Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis
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Sabonis’ return remains uneven as the Kings prioritize caution ahead of matchup against the Toronto Raptors.
The Sacramento Kings have Domantas Sabonis back on the floor, but not back in full. After missing two months with a partial meniscus tear in his left knee, the Kings have taken a cautious, uneven approach with their All-Star center, one that will continue Wednesday with the team ruling Sabonis out against the Toronto Raptors due to left knee injury management.
Sabonis has appeared in three games since returning from the injury, but he has come off the bench in each one and averaged just 19.3 minutes per night. The production has reflected those limitations. In his first three games back, Sabonis is averaging 9.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, along with 3.3 turnovers per game, well below his season norms.
Sabonis’ Limited Role Raises Questions About Restrictions
That usage pattern has raised questions about whether Sabonis is operating under a minutes restriction, especially given the decision to sit him on the second night of a back-to-back. According to , Head coach Doug Christie pushed back on that idea pointing to Sabonis’ reduced role is not coming from the medical staff, but from in-game decisions.
“I think it’s just a process that we have to go through,” Christie told Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “He was out for two months, that’s a long time, so you’ve got to work through that,” Christie said before Tuesday’s loss to Miami.”
“There’s a standard that we want to play to, and we watch certain moments toward the end, or in certain moments, we’re just trying to make sure we’re winning the game. So it’s going to be a process to get him to where he wants to be.”
Christie reiterated that stance when addressing the minutes specifically, explaining that Sabonis is not under an explicit restriction.
“I think it’s just decision-based, watching the game,” Christie explained. “Some guys go in and really bring energy and play well, so it happens. It happened with different players.”
He framed Sabonis’ situation as part of a broader rotation philosophy rather than an individual limitation.
“I mean, Russ (Westbrook) has had it happen sometimes, Dennis (Schroder) is going well, sometimes Malik (Monk) is going well. Depth is a good thing to have, and when someone in front of you is playing well, the objective of what we’re here to do is win. It’s a team game. Be happy for that person, root them on, because they should do the same thing for you.”
Still, the decision to rest Sabonis Wednesday complicates the message. While Christie maintains there is no minutes restriction, sitting out a back-to-back suggests the Kings are still managing Sabonis’ workload carefully as he ramps back up.
Kings Balancing Caution and Urgency
Before the injury, Sabonis was averaging 15.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in roughly 30 minutes per game. The contrast with his post-return numbers highlights just how far he remains from full rhythm and conditioning.
The timing also matters. Sacramento sits 14th in the Western Conference at 12-32, and every absence compounds an already difficult season. Sabonis’ uneven reintegration underscores the broader reality facing the Kings: they need his presence, but they cannot rush his recovery.
Trade speculation has hovered in the background as well, with Toronto floated as a theoretical destination. However, reports indicate Sacramento has little interest in taking on long-term salaries like Jakob Poeltl or Immanuel Quickley, despite RJ Barrett being viewed as a potential fit given general manager Scott Perry’s prior connection to him in New York.
For now, none of that matters if Sabonis cannot consistently stay on the floor. His return is no longer about medical clearance, it’s about being able to get the most effective version of himself out on the floor. And for a Kings team running out of margin, that process may prove just as costly as the injury itself.