Why Kings' Domantas Sabonis and Ja Morant Trades Didn't Happen

The Sacramento Kings were expected to be one of the NBA's busiest teams at the trade deadline, but after just one move, nothing else happened. The Kings' lone move was to trade Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for De'Andre Hunter, but when silence followed, fans were left extremely disappointed. So, what happened?

The Kings were involved in plenty of rumors around the league, but the most emphatic was their expectation to trade away three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis.

Why the Kings didn't trade away Sabonis

Feb 1, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) takes a shot before a game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

There was plenty of talk about Sabonis heading to the Toronto Raptors, but that ultimately fell through. Of course, the Kings did not want to take on long-term salary, but a big reason why the Sabonis trade talks fell through entirely is that Sacramento was not getting the return they wanted.

The Stein Line's Jake Fischer recently reported that the Kings were not able to get a desired first-round pick in return for their star big man.

"Dallas, by contrast, was unable to generate the first-round pick it was seeking in trade talks for Daniel Gafford. Neither, sources say, could Sacramento with Domantas Sabonis," Fischer wrote.

Really, this does not come as much of a surprise. Yes, Sabonis is a great star-caliber player, but not many teams would be willing to give up any part of their future to take on a center with his playstyle. There is no guarantee that Sabonis would have made the Raptors significantly better, and the same goes for any potential suitor.

Domantas Sabonis this season:

— 15.8 PPG
— 11.4 RPG
— 4.1 APG
— 0.9 SPG
— 0.2 BPG
— 54.3 FG%
— 18.5 3P%
— 72.7 FT%

Only played in 19 games this season before being shut down for surgery on his torn meniscus. pic.twitter.com/eVXCOP2cBN
— KingsMuse (@kings_muse) February 18, 2026

Props to the Kings' general manager, Scott Perry, for not selling Sabonis for less than what they value him at, but it gets to a point where it is simply better to part ways, regardless of the return.

Now, the Kings are stuck with Sabonis until they get back into trade talks this summer. Not to mention, the star big man is out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair his meniscus.

Kings did not want to trade for Ja Morant

While the Kings certainly wanted to trade away Sabonis, on the other end of the spectrum, they did not want to trade for Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant. There was plenty of talk about the Kings being one of the few suitors for the two-time All-Star guard, but by the deadline, even Sacramento was fading out of his "sweepstakes."

"Memphis' Ja Morant just didn't have much a trade market no matter how seriously the Grizzlies explored their options for sending him elsewhere," Fischer reported. "Sources say Sacramento only ever showed modest interest."

Jan 21, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at FedExForum. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

There are a couple of issues with Morant, but the most notable is his poor health. Regardless of how talented he is, Morant cannot stay on the court. To make matters worse, he has been steadily declining since he peaked in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

In some ways, it makes sense for the Kings, of all teams, to take a chance on the 26-year-old point guard at the right price. There is a great chance that there is more talk about a Morant-to-Sacramento possibility in the offseason if his trade value continues to dip, but it was the right decision to pass on him at the trade deadline.

The Kings had a very puzzling trade deadline, to say the least, but there are some valid reasons why the franchise did not make either of these two moves.