Kings Notes: Westbrook, Sabonis, Carter, Murray
The Kings signaled throughout the offseason that they wanted to create an opening in their backcourt before signing a veteran point guard, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
However, as Fischer details, Sacramento’s front office was seemingly underwhelmed with the team’s point guard depth during training camp and preseason, and decided to sign Russell Westbrook without making another roster move. Westbrook’s minimum-salary contract is non-guaranteed.
According to Fischer, head coach Doug Christie is a fan of Westbrook’s toughness and all-out playing style. The nine-time All-Star was also praised by new GM Scott Perry when the signing was announced on Thursday.
The Kings will formally introduce Westbrook as a member of the team at a press conference on Sunday, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
Here are a few more notes and rumors on the Kings:
- Star center Domantas Sabonis has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in one week, the team announced today (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat). The injury means Sabonis will miss — at minimum — Sacramento’s first two regular season games. The Lithuanian big man suffered the hamstring injury on Wednesday.
- Despite being a lottery pick (No. 13 overall) a year ago, second-year guard Devin Carter seems likely to be moved at some point in the future, according to Fischer, who points out that the former Providence star was involved in trade rumors through the summer and was drafted by the previous front office regime. Carter, whose rookie season was delayed after he underwent shoulder surgery last summer, struggled in four preseason games this fall, averaging 5.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 15.1 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .375/.100/.500. The Kings picked up his third-year option a few days ago, locking in Carter’s $5.16MM salary for ’26/27.
- Several rival teams were surprised that Sacramento made such a lucrative long-term commitment to Keegan Murray, Fischer adds. The Kings formally signed Murray on Thursday to a five-year rookie scale extension that is reportedly worth $140MM. According to Fischer, many players — both free agents and extension candidates — have been struggling to land contracts north of $25MM per year; Murray’s new deal, which begins in 2026/27, will pay him $28MM annually. The 25-year-old forward will likely be out until at least mid-November after undergoing thumb surgery earlier this week.
Injury Notes: Embiid, George, Sabonis, Chomche, Ivey
Sixers star Joel Embiid may or may not be available for Friday’s preseason finale against Minnesota, but there’s a good chance he’ll suit up for Philadelphia’s regular season opener next week, Chris Haynes reported on NBA TV (Twitter video link).
According to Haynes, the 76ers plan to be “very cautious” with Embiid throughout the season. The veteran NBA insider added that he does not expect the 31-year-old center to play in back-to-backs in 2025/26.
While Sixers forward Paul George is expected to be sidelined for next Wednesday’s season opener vs. Boston, he has made “significant progress” in his recovery from offseason knee surgery and likely won’t miss many games beyond that, league sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN. George won’t return until he feels fully healthy, Charania added on NBA Today (Twitter video link).
Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Kings center Domantas Sabonis suffered a right hamstring injury in Wednesday’s preseason loss. Haynes hears (via Twitter) the three-time All-Star has a “mild” strain and has been ruled out of Friday’s preseason finale vs. the Lakers. Despite the relatively positive update, Matt George of ABC 10 thinks the Lithuanian big man will likely miss some time to start the season (Twitter link).
- Second-year center Ulrich Chomche, who was on a two-way deal with Toronto prior to being waived by the Raptors on Thursday, has been referred to the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Chomche has been dealing with an unspecified health issue that prevented him from participating in training camp and preseason, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.
- Pistons guard Jaden Ivey underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery on Thursday after his 2024/25 campaign was cut short due to a broken left fibula. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said there was no single incident that led to the procedure, writes Vincent Goodwill of ESPN.com. “It was something that was developing over his work. Obviously, from coming back but in training camp also, he started to feel something,” Bickerstaff said before Detroit’s final preseason game against the Wizards. “We took precautions, and then the medical team did their assessments and those things, and then had to make the decision that ultimately led us to where we are today.” The Pistons plan to be cautious with Ivey’s recovery process, according to Bickerstaff.
Injury Notes: Sabonis, George, Williams, Bailey, Vanderbilt
The Kings fell to 0-3 during the preseason on Wednesday with a loss to the Clippers. More concerning than the defeat was the fact that star center Domantas Sabonis exited the game midway through the third quarter and was ultimately ruled out for the rest of the night due to what the team called a right hamstring issue, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (subscription required).
