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Nov 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Golden 1 Center. Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Two Kings Stars Named Among NBA's Worst Contracts

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By James Mccauley | Last updated Jan 27, 2026 4:00 PM ET

In something that should surprise no one, Sacramento Kings veterans Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine were mentioned in an unflattering light. Stephen Noh of The Sporting News used his salary model to map the 11 worst contracts in the NBA, and the two Kings stars were promptly mentioned.

Noh aptly notes that, while finding good players on good contracts is key to having a good team, avoiding albatross contracts is also very important. Given the Apron era and all of the restrictions that come with having highly-paid players nowadays, avoiding bad money may be as (if not more) important.

For example, Trae Young is a former top-five pick and four-time All-Star who averages 25 PPG and 10 APG for his career. On the surface, that is a franchise player who has lived up to his billing as a top-five pick. However, a new regime took over in Atlanta this season, and Young clearly did not fit their vision. This was immediately apparent when they did not offer him an extension last summer.

Once they began listening to offers for Young and his $49M salary for next season, the market was lukewarm at best. Young was eventually traded to Washington for C.J. McCollum and his expiring contract and Corey Kispert, a replacement-level wing on a palatable contract. No draft picks were exchanged.

There has clearly been a (drastic) shift in the perception of salary allocated to players teams feel may not be worth it. So, Noh built a model around a player’s estimated wins added with the cost of an average win to find their value.

Unsurprisingly, contracts like Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Anthony Davis were near the top of Noh’s model. These are older, expensive veterans whose production does not align with what they are paid.

Where Sacramento Fit into Noh’s Model

Also unsurprisingly, Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine ranked eighth and ninth, respectively, in Noh’s rankings, slotting in between Patrick Williams and Jaylen Brown.

Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

On Sabonis, Noh says what we all know. The Lithuanian big man is very context-dependent to be at his best. As a playmaking big that neither stretches the floor (never taken more than 2.6 3PA/G) nor protects the rim (never averaged more than 0.5 BPG), so much needs to go right around him for Sabonis to be at his best.

Unfortunately, Sacramento’s roster does not come close to providing an environment that masks his shortcomings. With several more seasons left on his contract - at a value that is nearly double what Noh projects him to be worth - he may be difficult to move despite a track record of leading elite offenses when allowed to function as an offensive hub.

LaVine is a slightly different story. Nearly all impact metrics dislike the swingman - particularly on defense. While the metrics tab shows LaVine’s value around that of a bench scorer, he is almost certainly worth more than that.

LaVine’s situation is very similar to Trae Young's. Sacramento was similarly not interested in extending LaVine. Further, LaVine is on the exact same contract as Young, which was not enough to net a single draft pick in return despite his clear offensive talent. It is safe to say the return in a LaVine trade (if there is a team that can swing salaries to take on his big number) will be around the same, if not worse than that which Atlanta received for Young.

Scott Perry has expressed his unwillingness to use Keon Ellis or any picks as sweeteners to get off of veteran contracts. They are also very against adding long-term money to their books, as shown in their conversations with the Toronto Raptors.

Unless there is some other way to bridge the gap, Kings fans should expect LaVine and Sabonis to remain in Sacramento for next season. Perception around their contracts may change as LaVine becomes an expiring and Sabonis has one less year on his deal, but this should help set some expectations for the rapidly approaching 2026 trade deadline.

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

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