Sacramento Kings' fans remain hopeful that their team will find a way to move big contracts off the books and push the rebuild forward. A lot of that depends on what Zach LaVine wants to do with his upcoming player option. And Matt George thinks LaVine might want to play somewhere else.
"I personally think that Zach would rather play elsewhere."@MattGeorgeSAC explains why he feels it's best for the Sacramento Kings & Zach LaVine to part ways this offseason.
— Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) February 18, 2026
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It's an interesting situation for LaVine. Playing another season in Sacramento means being closer to his family than he was in Chicago, not to mention the nearly $50 million dollars he's going to earn from the Kings next season if he stays with the franchise. It's a hard number to ignore.
The question is whether LaVine wants to play for a winning franchise or not. Sure, the Kings are at the beginning of a rebuild process that's focused on youthful players who bring more versatile skill sets to the table, particularly respectable defensive presences.
By now, LaVine is quite aware he is not part of that. If he decides to stay with the Kings, he's only going to be around for one more season through the end of his current contract. Sacramento will not renew him, making him a free agent who is not going to sign another big-money contract.
What are Zach LaVine's priorities?
Matt George at Sactown Sports 1140 feels the same way. Much like everyone else, he would be surprised if LaVine didn't pick up his player option and collect another dump truck full of cash from the Sacramento Kings. Again, no other team is going to pay him this well.
At the same time, George also believes that LaVine wants out of Sacramento as bad as the Kings want him move him. It's nothing personal, of course. It's just that he knows he doesn't fit the team, and the team knows they can't move forward as long as his contract is chewing up so much salary cap.
It all depends on what is more important to LaVine. Sure, he's going to collect his bag in Sacramento, but he's not going to win an NBA Championship there. If LaVine wants to be on a contender, he has to move, and the clock is quickly ticking down on his career.
LaVine is a 30-year-old player in his 13th NBA season who will miss the rest of it due to an injury. He doesn't have a lot of court time left. Hanging around the Kings for the bag will not help him win a title. If that's his priority, he'll have to leave the money behind and check out free agency this summer.