The Sacramento Kings have taken a major hit to their season, and it could not come at a worse time. After an offseason focused on retooling around Zach LaVine, Russell Westbrook, and DeMar DeRozan, the franchise now faces the possibility of being without its most important interior presence. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, star center Domantas Sabonis has suffered a partially torn meniscus that will sideline him for at least three to four weeks.
The news sent a shockwave through the organization, and head coach Doug Christie made it clear how significant the loss was. Sabonis serves as the heartbeat of the Kings’ offense, playing a major role as both a scorer and facilitator. Without him, Sacramento will have to completely adjust the way it plays to stay afloat.
“Not happy,” said Kings coach Doug Christie on his reaction to the injury. “I feel for him, obviously. We need the big fella, but it is the nature of what we do and we know that when we sign up.”
For a team trying to climb back into the Western Conference playoff picture, the Kings now face a difficult stretch without their All-Star big man, and the prognosis is not good.
Tonight, against a short-handed Grizzlies team missing their best players, they took their eighth straight loss in a 41-point blowout. With a minus-13.4 net rating on the season, losses like that have become a trend in Sacramento, and now they do not even have Sabonis to stabilize them.
The All-Star center is averaging 17.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 51.0 percent shooting in 11 games, but this setback will keep him off the floor until mid-December.
By the time he comes back, the Kings’ fate may already be sealed for the 2025-26 campaign. At 3-13 and sitting 14th in the standings, it will take a miracle just to bring them back to .500, much less into the Western Conference race.
In fact, if the struggles continue at this pace, Sabonis may have played his last game for the Kings. If the franchise opts for an overhaul before February’s deadline, it could result in trades for each of their veterans, including Sabonis.
For now, the Kings must carry on with what they have, and only time will tell how ugly things get. As a team that was considered on the rise just a few years ago, the downfall has been swift and steep since the departure of De’Aaron Fox in 2025.
Without Sabonis, they lack a real identity, and that was evident in their blowout loss to the Grizzlies. Only his return can spark a revival for the Kings, but they are still a long way from matching the firepower of teams like the Thunder, Rockets, and Nuggets.
Sacramento’s season now hinges on how well they can survive this stretch without their All-Star anchor. Every game will feel like an uphill battle, and the margin for error has evaporated. If the Kings want any chance of salvaging their year, they will need to rediscover their fight and hold the line until Sabonis returns. Otherwise, this season could mark the beginning of another full-scale reset.
