While the Sacramento Kings are open to any reasonable trade offer for Domantas Sabonis, the Raptors may be out of the running. Toronto doesn't have the trade pieces the Kings are looking for, and Sabonis probably isn't a good fit for them. They need a big man who plays defense.
The Raptors are trying to see what they can get with a combination of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl, per @JakeLFischer
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 14, 2026
“Domantas Sabonis has interest from Toronto. We've continued to report that, but it’ll be tricky to find an agreement there, being that the… pic.twitter.com/H1qBcdgZGS
Sabonis represents a lot of problems for the Kings. He is a big man who is good on offense and incredibly weak on defense while costing them a lot of money on a contract that is good through the end of the 2027-2028 season. Even worse, he doesn't seem motivated to leave Sacramento.
All of this combined makes him a difficult trade. There's a limited market for an expensive center who is only useful when a team runs their offense through him. That doesn't change the fact that the Kings need to usher him out the door sooner rather than later to get this rebuild up and running.
This has become particularly important now that he has returned from injury and will eventually retake his starting spot from Maxime Raynaud. The rookie has been developing quickly and playing well. Losing reps to Sabonis could potentially slow Raynaud's progress down.
The Raptors may be out of the Sabonis hunt
Keeping of that in mind, Kings' general manager Scott Perry isn't about to make a bad trade. Sacramento may be open to all reasonable offers for the former All-Star, but it's up to them to determine what's reasonable. Apparently, that may not include the Raptors.
Toronto is reportedly fishing with the bait of RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Jakob Poeltl, but the Kings aren't biting. Barrett would be a good fit for Sacramento, but neither Quickley nor Poeltl provide what Sacramento needs. Plus, they have big, long-term contracts the Kings want to avoid.
The other side of the story is that Sabonis isn't a good fit for the Raptors. They have a solid roster that is generally playing good basketball. Barrett and Quickley are both part of that. What Toronto needs is an upgraded center who is solid on offense and dominant on defense. That is definitely not Sabonis.
There have also been rumors linking Toronto to Anthony Davis, who would be a much better fit if he stays healthy, which he won't. For now, it seems like the talk surrounding Sabonis moving to the Raptors might already be done, leaving the Kings without a legit suitor for their center.