Sacramento Kings star forward Domantas Sabonis is set to miss the final preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. The Kings have been slumping in recent seasons and have failed to qualify for the playoffs in four of the past five NBA seasons.
Despite Sabonis leading the charge for the Kings every gameday, the rest of the roster lags in putting up decent numbers to back the three-time All-Star’s performances on the court.
Currently, the Kings are winless in their preseason games, and with the announcement of Sabonis being sidelined for the Lakers clash, this would not have been the ideal way the franchise would have wanted to start the opening night of the new campaign.
Domantas Sabonis Sidelined for the Final Preseason Clash Against the Lakers
Per the latest announcement by the team and senior NBA Insider Chris Haynes, Sabonis sustained a mild hamstring strain during one of the training sessions. They will miss the preseason finale against the Lakers on Friday night. His return timeline and start on the opening night of the 2025-26 NBA season remain unclear.
Sacramento Kings star Domantas Sabonis sustained a mild hamstring strain and he’ll miss the preseason finale vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, league sources tell me.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 16, 2025
Sabonis might not be the only star on the Kings roster who will miss the preseason finale. Fellow All-Star DeMar DeRozan is probable due to groin soreness, while Keegan Murray and Malik Monk are out due to left thumb UCL and illness issues, respectively.
From Kings:
INJURY UPDATE vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10/17
DeMar DeRozan: PROBABLE – Groin Soreness
Domantas Sabonis: OUT- Hamstring Strain
Keegan Murray: OUT – Left Thumb UCL
Malik Monk: OUT – Illness
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) October 17, 2025
The Lithuanian PF has been a mainstay in Sacramento since he was traded from the Indiana Pacers to the Kings in February 2022. The Orlando Magic drafted him as the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft.
Sabonis made his professional NBA debut with the Thunder but was traded to the Pacers. After five years in Indiana, he was on the move again and has played for the Kings since 2022.
Sacramento Kings Could Line Up Four All-Stars and a World Cup Champion This Season
After announcing the latest signing of Russell Westbrook, the Kings’ revamped roster looks like a potent threat in the Western Conference. Suppose all the players maintain a good level of health for the majority of the season. In that case, head coach Doug Christie could look to line up DeRozan, Sabonis, Dennis Schröder, Westbrook, and LaVine.
On paper, this seems to be a highly experienced starting five for any NBA team, and whether these players can work up a good level of cohesion amongst themselves and play consistently well for their team is a question that shall be answered once the new season commences.
