Domantas Sabonis does not sound like a man on his way out of Sacramento. At Kings media day, he waved off a summer’s worth of trade chatter in one line: “It’s all made up. I don’t know where you guys get most of it from.”
He backed it up with specifics. Sabonis said he has a great relationship with Kings GM Scott Perry, that his agents keep him informed, and that he is excited to be in Sacramento. Nobody in the reporting suggests he asked for a trade.
Which rumors he was swatting away
There were two clear threads. On June 16, Jake Fischer reported that the Kings and Hornets had explored a Sabonis swap around the draft. Marc Stein also reported Sacramento had interest in Detroit’s Jalen Duren, a scenario that would have involved a sign-and-trade and sent Sabonis the other way.
Neither one produced a deal. Duren re-signed with the Pistons last week on a five-year, $200 million contract, which closes the door on that route. Sabonis is still a King, and the Kings have shown no sign of changing that.
Health is the real story
The more interesting part of his answer was about his body. A knee injury limited Sabonis to 19 games last season, and he said he is back to full strength. In those 19 games he averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 54.3 percent shooting, solid numbers but well short of the player Sacramento built around.
That matters because trade value follows health. His contract runs about $45 million this season and $48.6 million next season, both guaranteed. A healthy Sabonis is a tradable asset. A hurt one is a problem. If he plays 70 games and looks like himself, the rumor mill will restart on its own, whether he likes it or not.
I believe him when he says he is not agitating. Players who want out tend not to praise the front office by name. But a denial from a player is not a promise from a franchise, and the Kings are coming off a rough year and are leaning on younger players. Their priorities can change quickly.
What is still unknown
Sabonis did not say the Kings have promised him anything, and the team has not announced a plan beyond this season. The Fischer and Stein reports described exploratory interest, not agreed trades. No one with the Kings has said publicly that he is untouchable.
So here is the stance. Sabonis has told the truth as he knows it, the Kings have no reason to rush, and the smart play is to let him rebuild his value on the floor. If the trade market opens again in February, it will be because of his play and the standings, not because of anything someone made up in June.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.