The new NBA season is just over a month old, and there is already trade chatter regarding Sacramento Kings All-Star Zach LaVine.
According to insider Jake Fischer, while the Golden State Warriors were interested in LaVine before acquiring Jimmy Butler last season, they are not currently expected to pursue the Sacramento guard again.
“Establishing a market for LaVine also figures to be difficult. The Bulls needed two trade deadlines to finally find a workable deal and I have been consistently told that the Kings and Golden State were the only two teams that registered legitimate interest in the lead-up to the three-team deal that made him a King. The Warriors ultimately abandoned their LaVine interest entirely for Jimmy Butler and no one expects them to re-engage now,”
“Interestingly, though, I've heard multiple teams say that a LaVine market could indeed take shape if he were willing to bypass his $48.9 million player player option for the 2026-27 season and replace it with a longer-term deal at a lower annual salary.”
The Kings have sputtered to a 4-13 record to start the campaign, and could look to move LaVine, who’s averaged 21.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists across 15 games.
The 30-year-old may help a team that is closer to contention, but it does not appear as though the Warriors are a fit.
Golden State has earned a 9-9 record thus far, and may look to see what the team can accomplish without any additions. Even if the franchise decides to make adjustments ahead of the trade deadline, it seems unlikely that it would surrender a significant number of assets for a player such as LaVine.
