NBA Trade Landing Spots for Domantas Sabonis: Suns, Grizzlies, Pistons Possible Fits?
The Sacramento Kings changed coaches and lead executives and traded their franchise floor general within the last six months.
It's possible those moves merely set the stage for further alterations over the upcoming NBA offseason.
Because while the Kings might be eager to snap out of their two-year playoff drought, this skid could've already convinced their best player to seek the nearest exit. While three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis told reporters, "I love it here" and "want to stay here," he also made clear, "I also do want to know what's going to happen."
That follows previous reporting from The Athletic's Sam Amick and Anthony Slater that Sabonis was "expected to seek clarity about the organization's plan in the offseason."
So, what if Sacramento, which has booked a single playoff trip since 2007, can't convey the right message to Sabonis? What if this organization—which so often fails to create, let alone sustain, stability—can't even build the blueprint for making that happen?
Well, then Sabonis is probably seeking out a change of scenery. And if he's eyeballing possible landing spots around the league, the following five teams would all be logical places to look.
Charlotte Hornets
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The Hornets might be farther removed from contention than the Kings—or any team on this list—but it's that very gap between competing and their current level of play that could steer the Buzz City brass toward the big fella.
They've had five seasons to build a winner around LaMelo Ball and have so far struck out. In fact, they've never fielded a less competitive club with their flashy floor general than the 2024-25 iteration, which landed 29th in winning percentage and 27th in net efficiency.
If they're at all worried about this level of losing pushing LaMelo out the door, then it's time to get him a co-star. Sabonis could be a snug fit. Both are brilliant passers who could leverage all of that table-setting into routine creations of two-man-game magic. They'd pile up points on their own, but more importantly, their collectively prolific passing would help perk up all the players around them.
Speaking of which, this roster could be in decent shape even after a Sabonis deal, which might be built around Miles Bridges, Mark Williams and draft picks. That still leaves Brandon Miller as a do-it-all third wheel, the incoming lottery pick as a primary puzzle piece and no shortage of young players capable of growing into solid support roles.
Give Ball a clean bill of health, Miller another offseason to get healthy and grow his game and healthy servings of developmental seasoning to the rest of the young core, and this could be a group that competes for a play-in spot as soon as next season and maybe something much more substantial down the line.
Detroit Pistons
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Cade Cunningham's All-Star ascension fueled the Pistons to their first playoff trip since 2019. If they're hoping for an even higher climb up the standings, though, then they need to get him a legitimate co-star.
Why not Sabonis? He'd instantly slot in as their best rebounder and second-best scorer and playmaker—and those rankings would stand even if Detroit had a healthy Jaden Ivey in the mix. And if the Pistons managed to keep Ivey out of the deal—the Kings could demand his inclusion given their backcourt needs—that could be a formidable three-headed monster on the offensive end.
As long as Detroit lined up spacers alongside the Cunningham-Sabonis combo, it could reap the full rewards of their combined point production. While it isn't as simple as combining their current averages, if it was, that would net the Pistons about 45 points and 15 assists per outing from their two best players. For context, the Golden State Warriors got 42.4 points and 11.9 assists out of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler this season.
Sabonis isn't quite the long-range shooter that Detroit would want from an ideal Cunningham co-star, but the star center is working on that. Sabonis' 65 three-pointers were a new personal-best, and his 41.7 percent splash rate was his highest when shooting the three-ball with any level of regularity.
The Pistons should have the trade chips to make this happen, too. Any one of Ivey, Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart could potentially headline the package, and combining two of the three would lessen Detroit's costs in prospects and/or draft picks.
Memphis Grizzlies
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If you commissioned a basketball laboratory to build the perfect frontcourt partner for Sabonis, they'd fashion someone bearing a striking resemblance to Jaren Jackson Jr. On offense, Jackson's three-point threat would open the floor for Sabonis to punish players in the post. On defense, Jackson's shot-blocking and versatility would help cover Sabonis' most glaring weaknesses.
Would that make this a better idea for Sabonis than it is for Memphis? Maybe, but it feels like the Grizzlies could use more consistent scoring support for Ja Morant. Or perhaps for Desmond Bane, should Memphis and Sacramento wind up ironing out a big blockbuster exchange built around Sabonis and Morant.
Steadiness may not dominate headlines or spark viral wildfires, but it's something the Grizzlies could seek out to stabilize their on-again, off-again attack. And Sabonis is just about as reliable as they come. Over the past three seasons, he has averaged between 19.1 and 19.4 points and 6.0 and 8.2 assists.
He has also averaged 77 appearances during this stretch, which has to be an attractive number for a franchise so often bitten by the injury bug. Given Morant's availability concerns, in particular, there's a universe in which Memphis feels comfortable swapping him out to build a Bane-Jackson-Sabonis Big Three, provided the Kings send back sufficient sweeteners.
If Memphis doesn't want to move on from Morant, then a Bane-Zach Edey package almost assuredly piques Sacramento's interest.
Orlando Magic
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Magic fans might take a minute to come around to this idea, since Sabonis wouldn't scratch their itches for long-range shooting or backcourt scoring. Having said that, this is still a team in dire need of offensive production, and Sabonis would bring that in spades.
Orlando needs to know it can turn to anyone not named Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner and find steady scoring and table-setting. The Magic didn't have anyone else average 17 points or four assists. Sabonis hits those marks without breaking a sweat.
His gravitational pull as a scorer and offensive hub would make life easier on Orlando's star wings, too. It's too easy for opponents to overload on them at the moment. Drop Sabonis in place of Wendell Carter Jr.—a per-game supplier of just 9.1 points and 2.0 assists—and suddenly that's a much more precarious proposition.
Having Sabonis as a primary—or highly utilized secondary—passer might better align the Magic's puzzle pieces. Banchero has upped his distribution, but he's still a scorer at heart. Same goes for Cole Anthony. Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black aren't exactly high-end quarterbacks. And for all the progress Wagner has made as a playmaker, it's not a go-to strength for him, either. Sabonis could help find shots for the others while generating his own looks on post-ups, elbow touches and offensive boards.
This isn't a smash-the-piggybank type of pickup for the Magic, but they could get a deal done without emptying the asset collection. Start the offer with Anthony and Carter, sweeten it with a prospect like Tristan da Silva or even Black and throw in a future first or two, and Orlando is probably getting a handshake agreement.
Phoenix Suns
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Do the Suns need the kind of top-to-bottom overhaul that wouldn't leave room for an in-prime star like Sabonis? Probably. But given Phoenix's insistence on keeping Devin Booker, even an offseason of big changes wouldn't include a change-of-direction rebuild.
The Suns will want to compete with Booker, who turns 29 in October, so even if they wind up dealing Kevin Durant, they won't seek a mountain of long-term assets in return. Rather, they'll want talent on the same timeline as Booker, and Sabonis—who might need a three- or four-team trade to get to Phoenix—would fit the bill.
Phoenix has perpetually increased Booker's playmaking burden, but last summer's investments in Tyus Jones and Monte Morris highlight a desire for more distributors. Sabonis would be a great get as a secondary offensive hub, since he's smart (and efficient) with his scoring chances and selfless enough to generate them for others.
The center spot was a problem position for Phoenix all season, but getting Sabonis back as part of the return package for Durant would take care of that. Sabonis would also fill a good chunk of the scoring void a Durant megadeal would create.
Now, this probably wouldn't put Phoenix on a championship path, which is an argument to take things down to the studs and start over. But if the Suns aren't seriously considering that option, then the aim becomes maximizing their competitiveness. Sabonis would help them do exactly that.
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