The Sacramento Kings are not done blowing things up.
According to veteran NBA writer Jake Fischer, the Kings are expected to make Domantas Sabonis available this summer. Fischer reported the news on Marc Stein’s Substack, noting that Sacramento wants to shed significant salary and that Sabonis is the player on their roster most likely to generate serious interest.
Sabonis, 30, is a three-time All-Star and a three-time NBA rebounding leader. He earned back-to-back All-NBA selections in 2023 and 2024. Over his five seasons in Sacramento, he has averaged 19.0 points, 13.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game. Those are real numbers for a real player.
The hesitation is everywhere else. Sabonis only played 19 games last season due to a meniscus tear. When he did play, his averages dipped to 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He is also making $45.5 million next season, with another $48.6 million owed in 2027-28 before his deal expires.
That is a tough contract to trade. Not impossible, but tough.
The Kings just finished a hapless 22-60 season. The roster around Sabonis has not been good enough to make a playoff push, and the front office is now signaling they are ready to step back and reset. Moving Sabonis is the cleanest way to do that.
Sabonis has been the subject of trade rumors for over a year. He was linked to the Philadelphia 76ers in a potential Joel Embiid swap a few weeks ago, which felt like a stretch at the time. The reality this offseason is that there are a few teams who could legitimately use his skill set.
Any team that needs frontcourt scoring and elite rebounding is going to call. The Lakers come to mind, although they are also chasing Giannis Antetokounmpo. Atlanta could be interested. The Bulls and Pelicans have both struggled with consistent rebounding. The Heat could look at him if their Antetokounmpo pursuit falls apart.
The price is going to be the issue. Sacramento is not going to give him away. They want salary relief and probably young assets to build around going forward. Any acquiring team is also going to want medical clearance on his knee, which is reasonable given last season’s injury.
Sabonis is the son of basketball legend Arvydas Sabonis, and he has built a real career in his own right. He has been one of the more underrated players in the league for years. If he ends up on a contender, he will fit. Whether the Kings can find that match before training camp is the next question.
For Sacramento fans, this is the start of another chapter in a long rebuild. For Sabonis, it is probably the right move. He deserves a chance to win games in June, not just survive another lottery season.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
