The Brooklyn Nets are apparently one of the few teams interested in acquiring Domantas Sabonis. NBA fans are curious about Sabonis’ future after rumors leaked of his unhappiness with the current Sacramento Kings situation. Rookie Darius Acuff essentially running the offense at the expense of Sabonis and others reportedly upset the former All-Star center.
Brett Siegel of Clutch Points reported that the Nets have interest in Sabonis depending on the price:
“We’ve heard that the Nets would have a level of interest there depending on what they can potentially do with Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. at the trade deadline. The Memphis Grizzlies have been floated around, but nobody really knows what they’re doing yet simply because of their early-season success. That could change course for them whether or not they’d like to be big buyers or big sellers at the trade deadline.”
Brooklyn is reportedly willing to trade either Randle or Porter to make the most of their veterans before contracts expire. Sacramento would have to take the chance on another veteran to help the core. Porter requires a big contract extension after this summer, and Randle has some risks after how ugly things ended with the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, it appears that the end is near for Sabonis’ time with the Kings.
Why Nets Would Want Domantas Sabonis
Brooklyn has a unique roster that sees them needing to add more talent that fits together. Young prospects Mikel Brown and Egor Demin are considered the most important players for the franchise’s long-term success.
Porter and Randle are the best players at the forward positions, but the Nets currently lack a viable starting center. Analytics darling Day’Ron Sharpe has struggled in the starting role and could be pigeonholed into a backup role for the rest of his career if things don’t improve quickly.
Reserve center Mo Wagner has been a bright spot for Brooklyn, but he is too inconsistent to trust as a starter. Sabonis could give the Nets a boost to help two noteworthy flaws of rebounding and facilitating. Few teams have a strong need for a big man, but Brooklyn is clearly one of them to worth monitoring Sabonis.
Domantas Sabonis’ Career Needs Change Fast
The Kings have taken big steps towards getting younger by drafting Acuff and prioritizing him. Zach LaVine and Sabonis remain on the roster, but they are nowhere near as important as they were just one or two years ago for Sacramento.
Sabonis is still putting up strong rebounding and assist numbers, but his points have dropped to just 15.1 points so far this season. This average would be the lowest for Sabonis since his third season in the league with the Indiana Pacers.
Despite never publicly confirming or denying the story about his displeasure with Acuff, Sabonis’ numbers tell a story that his role is diminishing with the Kings. The Grizzlies were mentioned with the Nets as another potentially interested team. Sabonis needs someone to take the chance on him to feel comfortable in a team dynamic again.
Brooklyn Nets Linked To Trading Star For Domantas Sabonis