This Sacramento Kings season is going from bad to worse as it was revealed star center Domantas Sabonis suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee. The Lithuanian is expected to miss at least the next three to four weeks and will be re-evaluated after that. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report.
Sacramento is currently 3-12 on the season and an utterly confusing mishmash of a roster is looking completely rudderless in the wake of this injury. Sabonis is the best player on the team and there is not much in the way of center depth behind him.
In 11 games, Sabonis has averaged 17.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals. He’s only shooting 51 percent from the field, though, his lowest mark since his rookie season and nearly 10 percent lower than his last few seasons.
The Kings signed Precious Achiuwa after the season began and he is expected to see significant time moving forward. Drew Eubanks is another who will be expected to pick up the slack in Sabonis’ absence.
Head coach Doug Christie had winning expectations of this group when the season began but that is looking like a distant dream.
General manager Scott Perry has some decisions to make now. With Sabonis out until at least around Christmas and possibly the new year, is it time to pivot and enter a rebuild?
Can Perry Embrace The Decision That Needs To Be Made?
The decision that needs to be made with this roster is staring Perry in the face. Having Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan all on the roster simply does not work.
Yes, there may be limited value that can be recuperated for these players. However, the most valuable outcome may just be the flexibility moving on from them allows. If there are deals that can provide a level of cap relief, then that is certainly a starting point.
LaVine is making $47.5 million this season and will likely opt into his player option for nearly $49 million next season. He will not be getting that money in the open market, which makes him more difficult to find value for.
DeRozan has a more manageable contract with nearly $25 million guaranteed to him this season and a partial guarantee for 2026-27. Which teams are willing to consider him a suitable option at this stage of his career is a big question. His most likely fit is with an organization looking to enter the next stage of a rebuild and wants a veteran voice in the locker room.
With Sabonis, teams will likely want to wait until he’s healthy to consider a move for him. When that time comes, the prudent thing for Perry to do is be open to offers and start a new era.
