The Sacramento Kings' terrible start to the season hit a new low when they lost to the Magic. They now have a record of one and ten, with Domantas Sabonis playing one of the worst games of his career. Given the state of the franchise, this shouldn't have been a shock to anyone at all.
As part of the rebuild process the Kings are currently botching, Sacramento has been trying to trade Sabonis. He's generally a great scorer, rebounder, and facilitator, as long as a team runs their offense through him. He's averaged a double-double for years, which should make him an easy trade.
Sabonis' lack of defensive presence is an issue for interested teams. Any prospective trade partner has to have a roster that can absorb that issue. But the bigger problem is his contract, which is expensive and has a couple of seasons left on it. This has caused issues for Sabonis.
He's reportedly not happy in Sacramento, which isn't a shock. The team is losing like crazy and has moved away from him being their offensive hub. Plus, the team's inability to trade him has to be a low blow to the ego. Based on last night's loss to the Magic, all of that could be impacting his game.
Sabonis had a really rough night
For a guy who generally averages a double-double in points and rebounds, his performance against the Magic was a bit of a head-scratcher. He finished with zero points, two rebounds, five assists, and that's it. Even more strange was the fact that he only took two shots from the field in 23+ minutes.
It could be as simple as all of the stress in the Kings' locker room and organization has caught up with him. Honestly, no one could blame Sabonis in that situation. Every player has off games, and all of the negativity in this franchise could easily mess with his mental game. It happens.
There's also the possibility that his heart just isn't with the Kings anymore. They've made it clear that they want to trade him. He's made it clear he wants out. Yet, no other teams have made real attempts to bring him in. That has to be incredibly disheartening for a former All-Star and All-NBA player.
Whatever has to happen to get Sabonis moved needs to happen as soon as possible. No one is happy with this situation, and it has to be resolved before it does any further damage. That being said, it doesn't get much worse than the Kings losing virtually every game they play.
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