Zach LaVine’s Kings debut, revealed

While the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade stole the headlines this past weekend, there was also another huge trade on Sunday. The Sacramento Kings sent De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-way deal that landed them Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine and it’s now known when the UCLA product will make his team debut — Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.

Via James Ham:

“According to a league source, Zach LaVine is expected to be in uniform for the Kings on Wednesday night when the Orlando Magic visit Golden 1 Center,” Ham wrote on X.

Fox made it clear last week he wanted out and it didn’t take the Kings long to find their franchise player a new home alongside Victor Wembanyama in Texas. As for LaVine, there had been trade buzz around him for a couple of seasons now. He’s having a solid campaign, averaging 24 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 42 games in 2024-25. He will reunite with DeMar DeRozan, who was his teammate in the Windy City.

GM Monte McNair spoke out on the trade on Monday, highlighting why LaVine is a solid fit for the 10th-place Kings:

“As we look to the future, I am excited to welcome Zach to Sacramento. He is a gifted scorer, and his athleticism will make an impact on both ends of the floor. We also look forward to Sidy joining the Kings.”

He also thanked Fox for his contributions over the years.

“De’Aaron has played a pivotal role with our franchise, and we are deeply grateful for everything he did to support the organization on and off the court,” said McNair.

The Kings need more three-point shooting, which is a huge reason LaVine is an ideal fit. He’s draining 44% of his triples this season. Sacramento is currently 24-24 and faces the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.