Sacramento’s path back to the playoffs is still a long one, even if the early signs under Scott Perry have given the fan base something it hasn’t had in a while: a reason to believe the mess is being cleaned up.
The Kings are not close yet. Making the postseason this season is highly unlikely, and there’s no sense pretending otherwise. This is a rebuild that is only a year old, and while the turnaround appears to be underway, it’s still in the early stages.
For a franchise that has spent most of the stretch since the departure of the late Rick Adelman near the bottom of the league, that reality is familiar. The brief run under head coach Mike Brown was the exception, not the rule. Sacramento has been living in the basement for years, and the fan base has had to endure the whole thing.
Still, there is at least some optimism around the organization now. Perry has pushed a rebuild as general manager, and the Kings have followed it with two successful drafts in a row, along with some solid free-agent additions over the last year. That’s enough to start stacking pieces, even if the pile is still small.
Last season offered a glimpse of what progress can look like. The year as a whole was rough, but the final 20 games or so were more encouraging.
Sacramento started winning some late games, the defense began to show real signs of life, and the offense found a better rhythm. It was progress, just not the kind that changes the big picture overnight.
And the big picture is still the same: this is a team that is only at the beginning of a much longer climb. Fans want results now, but the Kings need time, work, and more roster movement before they can get back to being a regular playoff team. Getting to contender status would take even more.
The front office is already collecting pieces it hopes can matter down the line through the draft, free agency, and trades. But there’s no guarantee every recent addition becomes part of the answer. The roster still needs to be shuffled until the right combination finally clicks.
One major piece of that puzzle is Zach LaVine, whose contract is expected to run out at the end of the 2026-2027 season. Moving him off the roster would open up payroll space, but that’s not likely to happen before then.
Even so, Sacramento’s future doesn’t rest on one contract alone. The real test is whether the front office can keep steering the rebuild in the right direction and manage all the moving parts that come with it. For now, the Kings are moving forward - just not fast enough to be thinking about the playoffs anytime soon.
In Other News...
Kings Rookies Are Giving This Rebuild A Reason To Feel Different
The Kings have spent much of this summer trying to make their rebuild feel less like a reset and more like a foundation, and the early signs have come from a rookie group that looks older, steadier and more NBA-ready than a typical first-year class. Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp have stood out in Summer League as the kind of players who can handle the pace and the details right away, a welcome development for a team trying to find useful pieces wherever it can.
Both rookies arrive with four years of college experience behind them, which has helped separate them from Darius Acuff Jr., who reached the league after just one season. Sacramento is hoping that edge in readiness carries into the fall, because the front office is counting on this rookie class, along with its returning young players, to give the roster a more credible shape as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Former Kings Guard Sparks Outrage With Another Ugly Off-Court Incident
Ty Lawsons name is back in the news for all the wrong reasons, this time after an arrest on July 16 in Castle Rock, Colorado. Authorities say the former Kings guard was taken into custody over an alleged shoplifting incident involving a $34 bottle of vodka, another troubling entry in a post-NBA life that has too often been defined by headlines away from the court.
Lawsons latest arrest only adds to a long and messy history that dates back to 2008, including multiple prior run-ins with law enforcement. For Sacramento fans, it is another jarring reminder of a player who once spent a season with the Kings, but whose off-court issues have continued to overshadow whatever remains of his basketball legacy. [Read more 🡒]
Maxime Raynaud Just Gave Kings Fans The Answer They Needed
Maxime Raynauds summer with the Kings started late, but it quickly gave Sacramento something to feel good about. After missing much of preseason while with the French national team, the big man got back into the mix at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and showed why the organization was eager to see him on the floor. Even in a controlled setting, he looked like a player who could help, flashing the size, touch and rebounding presence that stood out in his return.
The Kings also made it clear they were not going to push him too hard. Raynauds minutes were handled carefully as Sacramento kept an eye on his workload and injury risk, which is why his strong showing came with a measured approach rather than a full-on workload. For a team trying to piece together its frontcourt picture, the early takeaway was encouraging enough, even if the real answer on what Raynaud can become in a bigger role is still waiting to be written. [Read more 🡒]