The Kings will be without their starting center for the rest of the 2025/26 season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reports (via Twitter) that Domantas Sabonis underwent surgery on Wednesday morning to repair the meniscus tear in his left knee.
Sabonis is one of two Kings stars to undergo season-ending surgery on Wednesday. As previously reported, guard Zach LaVine is going under the knife to repair a tendon tear in his right fifth finger. That procedure is happening right now, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat.
Sabonis suffered that left meniscus tear back in November and originally opted for a non-surgical treatment plan, rehabbing the injury and returning to action a couple months later, in mid-January.
However, upon returning, Sabonis appeared in just eight of Sacramento’s 15 games heading into the All-Star break and played a relatively limited role (24.9 minutes per game). With the Kings well out of the playoff race and the big man seemingly not all the way back to 100%, he and the team apparently determined that it made sense to address the injury via surgery now in order to make sure he’s back to full health for 2026/27.
An All-NBA third-teamer in 2023 and 2024, Sabonis led the NBA in rebounds per game for three straight years from 2023-25. In 19 games (15 starts) this season, he averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 boards, and 4.1 assists in 29.7 minutes per night.
The Kings went just 3-16 in the games Sabonis played and haven’t been much better without him (9-28). Sacramento ranks dead last in the NBA with a 12-44 mark.
There are several more injury updates out of Sacramento ahead of the team’s matchup with Orlando on Thursday:
- Forward Keegan Murray, who has been out since January 4 due to a sprained ankle, said today that he’s ready to return, according to Ham (Twitter link). Murray, who signed a lucrative long-term extension with Sacramento last fall, has been limited to just 19 outings this season due to injuries.
- Shortly after being converted from his two-way deal to a standard contract, rookie big man Dylan Cardwell has been ruled out for at least four weeks due to a sprained left ankle, tweets Ham. Cardwell, who’s scheduled to be reevaluated in one month, sustained the injury at the team’s practice facility. With Sabonis and Cardwell unavailable, Maxime Raynaud, Precious Achiuwa, and Drew Eubanks figure to man the five for the Kings.
- After missing Sacramento’s last three games before the break due to left eye iritis, forward De’Andre Hunter was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, tweets Ham. Hunter seems likely to be available on Thursday vs. Orlando.
The tank continues
Tankathon is 100% in full force…
Sabonis got a torn meniscus months ago and he and the Kings decided to let it “naturally heal” avoiding surgery. Obviously, this is a tanking move where Sabonis misses way more time then he needs to. Great timing lol
Season of the tank !!
Kings, Mavs, Pacers, Jazz, Wiz, Nets, Griz, Pels..
If Steph or the unicorn goes down in the next 2-3 weeks, you can count on the Pat Spencer, Will Richard show the rest of the way too.
The Pelicans aren’t tanking because the Hawks pretty much own their pick (best of NO/MIL). They just suck
OK, that makes sense. Thanks for pointing it out.
It’s crazy that All these teams are taken when I just see low level All Stars in this draft. Everybody keeps saying it’s a deep draft and it’s deep with players that will stick around in the NBA but not with talent. That will actually win you an NBA championship without other pieces.
Jazz, hornets shouldn’t be tanking And should be pushing in for a play in game. They should get fine a million dollars every time they sit healthy players. They’ve been tanking for years and never received multiple top five draft picks.
Kings, wiz, nets and grizzly- I’m okay with these teams tanking because their teams just really aren’t good enough.
Mavs, pels and pacers- should be doing a soft tank meaning they’re not good enough for the playoffs so they can play young guys but they should not be in the bottom 4 of the lottery.
Hornets aren’t tanking and are pushing for the play-in/playoffs. The Jazz are tanking because they have been unlucky in the draft every year. Their plan is to stop after this season.
What makes you think the unicorn was going to play anyway?
Let Russ play all the minutes, take all the shots …. great tanking strategy.
Finally embracing the tank