Kings Rumors: Zach LaVine, Trae Young, DeMar DeRozan, Keon Ellis

The Kings are suddenly one of the league’s busiest teams behind the scenes, and the rumor mill is starting to reflect it.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports that Sacramento continues to canvas the market while sticking to the defense-first philosophy the new front office has put in place.

Fischer reports that the Warriors were the only team besides Sacramento with real interest in Zach LaVine before Chicago moved him last season.

That door is shut now after Golden State landed Jimmy Butler.

LaVine’s max contract remains a hurdle. League insiders told Fischer teams would be more open to adding him if the guard were willing to drop his $49 million option for 2026-27 and pivot to a longer deal at a lower starting number. For now, that feels unlikely.

Young chatter: Fischer adds that the previous Kings front office briefly considered the Trae Young path.

In fact, LaVine’s camp even made a push for a three-team idea that would’ve sent LaVine to Atlanta and Young to Sacramento.

The new regime doesn’t see it the same way. GM Scott Perry isn’t pursuing Young, LaMelo Ball or Ja Morant.

The star power of all three players reportedly doesn’t align with the defensive identity Sacramento is trying to build.

Eliis draws interest: One name buzzing around the league is Keon Ellis. A source told Fischer that “more than half the league” has already checked in on him.

Teams view Ellis as a ready-made rotation guard with legit two-way chops, and he’s eligible for an extension before hitting unrestricted free agency in 2026.

Fischer reports that Sacramento could likely land a first-round pick for Ellis. They could also use him as part of a package if they were to include a high-salary player like LaVine or DeMar DeRozan.