# The Sabonis trade nobody can close > Sacramento wants out of Domantas Sabonis's contract, but the league does not agree on what he's worth. - Title: The Sabonis trade nobody can close · Sacramento Kings On SI - Summary: Sacramento wants out of Domantas Sabonis's contract, but the league does not agree on what he's worth. A trade gets done when the Kings accept that an… - Keywords: nba, sacramento kings, domantas sabonis, trade rumors, nba offseason, sports, Sabonis, trade, nobody, close, Sacramento Kings On SI - Source: Sacramento Kings On SI — https://si.com/nba/kings/onsi/why-a-domantas-sabonis-trade-is-still-realistic-for-kings - Published: 2026-09-11T18:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: nba, sacramento kings, domantas sabonis, trade rumors, nba offseason, sports ## 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. ## Key takeaway A trade gets done when the Kings accept that an extension-eligible big on $94 million is not a positive asset to anyone else.