Would trading for Domantas Sabonis solve anything for the Kings?

The Kings reportedly have some level of interest in the All-Star big man.

Last month, Bob Kravitz of The Athletic reported that the Indiana Pacers were open to shopping their key players, including All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis.

Shortly after, Kings fans immediately turned to Twitter to let the Kings organization know they want the team to pursue him. Whether or not Monte McNair took note is unknown, but according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reported that the Kings are willing to trade De’Aaron Fox for Sabonis — a star for star:

A league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings have stepped up their pursuit of Indiana Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis and they are willing to include Fox in those discussions. Fox was so far off the table he wasn’t discussed when the Kings approached the Philadelphia 76ers about Ben Simmons last summer, sources with knowledge of the talks told The Bee, but now Fox is reportedly part of those conversations as well.

Shams Charania of The Athletic later reported that no such deal is in the works, but with pressure on McNair to make a move before the trade deadline, anything is possible.

Acquiring the Lithuanian big man would certainly be one way to shake things up for this Kings squad. Measuring just below seven feet tall, Sabonis is a player that can do literally everything. This season he is averaging 18.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 57.3% shooting from the field. Sabonis also currently ranks fifth in the league in total rebounds.

Paired with offensive efficiency and his court vision, he may be exactly what the Kings need.

It goes without saying that De’Aaron Fox would be missed, however, Sabonis can provide what Fox can’t while still having the ability to score. He has a career high of 42 points in an NBA game, only two points less than Fox’s career high of 44.

And if the Kings lost Fox, they’d still presumably have Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton has proven that when he is the primary ball handler he can make things happen. He has elite passing ability and can play both ways. A Haliburton to Sabonis pick and roll would be treacherous for any opposing defense.

Though he is always looking to share the ball, Haliburton is beginning to blossom as a scoring threat as well. Of players that have taken at least 82 threes this season, Haliburton ranks eighth at almost 43%.

Depending on what else is included in the package, the Fox for Sabonis scenario seems like it could be extremely beneficial. This move would not jump them straight into the playoffs and out of the drought. But it would be a big step in the right direction.