​Meanwhile, Perry is counting on Sabonis to assume a central role in Sacramento’s rebuilding project after the Kings endured a disappointing 22-60 finish in the 2025-26 season, despite earlier speculation that the team was exploring trade options with the Charlotte Hornets involving the triple NBA All-Star center. “Come in and compete just like everybody else,” Perry said to reporters. “Obviously, he’s an outstanding player. He’s proven it for a long time in this league. I’ve kept in close contact with him throughout the offseason. My expectation is that he arrives here healthy, and right now he’s trending in that direction. He missed a substantial portion of last year, but that was due to health issues. Sabonis has always played with great effort, and I anticipate that will continue. I’m looking for him to provide veteran leadership for this team and to deliver a strong, rebound-heavy presence. I expect him to have a standout year on the boards, setting a tone of toughness, consistency, and accountability. His experience should help us cultivate winning habits, stabilize our defense, and begin steering the franchise toward a more successful trajectory. He’s the kind of player who can help accelerate the process of building a competitive culture, improve our versatility on both ends of the floor, and inspire younger teammates to push themselves every night. If he stays healthy, he can be a critical catalyst for our plans, contributing not only through his production but also through his leadership and example in practices and during games. Our goal is to maximize his strengths—his timing, his court awareness, his ability to read defenses and make timely decisions—and integrate them with our broader strategies so that Sacramento can climb back toward respectability and beyond in the coming seasons. Sabonis’ presence is expected to anchor the frontline, stabilize the rebounding effort, and provide the kind of reliable production that allows the rest of the lineup to operate with greater confidence. In conversations with him, Perry underscored the importance of a patient but purposeful rebuild, emphasizing that Sabonis would not only deliver on-court value but also help instill the professional standards and work ethic that the organization hopes to engrave across the roster. With Sabonis in the mix, the Kings aim to emphasize durability, consistency, and resilience, traits that have sometimes eluded them in recent campaigns, and to leverage his playmaking ability, floor vision, and veteran savvy to accelerate the process of returning to a competitive level. While the trade rumors and reports from earlier in the off-season suggested a potential move, Perry’s public stance centers on Sabonis as a cornerstone piece—one who can be a stabilizing force for a team that is trying to rebuild trust with its fans, attract productive minutes from its young players, and reestablish a winning culture under new leadership. The plan is for Sabonis to integrate smoothly with Sacramento’s existing core, bring a reliable rebound presence, and set a professional example that elevates the entire organization. In short, Sabonis isn’t merely a rental or a transitional piece; he’s envisioned as a foundational contributor who can help steer the Kings toward a more successful era, with a focus on health, effort, and steady, impactful performances that support a broader long-term strategy. NBC Sports Bay Area executives and editors will want to ensure that the narrative surrounding Sabonis’ role aligns with the team’s ambitions for a durable rebuild that prioritizes continuity, accountability, and a return to relevance in a highly competitive Western Conference.