The Sacramento Kings’ preseason has been hard to read, and that uncertainty is only sharpening the questions around two of their biggest names.
Sacramento has dealt with missing players, dropped exhibition games and the challenge of piecing together a veteran-heavy roster. But The Athletic’s Sam Amick said he does not see a team that’s simply waiting to fade away. If the veterans stay healthy, he believes the Kings could end up better than many expect - and that both Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine could become real trade targets as the deadline gets closer.
Amick made the comments on Sactown Sports’ The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross after seeing the Kings in person. He said the absences Sacramento has dealt with fit into a larger league-wide pattern, though the amount of time Kings players have spent on the sideline still stood out.
Even with that, Amick sees plenty of reason for Sacramento’s veterans to stay engaged.
“Domantas Sabonis, first of all, looks great,” Amick said. “He looks like he’s absolutely put the work in.”
Sabonis is expected to sit near the center of trade discussions once the season starts rolling. Amick said interest in him began building last season, and he could draw attention from teams looking to upgrade the middle of the floor. He pointed to Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington as examples of clubs with questions at center, while making clear he was not saying talks are already underway.
The way Sabonis is viewed around the league may also be changing. Amick said the old idea that a team can’t win with him appears to have faded, replaced by a stronger sense of how effective he really is.
His contract, though, is no small detail. Sabonis is owed about $45.5 million this season and $48.6 million in 2027-28, which comes out to roughly $94 million over two years.
LaVine presents a different kind of decision. He is in the final year of his deal at about $49 million and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Amick said that setup could make him appealing to a contender near the deadline, when a team would only be taking on a few months of salary.
“He’s incentivized,” Amick said of LaVine, adding that the guard has a chance to put together a strong season before hitting the open market.
Amick also brought up Ben Simmons as another player worth a look on an affordable contract, though he stressed that the bigger issue is whether Simmons can still offer the defensive impact that once made him an elite player.
For now, Amick said Sacramento’s focus needs to be on getting everyone pulling in the same direction while the roster sorts itself out. The Kings may prefer a better draft pick, he said, but their veteran group could keep them more competitive than expected. What Sabonis and LaVine do - and whether the season builds a market for either - should become one of the more interesting storylines as the deadline approaches.
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For a Kings team still sorting out its regular-season rotation, that kind of early momentum matters. Injuries have left room for someone to push into the conversation, and Mogbo has done enough to make his case for minutes before the games start to count, even if the final answer is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]