The relationship between the Sacramento Kings and Domantas Sabonis has been a bit of a roller coaster. After trading Tyrese Haliburton for Sabonis in 2022, the Kings would make the playoffs and take the defending champion Golden State Warriors to seven games.
Since the playoff berth, the Kings and Sabonis have struggled to replicate their success. This all culminated with Mike Brown being fired, De’Aaron Fox being traded, and another disappointing loss in the Play-In Tournament.
NBA teams are expressing interest in acquiring Domantas Sabonis, per @sam_amick
“As it relates to Sabonis, my understanding is there are at least a few teams that have raised their hand to say, ‘Yeah, he’s somebody we’d want to talk about.’”
(via @Sactown1140) pic.twitter.com/UGULH4VhbC
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 14, 2025
This year, the Kings have a new front office, and there have been rumblings that Sabonis may be on his way out. A trade won’t be easy, as Sabonis’ unique skillset, along with his nearly $50 million per year deal, narrows his trade destinations to just a few teams. Below, I’ll discuss who those few teams are in my mind, and what the Kings should conceptually expect to get back in a trade.
Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn is going to be a popular choice for offloading any big contracts. They have about $15 million in cap space and five first-round draft picks from this past summer on their roster who could use a veteran like Domas to help them develop.
Sabonis would be a fine fit with Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, while allowing guards like Egor Demin and Nolan Traore to develop without pressure to be primary creators yet. As Sabonis, MPJ, and Claxton’s contracts run out, the Nets will also have more leverage to use them and draft capital to make a big swing.
Now, this is the part that Kings’ fans probably won’t love about this deal. I do not see Brooklyn giving up more than a projected mid-first-round pick and expiring contracts for Sabonis. Brooklyn won’t be keen on sending their own picks, but the 2027 first from the New York Knicks might be a possibility.
Players like Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams can’t be traded until the middle of next month, but they both have team options for next season, which gives Sacramento a lot of flexibility. Again, I’m not sure how interested Brooklyn would be in adding a first-round pick, but this package and a second or two shouldn’t be a deal breaker for Sacramento. And no, I don’t think Brooklyn will want to include Claxton.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards are the destination that makes the most sense to me. Not only do they have a good stock of expiring contracts, but they also have the defense to insulate Sabonis’ biggest question mark. Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon talked about this idea on The Game Theory Podcast, and here’s what Sam had to say about Sabonis to Washington.
“Go get a real physical dude to play next to Sarr… Where we like Sarr on defense is actually in his ability to weak-side help and rotate across plays.”
Nov 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) handles the ball against Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) during the game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Sabonis and Sarr are very different as bigs, which would make it easy to play them together. Sarr makes up for Sabonis’ lack of rim protection and switchability on the perimeter, while Sabonis can finish defensive possessions with his rebounding and give Washington a veteran to play through on offense.
Washington would only have to give up Khris Middleton and Malaki Branham to make the money work, and they might be the one team willing to part with a 2026 first-round pick. One of Washington’s first round picks for next year is coming from either the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, or Los Angeles Clippers (whichever is least favorable), and they may consider including it.
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks might be the only team that could make a trade for Sabonis without having to send out multiple players. Let me preface by saying this is my least favorite of the three trades and maybe the biggest longshot, but it has some merit.
The Hawks could decide to swap Trae Young for Sabonis, with Trae’s future up in the air and the lack of perceived interest in the star guard. Young is a great player, but in many ways, he’s the guard version of Sabonis. Both players have their defensive limitations, and their offense, while impactful, comes with flaws as well.
For Atlanta, Sabonis would work next to both Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson, who are more than capable defensively, and Sabonis would give them another creator to replace Trae Young. I’m not sure I love the fit with Dyson Daniels, but he may not be their solution at the point either.
For the Kings, this gets them onto a shorter deal with Young, having a player option for 2026-27 rather than Sabonis, who still has this current season and two more remaining on his deal. Young could also decline his player option and give himself a chance to find a long-term home after Atlanta. Worst-case scenario, the Kings get off of $50 million in salary one year earlier.
It’s too early to know who exactly will be involved if and when Sabonis is shopped, and all of this is just conjecture for now. There’s also the chance that the Kings can’t move him when they try, something they’re likely bracing for. The only guarantee I can give is that the Kings will not be getting Tyrese Haliburton back or someone of his caliber if they decide to move on from their star center.
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