Domantas Sabonis

Domantas Sabonis Injures Ankle In Monday’s Win

March 18th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Playing on Monday for just the second time since returning from a six-game absence due to a hamstring strain, Kings center Domantas Sabonis suffered two new injuries over the course of the team’s win over Memphis and was forced to exit the game early, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee details.

Less than three minutes into the game, Sabonis took an inadvertent shot to the face from Luke Kennard while the Grizzlies guard was battling for defensive position (video link). Sabonis was left with a bloody gash over his left eye and received stitches before returning to the court in the second quarter.

During the first minute of the second half, Sabonis badly turned his right ankle as he drove toward Memphis’ basket, falling to the floor in pain (Twitter video link via Jake Gadon of CBS Sacramento). He had to be helped to the locker room and was ruled out for the rest of the night.

Asked after the game about Sabonis’ status, Kings head coach Doug Christie couldn’t offer any updates, but he said he was “hoping for the best,” a sentiment expressed by the big man’s teammates.

“It sucks,” Zach LaVine said. “Obviously, getting hit in the head early on with the stitches. He gets bumped and bruised because he plays so damn hard. I haven’t been able to talk to him, but Domas wants to be out there as much as anybody.”

“It looked pretty bad,” Malik Monk added. “But Domas (is) strong. He’ll probably be back sooner than we think.”

Another Sabonis absence would obviously be bad news for the 34-33 Kings, who are battling for a playoff spot and currently hold the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference. They’re just 3-6 in games Sabonis has missed this season and have a -3.8 net rating when he’s not on the court (compared to a +3.8 mark when he is).

While it’s less important from a team perspective, it’s worth noting that another extended absence could cost Sabonis a shot at end-of-season award consideration. Sacramento has just 15 games left in the season and the 28-year-old must play at least 20 minutes in seven of those contests to meet the requirements for the 65-game rule. He’s considered a strong candidate for an All-NBA spot.

Pacific Notes: Sabonis, Kings, Lakers, Reaves, Suns, Plumlee

March 15th, 2025 at 8:31am CST by Rory Maher

Friday’s loss to Phoenix was the latest in a string of ugly defeats for the Kings, writes Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. The Kings were blown out for the third game in a row and have now dropped four straight and five of their past six.

“I expected a way better performance out of our guys,” interim head coach Doug Christie said to open his postgame press conference.

Opposing teams have been feasting from behind the arc of late against Sacramento, which gave up a season-high 24 three-pointers to the Suns and made only eight of their own. As Biderman notes in another story, things went from bad to worse in the fourth quarter, when star center Domantas Sabonis appeared to aggravate the left hamstring injury that had sidelined him for the past six games.

“I think he wanted to continue to play,” Christie said. “But (there’s) no conversation. Sit down. When I see you do that, I’m not even playing around with that one. You are way too important to us.”

The Kings, who are currently the No. 9 seed in the West, have dropped to .500 at 33-33 and are only one game up on Dallas and 2.5 games ahead of Phoenix as they vie for a postseason spot.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Prior to Friday’s game in Denver, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said that LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes all have a good chance to suit up within the next week, tweets Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet. “They’re all very close to returning,” Redick said. James has missed the past three games with a groin strain, while Hachimura and Hayes are battling knee injuries. The Lakers wound up losing their fourth straight game to conclude their road trip.
Austin Reaves was a bright spot for the Lakers in their shorthanded road loss to the Nuggets, as Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times relays. Reaves wasn’t sure whether he’d play after injuring his right wrist on Thursday in Milwaukee, but he wound up recording 37 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and four steals in 39 minutes. “We know when we’re full healthy and got everybody on the team that we have a really good chance to beat anybody,” Reaves said. “I just see this group, coming together, locking in on one common goal and that’s to win. And tonight I think is the biggest testament to that. Very shorthanded and went and played a really good basketball team with probably the best player in the world. And went toe to toe and had an opportunity to win it and just didn’t execute the last 50 seconds.”
Suns star Kevin Durant credited the play and professionalism of Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro following Friday’s victory over Sacramento, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter video link). “It was incredible. … Love playing with those guys and it’s something we need to build on,” Durant said. “We’ve been talking about it for so long, but each game matters, every possession matters. They came out there with that type of mindset.” Both rookies have been in and out of the rotation over the past month.
Suns backup center Mason Plumlee was ejected for the second straight game on Friday after elbowing Sabonis in the neck area (YouTube link via ESPN). The play was reviewed and Plumlee’s actions were deemed “unnecessary and excessive with contact above the shoulders,” leading to a flagrant 2 foul and automatic ejection. Plumlee was also ejected from Wednesday’s game vs. Houston after a brief scuffle with Steven Adams.

