Kings Forward Out For Remainder Of The Season

Of the Sacramento Kings' twelve victories this season, only three came with forward Domantas Sabonis in the lineup. Clearly, a season to forget, the Kings are the worst team in the NBA, and Sabonis managed to play just nineteen games before being officially ruled out for the remainder of the schedule following meniscus surgery. 

One of the main pieces of the Kings' roster since coming to Sacramento from Indiana as part of a trade package for Tyrese Haliburton at the 2022 trade deadline, Sabonis has been a double-double threat on a nightly basis. An All-Star in 2022-23 and three-time league-leading rebounder, Sabonis helped to make the Kings relevant again as they advanced to the playoffs for the first time in sixteen years. 

While there were plenty of rumors during this season’s trade deadline of Sabonis heading elsewhere, none of those came true by the afternoon of February 5. Another veteran that the Kings were expected to deal, Zach LaVine, has also been placed on the season-ending injury list, leaving the cupboard fairly bare for the remainder of the season. Although this means that Kings fans are in for some ugly basketball for the next 26 games, the shining light at the end of the dark tunnel will hopefully result in a high lottery pick from an expected loaded draft class. 

The big question is, what does this mean long term for the Kings and Sabonis, who has two years left on his deal ($45 million/$48 million). While meniscus injuries are serious, with proper rest and rehab, the 29-year-old forward should be ready for the start of the 2026-27 season. However, with the Kings in a rebuilding process, will he fit their timeline? With career averages of 16/10/5, he’s too valuable and expensive to be a bridge guy, but likely too old for a team likely looking to build around youth. 

Had he been healthy throughout the season, Sabonis may have been dealt at the beginning of the month to a contender who was looking for a proven inside presence. Now the Kings will have to hope that a team that just fell short of title aspirations may be looking for a veteran forward to get them over the hump next season and is willing to part ways with some future youth to do so.