A Domantas Sabonis trade seems to be on the horizon after the Sacramento Kings are reportedly not interested in extending his contract. Why would the Kings not want to keep their All-Star center, you might ask? It has nothing to do with his talent and production level; they think he no longer fits their timeline, as they’re fully committed to a rebuild. For a player who helped lead this Sacramento team back to the playoffs after they held the longest playoff drought in NBA history, failing to reach the postseason for 16 consecutive seasons from 2006 to 2023. Trading a player of that caliber should get you a positive return, right?
Sabonis currently has two years, $94 million left on his deal, which is important to teams that are trying to stay under certain salary caps. He is still a valuable player and can contribute to a team trying to win a title, but there are some question marks about him. Teams must weigh his elite rebounding and passing against a recent knee injury that limited him to 19 games in the prior season. He also isn’t a great rim protector, as he regularly averages under 0.5 blocks per game and his career defensive rating sits around 110.6, climbing higher in recent seasons with the Kings.
He’s also not a good floor spacer, as he’s shot 34.2% over the course of his career, on only 0.5 to 1.0 three-pointers per game. Another reason he’s likely to get traded is that he recently hired high-profile agent Aaron Mintz, which often precedes a move. Mintz has a history of helping star players move out of smaller-market teams and securing major extensions. Players like Trae Young and Walker Kessler were some of the players that he facilitated a deal with. With all this being said, what is Sabonis’ current value in a trade?
Considering that he’s on a massive contract and he’s not a player that you can just plug and play in any type of system, his value might not be as high as some think. Salary filler, a young player, and draft capital would be the most likely return, but the draft assets are a big question, as teams might not be willing to throw in first-round picks. Don’t be surprised if he only goes for a salary filler and an underwhelming load of draft picks that include pick swaps and second-round picks.
Teams that have been linked to him are the Charlotte Hornets, the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Toronto Raptors. Out of these teams, which would be the best fit for him? The Celtics aren’t a bad fit, but his contract would likely mean Derrick White would have to be included, and Boston probably doesn’t want to do that. The Pistons would only be involved because of their situation with Jalen Duren, as it would be a sign-and-trade for Sabonis.
The best fit of all these teams would most likely be the Hornets because they have plenty of shooting around him, although their defense would take a step back a bit. The Raptors aren’t a bad fit as well because of the defense that team already plays; it can be used to hide Sabonis’ weaknesses. Jokab Poeltl or RJ Barrett would have to be included in a trade just to make the money work, but Sacramento is more intrigued by draft picks, and the Hornets can offer that better than Toronto.
Before this past season, when he only played 19 games, he suited up for at least 70 games in three straight seasons and had his best statistical season in 2023-24. He averaged 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 8.2 assists on 59.4% from the field. He might’ve come off an injury-riddled season, but based on history, that’s not the type of player he is. A trade is as imminent as ever with Sabonis, and it’ll likely happen before the season starts.
The writing is on the wall for a trade to happen, and it seems to be only a matter of who’s willing to take a shot at the dynamic big man. He might not be the player he was a couple of seasons back, but by no means does he have nothing left to give to a team trying to compete for the ultimate goal. It’s hard to imagine him starting the season on the Kings, but maybe they should do that so he can prove to the league why he’s worth trading for. So many All-Star players have already been moved this offseason, and Sabonis looks to be next on that list.
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