What Happens Next if the Kings Trade Domantas Sabonis

It is no secret that the Kings are aiming to get younger this offseason, as Perry admitted in his end-of-season press conference, and parting with the soon-to-be 30-year-old star big man could be one of their best options.

If the Kings can swap Sabonis for a younger star, it could perfectly fit their new timeline, which Sabonis might be aging out of. Not to say Sabonis cannot be an effective star at this point in his career, but if the Kings will not be competitive for another three years, will he be effective then?

On top of getting younger, Perry and the Kings will be trying to save money this summer. Sabonis has two years left on his contract, worth $45.5 million and $48.1 million, respectively. Do the Kings want to pay Sabonis about $94 million over the next two years? Probably not, especially when they are already projected to be above the luxury tax line and both aprons.

Of course, the Kings would have to receive notable salaries in exchange for Sabonis, as we saw when they were in serious trade discussions with the Toronto Raptors, which they were not interested in.

Building around the young centers

Fortunately for the Kings, as they potentially look toward the post-Sabonis era, they had two of the best rookie centers in the NBA this season. Maxime Raynaud emerged as one of the best rookies in the entire league while filling in for an injured Sabonis this season, while Dylan Cardwell turned into a fan-favorite with his high energy and impressive interior defense.

Raynaud has proven he is capable of being a starting center at this level, and he is only 23 years old. Shifting their focus toward these young centers could be the way to go, and not to mention, they are owed a combined $4.3 million next season, which is just about 10% of Sabonis' salary.

Of course, Sabonis' impact on the game is more noticeable than Raynaud's, but if this franchise is still in a rebuild stage, giving the first-year big man those opportunities to grow and develop into a potential star like Sabonis is not a bad idea.

Finding a new cornerstone

While De'Aaron Fox was viewed as the franchise cornerstone for years, Sabonis took that mantle after they traded away the star point guard. Of course, if they trade away Sabonis as well, they will need to find another face of the franchise.

Even though Raynaud can fill in as the team's starting center, he is far from being the face of the franchise. The Kings would love for Keegan Murray to get to that level, but that seems equally unlikely.

So, the Kings will have to turn to this year's draft to find their new franchise cornerstone. Landing a top-four pick would be game-changing for this franchise, as guys like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, and Caleb Wilson could all make the difference for this rebuilding Kings team.

It would be a drastic change for the Kings to trade away Sabonis, but it could be the type of change they need.