As NBA trade rumors continue to ramp up ahead of February’s trade deadline, among the latest include Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis.
If it wasn’t apparent by their decision to trade De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs for a package including a haul of draft picks, Sacramento should soon be shifting from retool mode to a full-blown rebuild mode.
Veteran standouts Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have already seen their names floated in trade rumors this year, and now their teammate Sabonis is getting his turn.
The Suns and Wizards have been mentioned as potential suitors for Domantas Sabonis, in addition to the Bulls, per @sam_amick.
— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) December 12, 2025
If Phoenix were to pursue Sabonis, a trade package would likely revolve around Jalen Green and Mark Williams. Washington could offer expiring salary,… https://t.co/8hC9CXBZi4
Citing a report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick, NBA writer Jake Weinbach notes that the Suns have been listed as a possible suitor for Sabonis in the trade market.
He expands on that by saying a package for Sabonis “would likely” include soon-to-be 24-year-old center Mark Williams and another recent trade acquisition in injured guard Jalen Green.
While that framework does work in the NBA trade machine, it’s not something the Suns should consider for a multitude of reasons.
Suns trade for Sabonis would undermine defensive identity.
Perhaps the most impactful part of the Suns' culture shift under first-year head coach Jordan Ott has been the defense.
After posting a defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 119.3 last season — which ranked a pitiful 28th in the league — Phoenix has vastly improved with a new cast including trade acquisition Dillon Brooks. Through games played on Dec. 14, the Suns’ defensive rating of 115.2 ranks them 16th in the NBA.
Their remarkable shift in steals per game perfectly exemplifies how the Suns are now getting after it on the defensive end of the court and taking pride in pestering their opponents.
From being in the dregs defensively to the middle of the pack in just a few months can be tied to a number of factors, Ott included, but Williams is a significant piece to that puzzle.
This is exactly why Phoenix traded for the young center, surrendering multiple first-round draft picks to acquire him. Williams is a rim-protecting big, an archetype that’s increasingly coveted in the modern NBA.
With Williams on the court for Phoenix this season, Suns opponents sport an offensive rating of 112.3, per data from Basketball Reference. When he sits, that figure grows to 117.9. That’s a net difference of 5.6 points per 100 possessions when Williams isn’t in the lineup deterring opponents at the rim.
Now, the Kings are a porous defensive team compared to the Suns, ranking 27th in the league by defensive rating. But even noting that, their defensive rating without Sabonis on the court (118.5) is much better than when Sabonis plays (128.1). In other words, Kings opponents score nearly 10 points more per 100 possessions when Sabonis is playing versus when he’s not.
Trading Williams for Sabonis would thrust Phoenix into a bizarro world shift back to the shoddy defense they had a season ago.
Suns still waiting to see what Jalen Green rotations look like.
Setting aside the fact that going from Williams to Sabonis would be a massive defensive downgrade judging by the numbers, Weinbach’s trade speculation includes Green heading to SacTown as well.
Green was the marquee chip coming back to the desert in the Kevin Durant blockbuster. Suns fans have only gotten to see five regular season quarters from Green thus far as he deals with an ongoing hamstring injury.
Phoenix is outperforming expectations and turning heads around the NBA with their play despite Green being hurt and rocking street clothes for virtually all of the team’s games this season. So, what happens when they finally get him back?
The one full game Green did play this year gave Suns fans just a little taste of what he can contribute on a full-time basis when healthy. The former No. 2 overall pick poured in 29 points on efficient 10-of-20 shooting, including 6-of-13 from beyond the arc. He added three rebounds, three assists and two steals to the box score in that Nov. 6 game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Still just 23 years old (he’ll turn 24 in February), cutting the cord on Green — again, a former No. 2 overall draft pick — this soon after acquiring him would be shortsighted at best and foolish at worst.
Sabonis is 29 years old and under contract through the 2027-28 season, putting him in a similar camp to Devin Booker who the Suns will ultimately continue to build around.
But the Suns sacrificing their youth movement to acquire someone who may only set their defensive improvements back significantly just doesn’t make sense.
Let’s at least see what this roster looks like with Green healthy. From there, new GM Brian Gregory and the Phoenix front office can start mulling next steps.