The Sacramento Kings have been without Domantas Sabonis for the vast majority of the season to date. During their victory over the Wizards last night, he made his return after two months away by playing off the bench for the first time in his Kings' career. And he looked good doing it.
Way back on November 16, Sabonis was sidelined with an injury that caused him to miss weeks of the season. When you add in other injuries, he has missed a total of 30 of the 42 games the Kings have played. It's not what a franchise wants from one of their highest-paid players.
There was also a lot of speculation as to whether fans had seen him in a Kings' jersey for the last time or not. Sacramento has made it clear that they would like to trade him, which will be difficult considering his massive, long-term contract. Some thought he might be traded before he returned.
Instead, Sabonis made his return to the Kings' roster in last night's win over the Wizards. The most surprising part of the situation is the fact that he played off the bench, possibly for the first time in his career with the Kings. Weirdly enough, it actually worked out pretty well for him and the team.
Sabonis had a solid return game off the bench
While his injury wasn't season-ending or anything like that, it was still serious. Sabonis might be ready to play again, but there's no way he's ready to start or play 30+ minutes per game. He has to ease back into the game and the rhythm, which is important considering how much has changed.
The rookies have grown incredibly and taken much larger roles with the team. Precious Achiuwa has become their top defender and a real offensive threat. DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Russell Westbrook have found a solid offensive flow that Sabonis needs to find his place in.
To be honest, Domas did quite well for a guy who has been on the shelf for two months. In 21+ minutes, he picked up 13 points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block. Oddly enough, it was one of his better defensive performances and a well-rounded game.
Sacramento is unlikely to abandon their efforts to trade Sabonis. His contract is huge, and they're looking to move towards a different style of player. At the same time, it honestly looks like he can still be an asset to the team and find a place in their new structure in the short term at the very least.