The Sacramento Kings’ offseason has already brought a few notable changes, but the bigger question now is whether Domantas Sabonis is headed for the exit.
Sacramento lost guard DeMar DeRozan in free agency, added forward and center Ben Simmons, and drafted guard Darius Acuff Jr. in the 2026 NBA Draft. Even with those moves in the books, the roster could still be in flux.
ESPN recently highlighted 2026 NBA buzz, and Sabonis was part of that conversation. The center’s future in Sacramento has been a talking point for much of the offseason, with trade chatter following him through the summer.
That speculation picked up after ESPN insider Brian Windhorst appeared on “The Hopp Collective” on September 1st and pointed to Sabonis’ decision to change agents.
“I do think it's somewhat interesting that he changed agents this offseason. He hired Aaron Mintz of CAA.
Steve Heumann and that group. One of the top executives at CAA.
This last year, Mintz and his group executed the trade for Trae Young away from Atlanta, executed the trade for Walker Kessler away from the [Jazz]. Domantas Sabonis just hired him,” Windhorst said.
Windhorst also added, “At the risk of ... parodying myself from the season, why would he do that?”
The move to Aaron Mintz of CAA has only fueled the idea that Sabonis could be looking at a different situation, especially with Mintz and his group having handled recent player moves like the trades involving Trae Young and Walker Kessler.
There’s also another layer here: Sacramento’s reported interest in Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren. Duren appears to want a change of scenery, and if the Kings land him, Sabonis’ place on the roster becomes even harder to picture.
The issue is simple enough. Sabonis and Duren are both starting-caliber centers, and it’s tough to see either one settling for a bench role. If Sacramento brings in Duren, Sabonis would more likely than not be the one pushed out.
That could mean a trade to Detroit, or it could mean Sabonis ends up in a separate deal altogether. Either way, the idea of Sabonis and Duren sharing the Kings’ frontcourt does not seem likely, whether Duren arrives via trade or later as a free agent next offseason.
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Kings Buzz Around Jalen Duren Suddenly Feels Worth Watching
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There have also been whispers tying Duren and Sabonis together in possible trade discussions, which is exactly the kind of wrinkle that makes this worth monitoring even before anything concrete develops. For now, nothing official has been confirmed, and that keeps the whole situation in the speculative stage. Still, when a player with Durens profile is linked to Sacramento, and the Kings own top decision-maker is part of the equation, it is a storyline that suddenly feels a lot more real than background noise. [Read more 🡒]