After another unsuccessful season in 2025-26, the Sacramento Kings‘ season was cut short after missing the playoffs. This has led to a major decision regarding the Kings’ top-paid player, Zach LaVine.
LaVine, 31, has a $48.96 million player option for the 2026-27 season. The two-time All-Star said on Monday that he still remains undecided on the contract decision, Jake Gadon of CBS Sacramento reports.
“I will go back and look at the best course of action and ask what is most important to me right now,” LaVine added.
Zach LaVine Speaks Out at End-of-Season Press Conference
In the Sacramento Kings’ end-of-season press conferences, Zach LaVine had plenty to say about what he expects from the team that went 22-60 this season. The Kings finished as the 14-seed in the West.
“Where I’m at in my career is we want to win. I’ll speak for myself, obviously.” LaVine said. “This isn’t the year that we wanted, and it’s not the year that you want individually, but you take the cards that you’re dealt, and you keep moving forward. I’ve done that throughout my career and try to continue to get better and better each year.”
In a season that was filled with injuries from just about everybody besides DeMar DeRozan and breakout rookie Maxime Raynaud, the Kings struggled to stay competitive.
The majority of Sacramento’s main core spent significant time on the sidelines. LaVine (42 games missed), Domantas Sabonis (63 games missed), and Keegan Murray (59 games missed) each spent more than half of the regular season on the sidelines due to injuries. This isn’t the formula to success for a team.
“Talent-wise, you can put us up against a lot of people. But we just didn’t do what we were supposed to.”
Zach LaVine’s Struggling 2025-26 Season
Zach LaVine was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Sacramento Kings in February 2025. He was a part of the three-team deal that sent De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and Kevin Huerter to the Bulls.
LaVine would go on to stay the course with his new team, averaging 22.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists through 32 games with the Kings last season.
Despite having to sit out a majority of the next season, Zach LaVine struggled in 2025-26. He was shut down in February after undergoing surgery to repair a tendon injury in his right hand.
Through 39 games this season, Zach LaVine averaged 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. He posted career lows in rebounds and assists per game, while averaging his fewest points since the 2017-18 season.
Coming off a season to forget, it’s difficult to imagine that a team would offer Zach LaVine more than the $48.96 million he would make if he accepts his player option in 2026-27.
LaVine mentioned that his goal right now is to put together a successful season with the team he’s on. This could be the main factor in what decision he makes on his contract this offseason. ESPN’s Bobby Marks reports that he is eligible for an extension this offseason.
It will be interesting to watch play out, and Zach LaVine could be a top player to watch this offseason.
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