Domantas Sabonis

Official Release

Sabonis was named an NBA All-Star and to All-NBA Third Team for 2022-23 SeasonThe Sacramento Kings announced today that the team renegotiated the contract of center Domantas Sabonis and signed him to a multi-year contract extension. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Sabonis averaged 19.1 points (61.5 FG%), 12.3 rebounds and a career and team-best 7.3 assists per game in 79 games (all starts) during the 2022-23 season. An All-NBA Third Team selection, Sabonis was one of two NBA players to average at least 15.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per contest while shooting 60.0% or better from the field in 2022-23. He led the NBA in double-doubles (65) and ranked first in total rebounds (973) and rebounds per game. Among league leaders, Sabonis was second in triple-doubles (14) and fifth in total assists (573).

In 94 career games (all starts) with Sacramento, Sabonis has averaged 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. A three-time All-Star, Sabonis was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga by the Orlando Magic.

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Sacramento Kings Sign Domantas Sabonis To Contract Extension

Fourth Time In Franchise History Where Multiple Players Were Named To The Same All-NBA Team

The NBA announced today that Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox and center Domantas Sabonis have been named to the 2022-23 All-NBA Third Team. This honor marks the first time the Kings have had multiple Third Team selections and the fourth time two players have been named to the same All-NBA Team.

Fox received All-NBA accolades for the first time in his career after averaging 25.0 points per game (51.2 FG%), 6.1 assists, a career-best 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals over 73 games (all starts). This season Fox was named an NBA All-Star for the first time and was awarded the inaugural Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year award.

Sabonis, a three-time NBA All-Star, earns All-NBA honors for the first time. In 79 games (all starts), he averaged 19.1 points per game (61.5 FG%), a career and team-best 7.3 assists and 12.3 rebounds, which ranked for the second-best rebounding average throughout his career. The 2022-23 rebounding champion tallied 973 total rebounds, the most recorded in a season across the league and in his career.

The duo led Sacramento to the seventh-best record in the NBA this season and helped the Kings secure the third seed in the Western Conference, marking the Kings best finish in the West since the 2002-03 season. The Kings finished with the third-most wins in the Western Conference (48-34) and matched a franchise record for most wins on the road (25-16), which also ranked first in the Western Conference.&nbsp;

The Kings finished second in field goal percentage (49.4%), third in assists (27.3), fifth in three-pointers made (1,128) and ninth in three-point percentage (37.3%). Sacramento also ranked first in true shooting percentage (60.8%), second in effective field goal percentage (57.2), second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.02), eighth in net rating (2.6), seventh in assists percentage (62.6%) and held the highest offensive rating in NBA history (118.6) with the team scoring the most points per game by an NBA team in 40 years.

The All-NBA Teams were selected by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis. Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team.

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De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis Named To 2022-23 All-NBA Third Team

Annual Honor Recognizes Kings Player for Leadership On and Off the Court 

On Friday, before the team takes on the Golden State Warriors, the Sacramento Kings will recognize center Domantas Sabonis with the 2023 Community Crossover Award presented by Kaiser Permanente. The award, formerly known as the Oscar Robertson Triple Double Award, is given to a Kings player each year who excels both on and off the court while also making significant contributions to the community.

“I am honored to be the recipient of this year’s Community Crossover Award,” said Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis. “My family and I love Sacramento and this community and it means a great deal to us to be able to give back and support, especially our youth.”&nbsp;

This season, Sabonis and his wife, Shashana, launched the Sabonis Squad, adopting Caroline Wenzel Elementary school and providing support and supplies. As part of the Sacramento Kings 21st Annual Season of Doing Good presented by Raley’s, the Sabonis’ surprised students from the elementary after-school program and provided food courtesy of Dos Coyotes, coats courtesy of Old Navy and books to read over the holiday break. Students who finished their book were given a chance to win Kings swag and game tickets. In addition, the Sabonis family has provided PE equipment to the school.&nbsp;

To show his appreciation to the Sacramento community and Kings fans, Sabonis surprised individuals at a local barber shop (The 916 Cuts) and a community park (Franklin D. Roosevelt Park) with tickets to a Kings game.&nbsp;

In addition, Sabonis has excelled as a leader on the court, averaging 19.2 points and team-highs of 12.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. Along with leading the Kings, Sabonis is the NBA’s league-leader in rebounding, total rebounds (964) and double-doubles (65) while ranking second in triple-doubles (14) and fifth in total assists (568). He has helped guide Sacramento to a postseason berth with a 12.5 win shares rating and 9.5 offensive win shares rating, which both rank second in the NBA.

