The Portland Trail Blazers have more incentive to make an aggresive move to land an All-Star this offseason now that they know the playoffs are somewhat within reach following their 36-46 season. One star to monitor as an offseason trade candidate is Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis.
In March, Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported that Sabonis is seeking more clarity regarding Sacramento's direction, which De'Aaron Fox was also curious about before his trade.
"League sources said Sabonis, who has three more seasons and a combined $140.3 million left on his current deal, is expected to seek clarity about the organization's plan in the offseason. Just as Fox wanted to know whose voice mattered most on key decisions and who the team's owner might be trusting the most as counsel, Sabonis is known to have similar questions."
The Blazers need a star to pair alongside the ascending Deni Avdija if they genuinely want to make some playoff noise in the Western Conference.
Another aspect to consider is that Domantas' father is Hall of Fame center and Blazers legend Arvydas. Domantas was born in Portland in 1996, while Arvydas was a member of the Blazers, playing with the franchise from 1995 to 2003.
Why the Blazers shouldn't trade for Domantas Sabonis
The family ties and Portland roots make Sabonis a name that fans have discussed as a polarizing potential trade target, but the Blazers would be better off looking elsewhere for their All-Star solution.
On the surface, Sabonis puts up elite counting stats, averaging 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game on efficient 59/42/75 shooting splits. He deserves his flowers, as Sabonis has become a three-time All-Star for a reason -- he's one of the best rebounding and passing bigs in the association. However, unfixable red flags surround the Gonzaga product's game.
He's undersized as a 6-foot-10, 240-pound center, making it nearly impossible to build a top-tier defense around his lack of rim protection as the defensive anchor. He could play the four, but that would just cause another defensive problem, as Sabonis lacks the agility to guard out on the perimeter.
Offensively, his game is overly reliant on his ability to get downhill and score inside the paint. That style of play is primarily effective against a specific type of defense, leaving Sabonis vulnerable to off-nights if he matches up against a team with frontcourt size -- something he's bound to run into throughout the playoffs.
That issue was on full display in Sacramento's Play-In loss to the Mavericks. Their frontcourt of Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II held Sabonis to just 11 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and five turnovers on 38.5 percent shooting from the field.
I don't care how many points, rebounds, and assists he puts up in the regular season, Domantas Sabonis just isn't a difference-making player to a high-level team. Showing why that's true again tonight.
— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) April 17, 2025
Adding Sabonis' talent may be enough to get the Blazers back into the playoffs, but it would risk long-term purgatory. The Blazers' ceiling would be extremely limited if he's one of their best players.
The timeline isn't ideal, either, as Sabonis is 28 years old and is under contract for $140 million over the next three seasons. Despite his ties to the city, Portland would be better off preserving both its draft capital and cap space until a better option comes along.