Kings’ Sabonis and LaVine to undergo surgeries ending their seasons
SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings’ two highest-earning players, Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine, both underwent surgeries that will end their seasons, according to league sources relayed by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Sabonis had an operation to address a torn meniscus in his left knee. He sustained the injury in mid-November, missed 27 games while attempting to rehabilitate, and was relatively effective in the eight games he played before the All-Star break.
However, the Kings’ season is not progressing positively. They hold the league’s worst record at 12-44 and have suffered 14 straight losses. With playoff hopes long extinguished, Sabonis has chosen to undergo surgery for a complete repair of his left knee, focusing on the upcoming season.
LaVine finds himself in a comparable situation. He averaged 19.2 points across 39 games before the All-Star break but missed five of the last ten games and has decided to have surgery for a tendon injury in his right hand, concluding his season.
LaVine has a player option worth $48.9 million for the next season, and all signs suggest he will exercise that option for the final year of his current contract with the Kings. Sabonis has two years remaining on his contract, totaling $94 million.
Sacramento looked into the trade market for both players before the deadline but was unable to finalize any deals. It is expected that new Kings general manager Scott Perry will revisit these discussions during the summer.
