The Sacramento Kings were active at the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline, making moves in three separate deals. They traded away five players and acquired three new ones, along with some draft assets.
One of the transactions involved a three-team deal with the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards. In that trade, the Kings sent Alex Len and Colby Jones to the Wizards and a 2028 second-round pick to the Grizzlies, receiving top prospect in return.
He made a strong impression in his initial run with Sacramento, giving the second unit a boost with his size and playmaking ability. However, with free agency looming this offseason, retaining him could prove challenging for the Kings.
Kings could lose LaRavia for nothing in free agency
Jake LaRavia is heading into unrestricted free agency this summer, and while the Kings do have their full non-taxpayer midlevel exception available, they’re restricted in what they can offer him due to a unique rule. Since the Grizzlies—his previous team—declined his fourth-year team option, both Memphis and Sacramento (his new team) are limited to offering him only about $5.2 million next season. The other 28 teams, however, are not bound by this restriction and could use their full MLE to lure him away.
That puts the Kings in a vulnerable position. If another team sees LaRavia as a breakout candidate and offers a more lucrative deal, Sacramento could lose him after just 19 games—despite giving up Colby Jones and a 2028 second-round pick to acquire him. Those assets aren’t massive, but certainly more valuable than just a short-term rental of a promising 23-year-old wing.
Fortunately, there’s a potential workaround. One strategy the Kings may pursue is offering LaRavia a two-year deal with a player option in the second season. This structure gives him some long-term security and flexibility. If he underperforms, he can opt in for the 2026-27 season and secure another year of guaranteed money. But if he has a breakout year, he can decline the option and re-enter free agency—by which point the Kings would hold full Bird rights, enabling them to offer any amount to retain him.
Nate Duncan of the Dunc’d On Basketball Podcast recently suggested that this might already be part of a handshake agreement between the Kings and LaRavia’s camp. That would certainly ease concerns among fans, especially since Sacramento lacks young, cost-controlled talent to build around. Letting a 23-year-old wing with upside walk for nothing would be another tough blow in a series of questionable roster moves.
Simply put, retaining LaRavia is critical. If the Kings fail to do so, it could mark yet another trade deadline decision that doesn’t age well.