Depending on which day you ask a Kings' fan, trading for Zach LaVine was either a stroke of genius or a disaster waiting to happen. Being that he's only played the back half of the 2024-2025 season with the team, it's hard to say for sure.
The issue might be more about what the team lost than what it gained. Part of that trade saw long-time Kings' point guard De'Aaron Fox head to the San Antonio Spurs.
That was a bitter loss many fans in Sacramento have yet to get over. Regardless, LaVine brings his own issues to the table which followed him from Chicago.
Rough days on the Chicago Bulls
After being drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014, he played a few seasons for the team before heading to the Chicago Bulls. To date, he has spent the bulk of his career in the Windy City.
While he is a talented player with an impressive offensive spark, that has reportedly come with attitude problems. it was alleged that LaVine was frequently at odds with the Bulls' coaching staff over his usage and the team's offensive strategy.
On top of that, LaVine was also criticized for his lack of a defensive presence, particularly in his early career. He has improved over the years but he still has a long way to go.
LaVine on the Kings
Again, Zach LaVine has only played a half a season with the Kings. Keep in mind that it was also a season that saw some big changes in the franchise in short order.
This will be his first full season as part of the team. The problem is that the Kings' roster has a variety of issues, particularly its glaring imbalance, that will likely make this a difficult season.
Given LaVine's reported attitude issues, it's not hard to imagine the same dissatisfaction creeping up in Sacramento. Even worse, the Kings gave up De'Aaron Fox to get him. The fallout from bringing LaVine in will reverberate for years, particularly if they have trouble trading him.