Kings' Domantas Sabonis Drawing Interest From Eastern Conference Contender

Sacramento Kings’ fans tend to get pretty excited for trade season, and that usually isn’t because they believe there is one piece that will change their fortunes. Other than the few Beam Team years where fans were begging for a wing to complement Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento hasn’t exactly been in a great position to buy.

Yesterday marked the unofficial beginning of trade season for the league, and so far, things have been very quiet. It’s no secret that the Kings are expected to be active before the deadline; however, the bigger question is who will be buying what Sacramento is selling? According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, an Eastern Conference team may have some interest in one of the Kings’ stars.

The Toronto Raptors are showing interest in Domantas Sabonis and Anthony Davis, per @JakeLFischer

“The business Toronto is ultimately willing to conduct before the February trade buzzer will likely come down to how good the 16-11 Raptors still are as that deadline draws closer.… pic.twitter.com/WNv2spHHK7
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 16, 2025

Sabonis is a three-time All-Star and has been one of, if not the best, rebounders in the league for the last few seasons. While recent reports have stated that Sabonis is happy in Sacramento and isn’t pushing for a trade, that hasn’t always been the case. From the Lithuanian big asking the Kings’ leadership for “clarity” last season to leaks that he was unhappy with his role this season, it almost felt like a break-up was inevitable.

Whether the change is from his representatives realizing that his market may be smaller than expected or a reconciliation with the franchise that gave up Tyrese Haliburton to get him is unclear. Regardless, the ultimate decision will come from Scott Perry, who may see him as too expensive to hold onto, given the current state of the team.

Which Toronto Raptor(s) Would The Kings Want In Return?

When it comes to Toronto, there are a few contracts the Kings should avoid at all costs, but there is also one very intriguing fit. The name that comes to mind is former Duke product, RJ Barrett. Barrett stands out because he’s a wing and fills a huge need for Sacramento, but he also has a tie to the Kings’ new general manager. Perry was the GM for the New York Knicks when they selected Barrett 3rd overall in 2019, and he talked about how proud he was of RJ’s play when he first got to Toronto. Barrett hasn’t exactly lived up to the expectations of a 3rd overall pick, but that doesn’t mean he’s been a bad player.

Raptors win percentage this season:

.333 — without RJ Barrett
.706 — with RJ Barrett pic.twitter.com/D0u2HpPBkR
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 10, 2025

For his career, Barrett has put up averages of 19 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 44% from the field and close to 35% from deep. Nothing jumps off the page, but he’s a starting-level wing in the NBA, and the Kings need someone who can flank Keegan Murray for years to come if they’re planning on making noise in the postseason again.

Nov 6, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) drives to the basket against Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The best parts about Barrett are that he’s still just 25 years old, and he’s one of the best in the league when it comes to drawing fouls. According to Cleaning the Glass, RJ has been fouled on 16% of his shot attempts this season, which is in the 94th percentile for forwards. This could be huge for the Kings, who are near the bottom of the league in free throw attempts at 22.8 per game.

Who the Kings’ Should Steer Clear Of

Other than Barrett and players who will be off limits like Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and Collin Murray-Boyles, there aren’t many big names that the Kings should be interested in. Two players that they should absolutely stay away from are Jakob Poeltl and Immanuel Quickley. Poeltl is a solid center and does a lot of good things, but he’s on one of the worst value contracts in the league. The Raptors inexplicably decided to extend Poeltl without waiting to see what his value would be and are now set to pay him an AAV of $28 million over the next three years.

Quickley is at least much younger than Poeltl and can play the point, unlike most of Sacramento’s guards, but he’s set to make $32.5M this year and the next three years. Quickley is a good offensive player and has shot the ball well from three throughout his career, but he hasn’t shown that he can be a two-way player and really doesn’t do anything significantly better offensively than Malik Monk, who makes far less per year. The caveat to this would be picks coming back with either of these contracts, but even then, I would be wary of taking on that kind of long-term money if I were in charge.

Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl has agreed on a four-year, $104 million contract extension with the franchise through 2029-30, sources tell ESPN. Poeltl will pick up his 2026-27 player option at $19.5M and add three additional years to his deal. pic.twitter.com/wBHnoF5vUV
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025

Does A Deal Get Done?

As Fischer mentions in his report, the Raptors have been playing well this season and will likely wait to evaluate their place in the standings before making a big swing. There is also the matter of salary matching which would be extremely hard to accomplish without including a third team or one of Poeltl or Quickley.

If the Raptors were willing to include multiple first round picks to entice the Kings to take on Poeltl in a Sabonis trade, I believe they would have to listen, otherwise it may be better for Sacramento to wait for a better offer or hold on to their star center.

Which Toronto Raptor(s) Would The Kings Want In Return?

Who the Kings’ Should Steer Clear Of

Does A Deal Get Done?

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