NBA rumors: Kings facing doomsday Domantas Sabonis trade scenario
03/29/2025 12:15 AM
Things have gone downhill for the Sacramento Kings since their breakout 2022-23 campaign in which they won 48 games, claimed the Pacific Division crown, became the league’s darling with their Light The Beam gimmick, and pushed the then-reigning champion Golden State Warriors to seven games in a hard-fought first-round series. And it looks like this downturn in fortunes would end up costing the Kings another one of their star players in Domantas Sabonis.
If the Kings are unable to right the ship for the rest of this season and the start of the next, Sabonis may have no other recourse but to request a trade to greener pastures, as pointed out by ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel.
“Many around the league are preparing for the possibility of the Kings becoming big sellers ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline next February, which would likely result in Sabonis requesting a trade should a clear direction not present itself,” Siegel wrote.
It looks like the Kings are wedded to their current core, and they are likely to run it back to start next year, as Siegel noted. But things can change quickly in the NBA, and Sacramento could very well be headed for another rebuild if things continue to go south for them.
Things may not be completely bleak for the Kings at the moment, but Siegel wondered just how far this current core of theirs is going to take the team given their uninspiring play throughout the 2024-25 season.
“Sabonis is just finishing the first year of his $186 million extension with the franchise. [Keegan] Murray will be entering the final year of his rookie contract and eligible for an extension. [DeMar] DeRozan will turn 36 in August and be in the second season of his three-year deal with the team. What is the direction of the Kings at this point?” Siegel added.
Gauging potential trade destinations for Kings’ Domantas Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis is a talented player, but he might not be the easiest to fit on a contending team. The Kings star has obvious limitations on the defensive end of the floor, and he will need the right teammates around him so he can do his thing as a playmaking center who dominates on the glass.
To that end, teams with athletic power forwards who can protect the rim could be a perfect fit alongside Sabonis. The Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks, with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Anthony Davis, respectively, could be good fits for the Kings star, although it’s not quite clear if they have the assets to swing a trade.
The post NBA rumors: Kings facing doomsday Domantas Sabonis trade scenario appeared first on ClutchPoints.
