Kings expected to shop large contract to create offseason cap flexibility
- Sacramento enters the 2026 offseason expected to explore trades or a waiver involving DeMar DeRozan as the quickest path to salary relief. - The Kings project around $225 million in salary, with Zach LaVine likely to opt into $48.9 million and DeRozan guaranteed for only $10 million. - After a 22-60 season, Sacramento is carrying contender-level payroll into a rebuild. (spotrac.com)
The Sacramento Kings enter the offseason with one obvious cap lever: DeMar DeRozan’s partially guaranteed contract. (si.com) (spotrac.com) Sacramento is projected to have roughly $225 million on the books for 2026-27, according to ESPN cap analyst Bobby Marks as cited by Sports Illustrated. That would leave the Kings over the second apron after finishing 22-60. (si.com) The biggest salaries are already spoken for. Zach LaVine is widely expected to pick up his $48.9 million player option, and Domantas Sabonis is owed about $45.5 million next season. (spotrac.com) (si.com) That leaves DeRozan as the cleanest short-term move. His 2026-27 salary is about $25.7 million, but only $10 million is guaranteed, which means Sacramento could save a little more than $15 million by waiving him. (spotrac.com) (si.com) A trade is harder, because Sacramento would usually need to take salary back. Still, the same contract structure that makes DeRozan waiveable also makes him one of the roster’s most tradable veteran deals. (si.com) Spotrac’s offseason preview framed the Kings’ summer in broader terms: “cleaning up the cap sheet” has to be a primary goal. The site said Sacramento is too expensive for a team that has fallen back to the bottom of the Western Conference. (spotrac.com) Some Kings commentary has argued for an even bigger move involving Sabonis. A Royal Pain said moving Sabonis is a “desperate need,” but also described it as difficult because he still has about $94 million left over two seasons. (aroyalpain.com) Spotrac’s contract database shows why Sacramento has so little room to maneuver. Along with LaVine, Sabonis and DeRozan, the Kings also have major money committed to Keegan Murray, Malik Monk and De’Andre Hunter. (spotrac.com) So the offseason question is less about one splashy signing than about undoing an expensive roster. For Sacramento, cap flexibility starts with whichever large contract Scott Perry can move first. (si.com) (spotrac.com)
