Stuck between two plans

The Kings are not contending and not rebuilding. They are sitting in the gap, waiting for a move that has not come.

LaVine picked up his option

Zach LaVine opted into his $49 million player option, which kept him in Sacramento and killed any cap flexibility the front office hoped for.

No suitors, no exit

Sacramento could not find a trade partner for LaVine or for Sabonis, a three-time All-Star. Both are still on the roster.

$94.4 million on two players

Star veterans are not a problem by themselves. Two of them earning a combined $94.4 million this season, on a team going nowhere, is.

Two very different exits

LaVine's deal expires in 2027, so the Kings can simply wait him out. Sabonis has no natural off-ramp, which is why he is likely to move this season.

The agent switch

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report points to Sabonis leaving Wasserman for CAA this summer as the clearest signal that he wants out.

“There's been some talk that Domantas Sabonis wants out of Sacramento.”

Extension-eligible changes everything

Sabonis can sign an extension now. In the second apron era, players do not gamble on reaching free agency, they lock in the money early.

“You want to secure that next bag from your incumbent team, or you want to get traded to the next team that is willing to do that.”

They've been shopping since February

This is not new. Sacramento has been trying to move Sabonis since at least the February trade deadline, with nothing to show for it.

Toronto and Charlotte

Fischer names two rising Eastern Conference teams as the most persistent suitors. Both talked to Sacramento about Sabonis as recently as this summer.

“He had trade interest from Toronto. He had trade interest from Charlotte.”

Toronto cooled, Charlotte lingers

The Raptors were most serious before last February's deadline. The Hornets are still live, but only if Sacramento lowers what it is asking.

“Charlotte, I think, is a team that could still be in the mix for him depending on Sacramento's price point.”

Two bidders is not a market

The Kings need more than Toronto and Charlotte to drive a real price. A bidding war for Sabonis looks unlikely at this stage.

Phoenix just lost a center

Shams Charania reported that Suns starting center Mark Williams will miss an extended period after shoulder surgery. A team trying to stay competitive suddenly has a hole at the position.

The real holdup is price

Fischer says Sacramento has been adamant about getting positive trade value back. Rival teams simply do not see the contract that way.

“The Kings have been adamant that they want positive trade value for Sabonis.”

The extension nobody wants to pay

There is $94.1 million left on his current deal. If Sabonis wants $40 million or more a year on top of that, the list of willing partners shrinks fast.

A move is coming, the shape isn't

Sacramento will keep trying, and Sabonis will probably be moved. What the return looks like is still an open question.