The Kings are fully committed to tanking! Sabonis undergoes left knee meniscus surgery, joining LaVine in missing the rest of the season.

On February 19th Beijing time, according to insider Shams, sources revealed that Sacramento Kings star Domantas Sabonis underwent season-ending surgery on Wednesday morning local time to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Meanwhile, ESPN also reported that at the same time, Kings guard LaVine had season-ending surgery to fix a tendon injury in his hand.

Sabonis suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee as early as November. Initially, he opted for conservative treatment and rehabilitation, returning to the court in mid-January after two months of recovery.

However, after his comeback, in the 15 games before the All-Star break, Sabonis only played in 8 games with limited minutes, averaging just 24.9 minutes per game.

Now that the Kings have long been out of playoff contention and Sabonis is far from fully recovered, he and the team have decided to proceed with surgery now to prepare for a full recovery for the 2026-27 season.

Sabonis was named to the NBA All-Defensive Third Team in both 2023 and 2024, and led the league in rebounds per game for three consecutive years from 2023 to 2025.

This season, Sabonis has appeared in 19 games, averaging 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists; LaVine has played 39 games, averaging 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. The Kings currently hold a 12-44 record, ranking last in the league.

There is no doubt that the Kings are fully embracing the tanking strategy. Considering the top three picks in the 2026 draft are highly promising young talents, the Kings have a strong chance to secure one. Based on current standings, the Kings have a 14% chance to get the first overall pick, 13.4% for the second, and 12.7% for the third, with their worst draft position being no lower than fifth.

According to draft experts, the top three prospects in the 2026 draft are expected to be Peterson, Diabate, and Cameron Boozer, with draft comparisons respectively to Roy, T-Mac, and Horford. Will the Kings land their desired pick to aid their rebuild? Time will tell.