3 Ways Sabonis' Trade Value Can Skyrocket for Kings

It should come as no surprise to anyone that apparently, Domantas Sabonis' trade value is at what looks like an all-time low for the Sacramento Kings. The former All-NBA center has been on the trade market for over a year now, but is set to return to Sacramento for his sixth season with the Kings.

It appears that the hope of both the Kings and Sabonis is to have him recoup some trade value this season so that he can move to a contender at the trade deadline. Sabonis hasn't been shy about looking for new opportunities, and Scott Perry and the Kings seem ready to lean into seventh overall draft pick Darius Acuff Jr. as their future star.

In order for that to happen, though, Sabonis will have to show out on the court to remind the league that he's still one of the best centers in the NBA. Perry seems willing to be patient and wait, rather than trade Sabonis as a negative trade asset. Here are three ways that Sabonis can skyrocket his value around the league to not only help himself, but the Kings.

Kings Shock the NBA

Nov 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the plus sides for Sacramento this season is that they have little to no expectations. I recently wrote about how their expectations heading into the year couldn't be lower, and while that's not ideal, it does set them up to shock the NBA if they are anywhere near even a .500 record.

If the Kings are going to be better than everyone expects, the odds are high that Sabonis is a huge part of that success. Perry could strike while the iron is hot and sell high on Sabonis, rather than the current outlook of him being at an all-time low.

3-Point Takeoff

One of the biggest knocks on Sabonis throughout his career has been his lack of three-point shooting. He's flirted with expanding his game beyond the arc and even got up to 41.7% from three during the 2024-25 season. But the problem was it was on just 2.2 attempts per game.

Even at that high percentage, teams weren't worried about him from deep. They continue to sag off him to cover the passing lanes and dare him to shoot. And last year was an injury-riddled year for Sabonis, but he shot 18.5% from three (on 27 attempts).

His three-point shooting has always been one of the biggest X-Factors for the Kings, and now it's not just for Sacramento, but the whole league. If he's able to finally add it to his game, his trade value would instantly skyrocket around the league, as it would allow him to fit into more offensive schemes and rotations.

Lead Facilitator

Apr 13, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) looks to pass against the Phoenix Suns during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Sabonis' taking a leap from beyond the arc would be great, scoring has never been the clear standout of his game. Instead, it's been his combination of scoring, rebounding, and passing from the center position that makes him so unique.

Outside of Nikola Jokić, Sabonis has been one of the best passing bigs in the NBA for years. His assist numbers were down last year, dropping to just 4.1 per contest. That's the fewest he's had since the 2018-19 season, which really shows how much of an outlier year Sabonis had last season with his injuries and the Kings' disfunction.

Sabonis topped out at 8.2 assists per contest in the 2023-24 season, which was good for the sixth most in the league that year and a huge reason Sabonis was named to the All-NBA Third Team.

Darius Acuff Jr. will take over the point guard role for the Kings and should approach double-digit assists himself, but Sabonis should be right up there with him in the 7-8 range. His return to his passing form could remind teams how unique his skill set is and impress them even more than the Kings' overall success or increased three-point volume.

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