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The Lithuanian national team has revealed its shortened 15-player roster for the July World Cup qualifying window, with three NBA players making the list. The squad includes Matas Buzelis, Jonas Valanciunas, and Kasparas Jakucionis, giving Lithuania a strong NBA presence heading into the summer window. However, one major name is missing from the candidate list. Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis was not included in the 30-man roster.
There have been multiple reports this week about Sacramento and Charlotte discussing Domantas Sabonis trade frameworks, but sources say those conversations were preliminary in nature and reflective of the Kings' desire to acquire the Hornets' No. 14 or No. 18 pick. Sources say Charlotte, though, is not currently willing to surrender either pick. I'm told that the Kings also have interest in Toronto's No. 19 selection, but it is unclear whether the Raptors, who showed trade interest in Sabonis before the league's in-season trade deadline in February, will do so again.
The Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Hornets had exploratory trade talks surrounding Domantas Sabonis, league sources told HoopsHype. One framework loosely kicked around included Charlotte’s Miles Bridges, Josh Green, and a potential first-round draft pick going to Sacramento in exchange for Sabonis, sources said. Charlotte has two first-round selections in the upcoming draft, including the 14th and 18th picks. However, Charlotte has been resistant to including one of those first-round picks thus far in a trade package involving Sabonis.
Per league sources, Sacramento and Charlotte have had recent talks about Kings big man Domantas Sabonis. While a deal is not imminent and appears unlikely before the June 23 draft, sources say the Hornets have some interest in the 30-year-old, three-time All-Star. The problem for now, it seems, is that the Kings have been hoping to land one of Charlotte’s two first-round picks (they have Nos. 14 and 18) in the deal, and the Hornets have signaled a desire to retain their picks and discuss Sabonis later in the summer. Sabonis has two seasons left on his deal ($45.4 million next season and $48.6 million in 2027-28).
As much as the idea of Thunder splurging for Giannis to counter Wemby might make sense on paper, league sources with knowledge of the Thunder's thinking continue to dismiss them as a legitimate Giannis Antetokounmpo suitor. The Thunder obviously have the draft capital and an abundance of talented young players to get Milwaukee's attention, but it's wise in times like these to consider Sam Presti's history. Presti is hardly known for paying exorbitant trade costs to bolster his roster ... let alone for an older newcomer like Antetokounmpo would be at 31. You'll recall that Paul George was 27 — smack dab in the middle of his prime — when the Thunder acquired PG-13 from the Pacers without even sacrificing a draft pick in a swap that sent Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo to Indiana.
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As for Domantas Sabonis ... The Kings' former All-Star center is another name, behind Antetokounmpo and Memphis' Ja Morant, that league executives are projecting to be made available once again as part of this summer's trade landscape. Sacramento is known to be looking to shed some significant salary if it can this offseason and seems likely to field more interest in Sabonis than other veterans.
James Ham: The intent of the Kings’ front office is to move off of one or more of their large contracts. And as a player, I think Domantas Sabonis, out of all of their larger contract players, still has the most value. He's got more value than Zach LaVine. He's got more value than DeMar DeRozan. He's got more value than Malik Monk. He's got more, I'm just going to throw his name in there, too, because De'Andre Hunter has a one-year like 25-26 million-dollar deal. He's got more value than any of those guys.
James Ham: I checked in with a very high-ranking source, league source, someone that is not on the peripheral, someone who is in the know and who has a very good grasp on what's happening in Sacramento. And the answer came pretty quickly. According to my source, there was no conversation between the Kings and the Charlotte Hornets regarding Domantas Sabonis at the trade deadline. That is, according to my source, not accurate. In addition, the idea that the Kings would trade Sabonis in a straight salary dump, as Evan Sidery intimated, was completely shot down as well. A trade like that would cost at least one first-round pick, and possibly two, according to my source.
One longshot scenario that does get mentioned by rival team strategists is an Embiid-for-Domantas Sabonis swap with Sacramento … but even longshot might be underselling it. Both former All-Star big men could probably use a fresh start, but there's just no getting around the fact that Embiid, at 32, seems incapable of holding up for a deep playoff run. Which certainly shortens the list of potential suitors.
MrBuckBuck: Draymond Greebln says LaMelo Ball doesn’t deserve a suspension since Sabonis wasn’t suspended for grabbing his ankle. “We saw the same thing when Sabonis grabbed my ankle and nothing happened.”
Draymond Greebln says LaMelo Ball doesn’t deserve a suspension since Sabonis wasn’t suspended for grabbing his ankle.
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 17, 2026
“We saw the same thing when Sabonis grabbed my ankle and nothing happened.”pic.twitter.com/Xnz0Bpfade
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Draymond Green on Bam Adebayo, LaMelo Ball incident: Before Bam exit that game, he was working Diabte… if Bam Adebayo doesn’t get hurt, LaMelo Ball don’t get fined. Let’s take it a step farther, I’m happy they didn’t suspend LaMelo for a game because you can’t suspend him just because he got hurt. We saw the same thing when Domantas Sabonis grabbed my ankle and nothing happened. You can’t have it both ways. Was it an intentional trip? To me, he grabbed and pulled him. Yes it was an intentional trip. Was he intentionally trying to hurt him? No. I don’t think LaMelo is thinking ‘I’m bout to grab Bam ankle, he’s gonna fall on his ass and hurt his back.’
Despite the setback and persistent trade rumors, Sabonis, who is signed through the 2027-28 season, remains focused on his return to elite form. “There’s a lot of uncertainty. I don’t know what that feels like, but I can control what I control, and that is getting back to that All-NBA player that I know I can be,” he noted. Addressing his future in Sacramento, he added, “I always want to get better as a player, no matter where I am, but I’m very happy here, you all know that. In things like this, you just have to focus on my knee, my rehab, getting back to the player I am.”
