It’s been a brutal fall from grace for the Sacramento Kings. After making the playoffs for the first time in two decades, it seemed like the only way to go was up for a relatively young core. However, after choosing De’Aaron Fox over Tyrese Haliburton, the team parted ways with the former as well.
Add in some questionable choices to bring in DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, and the organization hasn’t found much success this season. As a result, the possibility of blowing it up entirely is already on the radar, with Domantas Sabonis serving as one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle.
Domantas Sabonis’ Move Remains Biggest Uncertainty for the Kings
Starting his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it wasn’t until a trade to the Indiana Pacers that Sabonis truly found himself. Becoming a consistently reliable 20 and 10 guy, he was critical to Indiana’s success in the latter stages of the 2010s.
However, the Kings saw an opportunity to form a truly lethal duo with Fox. As a result, the trade for Haliburton came into existence, and the results were immediate. Sabonis continued his ascent as the franchise was able to make it back to the postseason.
But the last few years haven’t gone according to plan. After moving on from Fox previous year, the 2025-26 season has gone very poorly for Sacramento, as they sit at 6-18 for the 13th seed in the Western Conference.
A complete teardown seems inevitable, especially given that the players making up the bulk of the roster are involved. For most people, Sabonis would be near the top of the list. However, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, a move for the Lithuanian might not come to fruition.
During an appearance on “Run It Back”, Amick revealed his findings about the second-generation center. “There’s only so many teams in the league that I think have any interest in having their offense be centered around a guy like that. I’ve talked to his camp recently; it does not sound like they anticipate being moved at the deadline.”
Amick added, “It’s more a message of patience. And he really likes living in the area, and as far as quality of life, he’s doing okay. But that’s why [general manager] Scott Perry is asking for a long runway and a lot of patience here, is because the market for their guys, I don’t think, is great.”
Averaging 17.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, Sabonis hasn’t had the same play-making impact as the ball has been taken out of his hands. Moreover, with just 11 games played on the year, his health is also a factor to consider in a potential trade.
