Domantas Sabonis Opens up About Retiring With the Kings

The Sacramento Kings could have Domantas Sabonis committed for the long haul.

Apr 16, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) lights the beam after the Kings defeated the Golden State Warriors during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings acquired Domantas Sabonis from the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline of the 2021-22 season, and the All-Star big man has been nothing short of greatness on his new team.

Since arriving in Sacramento, Sabonis has averaged 19.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game with one All-Star appearance, two All-NBA Third Team honors, and two top-ten NBA MVP finishes.

Sabonis recently spoke with HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, as Sacramento's star big man opened up about if he sees himself retiring with the Kings:

Yeah, of course. They’ve only been nice. It’s been amazing. The fans have been awesome. As a player, you always want to build a legacy somewhere, and you can’t do it if you’re not in one place and doing great things for that team. Obviously, it depends on my performance and the team’s performance, but that definitely would really be a cool thing.

- Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

Ideally, the Kings would be able to retain Sabonis and his star teammate De'Aaron Fox for the rest of their careers, but that is unlikely in the current state of the NBA.

Sabonis brings up the point of how it depends on his performance and the team's performance, which makes it clear the Kings must ensure they continue to build around their star duo and push for postseason success.

It is a nice refresher to see an NBA player assure the fanbase that they want to be in Sacramento, as we have seen many players seemingly hit the market as soon as possible over the years.

Sabonis has been phenomenal in a Kings uniform and is locked into the franchise after signing a four-year, $186 million extension to stay in Sacramento long-term. Fox is expected to do the same next offseason, as in the perfect world, the Kings hold onto both of them as long as possible.

---

Follow Inside The Kings on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Kings news videos and live-stream podcasts!