Domantas Sabonis Set To Return From Hamstring Injury

March 14th, 2025 at 8:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Star center Domantas Sabonis will be available on Friday in Phoenix, the Kings announced about an hour before tip-off (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat).

Sabonis has been on the shelf since sustaining a Grade 1 left hamstring strain on March 1 in Houston. He has missed Sacramento’s past six games, four of which have been losses. The Kings now sit ninth in the Western Conference at 33-32, just one game ahead of the injury-plagued Mavericks and 3.5 games in front of the No. 11 Suns.

Sabonis has been the Kings’ most valuable player this season, averaging 19.5 points, a league-leading 14.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game with a .596/.432/.747 shooting line in 56 outings. It’s the third straight season in which the big man has led the NBA in rebounds per contest, and Sacramento has been 7.8 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the floor.

With Sabonis back in action, veteran center Jonas Valanciunas figures to return to his reserve role after starting each of the past six games.

Sabonis will have to play in at least 10 of the Kings’ final 17 regular season games to reach the 65-game requirement and become eligible for end-of-season awards. He looks like a strong candidate for All-NBA consideration.

Injury Notes: Davis, Lively, Gafford, JJJ, Sabonis, Lakers, Walker

March 13th, 2025 at 9:03pm CST by Earnest Marshall

There are no indications that the Mavericks are seriously considering shutting down Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford for the rest of the season, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. If any or all of the three currently injured big men are able to return while the Mavericks are mathematically in the play-in/postseason hunt, they’ll play, says Townsend.

A recent report suggested that it might be in Dallas’ best interest to preserve those players for the long run due to Kyrie Irving‘s season-ending injury and the team’s unfavorable spot in the standings.

“We know how good we can be when everyone’s healthy,” guard Dante Exum said. “But that’s one of the big things about the NBA: timing. Timing is everything. Runs and staying healthy during the season and going into playoffs, that’s a big part, and it’s something that we’re gonna have to figure out, quick.”

Davis is dealing with an adductor strain and Lively is recovering from a stress fracture. Both players, as we wrote, are on track to make their returns before the end of the season, if that’s the path the organization and players agree to. Gafford is recovering from an MCL sprain. His original six-week recovery timeline would have him back toward the end of March or the beginning of April, but there’s a sense he might be a little further off.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Jaren Jackson Jr. appears to be be nearing a return for the Grizzlies, as he was upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game against the Cavaliers, according to Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal. The Grizzlies have gone 4-1 without Jackson, but his return will be a welcome one for a team with aspirations of competing for a title. Jackson has been considered week-to-week due to an ankle sprain.
Domantas Sabonis hasn’t suited up for the Kings since March 1, but he was upgraded to questionable ahead of the team’s Thursday game against the Warriors, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Sabonis, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, was ruled out just before the game, tweets Anderson. But the fact that his injury status was upgraded at all is a signal that his return should be just around the corner.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes and forward Rui Hachimura left the team’s road trip to return to L.A. alongside LeBron James for health reasons, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets. Both Hayes and Hachimura are battling knee injuries. They, along with James, are considered day-to-day, according to McMenamin. We previously wrote about James’ injury here.
Sixers guard Lonnie Walker IV was diagnosed with a concussion on Thursday morning, according to PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck (Twitter link). Walker hit his head on the court on Wednesday against Toronto and entered the NBA’s concussion protocol. He’ll be evaluated daily moving forward.

California Notes: Batum, Monk, Sabonis, Loucks, Curry

March 9th, 2025 at 1:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Clippers forward Nicolas Batum made just his fourth start this year on Friday and helped his club notch a 105-95 win over New York, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Typical starter Derrick Jones Jr. is still dealing with a groin injury, opening up an opportunity for the 36-year-old reserve.

Batum, whose season-high 17 points against the Knicks included 5-for-7 shooting from deep, noted that his gig as a backup under head coach Tyronn Lue has meant staying ready and adjusting to an irregular role.

“I mean that was the talk I had with Ty during the offseason after the Olympics and during training camp,” Batum said. “I mean some games I play 25 (minutes), some games five minutes, some games I won’t play… But I knew, like maybe like down the road, like the last 20 games, I might mean more like (in) a game tonight (with) some injury, so I need to be ready to step up.”

