If there’s one team with no clear vision for the future, it’s the Sacramento Kings. After finishing 14th in the West last season (22-60), they are still very much in a rebuilding phase with their attention primarily on player development.
That reality has put star big man Domantas Sabonis in an awkward position. At 30 years old, he doesn’t fit the Kings’ younger timeline, and the prospect of his availability has become an increasingly popular topic in the NBA. According to Anthony Slater, however, the Kings have already tried (and failed) to trade Sabonis, and the two sides have had open dialogue throughout the summer.
“Perry sat with Sabonis in his office for two hours the same week he took over the job, and the two have maintained a transparent relationship since, team sources said. That included open dialogue about the trade opportunities that could benefit both sides over the past year,” wrote ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “The Kings nearly traded Sabonis to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline in February — a move he would’ve welcomed, a source with knowledge of the situation said — for a package that included RJ Barrett, but the Raptors were unable to get off the three-year, $84 million remaining on Jakob Poeltl‘s contract, which doomed the deal.”
As an experienced veteran and talented scoring big man, Sabonis was drawing interest from both the Raptors and the Hornets this summer before they settled on other players. But with another two years and $93 million on his contract, there’s nowhere for Sabonis to go but back to the Kings, and he’s already expressed a willingness to return.
“So Sabonis — with two years and $94 million remaining on his current contract — returns to the Kings and, team sources said, has expressed a willingness to recommit and buy in to this season’s team,” Slater added. “Acuff said Sabonis texted him a couple of days after he was drafted, welcomed him to the team and expressed excitement about their offensive potential together.”
As the Kings transition into the Darius Acuff era, they’ll be leaning on veterans to mentor the young star and show him the ropes. The latest intel has drawn ties to Georges Niang and Kelly Olynyk, but Sabonis fits the role just as well. As a 30-year-old center who has been in various situations, he has a lot of wisdom to share about how to be effective in the NBA. Plus, he still has a lot left in the tank of his own game, coming off the 2025-26 campaign with averages of 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game on 54.3% shooting from the field.
So, unless the Kings get a monster trade offer for Sabonis, they are content to keep the star big man for now. The same can be said for Zach LaVine, although for entirely different reasons. Either way, with no illusions of being a contender, the Kings are in no rush to make a deal one way or another. For now, they are taking the slow and cautious approach, with Sabonis setting the example for the younger generation.
