Kings' Woes Deepen as LaVine Rift Rumor Swirls

The Sacramento Kings have faced a challenging start to the 2025-26 NBA season, and a rumor about a rift between star player Zach LaVine and the team's coaching staff has only added to their troubles.

According to the rumor, LaVine, a two-time All-Star, chose a particularly demonstrative way to express his frustration with his limited playing time during the Kings' Sunday showdown against the San Antonio Spurs. The Kings ultimately lost that game 123-110, their 11th defeat in 14 games.

Notably, reserve guards Dennis Schroder and Malik Monk each played more minutes than LaVine in the loss. A closer look at the numbers shows that, heading into the Spurs game, LaVine had played 34 minutes or more in nine outings, but his playing time significantly dwindled on Sunday.

The rumor of the LaVine-Kings rift was quickly met with a rebuttal, as another tweet showed screenshots of the Sunday game's broadcast, showing LaVine on the Kings' bench in the fourth quarter.

Regardless of the validity of the rift, the Kings and their All-Star guard will need to find a way to turn things around as they take on the OKC Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, and Denver Nuggets in their upcoming home stand.

Adding to the uncertainty, Sacramento radio personality Carmichael Dave reported last week that the Kings are exploring trade options for the likes of LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, and DeMar DeRozan. This suggests the team may be preparing for a "full rebuild" after two decades of mostly postseason futility.