The 6’8″ vet is averaging just 17.4 minutes per game this year, his lowest in 17 NBA seasons. All told, Batum is logging 3.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.2 APG and 0.7 SPG during his time on the hardwood for the 34-29 Clippers.

There’s more out of California:

Kings starters Malik Monk (sprained toe) and Domantas Sabonis (hamstring strain) have both been given the green light to resume on-court activity this weekend, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Both will miss Sunday’s clash against the Clippers, and Sabonis has been ruled out for Monday’s matchup with the Knicks as well. Jonas Valanciunas has served as Sabonis’ replacement, while Keon Ellis has been starting in place of Monk.
Kings assistant coach Luke Loucks is set to start his reported new gig as the head coach at Florida State immediately. According to Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL Sacramento (Twitter link), the 34-year-old Loucks logged his last game on interim coach Doug Christie‘s staff on Friday in a 127-109 win over San Antonio. Loucks played under 23-year now-former FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton in college.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry scored his 25,000th career point against Detroit during a 115-110 win Saturday, Golden State announced in a press statement (via Twitter). Curry, 36, is now just the 10th player in the history of the league to have reached that tally for a single team. Across 55 healthy bouts so far this season, the two-time MVP and 11-time All-Star is averaging 24.5 points, 6.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per night. He’s the best player on an ascendant Golden State squad, which has won nine of its past 10 contests and is currently the West’s No. 6 seed at 36-28 overall.

Kings Rumors: Sabonis, Fox, Ownership, Ranadives, Christie

March 7th, 2025 at 11:11pm CST by Luke Adams

After trading De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio last month, the Kings no longer have to worry about whether or not the star guard is confident in the direction of the franchise, but Fox wasn’t the only player in Sacramento with those concerns, according to Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

League sources tell The Athletic that Kings center Domantas Sabonis is expected to “seek clarity” this offseason about the team’s plans going forward.

Sabonis still has three years and $140MM left on his current contract after this season and won’t become extension-eligible until the 2026 offseason, so the Kings likely won’t have to make a decision about his future this year, like they did with Fox. However, like Fox, Sabonis and other members of the team’s core have questions about whose voices are loudest when it comes to key personnel decisions and whose counsel matters most to team owner Vivek Ranadive.

As Amick and Slater explain, Ranadive has frequently leaned on advisors outside of the standard front office hierarchy for advice on major team decisions. Former head coach Alvin Gentry is one such advisor, while John Calipari has also served as a sounding board. Veteran executives like chief operating officer Matina Kolokotronis and president of business operations John Rhinehart have had significant influence as well.

“What is the vision here?” a league source close to one core Kings player said. “It feels like it could be headed toward chaos.”

Here’s more on the Kings from Amick and Slater:

While Ranadive’s son Aneel Ranadive was heavily involved earlier in the earlier days of Vivek’s ownership, his daughter Anjali Ranadive is believed to have had more say in recent years, leading to speculation about whether she may be the “heir apparent” as the team’s governor. Anjali’s input was one reason why the Kings hesitated to sign head coach Mike Brown to a contract extension last offseason, team and league sources tell The Athletic.
Anjali Ranadive no longer has a formal basketball operations role in the organization after stepping down as the Stockton Kings’ general manager in January 2024, but she’s still believed to have influence throughout the organization, per Amick and Slater. She and former NBA player Jeremy Lamb “became a more visible part of the Kings’ decision-making tree early this season” after their relationship went public, though Lamb no longer seems as involved in organizational decisions as he was a few months ago, according to The Athletic’s duo.
It’s not yet clear whether Doug Christie, who was 19-11 in his first 30 games as Sacramento’s coach entering Friday, will have his interim tag removed and become the club’s permanent head coach. Team sources tell The Athletic that if the Kings continue to win at this rate, Christie would have a strong chance to land the permanent job. If the Kings go in a different direction, they’d be hiring their 14th head coach since Rick Adelman‘s exit in 2006.
Amick and Slater also dig in a little to the circumstances surrounding Fox’s departure from Sacramento, suggesting that the longtime Kings guard was worried about spending his prime years with a franchise that would be mired in “mediocrity and instability.”

Kings’ Sabonis Out At Least One Week With Hamstring Strain

March 3rd, 2025 at 5:40am CST by Luke Adams

Star center Domantas Sabonis has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain after undergoing an MRI and will miss at least one week, the Kings announced late on Sunday night.

Sabonis suffered the injury on Saturday in a win over Houston. Just over one minute into the game, the big man grabbed his left hamstring while running up the court. Head coach Doug Christie immediately called timeout, and Sabonis headed to the locker room to get the injury examined, with the Kings subsequently announcing that he wouldn’t return.

