Kings GM Scott Perry admits that change needed and likely coming

Scott Perry is not calling it a rebuild. But he is not pretending this roster is finished either.

“We’ve got to get younger as a team,” the Kings GM told ESPN’s Anthony Slater earlier this month, via ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

And the numbers back it up. Sacramento is the third-oldest roster in the league, behind only Golden State and the Clippers, with six players aged 30 or older. Domantas Sabonis turns 30 in May. The clock is not screaming yet, but it is definitely ticking.

Perry knows the trade deadline is the first real pressure point.

“My job is always to work the phones,” he said. “Whether that’s the trade deadline, leading to the draft, summertime. The trade deadline just happens to be the closest thing now to being able to make a change.”

Easier said than done. Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk are all under contract through at least 2026–27, with Sabonis and Monk locked in through 2027–28. Those four alone account for roughly 73 percent of Sacramento’s payroll this season, limiting flexibility and making major reshuffling complicated.

If there is a more movable piece, it may be Keon Ellis.

The 26-year-old is on a team-friendly $2.3 million deal, drew interest around the league, and is headed toward unrestricted free agency in July. Any acquiring team would gain his Bird rights, a subtle but meaningful perk.

The message from Sacramento is clear. Change is coming. The question is how aggressive Perry wants to be when the phones heat up.