The Sacramento Kings’ efforts to move Domantas Sabonis have become one of the league’s most talked-about rumors, but the actual movement right now appears to be close to zero.
There’s been plenty of noise around a possible deal, and that’s helped feed the idea that something is around the corner. But recent reports tying the Kings and Hornets to a Sabonis trade were quickly knocked down by Matt George of Sactown Sports 1140, who said there have been no conversations between the two teams since well before the 2026 draft.
That doesn’t mean the Hornets were never involved. Talks between the sides did happen months ago.
It just means there’s no evidence anything is active now, and no sign the Hornets still have interest in the All-Star. The Raptors have also been floated in the Sabonis conversation, with reports saying they were close to a deal around the 2026 trade deadline, but that trail has gone cold as well.
For the moment, the biggest concrete development is that Sabonis has changed representation. His new agent has a reputation for getting difficult deals done, and that matters here because Sabonis’ contract has made him a tricky player to move. Beyond that, there isn’t much to report.
That’s why this situation could stretch out for a while. A Sabonis trade could happen at any point between now and the trade deadline in February 2027, but if there are current talks, the Kings are not letting anything leak. The Hornets and Raptors are the only teams that have shown any real momentum so far.
There’s also a very real chance this drags even longer. Sabonis’ contract remains the biggest obstacle to broader trade talks, and until more time and money come off it, the market may stay limited. In that case, the wait could extend all the way to 2028.
A move around the 2028 trade deadline would not be a shock. Neither would no deal at all, which would leave Sabonis in Sacramento until his contract expires at the end of the 2027-2028 season.
That wouldn’t be the outcome the Kings want, since they’d prefer to get something back for him, even if his departure would still clear significant salary cap space. For now, the message is simple: patience.
Big trades take time. The same goes for Zach LaVine, who is expected to be on the move by the end of 2026-2027 at the latest.
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