Sacramento already projects to be shorthanded in the frontcourt when the regular season begins next week, with forward Keegan Murray sidelined due to thumb surgery. It’s unclear whether or not Sabonis’ injury is serious enough to jeopardize his availability for the start of the season — head coach Doug Christie said after the game that he didn’t have a concrete update yet on the big man’s status.
“Listen, your star player goes down, you never want to see that, period,” Christie said, according to Anderson. “I can’t speculate on what it is. Hopefully it’s nothing. We have some time before the first game, but those are the things you just don’t want to see. But it’s part of what we do. It’s the same thing with Keegan. As unfortunate as it is, it’s just part of our game.”
We have more notes on injuries from around the NBA:
- Sixers forward Paul George continues to make progress in his recovery from offseason knee surgery. Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters on Wednesday that George has advanced to participating in live, full-court three-on-three drills, as Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports relays (via Twitter). It’s the first time the veteran forward has taken part in live action this fall.
- There’s a belief in Phoenix that center Mark Williams will be available for opening night after not playing at all in the preseason, says John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (Twitter link). The Suns big man has been playing 5-on-5 and will get the opportunity to take part in a few more scrimmages before the team’s opener next Wednesday. Gambadoro adds (via Twitter) that he doesn’t expect Jalen Green (hamstring) to miss more than two or three games at the start of the season unless he experiences another setback.
- Rookie forward Ace Bailey has been ruled out for the Jazz‘s preseason finale on Thursday due to bilateral knee tendinopathy, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Head coach Will Hardy downplayed the issue earlier this week, so there’s no indication at this point that Bailey won’t be ready when the regular season tips off next Wednesday.
- Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt was ruled out of the second half of Wednesday’s preseason game vs. Dallas due to a left quad contusion, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says the injury appeared to occur when Vanderbilt got kneed in the thigh. Vanderbilt is hoping to play a key role for L.A. this season after being limited to 65 total outings over the last two regular seasons due to health issues.
Domantas Sabonis Talks Kings’ Offseason
Domantas Sabonis has experienced highs and lows during his tenure as a member of the Kings, and he says he’s excited about what the coming year could look like in the wake of some of the personnel additions made by general manager Scott Perry.
“I think Scott’s done a great job so far, and he’s trying to turn things around just like everyone else,” Sabonis said during his basketball camp in Roseville, as relayed by ABC 10’s Matt George (Twitter link).
He also hinted that there might be more to come.
“A lot has changed; a lot’s probably still gonna change, so we’re just gonna wait and see ’til training camp,” he said.
One area that Sabonis is encouraged by is the addition of Dennis Schröder. The Kings were missing a point guard after they traded De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs in a deal that sent Zach LaVine and Sidy Cissoko to Sacramento.
“Right now, we have a starting caliber point guard. Dennis is very talented,” Sabonis said.
Sabonis was also encouraged by the play of the young Kings at Summer League, and mentioned that he hosted Isaac Jones and rookie Maxime Raynaud in Napa Valley, working out and preparing for the season.
Sabonis has a strong relationship with Doug Christie, who went from interim head coach to head coach this summer, and is looking forward to their partnership continuing this season.
“He was in there with me those three summers, every day in the gym,” Sabonis said, with a smile on his face. “I’ve seen how hard he works, so for him to have this opportunity, the fans love him, he’s one of us here. So I think it’s going to be very exciting.”
When asked about the trade that sent fellow Lithuanian big man Jonas Valanciunas to Denver, Sabonis said, “We know where all these decisions come from. It’s sad to see a friend leave, but at the same time, you understand. I’m happy for him; he’s with the Nuggets now, the top team in the West, and all he wants to do is win. I know he’s happy.”
The star center believes that having a training camp will allow Christie to create a scheme that maximizes the interchange of skills between Sabonis, LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan.
Sabonis said that after his camp, his plan is to fly down to Los Angeles to work out with some Kings players, hinting that DeRozan would be one of the players present.
Kings Rumors: Sabonis, Schröder, Kuminga, Monk
While a number of Kings rotation starter- or rotation-level veterans, including Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine, are viewed as potential trade candidates, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (YouTube link), center Domantas Sabonis remains unlikely to be moved.
