2 best Domantas Sabonis trade destinations amid rumored unhappiness with dreadful Kings

2 best Domantas Sabonis trade destinations amid rumored unhappiness with dreadful Kings appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.There have been some rumblings going around that Domantas Sabonis is unhappy with both his situation and his role with the Sacramento Kings. Tim MacMahon of ESPN said point blank that Sabonis is not happy and “wants out” of the franchise, and considering that they’ve been losing games left and right to begin the 2026-27 season, it’s not out of the realm of possibility at all for this to be the case.Domantas Sabonis is unhappy and wants out of Sacramento, per @BannedMacMahon“Quite frankly, Sabonis wants out of there, and if they can move him, they would. So he's not happy.” pic.twitter.com/YqLwiU5jAfWatch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)— NBABase (@TheNBABase) November 2, 2026In fact, there have been rumors that Sabonis does not like playing alongside rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. since he’s becoming less of a focal point on the offensive end — reduced to being a play finisher instead of initiating the offense for his team. But these rumors have since been shot down by a few reporters, as it doesn’t look like there is in-fighting in the Kings locker room despite their rough start to this new campaign.The Kings have lost eight of their first nine games this season, and they could very well be headed for a full-scale rebuild. To that end, turning over the franchise fully into the hands of Acuff while recouping some assets for their former All-Stars in Sabonis and Zach LaVine could be the proper course of action for this team.Sabonis is only 30 years of age, and while he’s not the most adept player on the defensive end, he could be back to being his most impactful self in the right situation. But at this point, there are significant question marks that make acquiring him via trade a risky maneuver.Nonetheless, these two teams should benefit from the potential addition of Sabonis, especially when taking into consideration their goals of competing for this season.Toronto RaptorsEd Szczepanski-Imagn ImagesIt’s been an inconsistent start to the new season for the Raptors, a team that many believed would take the next step after acquiring Kawhi Leonard in a blockbuster trade this past offseason. Leonard played in 65 games last season, and he put up nearly 29 points a night on 51/39/89 shooting splits, and some thought that he would be the missing piece for this team similar to how he got the team over the hump seven years ago.However, Leonard’s horrid injury history is rearing its ugly head once more. The Raptors star is currently dealing with some swelling in his knee, and reports came out that he would be out for at least three to four weeks. At the very least, he is beginning his process to return to the hardwood.The Raptors’ trade for Leonard suggests that they believe that the time to win is now. And as sad as it is to admit, Toronto might be in need of an upgrade at the center position.Jakob Poeltl has looked washed up through the first eight games of this season, averaging 5.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He’s performed so poorly that the Raptors are now bringing him off the bench, promoting Collin Murray-Boyles in the process.Murray-Boyles is a bright young talent, but at just 6-foot-7, he doesn’t have the prototypical size at the position to handle more of the bruising players at the five.Considering how many defensive-minded players the Raptors have on the roster, it might work wonders for them to add more offensive firepower, which Sabonis brings in spades.Sabonis is an elite screen-setter, which should give the likes of Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett room to get downhill, and his passing acumen from the high post should make Scottie Barnes’ scoring life in the paint that much easier.Barnes is an elite defensive player, and he has the shot-blocking ability and mobility to help cover for Sabonis’ vertical and lateral deficiencies. When Leonard returns, the Raptors should have all the defensive range in the world to try and complement Sabonis’ more offensive game.Sabonis is still averaging 15 and 15 this season to go with 6.1 assists per game, and he will provide the Raptors another dimension to their offense as well as a bruiser in the paint whose shortcomings they should help mitigate.The problem is that the Kings appear to have no interest in acquiring Poeltl and the $103.6 million remaining on his contract for this year and the next three. That has suddenly become one of the worst contracts in the NBA, and it might be difficult to convince any team to take on that kind of money.The Raptors’ draft-pick situation is also a bit tricky. The Los Angeles Clippers own the right to swap first-round picks in 2027, while they also sent away their first-round selections in 2031 and 2033. Will Toronto be willing to give up their first-rounder in 2029 to try and sweeten the pot for the Kings? They surely aren’t going to involve Murray-Boyles in any trade talks, that’s for certain.To match salaries, the Raptors will also have to add RJ Barrett, which could be a non-starter as it would leave them rather thin on the wings.But at the end of the day, Sabonis is a much better player than Poeltl at this very moment, and finding a reasonable deal for the Kings big man should give them a better chance to compete in the East.Charlotte HornetsJim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesAll the good vibes the Hornets had built from last season’s surprisingly good campaign appear to be gone. They have the league’s worst offense heading into play on Friday against the Boston Celtics, and it sure looks like LaMelo Ball’s absence is affecting them more negatively than they had anticipated.If there’s a team that could become desperate enough to trade for Sabonis all while being a realistic suitor, it’s the Hornets. Moussa Diabate, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Hannes Steinbach comprise a solid and workable trio at the five, but none of them possess the playmaking and post-up threat that Sabonis has that could get this struggling offense rolling once more.Considering that the Hornets are relying on perimeter threats such as Brandon Miller, Coby White, Kon Knueppel (when healthy), and Naz Reid, just to name a few, they could benefit a lot from having a handoff artist like Sabonis. Moreover, Sabonis’ elite screening should help free up the team’s shooters, and he gives the team a threat to exploit mismatches on the interior.A trade package built around Grant Williams, Dennis Schroder, and Tidjane Salaun matches salary quite easily, and if the Kings lower their asking price to a realistic level, Sabonis could very well be headed to Buzz City.Related: When will Warriors trade Kristaps Porzingis? Are Domantas Sabonis, Kyrie Irving next? 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