Sacramento Kings Rumors

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.

Kings Sign Terry Taylor To 10-Day Contract

March 18th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Luke Adams

8:37 pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release relayed by the Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson (Twitter link).

11:37 am: The Kings and forward Terry Taylor have agreed to a 10-day contract, agent Darrell Comer tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Tayor, 25, has appeared in a total of 95 NBA regular season games for the Pacers and Bulls since 2021, but hasn’t been on an NBA roster since last fall, when he was in camp with Sacramento. He was cut just before the regular season began.

The 6’4″ forward has spent the year in the G League with Sacramento’s affiliate, the Stockton Kings, averaging 16.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 block in 33.9 minutes per game across 44 total appearances in the Tip-Off Tournament and the regular season. He has posted a shooting line of .443/.364/.708.

Taylor seems unlikely to enter the Kings’ rotation at the NBA level, but will provide depth as the team continues its push for a postseason berth.

Sacramento had been carrying just 13 players on standard contracts and was required to get back to 14 this week, as we explained on Sunday. Taylor will fill that 14th spot for at least the next 10 days. When his deal expires, the Kings will have the option of signing him to another 10-day deal, signing him for the rest of the season, or letting him go. If Taylor isn’t re-signed, the club would have to add a new 14th man.

Taylor will earn $124,288 over the course of his 10-day deal, while the Kings carry a cap hit of $119,972. He’ll be eligible to appear in up to six games for Sacramento during those 10 days.

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.

Dunn, Ellis Among Impact Role Players Ineligible For All-Defense Consideration

March 17th, 2025 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Tony Allen‘s jersey retirement ceremony in Memphis, John Hollinger of The Athletic revisits Allen’s six All-Defensive seasons for the Grizzlies and notes that the veteran guard wouldn’t have made All-Defense in five of those six years if the NBA’s current 65-game rule had been in place.

The 65-game rule doesn’t simply require players to appear in at least 65 games to earn end-of-season award consideration — it requires them to reach the 20-minute threshold in at least 63 games and to play 15 or more minutes in two others.

Allen came up short of 65 total games in three of his six All-Defensive seasons and had fewer than 63 games of 20-plus minutes in two additional seasons, despite making more than 65 appearances in each of those two years. His résumé isn’t unique among All-Defensive honorees. As Hollinger points out, the entire All-Defense second team in 2021/22 would have fallen short of the 65-game requirement.

With defensive standouts like Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Davis on track to play fewer than 65 games this season, there could be some spots on this year’s All-Defensive teams up for grabs for less obvious candidates. But a few of the league’s most impactful defensive role players are already ineligible for award consideration.

Hollinger singles out Clippers guard Kris Dunn as a prime example. Dunn leads the NBA in defensive box plus-minus and ranks second in the league in steal percentage, behind Dyson Daniels. He also ranks third among qualified players in deflections per 36 minutes and has been a driving force behind a Clippers defense that has the third-best defensive rating in the NBA.

Dunn has also played in 60 games this season, putting him on pace to exceed the 65-game minimum, but he has played 20-plus minutes in just 44 of those contests. With only 14 games left in the Clippers’ season, Dunn will fall short of the games-played requirement for award consideration, despite a strong case for All-Defense.

Kings guard Keon Ellis is in the same boat, Hollinger observes. Another player with high marks in categories like defensive box plus-minus, steal percentage, and deflections per 36 minutes, Ellis has appeared in 64 games but reached the 20-minute mark in only 41 of them, so he won’t reach the required minimum either.

Cason Wallace, one of the Thunder‘s best defenders, will need to play 20-plus minutes in 10 of the team’s final 14 games to qualify for award consideration. Rockets wing Amen Thompson, currently sidelined due to an ankle sprain, is still seven 20-minute games shy of the required minimum.

Pistons big man Jalen Duren recently argued that his frontcourt mate Isaiah Stewart deserves a spot on an All-Defensive team, and Fred Katz of The Athletic agreed. However, Stewart has long been ineligible for consideration — he has logged at least 20 minutes in just 24 of his 62 outings this season.

The 65-game rule currently only applies to certain awards. A player doesn’t have to meet the criteria in order to qualify for Rookie of the Year, an All-Rookie team, or Sixth Man of the Year.

In Hollinger’s view, All-Defense should get the same treatment, with the 65-game rule either relaxed or eliminated, since players who receive All-Defensive consideration often play much different roles than players who get votes for awards like MVP and All-NBA.

What do you think? Should the requirements of the 65-game rule apply for All-Defensive candidates? Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your two cents.

Roster Moves Required Soon For Kings, Warriors

March 16th, 2025 at 6:13pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams are generally required to carry at least 14 players on standard contracts. However, league rules allow clubs to dip below that minimum for up to two weeks at a time and for up to 28 total days in a season.

Currently, two teams are operating with fewer than 14 players on their 15-man rosters and will soon have to sign a free agent or promote a two-way player to a standard contract to avoid violating that rule. Those teams are as follows:

Sacramento Kings

The Kings first dropped below 14 players on February 3, when they completed their De’Aaron Fox trade. That deal saw them send out three players and acquire only two in return.

Sacramento got back to the 14-player minimum 10 days later, when Markelle Fultz signed with the team on February 13, before dipping back to 13 on February 18, following the expiration of Daishen Nix‘s 10-day contract.

The Kings remained below the 14-player minimum until 13 days later, when Skal Labissiere signed a 10-day contract on March 3, then once again went below the minimum on March 13 after Labissiere’s deal expired.

