Things have been pretty quiet on the Domantas Sabonis frontline lately.
Back on December 7th, the Athletic’s Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz reported that the Pacers were “open to trade dialogue with rival teams regarding several veteran players” on their roster, including Sabonis. A few days later, Charania added that the two-time league All-Star “is expected to generate strong interest” and “is among the attractive players that could be available in a trade.”
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast in mid-December that he hadn’t often heard the name Sabonis in the trade market. At least not yet.
We are one month away from this season’s trading deadline. While not much is being talked about about Sabonis these days, he could be one of the best players available. (The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor and The Action Network’s Matt Moore also reported that they heard he was planning to leave Indiana, but that would add another layer Pacers reporter Scott Agness said that was wrong.)
With that in mind, Sabonis brings the following to the table, plus a few potential trade targets for him.
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What kind of team would Domantas Sabonis get
Sabonis has undergone quite a dramatic transformation since entering the league. While Oklahoma City used him as a stretch four in his rookie season, he’s since morphed into a bruise center who eats double-doubles for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Over the past two and a half seasons, Sabonis has been good for 19.4 points and 12.1 rebounds per night. He recorded a total 126 double doubles During that stretch, he trailed only three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert (129) and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic (132) for most in the league.
Sabonis generates his offense as you would expect from a traditional center. Not only is he a highly skilled goalscorer with his back to the basket…
…but he’s one of the best pick-and-roll bigs in the league.
What he lacks in the athletics department, he makes up for with his footwork, touch and general know-how — when to put up a hard screen, when to slip, where to position yourself to open up fast lanes.
He’s also consistently among the league leaders when it comes to hitting cuts and putbacks.
He’s not a great marksman, but Sabonis offers some distance hope.
After eliminating 3s from his game in his first three seasons with the Pacers, he attempted 2.6 3s per game last season while matching them with a 32.1 percent clip. Not much has changed so far this season — he’s taking 2.5 3-pointers per game and making them at an almost identical rate (32.3 percent).
Sabonis also occasionally shoots from mid-range, although the results have been pretty up and down up to this point in his career. In his first four seasons, he shot a respectable combined 194 to 485 (40.0 percent) from middle class. He’s gone 34 to 122 (27.6 percent) from that distance since then.
Of course, Sabonis isn’t just a goalscorer. In addition to those 19.4 points and 12.1 rebounds, he’s averaged 5.5 assists per game over the past two and a half seasons, which puts him in seventh place between strikers and centers.
He’s a really good passer, especially off the post and elbow.
The biggest concern for Sabonis comes at the other end of the square. Not that he’s hopeless, but he’s never been much of a rim guard due to his physical limitations, and he doesn’t profile himself as someone who would thrive in a switch-heavy program. Because of this, Sabonis would benefit greatly from playing with versatile defenders.
MORE: Sabonis is among the players most likely to be traded this season
Potential trade targets for Domantas Sabonis
Charlotte Hornets — Center is an emergency position for the Hornets. One could argue that they would be better off with Myles Turner because he gives them more of what they lack – a defensive anchor capable of protecting the rim at high levels – but Sabonis would give them even more firepower offensively.
Toronto Raptors — The Raptors have allegedly have shown interest in Sabonis in the past. The Raptors could surround Sabonis with an array of versatile defenders, and he would give them a low post presence that they haven’t had since Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol. At just 25, Sabonis fits well into Toronto’s timeline.
Dallas Mavericks — The Mavericks would benefit from having another creator on their roster. Although not a traditional playmaker, Sabonis could take some of the playmaking burden off Luka Doncic’s shoulders. Sabonis and Kristaps Porzingis would make an interesting frontcourt duo – assuming, of course, Dallas could get Sabonis without giving up Porzingis.
Warriors of the Golden State – Sabonis would be an intriguing addition for the Warriors who have the means to make a big move if they want to. Defensively, Draymond Green was able to make up for many of his weaknesses. Offensively, Sabonis would have a big day playing in Steve Kerr’s movement-based system as a passer and cutter alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Sacramento Kings — The Kings are one of two teams The Athletic Shams Charania mentioned having “shown an interest” in Sabonis in recent years. A two-time All-Star, Sabonis would bring star power to a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2005-06.
MORE: Should Sabonis be an all-star this season?
What is the salary of Domantas Sabonis?
Sabonis is on the books for $18.5 million this season. He will earn $18.5 million in 2022-23 and $19.4 million in 2023-24.
Sabonis will be an unrestricted free agent during the 2024 off-season.
| 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domantas Sabonis | $18,500,000 | $18,500,000 | $19,400,000 | $0 |
It wouldn’t be difficult for the teams to match Sabonis’ salary, but the Pacers are said to have a “extremely high value” on him. It’s safe to assume it’s going to cost quite a bit to get him.