When Sabonis spoke after the season about wanting to meet with the new lead basketball operations executives – including general manager Scott Perry – to discuss the future, there was speculation about the possibility that he might ask for a trade, but there has been no indication that will happen this summer, Sam Amick of The Athletic confirmed during an appearance on The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross (YouTube link).
“So far, he’s been signaling patience and had good conversations with the new front office,” Amick said of Sabonis. “The (Dennis) Schröder move to me is an interesting one in the context of Domas, because for the short term, I could see Domas saying, ‘Listen, I just want to feel like I have a chance every night, and now you’ve got me a point guard.’
“They’ve still got to figure out the fact that you have so many guys who like to score the ball, and Domas wants to get back to the higher usage that he had a couple years ago. So it’s still not even close to perfect, but it’s enough that nobody’s causing a ruckus and they’re just trying to wait and see what the roster looks like in the next couple months.”
We have more on the Kings:
- Echoing reporting from Tuesday night about the Kings’ sign-and-trade talks for Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, Ali Thanawalla and Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area say Sacramento has talked about sending out Devin Carter, Dario Saric, and two second-round picks in a package for Kuminga. However, Amick hears that the Kings have made “zero progress” toward finalizing a deal (Twitter link). That makes sense, considering that would be a pretty light return for a Golden State team believed to be seeking at least one reliable rotation player in any Kuminga sign-and-trade.
- The idea that the Kings, Warriors, and Pistons are seriously discussing a three-team trade that would see both Kuminga and Schröder signed-and-traded to Sacramento is “totally false,” a source tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Although the Kings have interest in Kuminga, those talks are unrelated to their deal for Schröder, according to Anderson.
- According to Thanawalla and Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area, the Kings are considered more likely than not to part ways with Monk this offseason and haven’t closed the door on sending him to Detroit in the Schröder sign-and-trade. However, reports of Monk’s potential inclusion seem to be coming entirely from Sacramento-based outlets rather than the Detroit side, so it sounds like the Kings have more interest in including Monk in that deal than the Pistons do.
Kings Rumors: Sabonis, PG Targets, Westbrook, Kuminga, LaVine
The Kings are viewed as “open for business” this offseason and appear willing to discuss a wide variety of potential trade scenarios, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
However, while that stance suggests Sacramento wouldn’t immediately shut down inquiries on Domantas Sabonis, team and league sources tell Amick that the club has continued to “signal a commitment” to its star center.
As Amick explains, Sabonis was frustrated by how the De’Aaron Fox situation played out, but he hasn’t asked for a trade and has had positive conversations with new head of basketball operations Scott Perry about the Kings’ plans going forward.
Here’s more on the Kings:
- Following up on comments he made during a radio appearance, Amick confirms the Kings had some interest in Jrue Holiday before Boston agreed to send him to Portland, but were concerned about his age and contract. Amick also notes that some of the team’s “power-brokers” were interested in pursuing Hawks guard Trae Young, but the Kings opted against it due to his offense-first style of play and his sizable contract.
- Confirming that the Kings have serious interest in Dennis Schröder and are eyeing Tyus Jones, as has been previously reported, Amick says former MVP Russell Westbrook is among the other free agent point guards the front office is considering. Westbrook is on track for unrestricted free agency after declining his player option with Denver.
- While Amick classifies it as a long shot, he says the Kings will be among the teams with interest in Warriors restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga this summer. Miami and Chicago have previously been mentioned as possible suitors for Kuminga, who is hoping for an increased role whether he remains in Golden State or ends up elsewhere.
- Zach LaVine will become extension-eligible this offseason, but Sacramento has no plans to make a new deal for LaVine a priority, league sources tell Amick. The former Bull has one guaranteed year worth $47.5MM left on his current contract, with a $49MM player option for 2026/27.
Scotto’s Latest: Porzingis, Celtics, Reid, NAW, Magic, Kings
Executives around the NBA generally view Kristaps Porzingis as the Celtics‘ top trade candidate this offseason as the team looks to reduce its salary, says Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Porzingis has played a limited role during Boston’s last two playoff runs due to health issues and will be on an expiring $30.7MM contract in 2025/26.
However, the general consensus is that the Celtics won’t be looking to trade just one highly paid player.
