The Sacramento Kings got busy during the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline. In total, they were a part of three different deals, sending out five of their players and getting three new ones in return (along with some draft capital).
One of those deals was a three-team transaction with the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards. In that move, the Kings sent out Alex Len (to the Wizards), Colby Jones (Wizards), and a 2028 second round pick (Grizzlies) in exchange for Jake LaRavia.
The Sacramento Kings got busy during the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline. In total, they were a part of three different deals, sending out five of their players and getting three new ones in return (along with some draft capital).
One of those deals was a three-team transaction with the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards. In that move, the Kings sent out Alex Len (to the Wizards), Colby Jones (Wizards), and a 2028 second round pick (Grizzlies) in exchange for Jake LaRavia.
LaRavia performed well in his introductory stint with the team, providing their second unit with some much-needed size and ball handling. However, LaRavia is a free agent this offseason, and it may be tricky for the team to keep him moving forward.
Kings could lose LaRavia for nothing in free agency
LaRavia is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and while the Kings have their full non-taxpayer midlevel exception, they are limited in what they can offer him.
This is because his former employer (the Grizzlies) declined his fourth-year player option. So, the Grizzlies and the team they traded him to (us) can only offer him roughly 5.2 million dollars next season. Meanwhile, the other 28 teams are not straddled by those restrictions. So, a team that is really high on him could offer him the mid-level exception and swoop him up from under us.
This would mean that the Kings gave up a second round pick and Jones for 19 games of LaRavia. Those aren’t the most coveted assets, but you have to think that they could net the Kings more than 19 games of a rotation-level wing.
Fortunately, there are ways for the Kings to work around this obstacle. One strategy we highlighted in a post from earlier this season involves the Kings offering LaRavia a two-year deal, with the second season being a player option. This gives LaRavia some long-term stability while also giving him some room to be flexible.
If he has a mediocre season next year, he can opt into the second year of his deal and have a guaranteed payday for 2026-27. And if he takes the leap we often see from guys entering their mid-20s, LaRavia can decline that option and enter free agency once more. By that time, the Kings would have full Bird rights and be able to re-sign for any amount.
In a recent episode of the Dunc’d On NBA Basketball Podcast, Nate Duncan noted that this is something the Kings probably worked out with LaRavia’s camp before pulling the trigger on this deal. This would be a huge relief for Kings fans. As a team with very little youth to build around, you never want to see a 23-year-old walk out the door with nothing in return.
Needless to say, if the Kings don’t retain LaRavia this offseason, it would be yet another move for the team that ages poorly.
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This stealthy strategy is still on the table for the Sacramento Kings
