NBA rumors: What Kings won’t do in Domantas Sabonis trade talks with Raptors

The Sacramento Kings have been on the struggle bus throughout the 2025-26 NBA season, currently sitting at 8-30 ahead of Sunday night’s game against the Houston Rockets. With all of their frustrations, it’s no surprise that the Kings have been the subject of plenty of trade rumors so far this year, including ones revolving around injured big man Domantas Sabonis.

One team that has come up frequently in Sabonis speculation has been the Toronto Raptors, but recently, NBA insider Jake Fischer broke down some factors that could cause those talks to break down.

“Kings have also let it be known that they are reluctant to take back long-term salary as part of any in-season business they might conduct,” reported Fischer on Marc Stein’s Substack.

He pointed out that this “is a major roadblock in any discussion regarding Toronto’s oft-discussed interest in Domantas Sabonis.”

Fischer also reported that “the Kings are not interested in taking back the contracts of either Immanuel Quickley or Jakob Poeltl” in a potential trade with the Raptors.

Indeed, Poeltl and Quickley are both considered to be on severely overpaid contracts at the current juncture, which would certainly limit the flexibility that the Raptors have when attempting to add to their roster via trade as the deadline approaches.

Meanwhile, the Kings aren’t exactly brimming with flexibility either, especially considering Sabonis’ injury situation, which has sidelined him for the majority of this season.

While Sabonis remains a talented big man, teams are reportedly looking for centers who bring a shot-blocking presence around the basket, which is one of the few areas in which Sabonis does not excel. He also does not provide much of anything from beyond the three-point line, which could similarly decrease his value in a trade.

In any case, the Kings and Rockets are slated to tip off on Sunday at 9:00 pm ET from Sacramento.

The post NBA rumors: What Kings won’t do in Domantas Sabonis trade talks with Raptors appeared first on ClutchPoints.