As a result of that series of roster moves, Sacramento is fast approaching its 28-day maximum for the season and will be required to re-add a 14th man by the middle of this week (by our count, the deadline is March 18). If the club exhausts its full 28 days below 14 players, it won’t be able to go below that minimum again this season.

Golden State Warriors

Like the Kings, the Warriors fell below 14 players on standard contracts for the first time this season as a result of a blockbuster deadline deal. In Golden State’s case, it was the February 6 move for Jimmy Butler, which required the club to send out four players.

The Warriors signed Kevin Knox and Yuri Collins to 10-day contracts on February 19, 13 days later, to reach the 14-player minimum. When those deals expired on March 1, Golden State re-signed Knox immediately, but let Collins go. As a result, the team was below 14 players for three days, until Pat Spencer was promoted to the standard roster on March 4.

After seven more days at the 14-player minimum, Golden State has been operating below that threshold since March 11, when Knox’s second 10-day contract expired. So the clock is once again ticking on the Warriors, who have another week to add a 14th man if they intend to exhaust their full 28-day allowance (by our count, their deadline is March 23).

Knox looks like the top candidate to return at that point on a rest-of-season contract, but that’s just my speculation — it hasn’t been reported. It’s worth noting that the Warriors will soon have the ability to fill both their 14th and 15th spots with rest-of-season signings while staying below their hard cap, so if Knox fills one of those two openings, the team will still be able to add a second player before the end of the regular season.

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.

Former NBA Center Oliver Miller Dies At 54

March 12th, 2025 at 8:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Longtime NBA center Oliver Miller has sadly passed away at just 54, according to the National Basketball Retired Players Association (Twitter link).

No official cause of death has been revealed, but Miller tweeted late last month that he had been diagnosed with cancer.

Miller was selected with the No. 22 overall pick out of Arkansas by the Suns in 1992. As a rookie, he became a critical bench player during MVP Charles Barkley‘s inaugural season in Phoenix, when the club advanced to the 1993 NBA Finals. The team lost in six games to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen‘s Bulls, who were capping off their first three-peat.

Across a nine-season NBA career, Miller suited up for the Pistons, Raptors, Mavericks, and Kings before returning to Phoenix for the 1999/2000 season. In his 493 career NBA regular season appearances (193 starts), the 6’9″ pro recorded averages of 7.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

Between 2000-03, Miller enjoyed non-NBA pro stints in Greece, Poland, Puerto Rico, and China, along with the USBL and then-D League stateside.

Miller returned to the NBA, briefly, for the 2003/04 season, where he suited up for the Western Conference Finals-bound Timberwolves. He intermittently hopped around the D League and USBL from 2004-10 before calling it a career.

Hoops Rumors sends its deepest condolences to Miller’s family and friends.

Pacific Notes: Durant, Booker, Kings, Lakers, D. Green

March 11th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

If the Suns trade Kevin Durant this offseason, the “most ideal” return would be three first-round picks and a young player, as well as enough salary relief to move below the second tax apron, sources tell Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Rankin’s wording leaves some room for interpretation. It’s not clear if his sources believe that’s the sort of return the Suns would be seeking or what they could realistically expect to acquire — or if it’s simply their view of what a best-case scenario for the franchise would look like.

Although Durant continues to play at an extremely high level, his age (37 in the fall) and contract situation (he’ll be entering a contract year) will be factors working against the Suns as they try to extract the best possible package.

Within the same story, Rankin cites sources who suggest the Suns could probably acquire four first-round picks and a “rising star in his third or fourth year” in exchange for Devin Booker, who is eight years younger than Durant and is under team control through 2028. However, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) issues a reminder that Phoenix’s stance on Booker hasn’t changed — the team still has no intention of making him available.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Kings guard Malik Monk returned on Monday from a three-game absence due to a toe sprain and scored 21 points, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. It wasn’t nearly enough for the Kings, who suffered a 29-point home loss to the Knicks on the second end of a back-to-back and are now two games back of the No. 8 seed in the West. As Anderson details in a separate Sacramento Bee story, center Jonas Valanciunas referred to the loss as “embarrassing,” while interim head coach Doug Christie offered a similar assessment. “There are absolutely no excuses in this league,” Christie said. “The league does not care about back-to-backs, injuries, nothing. That was brutal from the physicality standpoint. They didn’t feel us at all, and our guys know that is totally unacceptable, whoever is out on the floor.”
Over on the other coast, Lakers head coach J.J. Redick wasn’t happy with the effort he saw from his team in a three-point loss to the Nets in Brooklyn. Redick referred to it as a “very low-level communication game” and told reporters that injuries to key players – including LeBron James – should be no excuse, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I think it was just an overall mentality just to take shortcuts tonight,” Redick said. “Want to be a good team? You want to win in the NBA? You got to do the hard stuff. We couldn’t even pass to each other. We couldn’t enter our offense, running ball screens literally at half court. Yeah, that’s going to end up in a turnover. I don’t know what we’re doing.”
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Quinten Post, and Kevon Looney have combined to make 53 starts this season, but Draymond Green continues to play at the five during most end-game situations and has been the Warriors‘ starting center for eight of 11 games since the All-Star break. He’s OK with that. “I knew it would come down to this,” Green said, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “But I just didn’t have much interest in doing it for 82 games. Because it’s a lot. To anchor a defense. To play the five, you’re in every action. People downhill at you. It’s a different responsibility on the body. … But if you can’t do it for 29 games, it’s over, champ.”