The Sacramento Kings traded for Zach LaVine in the middle of the 2024-25 season, and although he has only been there for a few months, fans are already prepared for him to pack his bags.
Rumors have spread about LaVine leaving Sacramento, and they are not creating a lot of backlash because loyal Kings followers have determined that he might not have what it takes to help this team win.
The LaVine/DeRozan reunion was never the right move for the Kings
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By midseason, everyone felt that De'Aaron Fox was going to leave the Kings, and it was just a matter of when and where. In the end, [Sacramento committed to a big trade](https://aroyalpain.com/kings-clearly-fleeced-by-bulls-zach-lavine-trade) that sent Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and brought in LaVine from the Chicago Bulls.
Right away, some people were confused by this move. Why were the Kings attempting to pair DeMar DeRozan with LaVine when the two had played together and found very little success in Chicago? What was it about this team that would allow them to perform better? LaVine isn't a bad player, but was he really the best the Kings could get in return for one of the most promising guards in the league?
After just 32 games, the answer is an obvious no.
LaVine put up 22.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists during his first few months with the Kings. Those are admirable numbers, but they do not tell the full story. It is clear that LaVine just wasn't the difference-maker the Kings needed.
He's obviously a good offensive player, but his defense is hit-or-miss, at best. He's also growing older and has been prone to injuries. His contract is massive, and he might be difficult to trade. The Bulls are fully aware of that because they attempted to move LaVine multiple times but had a tough time finding any potential suitors because of his hefty contract and history of injuries.
LaVine is not going to be the team leader who will push the Kings into the promised land of the playoffs. They will need more, but now they are tied to him and may have headaches trying to trade him.
One of the big fears is that the Kings will get desperate, and, as we know, they don't act well when they are coming from a place of desperation, [especially under the unpredictable leadership](https://aroyalpain.com/kings-becoming-definition-of-insanity-under-vivek-ranadive-01jvmf9qf12t) of Vivek Ranadive. The idea of them trading LaVine away for next to nothing doesn't feel too far-fetched, and there is a good chance they could walk away with a lackluster trade that once again puts the team in a worse position.
For whatever reason, the Kings thought LaVine was going to shake things up and upgrade the team. He didn't, and now they have to be very careful about their next steps. He might not be the recipe for success, but handling a trade poorly could make things even worse in Sacramento.