Overview
- Reporting over the weekend indicates the Sacramento Kings will make three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis available for trade as the franchise looks to reduce payroll.
- The Kings are asking for premium compensation, with multiple outlets saying any deal would require at least one first-round pick plus rotation-caliber players.
- Sabonis’ recent meniscus surgery and his two-year guaranteed deal — about $45.5 million in 2026–27 and $48.6 million in 2027–28 — narrow the market and make a pure salary dump unlikely.
- Several teams have been linked as realistic suitors, most often the Toronto Raptors, with prior reports also naming Phoenix, Chicago and Washington as possible fits.
- Activity is expected to accelerate before the June 23 draft because salary-matching rules, pick protections and the Kings’ other large contracts mean timing and draft assets will shape any trade outcome.