Raptors attempted to trade $107M youngster for $186M center originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Toronto Raptors have been rather active throughout the NBA offseason, hoping to eventually complete a trade for Kawhi Leonard with the Los Angeles Clippers.
For the time being, that seems to be on standby, and it remains uncertain if it will be figured out in the near future.
Regardless, the Raptors have looked for other ways to improve on both sides of the basketball, and per the latest report, that even resulted in them floating RJ Barrett in a potential deal at last year's trade deadline with the Sacramento Kings for Domantas Sabonis.
"The Kings nearly traded Sabonis to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline in February -- a move he would've welcomed, a source with knowledge of the situation said -- for a package that included RJ Barrett, but the Raptors were unable to get off the three-year, $84 million remaining on Jakob Poeltl's contract, which doomed the deal," Anthony Slater wrote.

#deadline

Sabonis had season-ending surgery on a partially torn meniscus later that month, and the Kings revisited trade talks surrounding him this summer. Perry visited with restricted free agent center Jalen Duren in early July and explored the idea of a sign-and-trade swap of big men, but the Detroit Pistons balked at the idea of losing Duren for Sabonis, league sources said.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: But the Detroit Pistons balked at the idea of losing …

#kings

The Kings nearly traded Domantas Sabonis to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline in February -- a move he would've welcomed, a source with knowledge of the situation said -- for a package that included RJ Barrett, but the Raptors were unable to get off the three-year, $84 million remaining on Jakob Poeltl's contract, which doomed the deal.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Kings nearly traded Domantas Sabonis to Raptors for package that included RJ Barrett

#package

The Kings nearly traded Domantas Sabonis to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline in February -- a move he would've welcomed, a source with knowledge of the situation said -- for a package that included RJ Barrett, but the Raptors were unable to get off the three-year, $84 million remaining on Jakob Poeltl's contract, which doomed the deal.
ESPN
Sean Cunningham: Domantas Sabonis will be courtside in Vegas for today's Kings summer league game against the Wizards. — 7/12/2026 Twitter SeanCunningham
Meanwhile, Perry also is expecting Sabonis to play a big role in Sacramento's rebuild following a disappointing 22-60 record during the 2025-26 season, despite previous reports that the Kings were in trade talks with the Charlotte Hornets involving the three-time NBA All-Star center. "Come in and compete just like everybody else," Perry told reporters. "Obviously, he's an excellent player. He's done it for a while in this league. I've been in constant contact with him as well in the offseason. Just expect him to come in here healthy, first and foremost, and he's trending in that direction. "Obviously, he missed a lot of last year because he was not. He's always played hard, and so I expect him to do that. Provide some veteran presence for this team and really have a tremendous rebound year and help us build some winning habits here and start heading in the right direction." — 7/9/2026 NBC Sports Bay Area

#kings #sabonis #come #league

SiriusXM NBA Radio: ‘He's ours, we're happy to have him. I know Trajan Langdon is excited, JB Bickerstaff loves him. He's ours and hopefully, we get things worked out.’ Pistons advisor Dwane Casey discusses Jalen Duren’s playoff struggles and how Detroit’s front office is feeling as both sides have yet to come to an extension
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Keith Smith: Factoring in the reported contracts for John Collins, Kevin Huerter & Javonte Green and the Gary Harris/Taurean Prince acquisitions, I've got the Pistons at about $42.8M under the luxury tax. That's enough room to give Jalen Duren a 25% of the cap max without going into the tax. — 7/7/2026 x.com
The primary reason the Lakers likely chose Kessler over offering a max deal to Detroit Pistons restricted free agent Jalen Duren is that Kessler is one of the NBA’s best rim protectors. He’s the kind of interior presence a team needs if it’s going to employ Dončić and Reaves on the perimeter as primary playmakers. In 2024-25, Kessler’s last full(ish) season, he contested 7.5 shots per game at the rim, according to NBA.com, which tied for the fifth-most in the league. On those shots, he allowed opponents to shoot just 54.8 percent. Among the 16 players in the league to contest at least six shots per game that season, that percentage ranked third behind only Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, who were the top two finalists for Defensive Player of the Year this season. In the three full seasons he has played, Kessler has blocked at least 2.3 shots per game. — 7/2/2026 New York Times
The Pistons have maintained their stance that they’re not interested in sign-and-trade scenarios for Jalen Duren and will continue to try to bridge the gap between both sides and get a deal done. Duren and Domantas Sabonis share the same agency, The Team. With Sabonis, 30, naturally looking to compete in the prime of his career instead of beginning a rebuild, and the Kings exploring the trade market for Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan, it’s easy to see why this Duren sign-and-trade scenario would appeal to Sacramento. On paper, however, going from the 22-year-old Duren to the 30-year-old Sabonis, who’s owed $94.08 million over the next two years, isn’t prudent for Detroit. — 7/2/2026 HoopsHype