“Boston needs to get off two big salaries at least, or they’ll have massive tax implications,” one NBA executive told HoopsHype. “(Jayson) Tatum‘s injury lets them use next year as a gap year to audition other players or young guys.”
While Derrick White has drawn consistent interest from teams across the league, per Scotto, the Celtics have always rebuffed those inquiries in the past and would presumably be more inclined to shop Jrue Holiday if they move off one of their veteran guards.
Reserve wing Sam Hauser is also considered a trade candidate by rival NBA executives, according to Scotto, who notes that 2024 first-rounder Baylor Scheierman is viewed by talent evaluators as a player who could take on Hauser’s role sooner or later.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- Re-signing Naz Reid is considered a top priority for the Timberwolves, but executives around the NBA believe Minnesota is unlikely to retain Reid, Julius Randle, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who are all eligible for free agency this offseason.
- The Magic, who were recently identified as a possible suitor for Alexander-Walker, made a play for the Timberwolves guard at February’s trade deadline, according to Scotto, who says many executives are projecting the 26-year-old to receive the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception or something close to it.
- Rival executives are monitoring the Kings‘ veteran trio of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan, and believe the team will explore trading one or more of those players either this offseason or by the 2026 trade deadline, Scotto writes. It might take a trade request for Sacramento to seriously consider dealing Sabonis, and LaVine’s maximum-salary contract figures to be difficult to move. That leaves DeRozan and perhaps center Jonas Valanciunas, who will be on a pseudo-expiring $10.4MM contract, as the Kings’ top potential trade candidates.
- In case you missed it, we also passed along reporting from Scotto on a potential point guard target for the Kings, along with a handful of Clippers-related rumors.
DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis Uncertain About Future With Kings
After being embarrassed at home by Dallas in the play-in tournament on Wednesday, the Kings may have to worry about holding on to two of their best players, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis both discussed the direction the franchise plans to take in the wake of a disappointing season that ended with a 40-42 record and the ninth seed in the West.
DeRozan, who was in his first season with Sacramento after being traded there last July, was clearly upset about the loss, Anderson adds. He cited “just the structure and a foundation of a compete level” when asked what he’ll be considering when he ponders his future this summer.
“I think all year we had such an uncertainty of everything,” he added. “You can’t really operate in any successful environment if you have so much uncertainty, so I think for me, just the uncertainty of what it’s going to be going forward.”
That uncertainty manifested itself when general manager Monte McNair officially parted ways with the organization Wednesday night just minutes after the final buzzer. Former Kings executive Scott Perry is reportedly close to finalizing a deal to replace McNair.
Sacramento also fired head coach Mike Brown in December, replacing him with Doug Christie on an interim basis. Christie is in a good position to keep his job, sources tell Anderson, but Perry will have input on that decision.
Another layer was added to the “uncertainty” that DeRozan referenced when franchise cornerstone De’Aaron Fox was traded to San Antonio in February. Fox turned down a three-year, maximum-salary extension offer last summer and later expressed reluctance to make a long-term commitment to the Kings unless he was sure the team could “compete at a high level.”
Similar concerns were expressed by Sabonis, who indicated that he wants to meet with the new management team before making a decision about his future.
“First of all, I want to say I love it here,” Sabonis said. “I want to stay here. I want to win here. I also do want to know what’s going to happen. All these things are happening so quick. I want to get together with the new people, whoever comes in, and really try to get this right and get it back to where it was before.”
Anderson points out that DeRozan and Sabonis are both on long-term deals, but they could ask for trades if they don’t believe the Kings can become contenders. DeRozan has two years and a little more than $50MM left on the contract he signed when he was traded, and Sabonis has three seasons remaining on his four-year, $186MM deal.
DeRozan will turn 36 this summer and feels an urgency to be with a winning organization as he nears the end of his career.
“It’s difficult. It’s frustrating. It’s emotional. It’s everything,” he said after Wednesday’s loss. “I can only speak for myself. I put so much time, effort, preparation, sacrifice into the game of basketball. As much as I care for it, as much as I live it, it’s hurtful when you just don’t give yourself an opportunity to play for what matters, to make it to the playoffs and give yourselves a chance. It’s a scary thing when you realize this is a summer for me to get ready for my 17th season. Some of my favorite players I grew up watching, you don’t even get close to that number. Going into that, the window closing, it ain’t like this job is like being a teacher or being a reporter where y’all can do this as long as you can.”
