Matt Johnson
The Sacramento Kings emerged from the 2026 NBA Draft with a stronger young core, setting themselves up for a promising season where player development will be the focus. For several All-Star veterans on the Kings roster, that puts them all on the chopping block and has them popping up in NBA trade rumors this summer.
Appearing on Sactown Sports’ The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross, NBA insider Sam Amick of The Athletic said that while the Charlotte Hornets are unlikely to be involved in a Domantas Sabonis trade after acquiring Naz Reid, the Toronto Raptors still have “some interest” in acquiring the All-Star center.
Read More: Ranking NBA Rookie of the Year Candidates, including Kings’ PG
Coming out of the 2026 NBA Draft, general manager Scott Perry and the Kings front office have gained confidence regarding the franchise’s future with a stronger belief in the young core. Moving forward, the team is prioritizing shedding the salaries of veteran players this summer.
There are reportedly “obstacles” currently standing in the way of a deal with Toronto. One of the biggest is how the two teams would match salaries to pull off a trade. The Raptors want to include the Jakob Poeltl contract—paying him $104 million over the next four seasons—a deal Sacramento has no interest in taking on. As of now, an agreement between the two sides seems unlikely.
Sacramento could wind up keeping Sabonis, viewing the veteran center as an ideal partner for point guard Darius Acuff Jr. in his rookie season. As Sabonis demonstrated with De’Aaron Fox, he’s excellent in the pick-and-roll and his passing ability could further set up Acuff for success immediately. Plus, if he’s kept next season, the team would have a contract that becomes a $48.608 million expiring asset next summer.
Related: Sacramento Kings Called One of Biggest 2026 NBA Draft Winners
While Sabonis could now remain in Sacramento, the same reportedly can’t be said for All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan. The Kings are “expected to end their partnership” with the future Hall of Famer, either trading him for whatever they can get or outright waiving and stretching the $10 million guaranteed he’s owed and spreading it out over three seasons.
As for Zach LaVine, he will be exercising his $49 million player option for next season. While Sacramento would like to move him and that’s made easier by LaVine being on an expiring contract, there is minimal trade interest at this time.
Moving forward, the Kings’ front office will likely move off DeRozan’s deal and see if it can get out from under one more veteran contract ahead of next season. It’ll be a new era for Sacramento, with the franchise rebuilding around its young core.
