Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis is wondering what the organization has in store for him this offseason, according to Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Sacramento Kings Dealt De’Aaron Fox, Acquired Zach LaVine, Jonas Valanciunas Before NBA Trade Deadline
This news comes a month after the Kings traded All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and acquired Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls in a three-team deal.
Veteran big man Jonas Valanciunas also joined Sacramento from the Washington Wizards in a separate trade. Both moves have reportedly made Sabonis question his own NBA future in Sactown.
Domantas Sabonis signed an extension because of Fox
Monk took a cut and resigned here because of Fox
DeMar DeRozan, biggest Free Agent prize in Sacramento history signed here because of Fox
The main core players are here because of De’Aaron Fox
— SactownPete (@PMasih007) January 28, 2025
“League sources said Sabonis, who has three more seasons and a combined $140.3 million left on his current deal, is expected to seek clarity about the organization’s plan in the offseason,” The Athletic writers wrote.
“Just as Fox wanted to know whose voice mattered most on key decisions, and who the team’s owner might be trusting the most as counsel, Sabonis is known to have similar questions.
“Even with the recent success, league sources said several members of the team’s core are watching and wondering where this is all headed. … ‘What is the vision here?’ one league source close to a core Kings player said. ‘It feels like it could be headed toward chaos.'”
Kings Have Gone 19-11 Under Interim Head Coach Doug Christie; Domantas Sabonis Is Averaging A Career-High 14.1 Rebounds
It remains unclear if interim head coach Doug Christie, who was promoted from his assistant role, will be retained after this season. The Kings were 13-18 when Mike Brown was fired and have gone 19-11 since Christie took over.
Sacramento is currently 32-29 and sit ninth in the Western Conference standings. Team sources said, “a continuation of this current [upward] trend would give him a strong chance at landing a new deal in the summer,” according to Amick and Slater.
The Kings are currently over .500 for a third consecutive season after 16 straight seasons below .500.
Sacramento also ended a 16-year playoff drought in the 2022-23 campaign, when the team finished 48-34 and lost in seven games of the first round of the playoffs against the Golden State Warriors.
In 56 games (all starts) this season, Sabonis is averaging 19.5 points, a career-high 14.1 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 35.3 minutes per contest while shooting 59.6% from the field, 43.2% from deep, and 74.7% at the free throw line.
NBA insiders reported on Monday that Sabonis would miss at least a week due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, which he sustained during the first quarter of Saturday’s victory over the Houston Rockets.
