Kings C Domantas Sabonis reportedly agreed to a 5-year, $217 million extension after his first full season with the team

It appeared that the Sacramento Kings enjoyed Domantas Sabonis’ first full season with the team, and vice versa.

The All-Star center has agreed to a five-year, $217 million contract extension with $195 million in new money, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojanrowski. Sabonis was previously under contract for another season with the Kings at a salary of $19.4 million and $22 million, but will now be under contract through 2028.

The deal cap reflected a season that went as well as the Kings had reasonably hoped. The team acquired Sabonis in a blockbuster trade to the Indiana Pacers at the 2022 NBA trade deadline, hoping he can form an effective duo with De’Aaron Fox.

The team has been taking big deal risks, firing rookie star Tyrese Haliburton (who sealed the Max deal himself on Friday), pitcher Buddy Held and more for a package built around Sabonis. The early numbers were encouraging enough, as Sabonis averaged 18.9 points, 12.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game to finish the season with Sacramento, but the team also went 5-10 in games played and missed its last nine. due to a knee injury.

In his first full season with the Kings, Sabonis did what he was meant to do. He made his third career All-Star team, earned his first career All-NBA third team (behind only Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic), led the NBA in rebounding with 12.3 per game, and most importantly, assisted the Kings. to a 48-34 record and their first playoff berth since 2006.

Sabonis and his elite rebounding offense and touch in the paint were a major reason the Kings lead the league in offensive ratings. All that remains now is to consolidate the Kings’ gains this year as other major Western teams restock for next season.

So far, the Kings’ offseason has focused on getting players back. In addition to extending Sabonis, the team has re-signed Harrison Barnes and Trey Lyles, although it has also brought in EuroLeague player Sasha Vezenkov over Three-year, $20 million deal.