Kings' De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis Affected by NBA Rule Change

One of the main discussions around the NBA over the past few years has been the excessive use of "load management." Most notably centered around Los Angeles Clippers star F Kawhi Leonard, many high-level NBA talents have taken rest days when they could be on the court.

The NBA is a grueling 82-game regular season leading up to the playoffs, and injuries are an unfortunate part of the game. It is a difficult task for NBA players to give it their all almost every night, as they have to try to take care of their bodies as well.

A couple of years ago, the "load management" trend increased, where players would sit out of games for rest purposes. Many fans missed out on chances to see their favorite players on the court due to rest, even when the players were healthy.

The NBA has tried to crack down on the "load management" issue, with the most recent attempt happening currently.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the NBA Board of Governors will vote on a new policy to reduce resting and load management in the NBA.

NBA Board of Governors is expected to vote this week on new policy that a team is unable to rest two star players in the same game, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Many league discussions over past 1-2 years have centered around stars playing more, curbing load management.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 11, 2023

According to Shams Charania, the definition of a "star player" means this possible rule change could have major consequences for the Sacramento Kings (via @ShamsCharania / X):

"Under current discussions among team and league personnel, a star is defined by someone who's made an All-Star or All-NBA team in the past three seasons, sources said."

The Kings were blessed to have an All-Star and All-NBA Third Team duo with G De'Aaron Fox and C Domantas Sabonis in the 2022-23 season. But, since they are both All-Stars and have made All-NBA appearances, this rule change will affect them.

There was only one game in 2022-23 that both Fox and Sabonis missed, and it was the last home game of the season against the Golden State Warriors. Since the Kings secured their playoff spot at that point, Sacramento felt no need to risk any injury to their All-Star duo.

If this new rule change goes into effect, those instances will no longer be allowed. Since the Kings do not rest their stars as much as other organizations, it will not affect the team as much, but it is certainly something to look out for.

Follow Inside The Kings on Facebook and X.

Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Kings news videos and live-stream podcasts!