The Sacramento Kings want to move on from Domantas Sabonis, and he likely wants to move on from them. How that happens and which team ends up trading for him are still up for debate. One potential partner is the Pelicans, assuming they're willing to finally move on from Zion Williamson.
As part of the Kings' ongoing rebuild efforts, there is a strong desire to trade Sabonis. With two seasons left on a rather expensive contract, the front office knows that some moves will be impossible to make until he's gone. Simply put, Sabonis is taking up way too much of the salary cap.
At the same time, it seems likely that Sabonis is also ready for a new team. He recently signed with an agent who specializes in making difficult trades happen. Sabonis is also at a stage in his career when he probably wants to play with a team that's a contender now, not five years or more down the road.
The stage is set for an eventual trade scenario. All that's missing at this point is a team interested in taking Sabonis on. Both the Hornets and Raptors, who have expressed interest in the past, are unlikely to add the All-Star center to their respective rosters. But there is a chance in New Orleans.
A big man in the Big Easy
The Pelicans have been struggling almost as long as they've been in New Orleans and are one of the few teams in the league on par with the Kings in poor performance. There is a difference between them in that Sacramento acknowledged the problem and is trying to fix it. New Orleans can't say that.
Their biggest issue is that they don't want to move on from Williamson. Extensive injuries have prevented him from living up to his full potential. The front office must take a step back and acknowledge that they need to separate from Williamson for both sides to find success of any kind.
Sacramento might be the team to finally convince them. He and Sabonis have roughly the same salary, with two years left on their respective contracts. This would be an almost straight trade. It's the kind of culture reset that both the Kings and the Pelicans need to move forward.
Keeping all of that in mind, the Kings want out from under Sabonis's contract. This move doesn't fix that problem, so they might not be interested in this specific trade. Going after Jordan Poole, who is on an expiring deal, and Bennedict Mathurin might be a better option for Sacramento.
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