Domantas Sabonis is hearing the noise, but he says none of it has shaken his spot in Sacramento.
The Kings enter the new season with little momentum after finishing 14th in the West and going 22-60 last year, and Sabonis’ age has made him an easy target for trade chatter. At 30, the three-time All-Star does not line up neatly with a rebuilding timeline, which has pushed his name into plenty of NBA rumors. Still, Sabonis says he is staying put and points to his relationship with Kings GM Scott Perry as a big reason why.
“I can’t control any of it,” said Sabonis to reporters this week. “I’m just focused on getting healthy.
A lot of things are being said out there, but I have a great relationship with [Kings GM Scott Perry]. I have great agents.
I know everything that’s going on. I’m excited I’m here.
I’m healthy. It’s all made up.
I don’t know where you guys get most of it from.”
Sabonis also said he and Perry are in constant communication, and he made it clear he never asked out. His agents, he said, keep him informed on what’s happening behind the scenes.
The trade speculation hasn’t come out of nowhere. Sacramento has been linked to the idea of moving Sabonis for a younger center with star upside, and Jalen Duren was once a target before he re-signed with the Pistons.
If the Kings do decide to deal Sabonis, they’ll need a new name to chase. His two-year, $93 million contract also makes the math tricky, since teams may be hesitant to absorb that deal.
On the floor, Sabonis still produced last season, averaging 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks while shooting 54.3% from the field. But he hasn’t been an All-Star in more than three years, and that has fueled the debate about where he fits now. For Sacramento, he represents a previous era and a reminder of better days, even if the team is not rushing to move him.
One possible landing spot mentioned is Charlotte. The Hornets already have Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Ryan Kalkbrenner in place, and the thought is that Sabonis would raise their ceiling without requiring a massive return package of players and picks. Even after parting with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, the Hornets have a foundation that could make a deal workable.
For now, though, Sabonis says he is still committed to the Kings. He has not closed the door on a future move, but he is not treating one like it is imminent.
Until something actually changes, he says he’ll keep showing up, stay loyal, and help Sacramento however he can. This season, that could even mean stepping into more of a leadership role to guide the younger players around him.
In Other News...
Kings Cost Cutting Move Looks Worse With Another Toronto Payoff
What looked like a straightforward cost-cutting move for Sacramento last summer has aged in an increasingly awkward way. The Kings sent Sasha Vezenkov and Davion Mitchell to Toronto for Jalen McDaniels and two second-round picks, a deal that was supposed to help reshape the roster while trimming money from the books, but the return has done little to quiet second-guessing.
Vezenkov eventually headed back to Europe after a buyout with the Raptors, while Toronto turned those picks into Alijah Martin and Jamal Shead, with Shead already landing a three-year contract extension. Mitchell, meanwhile, is now with the Miami Heat and appears to be their starting point guard, another reminder that Sacramentos decision moved on from a useful guard while Toronto kept finding ways to turn the deal into more value. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Linked To Young Shooter Who Could Fit Steve Kerr Perfectly
Jordan Hawkins is suddenly on the market after a fast-moving stretch that saw the former UConn standout, taken 14th overall by New Orleans in 2023, traded to Memphis and then waived. It is a reminder that first-round pedigree only goes so far in the NBA, especially for a young guard whose biggest selling point is still the same one that got him drafted in the first place: the ability to space the floor and punish defenses when the shot is falling.
For a team like the Kings, who have long valued offense and perimeter creation, a player such as Hawkins at least fits the profile of a low-risk flier with upside. Sacramento is not alone in that thinking, either, with Dallas and Golden State also mentioned as logical landing spots for the same reason: each could use shooting, each could give him a clear role, and each offers a style of play that might finally help him settle in as a reliable NBA weapon. [Read more 🡒]
De'Andre Hunter Suddenly Looks Like A Huge Kings X Factor
De'Andre Hunter has barely had a chance to show what he can mean for Sacramento since arriving in last Februarys trade, and the injury that cut his first season short only made the wait longer. With preseason opening on the horizon, the Kings finally have a healthier version of the wing in camp, and Hunter says he is ready to play after spending much of his early tenure sidelined.
For Sacramento, that matters because Hunter brings exactly the kind of two-way flexibility the roster can use, especially on a team trying to get more versatile on defense without sacrificing scoring support. He spoke about that defensive versatility himself, and with an expiring contract in hand, he has a chance to make a strong early case that he can be more than a name in the middle of a trade package. [Read more 🡒]