Domantas Sabonis enters this season with his trade stock at a rough spot, but the Sacramento Kings have a clear path to changing that. After more than a year on the trade market, the former All-NBA center is headed back to Sacramento for his sixth season, and both sides appear to be aiming for the same outcome: a strong enough year to rebuild his value and put him in position to land with a contender at the trade deadline.
That’s the backdrop for a season that could swing a lot of different ways for the Kings. Scott Perry and the organization seem prepared to lean into seventh overall draft pick Darius Acuff Jr. as the future face of the team, which gives Sabonis a chance to operate in a less pressurized environment.
Perry also appears willing to be patient rather than move Sabonis while his value is low. If the Kings outperform expectations, Sabonis could become one of the biggest reasons why - and that could give Perry the chance to sell high.
For Sabonis, the most obvious way to change the conversation is to give teams a reason to believe in his jumper again. His three-point shot has long been one of the biggest questions hanging over his game.
He did flash some range during the 2024-25 season, hitting 41.7% from three, but that came on only 2.2 attempts per game. Even with that percentage, opponents didn’t treat him like a real threat and kept sagging off to protect the passing lanes.
Last season only made that issue louder. Sabonis was banged up and shot 18.5% from three on 27 attempts.
If he can finally add consistent perimeter shooting to his game, his value would rise fast because he’d fit into more offensive systems and lineup combinations. That kind of development would matter not just in Sacramento, but across the league.
The other route is simpler and maybe even more familiar: play like one of the best passing bigs in basketball. Sabonis has never been defined by scoring alone.
What makes him different is the full package - scoring, rebounding and playmaking from the center spot. Outside of Nikola Jokić, he’s been one of the best passing bigs in the NBA for years.
His assist numbers dipped last season to 4.1 per game, his lowest mark since the 2018-19 season, which fits with how strange that year was for him. Injuries and the Kings’ dysfunction made it an outlier. But in 2023-24, Sabonis was up to 8.2 assists per game, sixth-best in the league, and that production helped earn him All-NBA Third Team honors.
Acuff is expected to handle the point guard duties and could get to double-digit assists himself, but Sabonis should still be in that 7-8 assist range if he’s back to form. If he gets there, teams around the league will be reminded of exactly what makes him such a unique piece - and that may do even more for his market than a hot start or a bump in three-point volume.
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The challenge, of course, is turning potential into a foundation. A rebuild only works if the right prospects keep progressing while the front office sorts through the rest of the roster, and Sacramento appears prepared to let that process play out. The early signs are encouraging enough to make these names worth watching, even if the bigger picture still depends on how much each of them can expand their role over time. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Still Have One Big Problem To Sort Out Before Opening Night
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For a team trying to get back on track, the issue is bigger than just paperwork. Sacramento is clearly balancing immediate expectations with player development, and there is a real chance the roster looks different as the season moves along. Even the coaching setup could end up part of that churn, which means the Kings are heading into 2026-27 with more questions than a contender usually wants this late in the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suddenly Have A Real Maxime Raynaud Decision To Make
Maxime Raynauds rookie year gave the Kings a little more to think about than they may have expected. Once Domantas Sabonis went down, Raynauds minutes climbed, and he made enough of that opportunity to land on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, a promising sign for a player who looked increasingly comfortable as the season progressed.
Now the question is what comes next with Sabonis healthy again. Raynaud is still fighting for a role at center, and his path will depend on how much he continues to grow as a three-point shooter and a defender, along with how Sacramentos personnel settles around him. For a team that has already seen what he can do with expanded run, the issue is no longer whether he belongs in the conversation. It is how big a part of the rotation he can actually claim. [Read more 🡒]