The Sacramento Kings are busily trying to trade All-Star center Domantas Sabonis, but they know their potential partners are limited at best. That's where the Minnesota Timberwolves come in. On a roster of big men, Sabonis could be an interesting addition and an offensive centerpiece.
Yes, Sabonis is an incredible rebounder and scorer with solid playmaking capabilities. The problem is, and always has been, that he is a middling defender on a great day. On an average defensive day, he's considered to be successful if he's not a full-on detriment.
When you add that to the cost and length of his current contract, you're left with a surprisingly limited number of trade destinations for the Lithuanian big man. And make no mistake that the Kings want to move him. Defense is the name of the game in Sacramento, and Sabonis doesn't fit the bill.
Sabonis would be an oddly good fit in Minneapolis
Head coach Doug Christie quite understandably wants to get the defense humming. Plus, he has three solid bigs in Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, and Precious Achiuwa who can hold it down in the five on both ends of the court. Simply put, the new Kings roster doesn't really need Sabonis.
When you first think about moving Sabonis to the Wolves, it seems crazy. They also have three great bigs in Naz Reid, Rudy Gobert, and Julius Randle. Plus, this franchise is home to the face of the NBA, whether anyone else likes it or not, Anthony Edwards. They aren't short on talent or firepower.
Inserting Sabonis into their lineup as a power forward gives the Wolves another shooter, rebounder, and playmaker. He can work with the bigs as well as being an excellent complementary player to guys like Edwards. There is a potential synchronicity here that could elevate the Wolves to the next level.
The Wolves trading for Sabonis is absurdly unlikely
A huge problem is making the money work. Sabonis has a big contract, and the Wolves already have a large payroll. At the very least, a third team would need to be on board to help shift capital around. The major question is who the Kings get out of this scenario.
Sacramento would be looking at players like Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, Jaden McDaniels, Bones Hyland, and, in a perfect world, Naz Reid as potential parts of the rebuild. After that, it's whatever or whoever needs to be moved to put the trade together. That's why this is so unlikely.
The likelihood of the Wolves trading their depth away for another big man is so improbable that it might as well be impossible. And that's not even taking into account the salary cap problems they would face. The trade would be interesting for both teams, but it just doesn't seem feasible.