If you're familiar with the sports scene in Sactown, you know who Carmichael Dave is. The radio personality is tied to the Sacramento Kings. He has his own sources and has made it clear that buying out Zach LaVine isn't on the radar from what he's heard. Well, unless the real plan is on the down low.
Carmichael Dave is the on-air name of David Weiglein, the host of Sactown Sports' The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross. The use of Carmichael in his radio name is a reference to a suburb located in the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area. That's where Dave is from, I believe.
Recently on his show, the question of the Kings buying LaVine out came up. Dave made it very clear that his sources inside the organization have said that's not part of the conversation. As it stands right now, LaVine is their starting shooting guard for the foreseeable future.
That's in line with everything else reported on the situation so far. The Kings have tried to trade LaVine, but his expensive contract has made this incredibly difficult. As such, Sacramento has decided to make the best of this situation and work with LaVine, at least until the trade deadline.
LaVine's future with the Kings will be clear by mid-season
What Carmichael Dave has heard about the Kings not buying LaVine out right now is likely correct. It's an incredibly expensive move with very little upside for Sacramento. If they just wait his contract out and let it expire naturally, they end up in roughly the same place. A buyout is a bad move.
Now, how things play out beyond that is unclear. The Kings could let him walk in free agency, decide to re-sign him at a much lower price, or trade him at the deadline if his value on the market has increased. That last option seems like the most likely one for Sacramento right now.
While LaVine leaving in free agency isn't the end of the world, the Kings would like to get something out of his departure. With his contract value being down and his trade value hopefully being up by the deadline, there's an opportunity to move him for some young players or draft picks.
However this plays out, hopefully Carmichael Dave's sources aren't feeding him inaccurate intel. Buying out LaVine now would be a huge mistake, but the Kings have made more than their fair share of bad calls in the past. The current front office seems smarter, so that shouldn't happen.
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