You’ve probably heard the recent rumors that Domantas Sabonis may not necessarily be happy with the Sacramento Kings and particularly their rookie first-round draft pick, Darius Acuff Jr. Multiple local media members have since discounted that story, though it still wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Kings move on from him as early as this season. 

Taking into account fit, cap situation, and assets, here are Sabonis’ top trade destinations ranked from least to most likely.

A team source told me this “could not be farther from the truth.”

Acuff and Sabonis have been in great communication. https://t.co/wbGh6Qv8bk

— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) November 1, 2026

4. Memphis Grizzlies

First, we get to the Memphis Grizzlies. While Memphis has been mentioned as a possible suitor for Sabonis, they seem to be set in the frontcourt for years to come with Zach Edey and Cameron Boozer. Unless Sabonis and the Grizzlies plan to have him come off the bench, it’s hard to see a world where this makes sense given Sabonis’ contract.

Edey’s room protection and finishing would work well with Sabonis’ high post playmaking if they played together, but the Grizzlies already have a form of that with Boozer. It doesn’t help that the Grizzlies have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season and will likely want to hold off from making any big moves until they see how the year ends, especially one that takes up so much of their cap space.

3. Brooklyn Nets

Next, we get to the Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn has been brought up as a possible destination both because they have veteran contracts to move and because Jordi Fernandez is familiar with Sabonis from his time in Sacramento. 

Brooklyn has some interesting young players in Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr., but they are still in the rebuilding stage without a real identity. Sabonis would immediately help them offensively and make Brown Jr.’s life much easier. Still, I imagine Sean Marks wouldn’t be too keen to take on Sabonis’ salary unless it meant that he was offloading non-expiring deals. 

Nets are prepared to hire Kings' top assistant Jordi Fernandez as their next HC, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/JppcXbSthq

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 16, 2024

I can’t imagine the Kings agreeing to a deal with Julius Randle in it, though his name has come up. Randle is a good player, but he’s older than Sabonis and doesn’t really fit with the direction the team is moving in with Acuff Jr. On the Kings’ side, this feels more like a “trade to make a trade” instead of a forward move unless Michael Porter Jr. comes back, and as I mentioned, Brooklyn may not be willing to risk their financial flexibility.

2. Toronto Raptors

The Raptors have shown interest in Sabonis dating back to last season’s trade deadline, but the sticking point was Jakob Poeltl’s contract. Poeltl opted into his player option this season, which was for $19.5 million, but the Raptors inexplicably signed him to a three-year, $84 million extension in 2025 along with that. Now he’ll be set to make $28 million a year on average for the next three seasons, right about in line with what the Kings are paying Keegan Murray.

The Toronto Raptors are emerging as a legitimate landing spot for Domantas Sabonis, with RJ Barrett potentially being sent to Sacramento, per @sam_amick

“While Washington, Phoenix and Chicago are known to have had some interest in Sabonis, league sources confirmed reports that… pic.twitter.com/ZdYKKp7giJ

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 28, 2026

The Raptors do have other contracts that they could look to move. RJ Barrett is expiring this year, and the Kings have reportedly had interest in him. Scott Perry was involved in drafting Barrett when he was with the New York Knicks’ front office, and has shared that he’s still a fan even after moving on. 

The issue is that Barrett’s salary alone won’t get a deal done, and adding Immanuel Quickley means that the Kings would need to send Malik Monk back as well. It’s possible a deal could materialize, but there are still some hurdles in the way.

1. Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets are last up on the list and hold the title of most likely trade destination for Domantas Sabonis. Charlotte made the decision to move on from LaMelo Ball in the offseason, trading him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid and draft capital. Since then, they’ve extended Brandon Miller and committed to Miller and Kon Kneuppel as their two pieces to build with going forward. 

Between injuries and taking a step back, things have not gone smoothly this season for the Hornets, and it might make sense for them to bring in some help.

Domantas Sabonis "has expressed a willingness to re-commit and buy-in" to Kings after unmaterialized trade talks with Pistons, Hornets, Celtics this offseason, per @anthonyvslater. pic.twitter.com/UUcSr5oVZE

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) August 5, 2026

On top of needing to boost their league-worst offense, Sabonis would be a great fit for Miller and Knueppel, who are both much better at attacking off the ball. Along with having a need for Sabonis’ skillset, Charlotte has expiring deals and short-term, useful contracts that they could move. 

The hang-up will likely still center around pick compensation, but if Sacramento were willing to waive that requirement, a package of Grayson Allen, Grant Williams, and Tidjane Salaun makes a lot of sense.

A Possible Wildcard

One team that may enter the Sabonis sweepstakes is the Phoenix Suns. The Suns look like they’re going nowhere and desperately need to make some changes, with the number of veterans on the roster and a lack of assets for the future. 

They’re also still paying Devin Booker for three more seasons and have no reason to not try to be competitive. The issue is that Sacramento would need to be okay with Jalen Green coming back, and I’m not so sure they would be without a first-round pick included.