Sabonis will be presented the award by Sacramento Kings Chief Operating Officer Matina Kolokotronis and General Manager Monte McNair tonight before the Kings take on the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center.&nbsp;

Inaugurated in 2003, prior award winners include some of the most recognizable figures in Kings team history, such as Chris Webber (2003), Vlade Divac (2004), Peja Stojakovic (2005), De’Aaron Fox (2019) in addition to back-to-back honors for Corliss Williamson (2006 and 2007), Garrett Temple (2017 and 2018) and Harrison Barnes (2021 and 2022). A complete list of honorees can be found here.&nbsp;

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Kings and Kaiser Permanente Present Domantas Sabonis with Community Crossover Award

Earns Second Player of the Week Award This Season and Fourth of His Career

Sacramento Kings forward-center Domantas Sabonis has been named Western Conference Player of the Week after leading the Kings to a perfect 3-0 record for games played between March 6 and March 12, the NBA announced today. Sabonis accrued averages of 20.0 points (57.9 FG%), 10.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.0 steals throughout the week on his way to his fourth career Player of the Week award.

Sabonis becomes the fourth player in franchise history to receive multiple Player of the Week accolades in a single season after he was one of two players to post 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists per contest over the previous week. In that span, he ranked tied for ninth in rebounds per game and tied for 11th in total rebounds (32) while finishing tied for 13th in both assists per outing and total assists (25).

In Sacramento’s win vs. New Orleans on March 6, Sabonis notched a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to go with a block and steal. He followed that performance with 24 points, 13 boards and 10 assists for a second consecutive triple-double in a 122-117 win over New York on March 9. The outing marked the second time this season he has had a triple-double in two straight games. Sabonis was one of two players with multiple triple-doubles over the course of last week and is just the third player this season with multiple triple-double streaks.&nbsp;

In his seventh season in the NBA, Sabonis is averaging 19.0 points (61.4 FG%, 36.6 3pt%, 76.3 FT%), 12.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 34.5 minutes per game in 64 games (64 starts). He is currently on pace to become the fourth player in NBA history to average at least 19.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists. Sabonis leads the NBA in rebounds per game, total rebounds (786) and double-doubles (53) while ranking third in triple-doubles (9), 12th in assists per game, eighth in total assists (447), 10th in field goal percentage, second in win shares (10.0) and third in offensive win shares (7.6).

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Domantas Sabonis Named Western Conference Player of the Week

Jonathan Bradley

Over the first quarter of the 2022-23 NBA season, the Sacramento Kings have established themselves as one of the best offenses in The Association and are putting up numbers akin to some of the most potent offenses in league history.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That success has not gone unnoticed, as pundits from across the NBA spectrum have started to take a closer look at the reasons why the Kings have been able to put up such gaudy numbers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One of the best pieces of analysis on Sacramento’s newfound success comes from Ben Taylor, author of the Thinking Basketball book and host of the podcast with the same name.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Taylor asserts that Sacramento’s turnaround this season is not just the result of the late-season addition of Domantas Sabonis and offseason acquisitions of Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter, but more so how new head coach Mike Brown has implemented a system that fully takes advantage of their talents.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Taylor’s initial premise surmises that the Kings have found success this season by taking pieces bits and pieces from the Warriors, where Mike Brown spent the last six years of his coaching career, while also capitalizing on the passing and scoring abilities of Sabonis, the shooting of Monk and Huerter and the speed of Fox.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In addition to that, Taylor points out that the Kings have taken a page out from the playbook of the Denver Nuggets, one of the league’s most successful regular season teams over the last half decade, in positioning Sabonis as the centerpiece of the offense.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And the comparisons aren’t too far-fetched.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sabonis has been one of the main facilitators of the Kings offense this season. When he isn’t taking the ball up the court himself after snatching a defensive rebound, he’s setting up in the high post and working to get his teammates open through DHOs or looking to make the right pass after the rest of the squad works through their split actions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Warriors have been running split actions for years, but the Kings, now with the pieces to effectively execute, have implemented their own version to much success. They, like Golden State, currently ranked top 5 in both screen assists per game (9.6) and screen assists points per game (22.8)&nbsp;

