Hornets Trade Idea Lands Domantas Sabonis in Blockbuster Kings Deal

Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer said this week that the Charlotte Hornets still have interest in Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, but they are not motivated to meet the Kings' current asking price. Sacramento has explored the market for the three-time All-Star since at least the February trade deadline, Fischer said.

"Right now, there's going to be continued disconnect between the Kings wanting to get back positive value and draft compensation for Sabonis compared to other teams not so eager to give Sabonis the contract extension he's looking for," Fischer said.

"If the price comes down, I would think that Charlotte is still a team to monitor in Sabonis' ultimate trade landscape," Fischer continued. "But I don't think anything is coming to fruition anytime soon."

Hornets receive: Domantas Sabonis

Kings receive: Grayson Allen, Grant Williams, Liam McNeeley, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and an unprotected 2033 first-round pick (via Phoenix)

Charlotte's 17 standard contracts total $179.7 million this season, according to Spotrac. That is above the $165.0 million salary cap, so the Hornets have to match salary in any Sabonis deal.

Allen is making $18.1 million this season, and Williams is making $14.3 million. McNeeley is making $2.9 million, and Kalkbrenner is making $2.4 million. The four contracts total $37.7 million.

With $37.7 million in outgoing salary, Charlotte's maximum incoming salary under the expanded traded-player exception would be approximately $47.4 million. Sabonis is set to make $45.5 million.

The deal would hard-cap the Hornets at the $209.0 million first apron. Their standard contracts would total about $187.5 million afterward.

The $40.8 million exception Charlotte created in the LaMelo Ball trade is the largest in league history. Sabonis makes $4.7 million more than that.

The Suns trade that sent Allen and Royce O'Neale to Charlotte became official July 13. Allen could not be packaged with other salaries until Sept. 13.

Ball led the Hornets with 7.1 assists per game across 72 appearances last season. Collin Sexton was next at 3.7 in 42 games.

Brandon Miller led Charlotte in scoring at 20.2 points per game across 65 appearances. Kon Knueppel averaged 18.5 points in 81 games as a rookie while shooting 42.5% from 3-point range. He led the NBA in 3-pointers and finished second to Cooper Flagg in Rookie of the Year voting. Knueppel averaged 3.4 assists, and Miller averaged 3.3.

Coby White averaged 15.6 points and 3.0 assists in 21 games with the Hornets. Charlotte re-signed him to a three-year, $74 million contract after trading Ball.

Miller, Knueppel, and White now carry more of the offense. Sabonis would give all three a center to work off.

Sacramento has run much of its offense through Sabonis' dribble handoffs. He also works in pick-and-roll and takes smaller defenders into the post. Charlotte does not have a big who does those things. Moussa Diabaté led the Hornets with 8.7 rebounds per game last season, and Kalkbrenner led them with 1.5 blocks.

Sabonis averaged 8.2 assists in 2023-24. He led the league in rebounding in 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25.

The fit comes with defensive limitations. Sabonis averaged 0.2 blocks in his 19 games last season, which a knee injury cut short. He averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 54.3% from the field. He made the All-NBA Third Team in 2023 and 2024.

The package keeps Miller, Knueppel, White, and Naz Reid in Charlotte. It also keeps Tidjane Salaün, the sixth overall pick in 2024, along with the Hornets' 2026 first-round picks, Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr.

Before the June draft, the Kings wanted one of Charlotte's picks at Nos. 14 and 18 in Sabonis talks. The Hornets preferred to keep both. They used No. 14 on Steinbach.

Steinbach, Diabaté, and Kalkbrenner are competing for minutes at center this fall. Reid is also in the Hornets' frontcourt after arriving in the Ball trade.

Allen averaged 16.5 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals in 51 games with Phoenix last season. Williams averaged 7.0 points in 36 games for Charlotte and shot 38.8% from 3-point range.

Sabonis is owed $48.6 million in 2027-28, the final season of his contract. He is extension-eligible, and he switched representation from Wasserman to CAA this summer.

The trade would send both the 2027-28 salary and the extension talks to Charlotte.

Allen, who turns 31 in October, holds a $19.4 million player option for 2027-28, and his decision is due June 29. McNeeley, 20, has a $3.0 million club option for that season due Oct. 31. Kalkbrenner, 24, is set to make $2.5 million in 2027-28, and that salary becomes guaranteed June 29, 2027. Williams will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

If Allen opts in and the Kings keep both young players, those three salaries total $24.9 million in 2027-28. Sabonis is owed $23.7 million more than that.

Keegan Murray's $26.1 million is the only other guaranteed 2027-28 salary above $10 million on the Kings' books, according to Spotrac. Malik Monk holds a $21.6 million player option for that season.

Kalkbrenner averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 69 games last season and shot 75.3% from the field. He also carries a $2.7 million club option for 2028-29.

McNeeley averaged 4.3 points in 31 games and shot 40.0% from 3-point range.

The 2033 first-round pick is unprotected and came to Charlotte from Phoenix in the Miles Bridges trade. The Hornets would still hold Minnesota's unprotected 2033 first and three first-round swaps with the Timberwolves from the Ball deal.

Sacramento sits $3.1 million below the $200.4 million luxury tax line and $7.9 million below the first apron, according to Spotrac. The trade would cut the Kings' salary for this season by $7.8 million.

The Kings currently carry 14 standard contracts. A four-for-one trade would leave them with 17, so Sacramento would eventually need to clear two roster spots to reach the regular-season limit of 15. Ben Simmons' $2.4 million salary is not guaranteed.

The deal would also open the starting center job for Maxime Raynaud. He made the All-Rookie Second Team as the No. 42 overall pick after averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 74 games.

The 2026-27 trade deadline is Feb. 11, 2027.