NBA Offseason Rumors: Domantas Sabonis’ Kings future in limbo as $4.45 billion franchise's direction stays murky

Leading up to the NBA trade deadline, Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings parted ways with De'Aaron Fox to acquire Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls. Despite the familiarity of LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, who spent years playing alongside one another in Chicago, the Kings, a franchise valued at $4.45 billion, have struggled to compete in the Western Conference.

Currently, the team is in ninth place in the West, with just one game separating them from No. 11. According to Clutch Points' Brett Siegel, if the Kings fail to establish a direction before the 2026 NBA trade deadline, Sabonis could request a trade out of Sacramento.

In an article released Friday, Siegel wrote that teams around the league are preparing for Sabonis to be on the market next February, depending on how things shake out for the Kings between now and then.

“Many around the league are preparing for the possibility of the Kings becoming big sellers ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline next February, which would likely result in Sabonis requesting a trade should a clear direction not present itself,” Siegel said.

Of course, as Siegel also wrote, with room to spend this summer, all indications are that before any potential split takes place, the Kings will look to bolster their roster for the season ahead.

Looking at the Western Conference playoff picture, and where Domantas Sabonis & the Sacramento Kings could fall in the Play-In Tournament

As mentioned, the Sacramento Kings are ninth in an extremely competitive Western Conference. The team is sitting five games behind eighth-placed Minnesota Timberwolves and five and a half games behind No. 7 Golden State Warriors.

Given that, it seems highly unlikely that Sacramento can leapfrog both teams and jump up into the sixth seed. Their route to the playoffs is leaning towards a run through the NBA Play-In Tournament.

The Dallas Mavericks, with the recently returned Anthony Davis, is sitting half a game behind them in tenth. Behind Dallas is the Phoenix Suns, a team that's gone 6-4 over their last 10.

Of course, there's still a chance that Sacramento will miss the play-in entirely. However, assuming they make the play-in, it appears the team will play in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game, where it's win or go home.

With the stakes at an all-time high for Domantas Sabonis and the Kings, they'll be looking to hit their stride between now and the end of the regular season.