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I know you dealt with some injuries last year. What can we kind of expect out of Zach LaVine this year? Zach LaVine: I had a little hand injury, but every year for me, I go into the offseason, I see what I can do better. I see how I can try to help the team and what what role or what area I'm gonna be fitting in. Obviously, they going to put you in a role that's best case for you. But I'm super excited. It's unfortunate that I had the injury last year, even the season we had, we started off very well. I started off well. But for standards for myself, I have them extremely high so I'm looking forward to this year.
You got to play with Russell Westbrook last year. He called it a career right now. What was it like playing with him? And what did you think of his career as a whole, someone who appears universally loved in the basketball world? Zach LaVine: Russ is one of the best humans I've met. On the court, off the court. The dude has an energy like you've never seen before and I played against him. I came to the league in 2014, a couple years later, I think he won MVP. It was hell trying to guard him when I was younger, especially when I was 19, 20 years old and he's going straight downhill at you. We've had plenty of conversations and we've worked out together and played. But Russ is one of my good friends. My hat's off to him for a hell of a career. He had a lot more to give to basketball too. He could have kept playing, but I'm glad that he that he walked away on his own terms because not everybody gets to do that.
James Ham: "Scott Perry went and had a dinner with Jalen Duren in Miami early in free agency. I will tell you, if you're Jalen Duren and his representative, I would look at the Sacramento Kings and know they can get up to max cap space next summer. Zach LaVine is coming off the books. Scott Perry is completely turning the franchise over, and I can tell you he has Jalen Duren's name in highlighter pen looking at next summer's free agency, if Duren is willing to take the qualifying offer."
James Ham: "The (Hoop Collective) trio talked about the fact that Sabonis is similar in a lot of ways to Trae Young. They are all-star level players, but they don't fit every team, especially due to their weakness on the defensive end. I would add in their weakness on the defensive end and their gigantic salaries, which is something that Trae Young faces as well. The Kings, of course, had been offered Trae Young at one point in exchange for Zach LaVine. LaVine to Atlanta and Trae Young to the Sacramento Kings. The Kings said no to that deal from what I know, very specifically according to a source of mine. They said no because they knew that the second he got off a plane, he would want an extension and the Kings were not fully prepared to be in the long-term Trae Young business."
You came into the league really young. What was that transition like, and who were the veterans that took you under their wing in Minnesota? Zach LaVine: I had a lot of good vets. I came in the league really young at 19 years old, and a couple of my vets were Kevin Garnett, I had Mo Williams, Corey Brewer, Ricky Rubio, who wasn't crazy old at that point, and Thaddeus Young, one of my best friends in the league. They always told me to work, and I was already a really good worker. Sam Mitchell pushed you. Flip Saunders took a chance on a kid at UCLA. They just said, stay in the gym, stay hungry, and never, really, never put a cap on what you're able to do. If you're going out there and you have 25 points, don't be satisfied with that. The next game, go out there and try to get 30. If you make 10 shots in a row in practice, you shouldn't be satisfied like, "Oh, OK, that's good enough." Always try to push the limits of your abilities.
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What are the biggest life lessons you've learned throughout your career so far? Zach LaVine: The NBA's tough, man. Everyone says the cliché that it's a business, but you learn the business of basketball. You understand that not everyone gets to stay. The careers are short, and it's hard to make the NBA. It's even harder to stay, and it's even harder to be successful. So I think that's some of the lessons.
James Ham: "According to that source, the Kings have no thought of buying out Zach LaVine at this time. They also plan on him coming back and being ready to have a big year in what is a contract season for him. And according to that source, LaVine is aligned with this thinking. So again, at this point, the Kings and LaVine are tied to each other for the 2026-27 season."
James Ham: "Scott Perry was willing to work with Zach LaVine and his representation to find him a new home before he opted into his contract at the end of June. They were more than willing to work on a sign-and-trade with Zach LaVine, and if he could find a home that even paid him less money but a longer-term contract, the Kings were all on board to try and do that."
Dru: “They've been honest with [Zach LaVine] & said; Look, all bets are off if you opt in...We as a franchise have to make a business decision w/ regards to you—& if he's going to get bought out it should happen now. Because after this it's not advantageous to anybody.” @James_HamNBA
Kings general manager Scott Perry addressed the media on Wednesday and revealed that he anticipates LaVine to play for the team during the upcoming season. “Zach and I have been in communication since the season was over,” Perry said. “We have a very good relationship and good understanding. Zach is still an excellent basketball player. He knows what’s expected of him. He’s coming back here this year. I’m very clear with him on that. He’ll be the first to tell you that. “And I think he’s ready to come back and embrace that and perform to the best of his abilities this year. We can use a lot of the things that Zach LaVine is able to do on the basketball field, so I’m looking forward to him taking a step forward with us this year and how we want to play the game.”
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Barry Jackson: There has been no contact yet between DeRozan camp and Heat, per source just now. Miami would be among teams of interest to DeRozan, who is being set free by the Kings. Miami's options now include - among others - DeRozan, Beal, Gary Trent. Or the Heat simply could wait on LeBron decision before deciding what wing player to pursue. I expect Heat to try to add another wing; tough call is whether to pounce on one of these players or wait to see if a surprise name shakes free. Mavs -- trying to be playoff contender- don't need to buyout Klay, obvously. And if Kings use waive and stretch on DeRozan (reported to be likely path), they do not necessarily need to do that with Zach LaVine.
The Pistons have maintained their stance that they’re not interested in sign-and-trade scenarios for Jalen Duren and will continue to try to bridge the gap between both sides and get a deal done. Duren and Domantas Sabonis share the same agency, The Team. With Sabonis, 30, naturally looking to compete in the prime of his career instead of beginning a rebuild, and the Kings exploring the trade market for Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan, it’s easy to see why this Duren sign-and-trade scenario would appeal to Sacramento. On paper, however, going from the 22-year-old Duren to the 30-year-old Sabonis, who’s owed $94.08 million over the next two years, isn’t prudent for Detroit.
A source said some of the bigger guards on Miami’s radar are 6-4 Bradley Beal, 6-3 Anfernee Simons and 6-5 Kentavious Caldwell Pope (who is expected to part ways with the Grizzlies). The 6-5 Zach LaVine could become an option if the Kings waive and stretch the final season (and $49 million) of his contract. And so could....
LaVine has been the subject of trade rumors and speculation for the past year, but there hasn’t been much of a market for his services due to the size of his contract. The Kings will continue to explore trade possibilities for LaVine as general manager Scott Perry works to overhaul an aging and expensive roster. If they can’t find a deal before the February trade deadline, LaVine’s expiring contract will come off the books next summer, giving Sacramento significant salary cap relief.
