Domantas Sabonis Rumors

International Notes: Sabonis, NBA Candidates, Canada, PSG

March 27th, 2025 at 8:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Kings star Domantas Sabonis is expected to miss this summer’s EuroBasket tournament due to personal reasons, sources tell BasketNews.com.

According to BasketNews, the Lithuanian big man is expected to inform Linas Kleiza — the GM of Lithuania’s national team — of his decision when Kleiza visits the United States. Kleiza will also meet with Matas Buzelis and Jonas Valanciunas during the trip, per the report.

Here are a few more international notes:

A handful of EuroLeague players could land NBA contracts this summer. Some hold previous NBA experience; others do not. According to EuroHoops.net, Anadolu Efes guard Darius Thompson is the strongest candidate to sign with an NBA club in the offseason. Veteran guards Tyler Dorsey and Nigel Williams-Goss are among the other players to watch.
Who will replace Jordi Fernandez as the next men’s head coach of Canada’s national team? Multiple sources have suggested to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca that Gordon Herbert is the frontrunner for the job. Herbert, a Canadian who played for the team that made the Olympics in 1984, is currently the head coach of Bayern Munich and recently coached Germany’s national team. Former NBA assistant Nate Mitchell and current Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela are among the other possible candidates, Grange reports.
Paris Saint-Germain has interest in joining the NBA’s European league, either by purchasing Paris Basketball or by starting a new team, according to Laurent Perrin and Julian Lesage of Le Parisien (hat tip to Sportando). Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday that the NBA and FIBA are moving forward on the possibility of a new European league, though he noted the process is still in the early stages.

Domantas Sabonis Makes Quick Return From Ankle Injury

March 24th, 2025 at 5:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings big man Domantas Sabonis will return to action on Monday against Boston, Sam Amick of The Athletic tweets.

Less than a week ago, the team announced Sabonis would be out at least 10 days due to a moderate right ankle sprain. That timetable came after Sabonis underwent an MRI.

After missing the last three games, Sabonis was surprisingly listed as questionable to play against the Celtics after fully participating in practice on Sunday.

He’ll now suit up for the Kings, who currently hold the ninth spot in the Western Conference standings with a 35-35 record. Sabonis is averaging 19.2 points, an NBA-leading 13.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game in 58 outings.

If Sabonis appears in seven more games, he’ll be eligible for postseason awards. Whether that provided any additional motivation for him to return quickly is unknown, but the club has lost its last two games to the Bulls and Bucks without his inside presence, so the team’s tenuous hold on a play-in spot is probably the more pressing concern. The Kings also have a home game against Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

Injury Notes: Sabonis, Davis, Maxey, Walker, Harden

March 24th, 2025 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings announced on March 18 that center Domantas Sabonis, who was diagnosed with a moderate right ankle sprain, would be reevaluated in 10 days. However, just six days later, Sacramento has listed Sabonis as questionable to play on Monday vs. Boston.

As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes, the Kings announced that Sabonis has made significant progress in his recovery from the ankle sprain and fully participated in Sunday’s practice. It seems possible that an injury initially expected to sideline the big man for at least six games might only cost him three. Teammate Malik Monk predicted that outcome on the night Sabonis injured his ankle last Monday.

“It looked pretty bad,” Monk told reporters at the time. “But Domas (is) strong. He’ll probably be back sooner than we think.”

If Sabonis is able to return sooner rather than later, it would bode well for his potential end-of-season award eligibility — he needs to play at least 20 minutes in seven of the Kings’ remaining 12 contests to meet the requirements for the NBA’s 65-game rule. Sacramento also remains in the midst of a battle for a play-in spot. At 35-35, the team is ninth in the Western Conference standings, 1.5 games ahead of the Suns and Mavericks, who have matching 34-37 records.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Mavericks have upgraded big man Anthony Davis from doubtful to questionable for Monday’s game in Brooklyn, tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. NBA insider Marc Stein previously reported that Davis was targeting Tuesday’s game in New York for his return from an adductor strain. I wouldn’t expect the Mavs star to play both ends of the back-to-back set, but it certainly sounds as if he could be back in action either today or tomorrow.
There had been a belief that Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain/finger sprain) might return on the Sixers‘ current road trip, but it doesn’t appear that will happen after all. The trip will wrap up in New Orleans on Monday and head coach Nick Nurse said on Sunday that he wasn’t expecting to have Maxey back for that game, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I do expect him back (before the end of the season),” Nurse said. “But I don’t think he’s going to make it for today or tomorrow, I’ve been told.”
Sixers guard Lonnie Walker, who missed four games while in the concussion protocol, had to depart his first game back on Friday due to a headache. He sat out Sunday and the expectation is that he’ll miss Monday’s game too. “He just didn’t feel great,” Nurse said on Sunday, per Pompey. “And they just wanted to, with an abundance of caution, pull him back out of there. So they are going to take a look at him. He’ll be out tonight and tomorrow for sure. Then we will see where we go from there.”
After injuring his foot in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to Oklahoma City, James Harden was able to finish the game, but the ailment seemed to be affecting him down the stretch and in the locker room afterward, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Harden was playing some of his best basketball of the season as of late, having averaged 29.2 points per game with a .396 3PT% in the Clippers‘ last nine outings (including eight wins) entering Sunday, so the team will be holding its breath as it evaluates his foot, Murray notes.

Kings Rule Out Domantas Sabonis For At Least 10 Days

March 19th, 2025 at 7:10am CST by Luke Adams

Kings center Domantas Sabonis has been diagnosed with a moderate right ankle sprain after undergoing an MRI on the affected ankle, the team announced on Tuesday night (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat).

According to the Kings, Sabonis will be reevaluated in 10 days. That would mean he’ll miss upcoming games vs. Cleveland (Wednesday), Chicago (Thursday), Milwaukee (Saturday), Boston (March 24), Oklahoma City (March 25), and Portland (March 27).

The earliest possible return for the big man, based on the timeline initially reported by Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) and confirmed by the team, would be Saturday, March 29 in Orlando.

Sabonis sustained the injury early in the third quarter of Monday’s win over Memphis, badly turning his right ankle as he drove toward Memphis’ basket and falling to the floor in pain (Twitter video link via Jake Gadon of CBS Sacramento).

It was the second injury Sabonis suffered during the game. He had a bloody gash above his left eye after taking an inadvertent shot from Grizzlies guard Luke Kennard in the first quarter, but he was able to return to the court in the second quarter after getting stitched up.

It has been a bad run of health luck this month for Sabonis, who also recently missed six games due to a strained hamstring — Monday was just his second game back from that injury. The Kings went 2-4 during that six-game stretch and are 3-6 on the season without their starting center, so another multi-game absence doesn’t bode well for the team, which holds the No. 9 seed in the West at 34-33 and is battling for a playoff spot.

Jonas Valanciunas figures to return to the starting lineup with Sabonis unavailable. A trade-deadline addition, Valanciunas started all six games while Sabonis recovered from his hamstring strain.

We mentioned it in our initial story on Tuesday, but it’s worth reiterating that Sabonis must play at least 20 minutes in seven of the Kings’ remaining contests to meet the requirements for the NBA’s 65-game rule.

The 28-year-old has averaged 19.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game this season, making him a strong candidate for an All-NBA spot. But with just 15 games left in Sacramento’s season and Sabonis already expected to miss six of them, there’s no guarantee he’ll play enough down the stretch to qualify for end-of-season award consideration.

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 Tristan Tucker

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.”