Trade chatter around Domantas Sabonis keeps circling back to the same roadblock: Sacramento’s price tag.
The Kings have made it clear they want a lot in return for the All-Star, All-NBA big man, and that has helped stall any serious momentum. Teams interested in Sabonis are being asked to part with young players, expiring contracts and/or first-round draft picks, all while taking on an expensive center who doesn’t defend well. That’s a tough sell.
It’s not hard to see why Sacramento is in this spot. Sabonis is a double-double machine and, by the source’s description, a top 20 big man in the league.
Offensively, he’s a brilliant facilitator. But the fit is more complicated than the raw production suggests.
The contract is one issue hanging over everything. Sabonis is set to cost Sacramento nearly $100 million over the next two seasons, and for a team trying to rebuild, that kind of money tied to one player limits flexibility in a big way.
The other issue is defense. The Kings are focused on getting better on that end, and Sabonis simply doesn’t match that direction as a starting center.
That disconnect has made a trade difficult to pull off for the last year. Sacramento has been asking for a package that only a very specific team might be willing to consider.
The Raptors are one of the few clubs mentioned as a possible fit, since a strong defense led by Scottie Barnes could cover for Sabonis while making use of his offense. Even there, the Kings were not interested in taking on Jakob Poeltl’s contract.
Charlotte was another team tied to Sabonis rumors, but the Hornets reportedly backed away when the Kings asked for multiple first-round draft picks. Instead, the Hornets struck deals with the Suns, Timberwolves and Rockets, leaving Sacramento out of those moves and with fewer options on the table.
At this point, Sacramento has to decide whether it truly wants to move Sabonis or simply ride out the rest of his contract. Keeping him and rebuilding around the edges is one path. If the Kings are serious about trading him, though, the asking price is going to have to come down.
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