The Kings are still searching for their footing, and Zach LaVine made it plain after Sacramento opened 0-3 for the first time since 2022-23: this group is nowhere near finished becoming a team.
LaVine said the Kings won’t gel anytime soon, and that everyone has to sort out what each player does best. Even with Domantas Sabonis, rookie Darius Acuff Jr. and LaVine standing out as the most steady contributors, the pieces have not yet clicked into wins.
That’s the tricky part for Sacramento. Chemistry can’t be forced, but waiting for it during the regular season comes with real risk. Training camp and preseason are supposed to be the proving ground for that work, the place where a team learns how it fits before the long haul of 82 games begins.
The Kings didn’t get much of that runway. Coach Doug Christie rested Sabonis, who played two games, and Keegan Murray, who played three games, two of his three starters. Rest days are part of the league, but Christie leaned toward the bigger picture, protecting health and using those preseason games to give back-end rotation pieces and two-way players a chance to play.
Sacramento’s start has also come with scrutiny around owner Vivek Ranadivé, whose hands-on style has drawn attention. Carmichael Dave, host of the "Carmichael Dave Show," pointed out that Ranadivé tends to make questionable decisions when the team seems close to turning a corner. He also relieved former general manager Monte McNair, who helped assemble the roster that ended a 16-year playoff drought, of his duties last March.
Wes Wilcox, McNair's assistant general manager, then left on his own to take the Utah Utes' general manager job.
Ranadivé has also made headlines for apparently turning a team dinner into a roast session. Zach Lowe, host of the "Zach Lowe Show," said the owner allegedly told the team all the ways they've been failing.
For now, Sacramento has veterans in LaVine and Sabonis who should be setting the tone, even if both are likely on their way out. The bigger issue is simple: the Kings need chemistry, and they need it before a three-game losing streak turns into something much harder to climb out of.
In Other News...
Kings Already Face A Bigger Darius Acuff Jr. Problem
Darius Acuff Jr. is already giving the Kings a useful early lesson in how delicate rookie development can be. Bobby Gerould's read on the young guard centers on patience and structure, with the idea being that Sacramento has to let Acuff make mistakes, learn from them and keep sharpening his decision-making without putting too much on his plate too soon. For a team trying to shape a long-term core, that means the environment around him matters just as much as his talent.
Gerould also pointed toward the roster construction issues that will come with Acuff's growth, especially if the Kings want to put him in position to succeed. He emphasized the need for more size, defensive ability and seasoned college experience around the rookie, while also noting how Domantas Sabonis fits into the broader equation. Sacramento still has to find a defensive center who can complement both Sabonis and Acuff, and that need makes the Kings' bigger roster-building problem feel even more immediate. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Winless Start Is Forcing A Brutal Rebuild Decision
A winless start has already pushed Sacramento into an uncomfortable corner, and the new NBA lottery reform rules only make that reality harsher. At 0-4, the Kings are staring at a rebuild that does not come with the same kind of draft safety net teams used to count on, which makes every early loss feel a little heavier as the organization tries to map out its next move.
Scott Perry may have to make a tough call sooner rather than later, with the possibility of moving veteran pieces and leaning harder into the young core. The February trade deadline looms as the first major checkpoint, but next offseasons draft and free agency could end up being just as important in determining how aggressively Sacramento reshapes the roster, starting with a meeting against the New Orleans Pelicans next. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Already Facing Bigger Questions Than Fans Expected
A 0-4 start has a way of sharpening the early-season conversation, and the Kings are already there after a 130-103 loss to the Spurs in San Antonio. Sacramento was missing several key players because of injuries, but even with that context the bigger concern was how quickly the game got away from them, especially on the defensive end.
De'Andre Hunter led the Kings with 24 points, which at least offered one steady offensive note in an otherwise rough night. The Spurs had been off to a slow start themselves, but they controlled this one at home and left Sacramento with more than just another loss to sort through as the questions around the roster only grow louder. [Read more 🡒]