the organization could explore cost-cutting moves, including using the stretch provision on DeMar DeRozan’s contract, to create additional flexibility.
From a basketball standpoint, LaVine remains something of a question mark.
The 31-year-old appeared in just 39 games last season before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a tendon injury in his right hand. He averaged 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists, his lowest scoring average since the 2017-18 season, while also posting career lows in both rebounds and assists.
Sacramento acquired LaVine from the Chicago Bulls at the 2025 trade deadline as part of a three-team deal involving the San Antonio Spurs, hoping he could help reshape the franchise. Instead, injuries and a disastrous 22-60 season left the Kings tied for the NBA’s worst record in the Western Conference.
While LaVine’s decision guarantees he’ll remain on the roster entering training camp, it doesn’t necessarily end the trade speculation. His expiring contract could become more attractive if he returns healthy and regains the All-Star form that earned him back-to-back selections with the Bulls in 2021 and 2022.
For now, however, LaVine is staying put, giving both himself and the Kings one more opportunity to salvage what has so far been a disappointing partnership.
