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Not too long ago, the Sacramento Kings reached a pinnacle that their fans had not experienced in close to two decades. When the Kings snapped their 16-season playoff drought during the 2022-23 season, it appeared as they were the young, rising team everyone in the Western Conference would need to look out for due to All-Stars De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
Two seasons later, the Kings have now missed the playoffs in back-to-back years, and much has changed.
Mike Brown, who set a standard and culture in Sacramento and was named the 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year, was fired after 31 games during this 2024-25 season. Fox, who had been the cornerstone of the franchise, was moved before the trade deadline in a blockbuster three-team trade with the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls.
Now, entering an offseason full of uncertainty, Sabonis is hearing his name in trade rumors as a result of the uncertainty that clouds the Kings once more.
Owner Vivek Ranadive has made it clear that he doesn't envision his organization taking yet another massive step back, especially given the talent that exists on this Sacramento roster. Despite the Kings underperforming expectations by a mile, the reality of the situation is that they still have a talented group with Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk, and Jonas Valanciunas under contract entering the 2025-26 season.
That is why Sacramento will be aggressive in its hunt for further upgrades this offseason.
This is also why Sabonis trade rumors have been blown out of proportion and are nothing more than some creating noise for the sake of doing so, since it's the offseason.
The Kings are not actively shopping Domantas Sabonis
The Kings have not been contacting teams gauging trade interest in Domantas Sabonis, league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints. Although Sabonis has heard his name come up in recent rumors, Sacramento has not shown any interest in parting ways with the 29-year-old star big man to this point.
With this said, new GM Scott Perry and his front office are plotting different avenues for the direction in which they want to take the franchise. Barring a drastic change in their mentality and shifting to a rebuilding phase, which continues to look unlikely, Sabonis will enter the 2025-26 season as one of the leading voices of this organization.
However, it is worth mentioning Sabonis' long-term outlook still faces a level of uncertainty because the All-Star big man has been seeking clarity.
Many around the league began questioning what the Kings have planned with Sabonis after Fox was traded before the deadline in February. More importantly, Sabonis himself is beginning to ask questions about what the future looks like in Sacramento.
New leadership from Perry and the front office should be able to provide Sabonis with the answers he needs, and so far, there have not been any indications that the two sides want to split, like what transpired with Fox and his representation.
Of course, that has not stopped the rumor mill from engulfing Sabonis, as he was recently linked to the Toronto Raptors. Masai Ujiri is always looking for ways to increase the Raptors' overall potential, and you can never count out Toronto trading for a star player. After being rumored to be in the hunt for a “big fish” this offseason by ESPN's Brian Windhorst, rumors surrounding Sabonis spiraled out of control.
No contact between Toronto and Sacramento regarding Sabonis has taken place, and Doug Smith of the Toronto Star confirmed such on Sactown Sports 1140.
“I've never heard his name in a conversation with anybody involved with the Raptors for a year and a half,” Smith stated. “They're pretty happy with Jakob Poeltl with two years left in his deal at $20 million a year. Sabonis is a great player, no question about it. But I've never heard his name linked to Toronto. Anybody who I've talked to in the Raptors' front office, or the decision level, has never talked [about him] as a guy that they would like to pursue.”
The Raptors have been rumored to be in the hunt for Giannis Antetokounmpo if he becomes available in trade conversations, but the idea of Toronto potentially pursuing a trade for Sabonis is nothing more than fan fiction.
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It doesn't appear as if everything will spiral out of control with Sabonis as it did between the Kings and Fox. Sacramento has been home for Sabonis over the last four years, and he has made it clear that he and his family envision remaining there for the foreseeable future.
Obviously, things change in the NBA, and nothing is ever certain. Just ask Luka Doncic about that. But the reality of this situation for the Kings is that they have a star big man they constantly play through on offense, who is happy in his role of being one of the leaders of the team.
All Sabonis wants is clarity about the franchise's desire to win, which is one of the reasons why Perry will seek win-now moves during the summer. There is also some time for the two sides to chart a winning path together.
Sabonis signed a four-year, $186 million contract with Sacramento in 2023 and will be entering the second year of his deal during the 2025-26 season, which is valued at $43.6 million. This season, he averaged 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds (league-high), and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 59.0 percent from the floor.
Will Kings move DeMar DeRozan?
The big question surrounding the Kings this offseason revolves around what will happen with 35-year-old DeMar DeRozan, who will be turning 36 in August before the start of the 2025-26 season.
DeRozan signed a three-year, $73.8 million contract with the Kings via a sign-and-trade agreement with the Chicago Bulls in 2024, yet the veteran admitted that this past year was one of the most challenging of his career due to everything that happened in Sacramento.
“It's probably the most I've been through in my 16-year career,” DeRozan said in the aftermath of being eliminated in the West play-in tournament. “The season we had was a lot. It's too hard to fathom right now.”
The Kings are expected to gauge the market for DeRozan this summer, sources said. Since DeRozan will make $24.7 million during the 2025-26 season, his scoring production on an affordable contract will draw a level of intrigue from teams seeking a proven star and not wanting to tie themselves down long-term.
For years, the Miami Heat have been labeled as a prime destination for DeRozan, and he will once again be viewed as a plausible target for Pat Riley's team. It is also possible that the Boston Celtics could express interest in a player like DeRozan to try and replicate Jayson Tatum's lost production after the All-NBA First Team forward suffered a torn Achilles in the playoffs.
Unlike Sabonis, whom the organization doesn't have an interest in moving at this time, a trade involving DeRozan this offseason is believable. Then again, Perry won't trade the Sacramento veteran just for the sake of doing so.
This offseason for the Kings is all about finding ways to improve their immediate outlook and get back to the playoffs. The organization will only make deals that create a clearer path to finding success, as there are no cap-saving moves that need to be made in Sacramento right now.