The Kings are also currently the second highest scoring team in the league, behind the Celtics, averaging 118.7 points per game so far this season. If they continue at that clip, they would have one of the 30 best offensive seasons in NBA history. Any increase in output would make them the second team since the 1984-85 (Nuggets) season to average more than 120 points per game.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And as the Warriors have shown over the years, you can hit those numbers without playing at pace, something the Kings have done exceptionally well this season thanks to having the league’s fastest player, De’Aaron Fox, on the roster.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sacramento is currently the sixth fastest team in the league, right behind the Warriors and just behind the Pacers, Lakers and Timberwolves. Taylor points out that Sacramento’s ability to get out and run has helped them exploit mismatches and shorthanded opposing defenses on the other end.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That has manifested itself on the scoreboard, too, as the squad also ranks top 5 in fastbreak points per game.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fox has always been a dynamic player offensively, but often draws massive attention from defenses. He’s been freed up a bit this season thanks to the summer acquisitions of Monk and Huerter.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Both guards are putting up career numbers this season, as Monk is averaging 14.8 points on 48% shooting from the field – both career bests – while Huerter is hitting an absurd 42% of his shots from deep, also a career-high.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This improved shooting, as Taylor points out, has opened the door for Fox to take his game to the next level and put up All-Star worthy numbers with the team success to match.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After getting off to their best start in 18 years, the Kings will continue to be closely watched as they navigate the 2022-23 season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Kings Dynamic Offense Analyzed In Epic Video Breakdown

Kenneth Reprado

Domantas Sabonis’ time playing in the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket tournament for his home country of Lithuania came to an end after a 102-94 overtime loss to Spain last Saturday. &nbsp;

Sabonis proved himself as a force in the paint throughout the tournament, averaging 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in his six games for Lithuania before the squad’s loss to Spain, who would go on to beat France in the championship.&nbsp;

His best performance of the summer came in an 87-64 win over Hungary during the group stage. Sabonis ended the night scoring 19 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting to go with eight rebounds, and four assists in just 25 minutes of action.&nbsp;

Another great moment from the tournament was from Lithuania’s game versus Bosnia. Sabonis stayed on par in this match, ending with 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists, but his performance wasn’t the star of the show. &nbsp;

After a missed dunk from Sabonis, his Bosnian opponent, Miralem Halilovic decided to stare Domas down instead of playing defense, only to get dunked on by Arnas Butkevicius moments later. &nbsp;

Lithuania closed the match with an 87-70 win. &nbsp;

After a solid summer playing for his home country, Sabonis will soon return stateside to sunny Sacramento just in time for the start of training camp on Sept. 27.&nbsp;

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Domantas Sabonis helps Lithuania to Round of 16 at 2022 Eurobasket

Sacramento center and franchise cornerstone Domantas Sabonis has been selected to represent the Kings at the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery.&nbsp;

Sabonis will be one of 30 representatives from teams across the NBA that will be on call when the top 4 picks of the draft are revealed.&nbsp;

The 26-year-old big man joined the Kings at the trade deadline and made an immediate impact upon his arrival. Despite seeing his season cut short by injuries, Sabonis was able to put up strong numbers in a Kings jersey.&nbsp;

He averaged 18.9 points, 12.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists over 15 games with the Kings, who finished the season 30-52.&nbsp;

Below is a breakdown of every team’s odds of securing the No. 1 pick in the lottery:&nbsp;

Sacramento has a 19.7% chance of securing the 7th&nbsp;overall pick, a 34.1% chance of obtaining the 8th&nbsp;overall pick and a 12% chance at 9th. They have a 7-8% chance to get picks 2-4.&nbsp;

Tune in to the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday, May 17th&nbsp;at 8PM/5PM ETPT to find out how Sabonis and the Kings fare!

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Domantas Sabonis Set to Represent Kings at 2022 NBA Draft Lottery

Alex Kramers

Home tip-off was in a new place at a new time, and he had only a few hours to cram basic sets from a new playbook, but in his Kings debut, Domantas Sabonis picked up right where he left off as a two-time All-Star with the Pacers.

He set immovable, trucking screens to free up teammates on the perimeter; he initiated dribble hand-offs; he tossed precise bounce passes to backdoor cutters when he commanded double-teams; he muscled his way around the basket with a flurry of post spins and jump hooks; and he rolled to the rim when he found cracks within the defense.

