The Sacramento Kings apparently enjoyed Domantas Sabonis’ first full season with the team, and vice versa.
The All-Star center agreed to a five-year, $217 million contract extension with $195 million in new money, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojanrowski. Sabonis was previously contracted for one more season with the Kings on a salary of $19.4 million and capped at $22 million, but will now be contracted through 2028.
The max deal reflects a season that went about as well as the Kings could have reasonably hoped. The team acquired Sabonis in a blockbuster trade from the Indiana Pacers at the 2022 NBA trade deadline, hoping he could form an effective duo with De’Aaron Fox.
The team was taking a significant risk with the deal, firing rising star Tyrese Haliburton (who himself landed a max contract on Friday), sniper Buddy Hield and more for a package built around Sabonis. Early numbers were quite encouraging, with Sabonis averaging 18.9 points, 12.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game to finish the season with Sacramento, but the team also went 5-10 in games. which he played and missed it for the last nine games with a knee injury.
In his first full season with the Kings, Sabonis did what he was supposed to do. He made a third career All-Star team, earned his first career All-NBA nomination on the third team (behind only Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokić), led the NBA in rebounding with 12.3 per game and, most importantly, helped lead the Kings. at a 48-34 and their first playoff berth since 2006.
Sabonis and his elite offensive rebound and touch in the paint was a big reason the Kings led the league in offensive rating. All that’s left to do is solidify the gains the Kings have made this year as the West’s other top teams restock for the upcoming season.
So far, the Kings’ offseason has focused on returning players. In addition to extending Sabonis, the team re-signed Harrison Barnes and Trey Lyles, although they also brought in EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov to a three-year, $20 million deal.