Kings Have One Question to Answer Before NBA Trade Deadline

The Sacramento Kings have a big decision to make at this year's trade deadline.

Jan 5, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) high fives forward/guard DeMar DeRozan (10) after scoring a basket against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter at Chase Center. | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings have lost back-to-back games to fall to 12-32 on the season, and just as things were starting to go right, they have reverted to their struggling tendencies. In ESPN's latest power rankings, the Kings have slotted into 27th.

The only teams that rank below the Kings at this point are the New Orleans Pelicans (10-35), Indiana Pacers (10-34), and Washington Wizards (10-32). Heading into the season, the Kings certainly did not imagine being ranked among this group of teams, even sitting one spot below the Brooklyn Nets (12-29), but that is the reality they are living in.

ESPN's NBA insider Anthony Slater believes the Kings' biggest question at this point in the season is, "Is Domantas Sabonis on the team past the deadline?"

Jan 16, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Golden 1 Center. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Sabonis' future in Sacramento

There has been plenty of doubt about Sabonis' future with the Kings since the offseason, and there has not been much this season that would change his doubt about the direction of the franchise. Now, with the trade deadline about two weeks away, could his time with the Kings be winding down?

Sabonis finally returned from a two-month injury absence, and in three games back, he is averaging 9.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 3.3 turnovers in 19.3 minutes per game, coming off the bench in all three contests. Of course, Sabonis is not going to look like an All-Star after missing that much time, and it is simply a positive that he is back on the court at all.

"After sitting out 27 games because of a meniscus tear, Sabonis quietly returned to the Kings' lineup this past week, easing back in a 20-minute bench role," Slater wrote. "The pre-deadline timing allows Sabonis to attempt to get a rhythm and prove to the league that he's healthy, while the Kings, league sources said, plan to explore potential deals in the next two weeks."

Feels Good To Be Back!! pic.twitter.com/dxfJbkef2q

— Domantas Sabonis (@Dsabonis11) January 17, 2026

Slater reports that the Kings are expected to look at potential trades for Sabonis leading up to the deadline, but moving the three-time All-Star will not be as easy as they would hope. Still, there could be at least one team out there looking to make that type of splash, as Sabonis is the best center on the market.

"Sabonis is owed $42.3 million this season, $45.4 million next season, and $48.6 million in the final year of his current contract. It's a hefty contract to move, but Sabonis is the type of talent who will intrigue certain midtier teams in search of a shake-up and an interior boost," Slater finished.

There is no doubt that the Kings should be ready to find new homes for their veterans and turn toward the future, and Sabonis is the biggest piece that needs to fall.

Many people would predict that Sabonis will not be on the Kings past this year's deadline, although an offseason move seems more likely. Trades like this are always far easier said than done, and this seems like a situation that will not get resolved before February 5th.