With trade season underway, you know the Sacramento Kings' front office is calling every franchise in the league, chasing down any possible move. One such rumor involves their All-Star center Domantas Sabonis going to the Washington Wizards, and it's more plausible than you might think.
The Wizards are one of the few teams in the league having a worse season than the Kings. Washington is currently dead last in both the Eastern Conference and the entire league with a record of four and 20. Sacramento is 13th in the Western Conference with six and 20.
What's interesting about the Wizards is that they might be bottom dwellers at the moment, but they're also a young team with a lot of talent and potential. It's a team that honestly feels like they're just one key player away from their luck changing, and that player might be Domantas Sabonis.
Another Sabonis trade rumor
First and foremost, it's important to note that the Wizards already have a great center in Alex Sarr. The second-year seven-footer is averaging 19.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. Plus, he's a defensive powerhouse who averages 2.0 blocks and 0.8 steals per game.
That begs the question of why Washington would even be considering Sabonis. To be blunt, they lack depth at the position as Sarr is their only dedicated center, and he's still quite young. The Wizards need another center with more experience for Sarr to work with.
The league is pushing towards big men, which means running lines with one big at center and one at forward. If the Wizards want to do that, bringing in a center who can score, rebound, and run the offense to play with Sarr makes a lot of sense. It's also actually doable.
This trade might actually work for the Kings
Sabonis is the second most costly player on the Kings' roster after Zach LaVine. Moving his contract is a problem, even in a multi-team trade situation. But the Wizards are only slightly above the salary cap and well below the first apron. They have tons of room to maneuver.
On top of that, the Wizards have a few players the Kings should be looking at, specifically Bilal Coulibaly and Corey Kispert. Coulibaly Is in his third season, and has proven to be an incredible defensive asset. Kispert is a reliable shooter with high basketball IQ who rarely makes mistakes.
These are the kind of players the Kings need for their rebuild. A combination of Coulibaly, Kispert, a first round draft pick, and possibly Marvin Bagley III as salary filler would send Sabonis to Washington. And hopefully provides the opportunity for both teams to move forward.