Sean Cunningham: Domantas Sabonis will be courtside in Vegas for today's Kings summer league game against the Wizards.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Domantas Sabonis will be courtside in Vegas for …

Had to take some time to cool off, gather everything together. Point guard Mario Saint-Supery announced on his Instagram that he’s leaving the Gonzaga Bulldogs program to return to his home country of Spain. The 20-year-old will now play for Valencia Basket in the Liga ACB for a reported north of $15 million on a four-year deal, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norelander, making him one of the highest-paid players in all of Europe.
Making this decision at this point in the offseason shows a lack of loyalty and character from a more than talented floor leader who was expected to have a national breakout season with the Zags in his sophomore campaign. At least when forward/center Filip Petrusev left Gonzaga after the 2019-20 season to play for the ABA League’s Mega Basket, he was present in his native country of Serbia, and did it right before the official offseason workouts began in the summer. Saint-Supery coming back to Spokane, Washington, for Domantas Sabonis’ ceremony after playing with Spain in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers is really an inconsiderate, deliberate action.
He blindsided coach Mark Few. It puts the staff in a hole, scrambling to find more help at the lead guard spot with a decimated NCAA transfer portal pool. Not to mention hurting his former teammates, especially regarding sophomore wing Davis Fogle and sophomore center Massamba Diop’s NBA Draft stock. Saint-Supery was practicing with all the Zags just 24 hours before and gave the out-of-the-blue news late last night.
This looks to be the future now when dealing with international prospects, bidding wars with EuroLeague teams who have more funds than the Pacific Northwest institution. Name, Image, and Likeness or NIL in the NCAA has hurt the integrity of college basketball.
Gonzaga’s updated roster count is now 13 of the 15 potential spots filled. New starting lineup looks like:

The not-so-well-kept secret is out. Three-time NBA All-Star forward/center Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings made a “transformative investment” to both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. While the exact amount isn’t disclosed, it is the largest ever made by a former player.
With Sabonis taking part in a golf clinic put on by Bank of America for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Spokane yesterday, that confirmed that the Gonzaga Bulldogs legend was the mysterious donor.
The ceremony for the newly named Sabonis Family Strength & Conditioning Center next to the Steve Hertz Basketball Practice Facility inside the Volkar Center was quite heart-warming to watch with the Gonzaga coaching staff and a solid chunk of the upcoming team present.
He had a one-on-one moment with current redshirt senior forward Braden Huff, as the two suffered similar knee injuries this past season. Even the great Kevin Pangos, who was a senior point guard with a freshman Sabonis during the 2014-15 campaign, showed up.
Sabonis spoke to the intimate crowd that included his wife, Shashana Rosen, and three children, Tiger, Eleven Rose, and Tauras Levi. Coach Mark Few said a few words about the Lithuanian’s impact on the city of Spokane, Washington, and the university as well.

