Between the 2026 NBA Draft, 10 free agents, and no open roster spots, the Sacramento Kings are looking at an offseason of big moves. Unfortunately, those moves are unlikely to include Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine. The King's answer to this problem is simple: bench 'em.
The Kings have a lot of work to do to right the ship, and there is big potential for change coming in the offseason. As it turns out, the problem really isn't enough roster spots, though they are currently full. That can be fixed by not renewing a few free agents and buying out DeMar DeRozan.
No, the bigger problem is the salary cap, thanks to LaVine and Sabonis. Lavine has one year left on his contract, which is a player option worth nearly $50 million. Then, Sabonis has two years left on this contract, each worth in the $45 to 50 million range. That's a lot of money tied up in two players.
Sacramento has been trying to trade them, but their contracts are huge, and their gameplay is middling at best. Sabonis is a center who doesn't play defense, and LaVine is a shooter who has problems shooting. They don't exactly scream, "Hey, spend $50 million on me, new team!"
Just leave them on the Sacramento bench
The Kings are in the middle of a rebuild focused on defense-first, something neither LaVine nor Sabonis brings to the table. Plus, Sacramento has already shown serious signs of building something real with players like the Beam Boys. LaVine and Sabonis will only disrupt that.
At this point, the best option is to play both guys off the bench. That doesn't mean never using them, just that their presence needs to be minimized for the Kings to continue growing. Given how well Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell are playing, cutting their minutes for Sabonis makes no sense.
There are other young players like Daeqwon Plowden, Devin Carter, and Nique Clifford who have grown by leaps and bounds in LaVine's absence. Plus, the Kings have three solid veterans in Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, and Precious Achiuwa to help these young guns develop.
Sacramento doesn't need either Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis. Period. They might be stuck with them for another year or two, but that doesn't mean they need to use them. Sure, they would be a pair of expensive benchers, but that might just be the best place for them for now.