Sacramento Kings Urged to Consider Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan Trade

The NBA's Western Conference is a warzone, and as the conference continues to get better, some teams are getting left in the dust. Especially, the Sacramento Kings.

The Kings suffered a dreadful 16-year playoff drought before finally making a postseason push behind a star duo of Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox, led by head coach Mike Brown. Since then, the Kings have missed two consecutive playoffs and have parted ways with Mike Brown and De'Aaron Fox.

This offseason, the Kings hired a new general manager in Scott Perry, who certainly seems to want to build something special in Sacramento. Out of the gate, the Kings were rumored to be shopping each piece of their star trio, with Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan all potentially available.

People around the league expect the Kings to consider trading at least one member of their Big 3, per @MikeAScotto

“Looking ahead to the offseason, rival NBA executives are monitoring the trio of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan with the belief that Sacramento… pic.twitter.com/EDqyDX6FWd
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 4, 2025

Of course, the Kings have made it to mid-July without any significant moves, but there is still plenty of time for change.

NBA analyst Chris Mannix of SI recently urged the Kings to consider trading away Domantas Sabonis or DeMar DeRozan if the opportunity presents itself.

"DeMar DeRozan in his 30s, Domantas Sabonis a good player, but can you win with his limitations defensively? Also the lack of a true point guard on the roster? I don't know," Mannix said. "I think if you got to look around the league and say if there's a market for a Sabonis, if there's a market for a DeRozan in a potential deal, I think you got to look long and hard at it."

Mannix also asked a very important question that Scott Perry has likely been thinking about this offseason.

"Is Sabonis the right fit for this team long-term?" Mannix asked. "There's going to be a deep analysis that Scott Perry and his new staff are going to have to do on this team and decide if it's the kind of group that you want to continue to add on to and build around, or the kind of group that you try to tear down and build back up again."

Sabonis, 29, has proven himself as one of the top big men in the NBA, but the three-time All-Star may not be the right piece for the Kings to build around. This past season, Sabonis averaged 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, but there is a growing concern about whether a team can be successful with him as the best player.

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. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

It is on secret that the Kings were looking to find DeRozan a new home this offseason, as the 35-year-old is likely ready to move on after his first year in Sacramento. DeRozan, a six-time NBA All-Star, chose to come to Sacramento last offseason, but with Mike Brown and Fox gone, and a new general manager, this team is much different than the one he initially agreed to join.

While it is unlikely that the Kings will move on from Sabonis at this point in the offseason, a DeRozan trade would not surprise many, and Scott Perry is likely still actively looking at his options for the veteran forward.

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