The Sacramento Kings are in a tough, tough spot at 1-10, sitting 14th in the West, and their star big man, Domantas Sabonis, is right in the middle of all the trouble. Last night’s blowout loss to the Orlando Magic, where the Kings extended their losing streak to four games, just screamed how bad things have gotten. And here’s the kicker: Kevin O’Connor just laid it out there, saying Sabonis is showing serious signs of “quietly quitting” on this team.
The Game That Spoke Volumes: Sabonis’ No-Show Night
O’Connor didn’t mince words: “Sad to see Domantas Sabonis quiet quitting on the Kings. 0 points on 2 shots last night. He doesn’t want to be there.” That’s brutal, but honestly, you watch the tape and it’s hard to argue. Sabonis played 23 minutes against Orlando and didn’t put a single point on the board. He only took two shots, which is just wild for a guy who’s supposed to be their cornerstone. He finished with a team-worst -14, and while you might try to write it off as just a bad shooting night, his reluctance to even *try* to shoot validates those claims that he’s checked out. It’s not a bad game, it’s a frustrated star holding back, plain and simple.
From “Light the Beam” to Total Darkness
Remember when Sabonis came over in 2022 and things were looking up? The “light the beam” era with De’Aaron Fox and Keegan Murray felt like a turning point for the Kings. Sabonis was a beast, putting up 18.8 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game on 59.5% shooting for Sacramento during his time there. He was that steady presence, the guy you could count on. But man, things have changed. Drastically. Ever since they traded Fox to the Spurs, Sabonis’ place in Sacramento has been super shaky.
This season, when he should be in his absolute prime, his numbers are dipping hard. He’s averaging 13.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists, even though his shooting percentage is up to 66.3%. The efficiency is there, but the willingness to be the scorer, to take over, just isn’t. The Kings are in a rebuilding phase right now, and their supposed leader looks lost, or worse, like he’s already packed his bags mentally.
The Unmoveable Contract That Has Everyone Stuck
So, the Kings are in this horrible spot, needing to rebuild, and you’d think they’d want to move Sabonis for some draft picks or young talent. But here’s the absolute nightmare: nobody wants to touch his contract. This dude is 30 years old, on a max deal, making $45.4 million this year and $48.6 million next year. Kevin O’Connor said it perfectly: “I just don’t know who’s gonna want him at $45.4M this year and $48.6M next year. Sabonis might be stuck with Sacramento, and Sacramento might be stuck with him.”
That’s the brutal truth. Unless the Kings are willing to drastically lower their asking price, they’re probably stuck. As one of the worst teams in the league, they have to listen to any offer, but it’s a seriously limited market. Both the Kings and Sabonis are in limbo, just playing out the string, hoping some desperate team out there eventually comes calling. It’s a sad end to what started as a promising run in Sacramento, and it leaves you wondering how much worse it can get before someone finally makes a move.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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