The Sacramento Kings center changed representation this offseason, a sign that he could be on the move.
The Toronto Raptors have had their eyes on Domantas Sabonis since the latter half of this past season, inquiring with the Sacramento Kings about a trade that would have sent the 30-year-old center to Toronto in exchange for RJ Barrett.
Unfortunately, the deal fell through just before the Feb. 5 trade deadline due to neither team reaching an agreement on contract and salary logistics, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN.
The major hurdle would be the remaining portion of Jakob Poeltl's three-year, $84 million extension which the Raptors attempted to offload, but they didn't find a suitor willing to take on the majority of the contract, if not all of it.
Now, Toronto general manager Bobby Webster should have another chance at prying Sabonis away after he switched agents, hiring CAA's Aaron Mintz to represent him going forward per Brian Windhorst.
Even though agent changes seem like nothing at first glance, Mintz has built a reputation of helping get his clients like fellow center Walker Kessler into better situations. In July for example, the rebuilding Utah Jazz traded Kessler to the Los Angeles Lakers who are looking to make a serious push for an NBA championship this season.
Former Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young also comes to mind following his trade to the Washington Wizards where he signed a new four-year, $212 million contract.
With Sacramento being bottom-feeders with a long way to go before contention like the Jazz, Toronto could capitalize on that in a big way as they have their sights set on a return to Eastern Conference dominance in the upcoming 2026-27 season.
While Poeltl averaged 10.7 points and seven rebounds per game, the 7-footer will turn 31 five days before the start of the season and will need more rest during games to stay healthy this year after suffering back issues that caused him to miss 35 games of action.
As a result, Sabonis would complement Poeltl nicely on the court. While the Kings went on to finish 22-60 overall and 14th in the West, he averaged an impressive 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Moreover, Sabonis shot a solid 54.3% from the field and converted on 72.7% of attempts at the free throw line, which can help the Raptors address two of their glaring weaknesses--rim protection and reliable big man scoring.
Overall, Sabonis could make for a terrific fit on the Raptors not only with his skillset but also his two years of control left over.