We're into the sixth day of NBA free agency, and amazingly, the top names on this list are the ones that were there when free agency started. That's not a shock with the restricted free agents, that's a battle of leverage, and in the case of LeBron James, he is taking his time and letting the market play out.
A few of the top names are off our board — Trae Young, Austin Reaves, Isaiah Hartenstein, Walker Kessler — but a lot remain. Here are our top 10 currently available free agents.
Jalen Duren and his representatives have tried. They met with the Lakers, who called him a player deserving of a max offer, then Los Angeles traded for Walker Kessler, and that took them off the board. They met with Sacramento, and it was leaked how much Duren wanted to play for the Kings (something that met with a few eye rolls around the league). The sides discussed a sign-and-trade, but Detroit shot that idea down, especially with Domantas Sabonis at the heart of any proposed deal.
Duren wants to get paid, reportedly seeking a deal with an average salary north of $40 million a season, the Pistons are thinking mid-$30 million a year range. Duren's camp points to an All-NBA regular-season campaign for the 22-year-old big man, in which he averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while playing elite defense. However, a playoffs where he largely disappeared in key moments (averaging 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds) hurt his value. In the end, it sucks to be a restricted free agent in the NBA because you have no real leverage. The choices on the board for Duren are ultimately to sign a deal with the Pistons or play for the $9.6 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent. But with the Pistons likely offering four or five years, at mid-$30 million a season (five years, $180 million?), that's generational wealth and a lot of money to just leave on the table.
LeBron James, as he has done throughout his career, is now dominating the free agency spotlight — and he is going to bask in it. No decision is expected in the next few days.

Paul George was traded again on Wednesday in a blockbuster deal that brought Jaylen Brown to the Sixers. It’s been widely panned from Boston’s side, with our own Ricky O’Donnell noting that the Celtics have taken a step away from contention by taking on one of the worst contracts in the NBA, and losing a superstar in the process.
The trade means that George will have suited up for five teams, with three massive trades centered around the three-level scorer. Now that the Celtics deal is in the rearview mirror, we can look back at these staggering deals to see everything that has been given up for PG-13 over the years.
George was traded from the Pacers to the Thunder in 2017 for Victor Oladipo, who seemed destined to become a star — and Domantas Sabonis, who Oklahoma City took with the No. 11 pick the year prior. This was the smallest haul for George, but represented two young talents that were supposed to be cornerstones of the Pacers for years to come.
Next up was the mammoth trade to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019, when the Clips were trying to build a big-two contender with Kawhi Leonard and George as the centerpieces. The NBA-shaping deal sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, FIVE first-round picks, and two pick swaps from L.A. to OKC.
George declined his player option with the Clippers in 2024, and signed a max-deal with the Sixers.

Paul George finds himself on a new team for yet another time in his career, and it has only added to his history with the team.
George is going to don the iconic green and white of the Boston Celtics this season, having been sent to the team as part of the package for Jaylen Brown.
Now 36 years old and making about $53 million a year, George is certainly not the player he once was. But his trade value throughout his career makes him the most expensive player in the history of the league.
Paul George played for the Indiana Pacers for the first seven years of his career. After multiple All-Star nominations and conference finals trips, the Pacers eventually decided to move on.
Thus came the first trade of his career, as he was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.

Duren, as The Athletic has reported, is a restricted free agent who is taking meetings with the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings Tuesday with the hopes of finding a sign-and-trade pathway out of town. The gap in negotiations between Duren and the Pistons sparked this strategy, but it remains possible the two sides eventually strike a deal — especially considering the signals sent by the Pistons. Detroit does not have interest in the Kings’ scenario, which would send three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis their way as a replacement for Duren, according to league sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations.
New York Times
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Pistons have no interest in Domantas Sabonis

Sam Amick: To add on here, I’m told that Jalen Duren very much wants to play in Sacramento and Kings big man Domantas Sabonis is likewise interested in the prospect of landing with the Pistons.
Twitter
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jalen Duren, Domantas Sabonis both interested in Kings-Pistons swap

The speculation surrounding Jalen Duren’s future with the Detroit Pistons has taken another intriguing turn.
After reports surfaced that Duren plans to meet with the Sacramento Kings as free agency opens, a new report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick suggests the Kings may be preparing a blockbuster proposal that includes three-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis heading to Detroit in a sign and trade.
While no deal is imminent and discussions remain in the early stages, the possibility of Sabonis becoming part of the framework immediately raises the stakes for both franchises.
According to Amick, Sacramento remains serious about acquiring Duren after the 22 year old center reportedly expressed disappointment with Detroit’s initial contract offer.
League sources told The Athletic that the Kings are scheduled to meet with Duren at the start of free agency and intend to present the Pistons with a sign and trade proposal centered around Sabonis.

