Domantas Sabonis says the offseason trade chatter around him came as a surprise, but the Kings big man isn’t spending much energy on it.
Speaking during Kings media day with NBC Sports California’s Deuce Mason and Morgan Ragan, Sabonis said his focus was locked on recovering from the torn meniscus that limited him to a career-low 19 games last season and ended his year in February.
“I guess the injury helped, because I was just focused on the injury and just ignoring all that,” Sabonis said. “I have great agents, Scott’s been open with me. So, I mean, I know everything that’s going on.”
Still, his name kept surfacing in reports throughout last season and the offseason. The Kings were said to have discussed a deal with the Charlotte Hornets ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft in June, and more recently Sabonis was included in talks with the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics.
That part, Sabonis said, caught him off guard.
“I see all the stuff. I’m shocked that people write all this stuff and have zero clue of what’s actually going on,” Sabonis explained.
“But I get it, it’s their job. I’m happy to have a great relationship with Scott that everything’s clear.”
That relationship with general manager Scott Perry has remained central as Sacramento tries to figure out its next step after a steady slide since reaching the playoffs in the 2022-23 NBA season. Perry said in July that he expects Sabonis to be a key piece for the 2026-27 NBA season, and he said the front office has stayed in contact with the three-time All-Star.
“Obviously, he’s an excellent player,” Perry said to reporters during a July media availability. “He’s done it for a while in this league.
I’ve been in constant contact with him as well in the offseason. Just expect him to come in here healthy, first and foremost, and he’s trending in that direction.
“Obviously, he missed a lot of last year because he was not. He’s always played hard, and so I expect him to do that. Provide some veteran presence for this team and really have a tremendous rebound year and help us build some winning habits here and start heading in the right direction.”
Sabonis is entering his 11th NBA season and the third year of the four-year, $186 million contract he signed. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent before the 2028-29 NBA season.
For now, though, Sabonis says the rumor mill isn’t getting much of his attention.
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