The Sacramento Kings are facing a tough break as Domantas Sabonis joins Zach LaVine on the sidelines for the rest of the 2025-26 season. Sabonis underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus, a blow confirmed by ESPN's Shams Charania.
Sabonis has been a key player for the Kings, averaging 15.8 points on 54.3% shooting, along with 11.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 0.9 steals over 19 games. This season marks his lowest game count since the 2021-22 campaign.
The Kings have struggled this season, heading into the All-Star break with an NBA-worst 12-44 record. In a strategic move, Sacramento acquired De'Andre Hunter in a three-team trade, sending Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder to the Cleveland Cavaliers and veteran Dario Saric to the Chicago Bulls.
While some teams like the Jazz and Pacers have faced scrutiny for allegedly tanking, the Kings' poor performance wasn't part of the plan. Injuries and a lack of team chemistry have been significant hurdles, dampening the high hopes the front office had for this season.
Zach Lowe of The Ringer weighed in, noting that the Kings' struggles seem unintentional, describing them as "organically, abysmally, depressingly bad."
As the Kings look to the future, their chances of landing the top pick in the 2026 NBA draft are improving. The hope is that this pick will mesh well with Sabonis and the rest of the team, setting the stage for a brighter future.