Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis has been added to the injury report for the team’s game Sunday in Washington against the Wizards due to lower back soreness.
Sabonis last played in Sacramento’s loss to Philadelphia on Thursday and wound up sitting out Friday’s loss to Boston. The Kings are currently in the midst of an eight-game losing streak and own the worst record in the NBA at 12-38. After playing 70 games last season, Sabonis has appeared in just 18 games for the Kings as the All-Star break approaches.
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As a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, Sabonis has been one of the more durable players in the league over the past few years. During the 2023-24 campaign in Sacramento, Sabonis suited up for all 82 regular-season games. In 2022-23, Sabonis played in all but three games, then played seven games in the postseason.
However, this season has been different for Sabonis. He’d just returned to the lineup earlier this month after missing 27 games due to a knee injury. On top of that, there have been trade rumors swirling around Sacramento, and Sabonis has been at the center of them. While Sabonis hasn’t been moved yet, the Kings did make a move Saturday to acquire forward De’Andre Hunter from Cleveland.
The Kings seem to be moving toward another rebuild as more moves could be on the horizon with Thursday’s trade deadline looming, and Sabonis could be one of the next veterans on his way out.
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Sabonis’ injuries this season seem to have affected his production. His numbers have declined in points (15.4), rebounds (11.2) and assists (4.2) per game. Sabonis’ field-goal percentage is down a few points, and his 3-point shooting has fallen off a cliff from 41.7% last season to 18.5% this year. When healthy, Sabonis is a difference-maker and could potentially be that missing piece to get a contender over the hump.