Forget Jalen Duren. If the Kings are looking ahead to next summer, Karl-Anthony Towns may be the bigger name to watch.
For much of the recent NBA chatter, Sacramento’s focus has been tied to the fallout between Duren and the Pistons. Detroit’s rising center has been linked to the Kings if he reaches free agency, and the Bucks are also trying to make a run at him now. But that might not be the only star on Sacramento’s radar.
Towns could be on a similar path in New York.
The Knicks and Towns are working through extension talks, and the two sides are reportedly still tens of millions of dollars apart. He has two seasons left on his current deal, with 2027-2028 as a player option, and the clock is part of the equation.
Towns wants the situation resolved quickly so he can stay locked in on basketball. He has until June 29, 2027, to decide on that option, and while he is expected to remain in New York, he would become a major free-agent prize if he chooses a different route.
That’s where Sacramento enters the picture.
At 30, Towns brings a résumé that would instantly change the conversation around the Kings’ rebuild: NBA champion, six-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA selection and former Rookie of the Year. Adding that kind of player would give the roster immediate credibility.
He’d also fit as a veteran presence for Sacramento’s young centers, including Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell. Raynaud, a stretch forward like Towns, could benefit especially from sharing a locker room with him.
It’s still a long shot. But if Towns decides to bet on himself, the Kings may have a bigger swing to consider than Duren.
In Other News...
Chris Webbers Return Brings Something This Kings Team Has Needed
Chris Webbers presence around Kings practice this week adds a familiar weight to a team still trying to define itself under Doug Christie. Invited by general manager Scott Perry, the former Sacramento star is expected to be around for the rest of training camp, offering a direct link to the franchises best stretch and a reminder of what sustained success once looked like at Golden 1 Center.
Christie has made accountability and higher standards central themes as the Kings try to bounce back from a rough season, and Webbers return fits neatly into that message. Sacramento is still sorting out the balance between young players and veterans, but having one of the defining figures from the early 2000s in the building gives the group a little extra perspective, and maybe a little extra urgency, as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
DeMarcus Cousins Just Added A Disturbing Twist To Kings Media Backlash
Sacramentos media day already had an ugly backdrop after a hot mic caught reporters making unprofessional remarks about Zach LaVine and Ben Simmons, and the fallout has only widened from there. What started as a bad look for the local basketball press has turned into a broader conversation about the relationship between the Kings, their players and the people covering them, with former Sacramento big man DeMarcus Cousins weighing in from afar.
Cousins said on social media that former Sacramento Bee reporter Ailene Voisin had behaved inappropriately toward him during his rookie season, claiming she lifted his shirt to look at his body. He then blasted Sacramento media as biased and corrupt based on his own experiences, adding a personal and unsettling layer to an already messy story that is not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
Zach LaVine Sounds Convinced Ben Simmons Can Change The Kings
The Kings have taken a low-risk swing on Ben Simmons, signing him to a non-guaranteed veteran minimum contract for the upcoming season, and the early buzz around the move is more about possibility than certainty. At media day, Zach LaVine sounded genuinely upbeat about what Simmons could bring if he stays healthy, pointing to the kind of size, defense and playmaking Sacramento has been looking to add around its core.
Simmons has not played since the 2024-25 season, which is why the contract carries so little downside for the Kings and so much intrigue for everyone else. Sacramento is clearly betting that a healthy Simmons can still change the equation for this roster, but the real question hanging over the signing is whether he can get back to the level that made him such a unique fit in the first place. [Read more 🡒]