Kings Star Predicted to Demand Trade During 2025-26 NBA Season

"Looking ahead to the offseason, rival NBA executives are monitoring the trio of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan with the belief that Sacramento will explore the possibility of trading at least one of those players either this offseason or before the trade deadline in February," NBA insider Michael Scotto reported on HoopsHype in June.

Kings' mid-season blockbuster?

With some uncertainty around the franchise moving forward, especially with new general manager Scott Perry seemingly not afraid to make big changes, who could be the top trade candidate in Sacramento?

Bleacher Report's Dan Favale crafted a list of the "five players most likely to demand a trade" during the upcoming NBA season, with Kings star center Domantas Sabonis among the names. Sabonis is joined by some of the league's biggest stars in LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jonathan Kuminga, and Zion Williamson as predicted trade candidates.

Sabonis, 29, is a three-time All-Star and has led the league in rebounding for the past three consecutive seasons, as he has emerged as one of the top big men in the NBA. While Sabonis is commonly knocked for people not believing he can be the best player on a championship contender, he would be the ideal playmaking center to have alongside another star or two.

When Sabonis and former Kings star De'Aaron Fox were at their best, they were one of the best duos in the NBA. If Sabonis had the opportunity to play alongside a star of greater caliber, he could be far more effective. Of course, if things start to go south for the Kings this season, Sabonis could demand a nice return in a trade, although his value across the league is likely not as high as Sacramento would like.

It seems unlikely for Sabonis to demand a trade, and if anything, the Kings would be the party ready to move on and start fresh. However, very few would have expected Fox to take that route, yet that is what happened last season.

Ideally, the Kings keep Sabonis around and trade one of LaVine or DeRozan to build a more sensible roster, but it is always challenging to predict what this front office will do.