Kings’ Sabonis: ‘I’m Happy I’m In Sacramento’
After leading the NBA in rebounds per game in 2022/23 and ’23/24, Kings center Domantas Sabonis is set to achieve the feat for a third straight season. His 13.9 rebounds per game this year represent a career high.
As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes, unless Nikola Jokic blows away the NBA’s single-game rebounding record on Sunday, Sabonis will become the seventh player in NBA history to win at least three straight rebound titles, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Dennis Rodman, Moses Malone, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, and Andre Drummond. Outside of Drummond, who is still active, all of those players are Hall of Famers.
“I didn’t know that they’re all there,” Sabonis said of the group. “That’s pretty cool, pretty cool. Pretty exciting, you know. At the same time, I’m just trying to go out there and play and do my job for the team and help whatever I can do to let them win. But obviously, it’s an honor to be mentioned with those guys. I think that’s really cool.”
Sabonis is also vying to be named to an All-NBA team for a third consecutive year. He made the third team in both 2023 and 2024 and said it “would be an honor” to do so again this season.
As Reynolds points out, Sabonis is one of just six players who have a chance to receive a third straight All-NBA nod in 2025 — Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry are the others.
“I never dreamt of being in the top 15 players of a season, let alone my name carrying a legacy, my dad’s name, the number, everything,” said Sabonis, the son of Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis. “It’s just awesome.”
While the Kings’ playoff hopes are still alive, they’ll have to win a pair of play-in games just to earn the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Given that the team has fallen well short of expectations this season, there’s a chance that Sabonis’ future in Sacramento will become a popular topic of speculation over the summer, Reynolds notes.
A report in March suggested that Sabonis is expected to “seek clarity” on the Kings’ direction this offseason following the in-season trade of his longtime running mate De’Aaron Fox. For his part, the star big man – who has three more years left on his contract – insists he’s just fine where he is and isn’t seeking a change of scenery.
“I’m happy I’m in Sacramento,” Sabonis said, per Reynolds. “My offseason home’s in Napa. I couldn’t be happier here. I love the fans. I love playing for the city. I just wish we could perform better and give them what they deserve.”
And-Ones: Luka Trade Offers, Coaches, Lithuania, Howard
In an article for ESPN.com (Insider link), Bobby Marks examines what the other 28 NBA teams could hypothetically have offered the Mavericks for Luka Doncic, who was sent to the Lakers in February in arguably the most stunning trade in NBA history.
Marks’ exercise comes with a couple of caveats. The first is that a Doncic trade may have fallen apart had every team been able to make a bid for the superstar guard, which is why Dallas was so determined to keep its talks with Los Angeles quiet. The second is that the hypothetical offers are based on each team’s financial restrictions as of February 1, the day before the trade.
Which teams could have offered the Mavericks the most compelling combinations of win-now players and draft assets? According to Marks, the Cavaliers (Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, 2031 unprotected first-round pick) and Rockets (Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith, Reed Sheppard, unprotected first-round picks in 2025 and 2027 via Phoenix) could have put the best packages together for Doncic (Cleveland would have been required to take back Maxi Kleber as well for salary-matching purposes, Marks notes).
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In a story that was released before the Nuggets fired Michael Malone, Zach Harper of The Athletic listed four other head coaches who could be on the hot seat, with Mike Budenholzer of the Suns considered the most likely to be dismissed.
- Confirming a report from BasketNews.com, Linas Kleiza said on his podcast (YouTube link) that Domantas Sabonis is unlikely to compete in this summer’s EuroBasket due to personal reasons (hat tip to EuroHoops.net). Kleiza, a former NBA player who is now general manager of the Lithuanian national team, also said that Jonas Valaniunas and Matas Buzelis are expected to compete in this year’s tournament.
- Georgia businessman Calvin Darden Jr. was recently sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for cheating former NBA star Dwight Howard out of $7MM in a phony scheme to purchase the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, reports Philip Marcelo of The Associated Press. Darden was also convicted of stealing $1MM from former NBA forward Chandler Parsons in a separate scam. Darden was found guilty in October of wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering charges.