Throughout the offseason, there has been talk of the Sacramento Kings buying out Zach LaVine's contract. It's a solution that comes with more negatives than positives for Sactown. Pulling the pin on that grenade gains little in the short term while causing problems for the long term rebuild strategy.
Whether you love or hate LaVine on the Kings, it doesn't change the fact that the nearly $49 million he's going to make in 2026-2027 presents a huge salary cap issue for the team. It has put serious constraints on Sacramento's ability to sign free agents or bump up two-way players.
The same contract makes it incredibly difficult to trade LaVine. His valuation as a player is around the $25 million mark, meaning he is being overpaid. On top of that, his performance on the court in Sacramento has left a lot ot be desired. No other team has been willing to take the leap.
If the Kings can't trade LaVine and want to move on now, then they have the option of buying him out. That would get him off the roster immediately, but it wouldn't provide immediate salary cap relief. It's a "break glass in case of emergency" move that the Kings can use if the situation is dire enough.
There isn't much benefit to Sacramento buying LaVine out
LaVine would have to agree to a reduced payout, though it would be a rather small decrease at best. The Kings would still have to eat the bulk of his remaining salary, which stays on their payroll even if he's gone. They might be able to stretch it out over a few years, but that just extends the problems.
The end result of a LaVine buyout that that the Kings remain in the hole for nearly $49 million, lose the player without getting anything substantial in return, and wouldn't have a clean slate until the 2027 offseason. If they just play this season with LaVine on the team, they end up in the same place.
Really, the smart move is to get LaVine on the court and use him properly. That increases his value, and makes trading him at the deadline more likely. Frankly, just letting him play his contract out is a better option. The rebuild is a game of patience, and making rash moves now doesn't help.
Sacramento waiving DeMar DeRozan was a much different situation because the value of his contract was a lot lower. The impact to the Kings' bottom line was negligible. A LaVine buyout scenario is more problematic, and creates more problem that it solves. For now, at least.
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