3 players Kings must trade after disastrous 60-loss season

The Sacramento Kings are not in a good place right now. They’ve got an older core, headlined by former All-Stars such as Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Russell Westbrook, and DeMar DeRozan. However, the team went just 22-60 to finish in second-to-last in the Western Conference. They will likely be adding a prestigious prospect in what is a great draft class, but the team doesn’t currently have many youngsters to build around besides that.

A rebuild is clearly a necessity, but the Kings are a little bit behind the eight ball in that regard. They need to nail the draft and make some bold moves in the offseason. So, who should the Kings look to trade away from their roster this summer?

Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan need to go

The Kings need to blow the roster up, and that includes moving on from LaVine and DeRozan. Both players have been involved in trade rumors for quite some time now, and a big reason why they haven’t been dealt already is because no other team seems to want them. LaVine is a gifted scorer who is elite both from deep and at finishing above the rim. However, a pricy contract that nears $50 million a year has made him undesirable, especially because LaVine’s lack of defense has hurt his teams more often than not.

DeRozan is 16th on the all-time leading scorer list, but his mid-range-heavy style hasn’t necessarily led to much winning. Neither player would likely net much in a trade return, but that shouldn’t matter. Both players only have one year remaining on their contracts, and the time to move on is now.

Trading LaVine and DeRozan would allow the Kings to hand the reins over to whomever they select in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. Considering this pairing didn’t work with the Chicago Bulls, it wasn’t a surprise that it didn’t work in Sacramento, so the Kings need to cut their losses. Perhaps they could even add a draft pick or two to help with the rebuild.

The Kings can’t be afraid to trade Domantas Sabonis

Trading LaVine and/or DeRozan isn’t much of a hot take. The Kings shouldn’t stop there, though. They should also deal Sabonis away, which would be a much more shocking move. Sabonis is one of the best double-double machines in the NBA. He has thrice led the NBA in rebounds per game and is a force in the paint.

Sabonis is also a great assister at the center/power forward positions, which is why he has led the league in triple-doubles before. Sabonis was limited to just 19 appearances this past season because of a torn meniscus, but he could certainly operate as the Kings’ franchise player going forward.

However, the Kings need more assets for the future, and Sabonis is the one player on the roster who could net a sizeable return in a trade. A number of teams across the league would give up an arm and a leg for a player as versatile as Sabonis. Based on their 2025-26 record, the Kings are still a long way away from contending, and Sabonis likely doesn’t fit their timeline. Trading him would be a tough pill to swallow because he is uber-talented, but it is the tough decision that the Kings need to make this offseason.

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