Nine-Year NBA Veteran Advises Kings to Trade Domantas Sabonis

With just three games left in the regular season, the Sacramento Kings are showing life.

The Kings sit in ninth place in the Western Conference with a 39-40 record, but are coming off back-to-back wins against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons. The Kings have nearly secured their spot in the play-in tournament, but will they be able to make noise in the postseason?

The Kings have put themselves in a very awkward position with limited young talent, few assets to build around, and aging stars that are simply not good enough to compete in a loaded West. As the Kings build toward their future, they will have some tough choices to make.

Jan 10, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10), forward Keegan Murray (13) and forward Domantas Sabonis (11) react after defeating the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

With rumblings about star center Domantas Sabonis having questions about the direction of the franchise, the Kings may need to start thinking about a potential trade. Nine-year NBA veteran Chandler Parsons advises the Kings to shop Sabonis this offseason, saying it is their best option.

"I think you get the most by shopping Sabonis," Parsons said. "Who can you get back from that? Maybe you can go and get a point guard, you can add someone from the draft that can help you... I think [trading De'Aaron Fox] was the first step of rebuilding.

"Look at the Western Conference, there are so many teams above them that are better, that are younger, that are more fit for the future and right now. I think you always have to look at the landscape of the conference and make a decision going forward, just off that 'we probably don't have enough to contend in the near future,' but they do have pieces and they do have talent.

"I think the best move is to shop Sabonis and see what you can get back for him. But he's your best player and someone you'd like to build around. I just think you can get the most back from him rather than DeRozan or LaVine."

Chandler Parsons says the Kings should shop Domantas Sabonis this offseason 👀

"Look at the landscape of the Western Conference...the Kings don't have enough to contend in the near future."@MichelleDBeadle | @DGreen_14 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/wdJhPTidwv
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 8, 2025

Trading away Sabonis is a very interesting idea that many Kings fans have certainly thought about heading into a busy 2025 offseason, but it is a bit more complicated than many would think. The biggest problem with the Kings shopping Sabonis is that, more likely than not, no other NBA team will value the three-time All-Star center as much as Sacramento does.

Sabonis is a talented player and Sacramento's cornerstone since trading away De'Aaron Fox, but his game is much harder to build around for another franchise, especially looking at his limited success with the Kings. Not many teams can look at Sabonis and picture him as their best player if they have championship aspirations, so the Kings may not get the return for him they would likely hope for.

If the Kings do not make a significant move this offseason, they will likely be stuck hanging around the play-in tournament for the next few years, which is the worst spot an NBA team can be. The Kings have some talent to be able to make noise with the right changes, but a Sabonis trade could be the first step.

Recommended Articles