Sabonis faces a high-stakes season to restore his trade value before Sacramento pivots toward a new era.
Domantas Sabonis fell 24 spots in ESPN's 2026 edition of the NBA's top-100 players, and he's primed for a bounce-back season.
Sabonis underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee on Feb. 18, and he finished the season playing a career-low 19 games.
The Sacramento Kings missed his offensive impact as their lynchpin, through whom they run the offense. His playmaking is the backbone of a free-flowing offense, initiating dribble handoffs or finding open teammates in the short roll.
He's a possession monster, too, dominating the glass. Sabonis has averaged 10 rebounds per game in his career, including averaging over 11 for seven straight seasons and a career-high 13.9 last season.
The three-time All-Star entering next season healthy shifts the Kings' expectations, which media outlets have set rather low.
ESPN predicted the team to finish 19-63, three fewer wins than last season. Sacramento is too talented to finish as a bottom team in the Western Conference, as it finished 46-36 in 2023-24, even with injuries plaguing the roster.
Sabonis is crucial to winning games next season and increasing the team's odds of landing a lottery pick in next year's draft. The new lottery reform gives teams with the fourth- to 10th-worst records increased lottery balls and a percentage chance to receive a top-four or No. 1 overall pick.
While he can help the team win, his future with the organization is in jeopardy.
Sacramento reportedly has no interest in extending Sabonis, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. He is owed over $90 million for the next two seasons, and the team has found no interested trade suitors to take the Lithuanian center off its hands.
Next season is now about more than winning; it's about playing well to improve his trade value before the deadline.
General manager Scott Perry is eyeing Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren for an "all-in" move next offseason. Pursuing Duren means Sabonis is off the team, whether he's traded to the Pistons or another organization.
Perry's prized target would have to risk next season by signing the $9.6 million qualifying offer, which grants him a de facto no-trade clause and makes him an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Landing Duren would give Sacramento a young core it hasn't had since breaking up Fox and Tyrese Haliburton.
A healthy Sabonis would be a sight to see for the Kings, who desperately missed him last season, but the two parties seem set for an inevitable parting.