It’s obviously not good news for the Kings, who are battling for a playoff spot, that they’ll be without their most valuable player for at least the next week, but the diagnosis could have been worse — a Grade 1 strain is considered the mildest form and may not result in an extended absence for Sabonis.

Sabonis has averaged 19.5 points, a league-leading 14.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game in 56 contests this season. He has a shooting line of .596/.432/.747 and the Kings have had a +4.0 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to a -3.7 mark when he sits.

With Sabonis unavailable for most of Saturday’s game, backup center Jonas Valanciunas logged nearly 30 minutes after averaging just 14.3 MPG in his first eight appearances as a King.

Valanciunas finished the game with 15 points, 14 rebounds, four steals, and three blocks, playing a key role in helping Sacramento to secure the win. He’ll presumably continue to see increased minutes while his fellow Lithuanian recovers. Sacramento is scheduled to play in Dallas on Monday, in Denver on Wednesday, at home vs. San Antonio on Friday, and in L.A. against the Clippers on Sunday.

The Kings are currently 31-28, which puts them ninth in the Western Conference standings, but it’s a very tight race. They’re percentage points ahead of the 32-29 Mavericks at No. 10 and are just a half-game behind the Clippers (32-28), Warriors (32-28), and Timberwolves (33-29), who holds the sixth, seventh, and eighth seeds, respectively.

Pacific Notes: Sabonis, Valanciunas, Suns, Powell, Lakers

March 1st, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings picked up an important win in Houston Saturday night even though they lost starting center Domantas Sabonis early in the game, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. After a little more than a minute of play, Sabonis grabbed his left hamstring while running down the court. Head coach Doug Christie immediately called time out, and Sabonis headed to the locker room to get it checked. The Kings announced that he wouldn’t return, and Christie is unsure how long he might be sidelined.

“We’ll see in the coming days,” Christie told reporters. “Probably tomorrow or the next day we’ll have an idea, but everyone’s just pulling for him. Stepping in and, wow, we’re talking about Domantas Sabonis, who covers the stat sheet in a way that is difficult to do. A lot of guys stepped in and weren’t trying to do too much. They were just trying to do what they do and that adds up to everyone pulling the rope in the same direction.”

Sacramento was able to overcome Sabonis’ injury because of a strong night from backup center Jonas Valanciunas, who was acquired from Washington at the trade deadline. Playing nearly 30 minutes off the bench, Valanciunas contributed 15 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and three blocks as the Kings leap-frogged two teams to move into eighth in the Western Conference standings.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Bradley Beal remains questionable for Sunday’s contest against Minnesota after missing the Suns‘ last two games with tightness in his left calf, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Grayson Allen, who sat out Friday’s game due to left foot soreness, is probable to return. After snapping a three-game losing streak Friday night, Kevin Durant said the Suns need to block out distractions and concentrate on playing basketball. “It’s so much noise that’s going to be around us,” Durant said. “It’s so much tension around whether we’re going to win or lose the next game. So many people wishing that we don’t win games. It’s just a lot of BS around us, but I think if we understand that’s just the nature of the beast and we go out there and play with more pride and more energy, more enthusiasm, I think that things can turn around, but you really actually got to feel that.”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue expressed hope that leading scorer Norman Powell can return soon after missing the last five games with soreness in his left knee, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Lue added that Powell tried to play through the pain before the All-Star break, but he eventually had to make a change in the medical treatment he was receiving on the knee. “But like I said, he’s getting close, and he’s been doing the things needed to try to get back on the floor and so hopefully sooner than later,” Lue said.
The Lakers are getting valuable contributions from their two-way players, observes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Jordan Goodwin and Trey Jemison both played a role in Friday’s win over the Clippers. “Those guys are just professional,” coach J.J. Redick said. “And a lot of times with two-ways, you can err on the side of youth and development, and I think there’s a lot of merit and a lot of value in that. Trey and Goodie are older players by two-way standards. And so, to be able to have them both with experience and both having been in the league now for a couple of years – Goodie longer than that – but they know how to play and they can contribute to winning.”

Kings’ Christie Meets With Starters After ‘Unacceptable’ Loss

February 22nd, 2025 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings‘ post-All-Star push for a playoff spot got off to a rocky start on Friday, as they lost at home by 24 points to a Golden State team that entered the day tied with Sacramento in the Western Conference standings.

