Domantas Sabonis has been banged up for the Sacramento Kings at the start of the 2025-26 season. Not only did he miss time to begin the year due to a low-grade hamstring injury, but the All-Star big man has also been dealing with a rib injury over the last week, leading to his uncertain status for a matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.
After missing back-to-back games against the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder, Sabonis returned to the floor in Sunday's 144-117 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sabonis recorded 20 points and 13 rebounds in 30 minutes against the Wolves, but he didn't appear to be himself at times, constantly grabbing at his ribs.
The Kings' big man is now back on the injury report ahead of Tuesday's matchup with Denver, and he is listed as questionable to play with what is being labeled as a left ribcage contusion. This injury originally occurred on Nov. 3 against the Nuggets, a game the Kings lost 130-124 in Denver.
Whether or not Sabonis will miss his third game over Sacramento's last four contests is yet to be determined, as he will go through pregame warmups before a final decision is made on his status. It appears as if the Kings are treating Sabonis' rib injury based on his pain tolerance.
If Sabonis isn't limited in his pregame routine and says he wants to play, the Kings will likely oblige.
The concerning aspect of this injury, which goes back to the pain-tolerance aspect, is that Sabonis told The Sacramento Bee he was experiencing labored breathing and a “sharp stab” pain in his ribs. Although he played 30 minutes with this injury against the Timberwolves, that is why Sabonis was constantly grabbing at his left side.
Without Sabonis on the court, the Kings are left very thin in their frontcourt.
Drew Eubanks drew back-to-back starts the last two times Sabonis was sidelined with this rib injury, and rookie Maxime Raynaud saw minutes in the frontcourt off the bench. Newly signed Precious Achiuwa also provides Sacramento with extra depth, especially as a rebounder.
The Kings are currently 3-7 and reside near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. A final decision on Sabonis' status will be provided by the team before tip-off in Sacramento on Tuesday night.
