NBA Rumors: There is growing speculation that Domantas Sabonis could end up demanding a trade away from the Sacramento Kings next.
After the Sacramento Kings were forced or decided to trade De'Aaron Fox ahead of this past year's NBA Trade Deadline, it was clear that there was going to be some added fallout. At least for now, I'm not sure if we've seen the most of it. However, according to a recent report, part of that could include a big decision on the future of Domantas Sabonis.
Unfortunately, that may be out of the Kings' hands. Per Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Sabonis wants some clarity on the team's future. After trading the centerpiece of a team build, it's only natural for Sabonis to have some questions. If I had to guess, I'd assume he wants to ensure that he's going to be part of another complete rebuilding of the roster.
At 28 years old, it'd be difficult to blame Sabonis if he didn't want to remain in Sacramento for another rebuild. If Sabonis isn't sold on the team's future, I don't believe it's that much of a stretch to assume that he could end up demanding or requesting a trade this offseason. And if the Kings know that a rebuild awaits them, trading Sabonis is probably the next natural step for the franchise.
How will the Sacramento Kings approach the offseason?
One of the bigger questions certainly revolves around how the Kings are going to approach the offseason. Will they attempt to swing for the fences to try to make a move back to relevancy in the Western Conference? Or will they wave the white flag and admit defeat on this current irritation of the team? Maybe they will wait to see how the rest of this season plays out before making a decision one way or another.
Either way, the Kings have some big questions they'll need to answer heading into the offseason. If there is any sliver of good news, it's the fact that if the Kings do have to trade Sabonis, they'll likely get a strong return. Sabonis is still at the top of his game and has been one of the most consistent and dominant centers in the league over the past six seasons. There are questions about his overall defensive impact, but he continues to be a standout performer on the offensive end of the floor.
If the Kings get to a point where they need to trade him, there will likely be a strong market for the 6-foot-10 big man. In an ideal world, the Kings would be able to retool around Sabonis. But, at least for now, there appears to be a non-zero chance they may not get that luxury heading into the future.