The 2024-25 season was a disappointing one for the Sacramento Kings, as they missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
The Western Conference unit started the season by making a splash move and trading for veteran forward DeMar DeRozan. They doubled down on this decision by making another blockbuster and reuniting DeRozan with his former Chicago Bulls teammate Zach LaVine. The Kings acquired LaVine after trading franchise cornerstone point guard De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs.
Adding the string of changes was firing head coach Mike Brown halfway into the season.
Despite having a solid Big 3 in DeRozan, LaVine, and Domantas Sabonis, the Kings failed to secure a postseason berth despite earning a spot in the play-in tournament. With their summer starting early, Sacramento is now in the news, with reports of the team looking to move one of their three superstars in the offseason.
NBA Executives Believe Kings Are Likely to Break Up Big 3 in the Summer
According to senior NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Kings are likely to “at least” deal one of their three stars this summer.
The insider believes that DeRozan and center Jonas Valančiūnas are considered movable salaries while highlighting LaVine’s contribution to the team this season.
He also added that other teams are keeping an eye on Sabonis’ future with the team.
“Rival executives are monitoring whether Sabonis will eventually request a trade if Sacramento continues to sputter and not show improvement as anything more than a Play-In Team,” Scotto wrote.
People around the league expect the Kings to consider trading at least one member of their Big 3, per @MikeAScotto
“Looking ahead to the offseason, rival NBA executives are monitoring the trio of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan with the belief that Sacramento… pic.twitter.com/EDqyDX6FWd
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 4, 2025
Statistically, Sabonis ended his season averaging 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game. LaVine rediscovered his shooting touch to notch up 23.3 points per game, while DeRozan ended his season as a legitimate scoring threat with 22.2 points per contest.
The Kings made no secret of the fact that they were taking the win-now approach when they added LaVine to the mix. While their offense has been potent, much of their defense is reliant on Sabonis. The Kings last made the playoffs during the 2022-23 season and played crosstown rivals Golden State Warriors.
They stretched it to Game 7 before going down to Steph Curry and Co. in the final matchup. It has been two disappointing seasons since with the 2024-25 edition filled with major changes.
Sacramento has been in the headlines with Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes labeling forward Keegan Murray as an untouchable player. This further adds to Scotto’s take on the franchise, likely putting one of their stars on the trade block.