Domantas Sabonis receives an unfortunate injury notice before the Trail Blazers matchup

The Sacramento Kings the center confirmed on Friday Domantas Sabonis will miss the extra one four to five weeks as he continues to recover from a partial meniscus tear in his left knee. The team will re-evaluate his status at the end of January.

The 29-year-old Lithuanian-American big man hasn’t played since Nov. 16, and in the 13 games he’s missed, the Kings have gone just 3-10. Sabonis did not have the easiest start to this year’s campaign. Before tearing the meniscus, he missed the start of the regular season with a preseason hamstring strain and missed two games in early November with a rib contusion. However, he has been super reliable over the past few seasons, playing at least 70 games in each of the last three seasons.

In the 11 games Sabonis has played this season, he is averaging 17.2 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from three. He led the NBA in rebounding the last three seasons. The three-time All-Star absence has left Sacramento struggling near the bottom of the Western Conference at 6-21, with a minus-10.6 team net rating that is second-worst in the NBA.

The Kings called on rookie Maxime Raynaud to help shoulder the load during Sabonis’ absence. The second-round pick has stepped into a bigger role, averaging 9.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 19 games since Sabonis’ injury. In the last eight contests, Reynaud has been much more impressive, posting 16.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He recorded a career high with 29 points and 11 rebounds Thursday’s 134-133 overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazersshowing his potential as a rotational piece for the rebuilding Kings. Young players such as Dylan Cardwell and Precious Achiuva also received extended minutes during this period.

Sacramento’s shortcomings persisted Sabonis’ trade value in discussion. While his name has come up in trade rumors, his expected return after a four- to five-week rehab stint would be just weeks before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, making an in-season move less likely. For now, the Kings are prioritizing both the development of their young players and carefully managing the health of their star center.

Next up, Sacramento hosts Portland in the rematch on Saturday at 6:00 PM EST.