The Sacramento Kings may still be weeks away from training camp, but the shape of Doug Christie’s rotation is already coming into focus - and the real issue isn’t figuring out who belongs. It’s figuring out who gets left out.
That was the heart of Matt George’s breakdown on the latest episode of the Matt George Podcast on Sactown Sports, where he looked at Sacramento’s deeper roster, the bench logjam, and the players who could be battling for steady minutes once the season opens.
“Depth is never a bad thing, especially in the modern NBA,” George said.
The Kings have built a roster that gives Christie plenty of choices, but also plenty of headaches. George pointed out that there are simply more players who deserve to play than there are available minutes, and that creates a tricky balancing act for any coach.
“There are a lot of players on this roster that the Kings feel like should play, or that the Kings might want to play,” George continued. “But there are also players that have to play that might get in their way.”
George projected a starting group of Darius Acuff Jr., Zach LaVine, De’Andre Hunter, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis - the same lineup most observers expect to see on opening night if everyone is healthy. Behind that, though, sits a crowded bench that includes Malik Monk, Ben Simmons, Maxime Raynaud, Precious Achiuwa, Nique Clifford, Dylan Cardwell, Emanuel Sharp, and Alex Karaban.
That adds up to 13 players with a legitimate argument for rotation minutes, even though most NBA teams rarely go much deeper than 10 or 11 on a regular basis.
For George, Monk is the clearest case.
“In my mind, Malik Monk should be a part of the everyday rotation,” George said. “He should be the sixth man, the first guy off the bench.”
Simmons’ arrival adds another layer to the backcourt puzzle. George said his understanding is that Simmons was brought in primarily to take on backup point guard duties when Acuff sits, which could allow Monk to spend more time in a natural scoring role and secondary playmaking spot.
“Ben Simmons is, at least from my understanding, here specifically, first and foremost, to handle the backup point guard responsibilities,” George said.
That arrangement could help Sacramento, but it also brings its own complications. Simmons offers size, defense and passing, yet he needs the right spacing around him. George said that setup will be one of Christie’s biggest challenges.
The frontcourt creates another crowded situation. Raynaud, who earned All-Rookie Second Team honors last season, is one of the more intriguing young players on the roster, but his path gets murky with Sabonis back healthy and expected to command major minutes.
“As long as Domantas Sabonis is here and is playing, I don’t know how Max fits in,” George said.
Raynaud’s role could change if Sabonis misses time or is eventually moved, but the two together would also create defensive issues because neither brings rim protection. That is where Cardwell enters the conversation. Going into his second season after going undrafted out of Auburn, he offers something Sacramento badly needs.
“Dylan Cardwell provides something better than anybody else on the team, which is rim protection that the Sacramento Kings desperately have needed,” George said.
Achiuwa gives the Kings a more established frontcourt option. Cardwell brings the best rim protection.
Raynaud has the offensive upside. Sabonis remains the most accomplished of the group as a former All-Star.
Christie’s challenge is sorting through all of that without losing the value of having so many choices.
“The Kings have options, which is good,” George said. “But the right options are determined by how the game is going or the specific matchup.”
The wing spots are crowded too, with Clifford, Murray and Hunter all in the mix. Karaban and Sharp are both rookies who could contribute sooner rather than later, but the question is where their minutes would come from.
George does not see Karaban with a clear rotation role immediately unless he stands out in training camp and preseason. Sharp, though, might force the issue faster.
“I do believe that Emanuel Sharp is going to make it very difficult for Doug Christie not to play him pretty quickly,” George said.
For Sacramento, that may be the best kind of problem. The roster has veterans who need minutes, young players who need development, and role players who all bring something different. Christie’s task is to make the combinations work.
“It’s good that there are so many question marks because it’s good that there’s that much competition for playing time,” George said.
The Kings may not have the kind of depth that true title contenders boast, but they do have a roster full of players in their prime and younger pieces the team wants to keep growing. That gives Christie plenty to sort through before the season begins.
Sacramento’s 2026-27 preseason schedule is set for Monday, October 5th vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, Thursday, October 8th at the Los Angeles Lakers, Saturday, October 10th at the Golden State Warriors, and Tuesday, October 13th vs. the Portland Trail Blazers.
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