The Sacramento Kings find themselves in a period of uncertainty as they strive to reestablish themselves as a winning franchise.
As the organization seeks to engineer a turnaround, trades are expected, and those who believe All-Stars Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine are untouchable may be mistaken.
Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine Are Not Safe From Being Traded by the Kings
The 2022-23 season was a time of optimism for the Kings. They had finally broken a 16-year streak of missing the postseason, and it looked like Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox would finally lead them to glory.
However, those hopes were extinguished quickly, as they failed to return to the playoffs the following year after being eliminated from the play-in tournament. The 2024-25 season wasn’t any better, with Fox eventually being traded.
Losing Fox did give them an impressive haul of draft picks, as well as an offensive juggernaut in LaVine. Still, it looks like LaVine’s time in Sacramento will be short, as both he and Sabonis, along with most of the roster, are available in exchange for assets.
According to Jake Fischer on “The Stein Line,” there are only two players considered safe on the Kings’ roster: Keegan Murray and Nique Clifford.
The Sacramento Kings (4-13) are willing to trade anyone on their roster except for Keegan Murray and Nique Clifford, per @JakeLFischer
Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook and others are reportedly available pic.twitter.com/kgnqpHoV7V
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 23, 2025
Sabonis is an attractive trade piece for teams that need an all-around big man. He can score and pass, and he has established himself as an elite rebounder. In fact, he led the league in rebounds in each of the last three seasons. In 11 games so far this year, he’s averaged 17.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.
As for LaVine, finding a trade partner for him might be more difficult. The Chicago Bulls struggled to find a trade partner to send him to before he was dealt to Sacramento, and those same issues could be present again. Ahead of Friday’s clash against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he has averaged 21.4 points on 50.7/39.8/89.3 percent splits.
As for Murray and Clifford, they have yet to make an All-Star team, but they are young and promising.
Clifford was taken 24th in the most recent draft by the OKC Thunder, but he was later traded to the Kings. He has played in thirteen of his team’s seventeen games, where he has put up 4.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.
Meanwhile, Murray is only in his fourth season. He missed the first fifteen games of the season while he recovered from a UCL tear. In the two games since his return, he has averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists.