Sam Amick: Per league sources, the most likely scenario here would include Kings forward Domantas Sabonis heading to Detroit. The key question now is how the Pistons see the situation, in light of the gap between them and Duren and the chance to get a three-time All-Star in return.
x.com
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Per league sources, the most likely scenario here …

After eight months of the regular season, playoffs, and NBA Finals, the 2025-26 NBA year is in the rearview after the New York Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought this month. Now, the league is pivoting to the offseason, which includes this week’s NBA Draft and the start of free agency on June 30. Before the league’s 30 teams make selections for a future star on June 23, we offer up our all-new NBA power rankings.
On paper, the Sacramento Kings should have been a good team this past season. Yet, quite a few NBA **** ysts prophesied a messy situation, and they were right. Despite the talent on the roster, the Kings were one of the worst teams in the NBA all year. It didn’t take long for them to realize that and go into tank mode in the second half. Unfortunately, their bad luck continued, and they won’t pick until seventh on Tuesday.
Despite the tough luck, they could still land Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr. with their pick. A player who could be a franchise changer. After that, all signs point to the Kings trying to offload either Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis‘ expensive contracts.
In last year’s draft, the Brooklyn Nets had four first-round picks and chose to use them all instead of packaging some or all of them in trades for veteran players. That proved to be a mistake because none of those players has given reason to believe they can be a core member of a future contender. In the end, the only bright spot this past season was a career year from trade addition Michael Porter.
The Nets will be on the clock at No. 6 on Tuesday and have been linked to many of the talented guards expected to go in the top 10. Including Darius Acuff Jr. and Keaton Wagler.

NBA writer Sam Amick of The Athletic recently revealed that Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler is 'at odds' with the franchise after not receiving a contract extension offer last season. Heading into 2026 free agency, Kessler is a restricted free agent, meaning the Jazz can match any offer he signs with another team to retain him.
However, Utah has quite a crowded frontcourt after trading for center Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Memphis Grizzlies. This frontcourt also includes Kyle Filipowski, Lauri Markkanen and last year's No. 5 overall pick Ace Bailey. If Kessler were to be available for trade via a sign-and-trade, he'd immediately become one of the stronger centers on the market, along with Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings. Although Kessler only made five appearances last season before suffering a torn labrum, he's shown double-double efficiency. In 58 games a season ago, Kessler averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.7 ****** ists and an impressive 2.4 blocks. He also led the league in offensive rebounds, averaging 4.6 per contest. Entering his age 25 season, Kessler could be a great addition for many contending teams if unable to reconcile with Utah.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Jazz center said to be 'at odds' with team ahead of restricted free agency

Domantas Sabonis could become a central figure in the NBA offseason if the Sacramento Kings decide to rebuild after a 22-60 season.
Three years after ending their historic playoff drought, the Kings have drifted back toward the bottom of the league with a roster that no longer fits one clear direction.
Now, with expensive veterans still on the books, Sacramento has to decide whether to attempt another quick fix or finally embrace a real reset.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, league executives expect Sacramento to listen to offers for Sabonis this summer.
“The Kings’ former All-Star center is another name, behind Antetokounmpo and Memphis’ Ja Morant, that league executives are projecting to be made available once again as part of this summer’s trade landscape. Sacramento is known to be looking to shed some significant salary if it can this offseason and seems likely to field more interest in Sabonis than other veterans.”

It's time for the Kings to pull the plug! Trade destinations for Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan

Following a 41-point loss to *checks notes* the Memphis Grizzlies with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. in street clothes, it may be time to pull the plug on the 3-13 Sacramento Kings.
They’re one of three teams (Washington, New Orleans) that rank as a bottom-five offense and defense, per Cleaning the Glass. Only the Wizards (minus-15.7) have a worse non-garbage time point differential than these Kings (minus-14).
There’s context to add — they’ve been implementing new pieces, pa