Kings' Domantas Sabonis Drawing Interest From Eastern Conference Contender

Sabonis is a three-time All-Star and has been one of, if not the best, rebounders in the league for the last few seasons. While recent reports have stated that Sabonis is happy in Sacramento and isn’t pushing for a trade, that hasn’t always been the case. From the Lithuanian big asking the Kings’ leadership for “clarity” last season to leaks that he was unhappy with his role this season, it almost felt like a break-up was inevitable.

Whether the change is from his representatives realizing that his market may be smaller than expected or a reconciliation with the franchise that gave up Tyrese Haliburton to get him is unclear. Regardless, the ultimate decision will come from Scott Perry, who may see him as too expensive to hold onto, given the current state of the team. 

Which Toronto Raptor(s)  Would The Kings Want In Return?

When it comes to Toronto, there are a few contracts the Kings should avoid at all costs, but there is also one very intriguing fit. The name that comes to mind is former Duke product, RJ Barrett. Barrett stands out because he’s a wing and fills a huge need for Sacramento, but he also has a tie to the Kings’ new general manager. Perry was the GM for the New York Knicks when they selected Barrett 3rd overall in 2019, and he talked about how proud he was of RJ’s play when he first got to Toronto. Barrett hasn’t exactly lived up to the expectations of a 3rd overall pick, but that doesn’t mean he’s been a bad player. 

For his career, Barrett has put up averages of 19 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 44% from the field and close to 35% from deep. Nothing jumps off the page, but he’s a starting-level wing in the NBA, and the Kings need someone who can flank Keegan Murray for years to come if they’re planning on making noise in the postseason again.

The best parts about Barrett are that he’s still just 25 years old, and he’s one of the best in the league when it comes to drawing fouls. According to Cleaning the Glass, RJ has been fouled on 16% of his shot attempts this season, which is in the 94th percentile for forwards. This could be huge for the Kings, who are near the bottom of the league in free throw attempts at 22.8 per game. 

Who the Kings’ Should Steer Clear Of

Other than Barrett and players who will be off limits like Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and Collin Murray-Boyles, there aren’t many big names that the Kings should be interested in. Two players that they should absolutely stay away from are Jakob Poeltl and Immanuel Quickley. Poeltl is a solid center and does a lot of good things, but he’s on one of the worst value contracts in the league. The Raptors inexplicably decided to extend Poeltl without waiting to see what his value would be and are now set to pay him an AAV of $28 million over the next three years. 

Quickley is at least much younger than Poeltl and can play the point, unlike most of Sacramento’s guards, but he’s set to make $32.5M this year and the next three years. Quickley is a good offensive player and has shot the ball well from three throughout his career, but he hasn’t shown that he can be a two-way player and really doesn’t do anything significantly better offensively than Malik Monk, who makes far less per year. The caveat to this would be picks coming back with either of these contracts, but even then, I would be wary of taking on that kind of long-term money if I were in charge. 

Does A Deal Get Done?

As Fischer mentions in his report, the Raptors have been playing well this season and will likely wait to evaluate their place in the standings before making a big swing. There is also the matter of salary matching which would be extremely hard to accomplish without including a third team or one of Poeltl or Quickley.

If the Raptors were willing to include multiple first round picks to entice the Kings to take on Poeltl in a Sabonis trade, I believe they would have to listen, otherwise it may be better for Sacramento to wait for a better offer or hold on to their star center.