Eastern Conference Team Revealed As Dark Horse To Land Kings Star Domantas Sabonis

The Sacramento Kings entered the 2025–26 NBA season with plenty of optimism, but thus far, it's safe to say that they've been arguably the NBA's biggest disappointment, with this veteran core simply struggling to fire at all. There are others like the Los Angeles Clippers that have also failed, but given the Kings' veteran core, it's become clear that they're ready to change things up in a big way.

One player that is expected to be traded in the coming months is Domantas Sabonis, the player the Kings acquired several years ago when they gave up promising young guard Tyrese Haliburton. While he's currently injured, there's plenty of interest already in the All-Star big man, with many teams in both the East and West keeping an eye on him.

Now, reporter Evan Sidery has revealed who he believes the 'dark horse' team would be to acquire Sabonis, naming the Charlotte Hornets as a destination that shouldn't be overlooked.

The Hornets are likely looking to unload LaMelo Ball ahead of the trade deadline this season, and any potential trade between the two could see Ball moved, with the team hoping to pair up Sabonis with rising stars Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller.

This, of course, doesn't mean that Sacramento and Charlotte are currently talking, or whether a deal will even be discussed by the two parties, but with so much interest in Sabonis league-wide with the Kings having an intriguing piece to trade, it can't be ruled out.