The Boston Celtics are in a poor state heading into the 2025-26 season. Since their postseason run came to an end, marked by a devastating injury sustained by their superstar Jayson Tatum, the Celtics were forced into a rebuild to get under the second apron.
Boston’s efforts to clear cap space have yielded some degree of success, having brought their overall salary sheet under the second apron. Unfortunately, this has also stripped the Celtics’ roster bare of the talent that helped them deliver a championship to the city.
With key players like Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford parting ways with the team, Boston needs to find impactful reinforcements to remain competitive. To address this, The Sporting News’ Joe Mayo presented an interesting trade idea featuring Sacramento Kings star Domantas Sabonis.
Proposed Trade Details
Boston Celtics Receive: Domantas Sabonis
Sacramento Kings Receive: Anfernee Simons, Sam Hauser, Georges Niang, Neemias Queta, two first-round picks
This proposal has merit, but the price Boston would pay might be too steep.
The addition of Domantas Sabonis could be huge for Boston at this stage. As currently constructed, the Celtics don’t feature a legitimate big man who can anchor the team’s frontcourt.
While players like Xavier Tillman, Neemias Queta, and even Luka Garza have some upside, they are well-established role players who can fortify a team’s bench. In this regard, acquiring Sabonis would immediately introduce a starter-quality center to Boston’s rotation.
The 3x All-Star brings a lot of upside to the table. His ability to establish himself in the low-post is only matched by his versatility as a floor-spacer and playmaker.
Last season, the Kings center recorded an average of 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, while shooting 59.0% from the field and 41.7% from three-point range.
The 29-year-old is an incredibly effective and formidable center. Compared to Porzingis, he offers a similar scoring presence while significantly enhancing the team’s ball movement with his elite playmaking skills.
The other benefit of adding a player like Sabonis is his contract value. The big man will be entering the second year of a four-year, $175.6 million deal. With three years left on his contract, Sabonis will remain a part of the team once Tatum recovers from his Achilles injury. This puts the Celtics in a strong position to re-establish themselves as contenders in the East once Tatum returns.
The Celtics have been making attempts to part ways with Anfernee Simons, who was only acquired in an effort to shed Jrue Holiday’s contract. This trade also benefits Boston by allowing them to shed Simons’ contract.
Although Sabonis will be a significantly larger hit on the Celtics’ cap, he addresses a lot of the concerns the team has in the immediate scenario.
When considering the additional contracts of Sam Hauser, Georges Niang, and Neemias Queta, Boston will have successfully shed approximately $5 million, aiding their ongoing efforts to avoid the second apron.
As beneficial as this deal is for the Celtics, it also has some upside for the Kings.
The addition of Simons, Hauser, and Niang almost immediately improves Sacramento’s perimeter shooting. Simons’ offensive versatility sees him emerge as a talented scorer at all levels.
His averages of 19.3 points on shooting splits of 42.6% from the field and 36.3% from three-point range will be viewed favorably, as he slots in next to Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.
Would The Kings Do This Deal?
While the cost of acquiring Sabonis can be considered to be extremely high, the actual issue with completing this deal may come from Sacramento’s end.
There is some appeal with Simons and Niang being on expiring contracts. Along with the two first-rounders included in the package, the Kings could very realistically kickstart a rebuild.
But the reality of it is that this trade would be quite detrimental for the Kings franchise. Unless they explicitly commit to a rebuild, parting ways with a talented big man like Sabonis does not work in their favor.
Meanwhile, the Celtics may also hesitate to do this deal, primarily due to the draft assets they would have to give up in the process. Considering the team’s stance on saving money and signing talented players on low-cost contracts, while amassing draft capital, Boston may not do this trade.
