Toronto Raptors v Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis
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The Kings’ reset plans stall as Domantas Sabonis trade talks flat-line before the deadline.
The Sacramento Kings entered deadline week exploring a meaningful roster reset. Instead, they’re coming out of it largely unchanged. After weeks of speculation linking Domantas Sabonis to the Toronto Raptors, league sources now expect the three-time All-Star to remain in Sacramento past Thursday’s trade deadline, stalling the Kings’ most realistic path toward a major pivot.
“All signs point to Sacramento big man Domantas Sabonis remaining in Sacramento past tomorrow’s deadline,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported. “Per team sources, the Kings view the prospect of sending him to the Toronto Raptors as flat-lined, so to speak.”
That phrasing matters. Toronto wasn’t just a suitor, it was widely viewed as the suitor with both motivation and theoretical roster pieces to make a Sabonis deal work before the deadline.
Why the Sabonis Market Collapsed
From Sacramento’s perspective, the framework was clear. The Kings had interest in RJ Barrett, whose contract ($27.7 million this season, $29.6 million next year) could help balance the books as the franchise evaluated long-term flexibility. Sabonis, meanwhile, is owed $42.3 million this season, $45.4 million next year, and $48.6 million in 2027-28 under his five-year, $195 million extension. But the mechanics never lined up.
Any Sabonis-to-Toronto deal required Jakob Poeltl to be rerouted to a third team, a nonstarter without additional draft capital attached. Toronto balked at that price, unwilling to part with first-round picks simply to move off Poeltl’s contract.
“He’s a really hard guy to trade right now,” one league source told Sportsnet’s Michael Grange. “He’s hurt and he’s locked in for five years.”
From Sacramento’s side, that was a dead end. The Kings reportedly had zero interest in taking on Poeltl themselves and weren’t willing to accept a return built around second-round picks.
Chris Haynes summed up the standoff succinctly on NBA TV: Sacramento wanted a first-rounder. Toronto was offering seconds.
A Reset Delayed, Not Abandoned
The timing is frustrating for the Kings. After missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons and sitting ninth in the West at 26-24, Sacramento has been quietly gauging how aggressive a reshaping could be without fully bottoming out.
Sabonis, 29, remains central to that calculus. He recently returned from a torn meniscus and is averaging 15.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 18 games, albeit while shooting just 18.5 percent from three. He has been a franchise fixture since arriving from Indiana in 2022, but not an untouchable one.
Sam Amick suggested earlier this week that a Sabonis deal was more likely to resurface in the offseason, a sentiment Grange echoed, writing that the rumors “could all add up to nothing.”
For now, they have.
Toronto’s Swing and Miss Reshapes the Deadline
While the Kings are left holding, the Raptors face a different reality. Toronto made a legitimate run at Sabonis, and when that fell through, the center market collapsed quickly.
Anthony Davis is gone, moved to the Wizards. Nikola Vucevic is now in Boston. Other options have either dried up or grown prohibitively expensive. With Poeltl sidelined most of the season due to a lingering back injury, Toronto is unlikely to pivot to another major center acquisition before the deadline.
That reality feeds back into Sacramento’s pause. The Kings wanted clarity. The Raptors wanted upside without overpaying. Neither side blinked. As a result, Sacramento’s reset is delayed, not derailed, and Domantas Sabonis remains the cornerstone, whether that was the plan or not.