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Nov 11, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) smiles during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Domantas Sabonis in the Spotlight: 2025-26 Sacramento Kings Preview

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By Will Zimmerle | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 5:38 PM ET

The Sacramento Kings are still involved in a rumors for Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors, but for the most part, it feels like the roster is generally set heading into the 2025-26 season.

With that, we turn our eyes from the rumor mill of the offseason to the players that will suit up for the Kings and go through a season preview for everyone in Sacramento. To start off, let's take a look at the clear best player on the Kings and their best chance for making some noise in the daunting Western Conference: Domantas Sabonis.

There are numerous questions surrounding the Kings as we enter the season, but the top of the list is what Sabonis' future looks like with the Kings, putting him in the spotlight as the season inches closer.

2024-25 Season Recap

19.1 PTS, 13.9 REB, 6.0 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.4 BLK, 59.0 FG%, 41.7 3P%

Domantas Sabonis was off to one of, if not the best, seasons of his career in the 2024-25 season before the Kings' season fell into turmoil. He benefited from defenses having to focus on both De'Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan. He faced fewer double teams than in years past, which led to absurd efficiency for the All-NBA center to start the season.

But after De'Aaron Fox was traded, his efficiency dipped. He shot 60.5% from the field and 47.3% from three in the first 45 games before Fox was traded, and 55.9% from the field and 28.3% from three following the trade. That's a big drop-off for Sabonis, whose efficiency is one of his calling cards.

Sabonis did have another incredible year on the boards, though, leading the league in rebouding for the third straight season. It was statistically another great year for Sabonis, but one that didn't translate to winning for the Kings as much as in years past.

More Sacramento Kings News: 10-Year NBA Veteran Preferred Kings Tenure to Knicks, Cavaliers

Biggest Question for 2025-26 Season

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The biggest takeaway for Sabonis from the 2024-25 season has to be his three-point shooting, as he jumped from 37.9% to 41.7%. His continued success from three is one of the biggest x-factors for the team this season.

While the percentage last season was great, it was on just 2.2 attempts per contest. That doubled his attempts from the 2023-24 season (1.1), but it is still low enough that defenses don't necessarily have to worry about stepping out to guard him at the three-point line.

Doug Christie spoke repeatedly last season on how he wanted the Kings to be a high-volume team from three, and getting Sabonis to continue to up his attempts from deep is key to getting more looks up. Sabonis has been hesitant to shoot when open in the past, making his shooting the biggest question mark heading into next season.

Biggest Concern

Sabonis has never, and likely will never, be a strong interior defender. He's improved at defending the rim without fouling and contesting with verticalities, but he's not a shot blocker or someone a team is worried to go inside against.

That makes it extremely challenging to build a defense around him, and the Kings don't have another rim defender they can pair with him on the front court. Maxime Raynaud could be a sneaky option for that role, but it's not ideal to put the pressure of the season on a rookie, especially one who is a second-round pick.

This is more of a concern for the whole team rather than Sabonis specifically, but it's something that the Kings will need to figure out if they want to compete and win this season.

2025-26 Season Stat Predictions: 18.1 PTS, 12.1 REB, 7.1 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.3 BLK, 57.2 FG%, 38.1 3P%

This article first appeared on Sacramento Kings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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