Sabonis finished that night with 22 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and a steal in 32 minutes in a win over the streaking Timberwolves, displaying all the skills that make him a triple-double threat each time he steps on the floor. He’d go on to grab double-digit boards in 11 of his next 14 appearances in a Kings uniform and dish six or more assists nine times.

The 6-foot-11 center’s averages with his new team were strikingly similar to his prior two seasons with his old one: 18.9 points, 12.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists. The only other players who’ve matched that statline since 2019-20 are the last two MVP winners, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Despite only a handful of practices with his Kings teammates, Sabonis seemed to know exactly where they’d be on the floor and how to find them in scoring position, often slinging passes before the defense could rotate. His 27.1 assist rate ranked in the 98th percentile among NBA bigs, according to Cleaning the Glass. Only Jokic made more passes (57.6 per game) and registered more potential assists (10.9) than Sabonis since he came to Sacramento, per NBA.com.

No. 10’s ability to stay set on screens and relentlessly, creatively re-screen was just as paramount for an offense that ran the fifth-most pick-and-roll possessions in the league. Sabonis led all players in screen assists (5.8 per game) since the midseason trade and finished behind only Utah’s Rudy Gobert in points created with those picks (13.7).

That was music to the ears of De’Aaron Fox, one of the game’s best at getting to the rim and popping from mid-range, as well as Harrison Barnes and Sacramento’s other outside shooters, who had more time and space to knock down threes.

Because of how he positions his body, quickly pivots and roams to the basket, Sabonis has evolved into one of the most productive bigs in the league as the finisher in pick-and-rolls. He scored 1.33 points per possession as the roller with the Pacers in 2021-22, a mark that placed in the 83rd percentile, per Synergy Sports. The early returns on his pairing with Fox, an excellent orchestrator out of the pick-and-roll, were positive, as Sabonis scored at a similar clip in those sets (1.24 PPP; 71st percentile) and was also exceptional in transition (1.39 PPP; 91st) since the trade.

An elite finisher at the cup, with tremendous strength, creativity and footwork, Sabonis converted on 68 percent of his shots at the rim in purple and black. The Gonzaga product was a near-automatic bucket from short mid-range, too, drilling 53 percent from within four to 14 feet (88th percentile, per CTG).

As proficient as he was in the paint, Sabonis wasn't as effective behind the arc. Threes accounted for only 16 percent of his offense last season, and in 15 games with the Kings, he attempted only 17 triples and made four of them. Sabonis did connect on a promising 32 percent on roughly 2.5 tries from long distance over his last year-plus in Indiana, and an uptick in volume could further elevate his scoring efficiency and space the floor for the entire offense.

Even without the threat of the long ball, when Sabonis fired or facilitated, Sacramento was more than likely putting points on the board, one way or another. On all of his usage possessions, the Kings tallied 1.35 PPP, which ranked in the 84th percentile according to Second Spectrum.

In his 504 minutes on the floor, the Kings scored 3.9 more points per 100 possessions, a swing that ranked in the 81st percentile, and shot better from just about every area on the floor (plus-two overall; 82nd). The offense was even more potent in the 360 minutes when Fox and Sabonis played together, pouring in 115.2 points per 100; only the Suns and Hawks had higher ratings this season.

Although he isn’t a natural rim protector, the 25-year-old possesses the size and court awareness to be an impactful defender. He was exceptional on the glass, grabbing a ridiculous 28.6 percent of available rebounds (96th percentile).

That helped Sacramento maintain a slim defensive edge when he was in the lineup, as the team allowed 0.7 fewer points per 100 with its new big man. It’s noteworthy that the Kings posted a minus-1.9 net rating in the Sabonis-Fox minutes, but the offseason and a full training camp will offer ample opportunity to acclimate to each other’s games and build more chemistry on both ends.

With a foundation built around its two young stars – a lightning-quick guard who gets to the rim with ease and a physical screen-setter who excels as an offensive hub in the post – plus incumbent role players and incoming free agents who fit the offensive identity, there are plenty of new, intriguing possibilities in Sacramento.

“We didn't have much time to practice and get together and know all the sets, defensive schemes and everything,” Sabonis said. “That’s why I’m excited for the summer. We’re going to get together as a group and try to build on things early before training camp even starts. I think that’s going to help us a lot. The more we play with one another, the more we get a feel for each other … The more we kind of work together, it’s going to be better. We have big goals for next season.”