Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis is on track to open training camp for the 2026-27 season healthy, following a torn meniscus in his left knee that ended his 2025-26 campaign in February. The three-time All-Star underwent surgery in Los Angeles on February 18 after months of trying to manage the injury, and the Kings have indicated he will be reevaluated ahead of camp rather than face any lingering restrictions.
Sabonis averaged 15.8 points and a team-leading 11.4 rebounds in just 19 games during the injury-shortened season. He originally suffered a partial tear in mid-November, initially sitting out with what the team called knee soreness before further testing revealed the tear. He missed 27 games before returning to action on January 16 against the Washington Wizards, scoring 13 points in a Kings win. That comeback proved short-lived, as continued swelling and limited minutes ultimately pushed Sabonis and the team toward surgery rather than a second attempt at rehabbing the tear.
Stanford Medicine orthopedic surgeon Dr. Marc Safran, who was not involved in Sabonis’s care, offered insight into what a typical recovery timeline looks like for this kind of procedure. He explained that a straightforward meniscus cleanup usually takes a few weeks to reduce swelling and rebuild strength, with players often returning anywhere from six weeks to three months depending on which part of the meniscus was affected and how the knee responds. Given the surgery took place in mid-February, that timeline comfortably clears Sabonis for a normal offseason buildup and a full training camp in the fall.
The health update arrives amid a turbulent stretch of trade speculation that has dominated Sabonis’s summer. Detroit Pistons restricted free agent center Jalen Duren emerged as a target for Sacramento’s front office, with reports suggesting mutual interest in Duren joining the Kings and Sabonis potentially heading to Detroit in a sign-and-trade. Just days into free agency, however, Sabonis appears increasingly likely to remain with the Kings as talks with Detroit have stalled. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Detroit has shown no interest in a Sabonis sign-and-trade, telling Sactown Sports that “the Pistons clearly don’t have any interest” in that kind of deal.
Amick added that other potential landing spots have similarly cooled. The Charlotte Hornets had explored acquiring Sabonis before pivoting to add Naz Reid as part of the LaMelo Ball trade, while Toronto’s interest has faded following the Raptors’ acquisition of Kawhi Leonard. With those doors closing and Detroit unwilling to budge, Amick suggested Sabonis is trending toward staying in Sacramento for now. “Honestly, it feels like we are going back towards the very-well-might-not-be-going-anywhere kind of status,” Amick said, adding that the Toronto scenario is not “alive and well right now.”
Sabonis has two years and roughly $94 million remaining on his contract, and over the past four seasons he has averaged 19.0 points, 13.1 rebounds and 7.0 assists while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and 38 percent from three across 250 games. Those numbers underline why, health permitting, the Kings still view him as a foundational piece even as the front office continues shopping other veteran contracts this offseason.
For now, the injury picture is straightforward: barring setbacks, Sabonis is expected to be fully cleared and ready for training camp this fall, giving Sacramento a healthy version of one of the league’s most productive big men as it tries to climb out of the Western Conference cellar after a 12-44 finish to last season. Whether he does so in a Kings uniform or elsewhere remains the more unsettled question, but the physical recovery itself appears to be on schedule.