Within his recap of the game, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee noted that Doug Christie took over an hour to come out for his post-game media session, writing that the Kings’ interim head coach had “delivered an impassioned message to his team” during that time. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link), Christie met with Sacramento’s starters – Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and Keegan Murray – during that time.

“First and foremost, in that meeting, I was told that Christie reiterated how he’s in the fight with them,” Haynes said. “But there were some issues he wanted to address, such as making sure that everyone understood the gravity of the situation right now. He addressed ball security. He talked about how they’ve been compromising on defense. He wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page. He spoke on learning how to communicate with each other, and he challenged his players to challenge each other in a positive way to yield some positive results.”

Speaking to reporters after Friday’s loss, Christie didn’t specifically mention meeting with the starters, but he referred to his team’s effort vs. Golden State as “totally unacceptable.” According to Monk, the Kings’ coach made it clear that “we can’t get punked like that at home” again.

“I get down in a certain way and I expect you guys to represent that,” Christie said of his message to the team, per Anderson. “I know what these fans appreciate and what they want, and I know what our organization wants, and that ain’t it. That ain’t ever going to be it.”

The Kings are still adjusting after making some major roster changes at the trade deadline. De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Colby Jones, Alex Len, and Jordan McLaughlin were all dealt during the first week of February, with LaVine, Jonas Valanciunas, and Jake LaRavia added via trade, while Markelle Fultz later signed as a free agent. As Anderson writes, the new-look roster showed some growing pains on Friday by turning the ball over a season-high 24 times and being outscored 38-5 in points off turnovers.

“Twenty-four (turnovers) for 38 points won’t win you a game, I don’t think, anywhere in the world,” Christie said. “… We can keep saying we have a lot of new guys and we’re trying to find our way, but that excuse, no one checks for you in this league like that. People will just run through you and beat the hell out of you, so it doesn’t matter what the excuse is.

“Take care of the basketball, play together, move the rock, and if we do that at a high level, we give ourselves the opportunity to win. We’re not even giving ourselves the opportunity with 24 turnovers for 38 points. It’s just not acceptable. It will never be acceptable. I said that to them man for man.”

The Kings are still in a play-in position in the West — at 28-28, they hold the No. 10 seed in the conference, with a 1.5-game lead over the No. 11 Suns. But after winning one play-in game last season and losing the second, they know how challenging it is to earn a playoff berth from that position and would like to move up in the standings before the end of the season. They have the fifth-hardest remaining schedule, per Tankathon.

“The bottom line is we have to come out and play with a sense of urgency, aggressiveness and physicality,” Christie said. “We have to want to win more than we want to breathe.”

Wizards Trade Jonas Valanciunas To Kings

February 5th, 2025 at 8:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

8:05 pm: The trade is now official, according to press releases sent out by the Wizards and Kings.

3:59 pm: The Kings are acquiring center Jonas Valanciunas in a trade with the Wizards, reports NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Sacramento is sending newly acquired wing Sidy Cissoko and a pair of second-round picks to Washington in the deal.

According to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link), Sacramento will use its $12.8MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to absorb Valanciunas’ $9.9MM salary. He reports that the picks being moved are the Kings’ own in 2029 and a Denver selection in 2028 that’s top-33 protected. That pick was acquired in the De’Aaron Fox deal earlier this week.

The trade with Washington leaves the Kings about $2.5MM below the tax line, states cap analyst Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), who notes that the team had some flexibility after unloading Fox’s and Kevin Huerter‘s salaries.

Valanciunas, a 32-year-old center, will provide veteran frontcourt depth for Sacramento. He appeared in 49 games during his lone season in Washington, averaging 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per night while shooting 54.7% from the field. Valanciunas will join Domantas Sabonis, his longtime teammate on the Lithuanian national team, notes Marc Stein (Twitter link).

The Nuggets were also hoping to land Valanciunas, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), as were the Suns as they try to find a taker for Jusuf Nurkic.

The second-round picks heading to the Wizards bring their total to 19 over the next seven drafts, according to Gozlan (Twitter link). Cissoko is making just $1.89MM, so this deal helps them offset the extra salary they took on earlier today by agreeing to trade for Khris Middleton. Gozlan states that Washington will create a $9.9MM trade exception and is now $11.8MM below the tax line.

This is the second trade of the week for Cissoko, a 20-year-old small forward, who went from San Antonio to Sacramento in the Fox deal. He has seen minimal playing time at the NBA level since being selected with the 44th pick in the 2023 draft. Cissoko appeared in 17 games for the Spurs this season, averaging 1.3 PPG in 3.2 minutes per night.

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