Sacramento aims to anchor their new era by pursuing the All-NBA center in a potential sign-and-trade that could send veteran Domantas Sabonis to the Detroit Pistons.
Domantas Sabonis is one of three veteran contracts the Sacramento Kings may look to move this offseason, as the team transitions into a new era behind Darius Acuff Jr. and Maxime Raynaud.
To fit this younger timeline, the Kings have shown interest in multiple budding free-agent talents, most recently planning a meeting with Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren.
NBA on Prime Senior Insider Chris Haynes reported that the 22-year old big man will meet with Sacramento leadership on July 1 to talk about a potential sign-and-trade scenario that lands Duren with the Kings.
Duren, who earned an All-NBA Third Team selection last season, is in line for a big payday, but the Pistons have reportedly been tentative to give him a max extension after his playoff woes.
In the regular season, Duren averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, posting an efficient 65.0-percent field goal percentage.
But, in the postseason, Duren's numbers and production took a significant drop, as the game became more physical and points become more difficult to come by for Detroit's offense.
According to Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto, Duren is seeking close to $40 million annually, or roughly 25 percent of the NBA’s salary cap for his new deal, but current negotiations have seemingly stalled.
Not only do the Kings have the cap space to allocate a potential move for the budding star, but Duren would also fit the team's timeline, while giving the defensively challenged backcourt of Acuff and newly resigned Zach LaVine some much needed help on the backend.
Earlier this week, Haynes also reported that Sabonis is looking for a change of scenery, which could work out nicely if Sacramento decided to swap the two big men.
Sabonis, who would also be a nice player to pair next to Acuff thanks to his playmaking ability, appeared in just 19 games last season before suffering a torn meniscus.
In a small sample size, Sabonis posted a slight decrease in production, averaging his lowest points and rebounds per game since the 2019-2020 season.
Sabonis' shooting splits also took a dip, struggling immensely from 3-point range.
After posting the most successful 3-point shooting season of his career, Sabonis made just 5-of-27 attempts from deep before getting injured.
However, we are just years removed from Sabonis leading the league in total rebounds and rebounds per game for consecutive seasons (2022-2024), and his ability to pass, score, and dominate the glass is appealing to the Pistons, who need help in the playmaking department.
If a Sabonis-Duren centered package is the result, it could end up benefiting both teams.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join, simply by clicking the yellow button at the top of the homepage. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
