The Sacramento Kings are navigating a tough stretch in their frontcourt, with Domantas Sabonis sidelined for another four to five weeks due to a partial meniscus tear in his left knee. Add in Drew Eubanks’ absence with a left thumb avulsion fracture, and suddenly the Kings’ depth up front is razor-thin. But out of that adversity comes opportunity-and rookie Maxime Raynaud is making the most of it.
Raynaud, a 7-footer with a soft touch and surprising mobility, has been steadily climbing the ladder all season. His early numbers-10 points, 5.4 rebounds, and a handful of other contributions per game-showed promise.
But December has been a different story. He’s taken a leap, averaging 15.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in just 28 minutes a night.
That’s not just filling in; that’s producing like a legitimate NBA rotation player.
His breakout moment came Thursday night in the Kings’ overtime loss to the Trail Blazers, when he dropped 29 points and grabbed 11 boards, adding 2 assists and 2 steals for good measure. He followed it up on Saturday with another double-double: 17 points and 11 rebounds against the same Portland squad.
What’s standing out isn’t just the stat lines-it’s how he’s getting them. That floater around the rim has become a reliable weapon, and he’s showing a knack for finding space in the paint without forcing shots.
Raynaud’s game is still evolving, but he plays with the kind of energy and physicality that coaches love to see in a young big. He’s not waiting for the game to come to him-he’s going out and making things happen. And with Sabonis and Eubanks both out, the door is wide open for him to keep building confidence and reps against real NBA competition.
It’s not just Raynaud stepping up, either. Dylan Cardwell made his presence felt off the bench in Saturday’s game, pulling down 8 rebounds, swatting 5 shots, and chipping in 4 points. It’s the kind of gritty, no-nonsense effort that helps keep a team afloat when the rotation is stretched thin.
While the Kings would obviously love to get Sabonis back on the floor sooner rather than later, this stretch is becoming a valuable development window. Seeing how Raynaud handles an expanded role now could pay dividends down the line-especially when the time comes to see how he fits next to Sabonis in a healthy lineup.
For now, the Kings are leaning into the youth movement, and Raynaud is giving them plenty of reasons to feel good about it.