RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sourcesThe trade that almost happened: Domantas Sabonis came within inches of leaving Sacramento originally appeared on The Sporting News .
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Sacramento Kings were far more active in shopping All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis than many realized, according to a report from ESPN’s Anthony Slater . The report revealed that Sacramento explored multiple trade scenarios involving its franchise big man at both the 2026 trade deadline and leading up to the NBA Draft.
Perhaps the closest Sabonis came to leaving Sacramento was a proposed blockbuster deal with the Toronto Raptors .
According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the Kings were close to sending Sabonis to Toronto in exchange for a package centered around RJ Barrett. The report added that Sabonis would have welcomed the move to Canada. However, the trade ultimately collapsed because the Raptors were unable to move the remaining three years and $84 million on center Jakob Poeltl’s contract, making the finances impossible to complete.
Kings’ offseason drama exposed
Just weeks later, Sabonis underwent season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus, ending his 2025-26 campaign prematurely.
Despite the injury, Sacramento continued to gauge the market for the three-time All-Star during the offseason.
The Kings reportedly met with restricted free-agent center Jalen Duren in early July and explored a sign-and-trade framework with the Detroit Pistons that would have swapped the two talented big men. Detroit, however, had little interest in parting with its young cornerstone and quickly shut down the discussions.
Sacramento also had conversations with the Charlotte Hornets before the NBA Draft. The Hornets owned the No. 14 and No. 18 overall picks, and there was internal interest in pairing Sabonis with dynamic point guard LaMelo Ball. Instead, Charlotte pivoted in a different direction, trading Ball for future draft assets and fully committing to a youth movement.
The Kings even reached out to the Boston Celtics , with at least one phone call taking place between the two organizations. While discussions never advanced beyond the exploratory stage, the contact underscored Sacramento’s willingness to consider significant roster changes.
Although Sabonis remains a King for now, the report suggests the organization has been actively evaluating his trade value. Whether Sacramento revisits those conversations before the season or builds around its All-Star center remains one of the NBA’s biggest storylines heading into the new campaign.
More NBA news:
Warriors predicted to sign $15M former first-rounder after waived by 76ers for LeBron James
Warriors predicted to trade Steph Curry for $451M veteran package in blockbuster deal
Heat, Celtics reportedly in bidding war for $342M elite shooter, 3-time All-Star, 14-year veteran
Lakers predicted to trade Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia for $36M much-needed rim protector
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.