The Sacramento Kings have trimmed their roster to get ready for the 2026-27 season, and the final cuts came after a preseason that never got off the ground in the win column. Sacramento closed exhibition play with an 0-5 record after losing to the San Antonio Spurs, then moved to waive three players: Elfrid Payton, Tristen Newton, and Viktor Lakhin.
That leaves the Kings with one open roster spot as they head into opening week, and they’re moving ahead without any of those three on the standard roster. Newton and Lakhin could still end up with the Stockton Kings this season, but for now they’re on the outside looking in.
Some fans had hoped Sacramento would find a way to keep Newton, who won two NCAA championships with rookie Alex Karaban at UConn. The Kings also had other paths available, including waiving Adam Flagler or converting Jonathan Mogbo to a standard deal to create a two-way opening, but they chose not to go that route.
Payton’s exit is notable as well. Sacramento could have kept the veteran point guard, especially with Ben Simmons expected to play more of a forward role, but instead the Kings are letting him reach the open market.
Even with those departures, the roster the Kings are rolling out has more intrigue than the win-loss outlook might suggest. The guard group looks like a strength, with Acuff Jr. and LaVine projected to start and Monk, Clifford, and Sharp giving Sacramento some real depth off the bench.
The forward rotation also has upside, starting with Murray and Simmons. Beyond that, the group gets more uncertain unless Hunter settles in, rookie Karaban outperforms expectations, or Mogbo proves to be one of the league’s better two-way contracts. Once Raynaud and Cardwell are back from injury, Achiuwa is expected to shift back to the forward spot.
For now, though, the center situation is the shakier part of the picture. Raynaud and Cardwell are expected to miss at least the first week of the season, if not longer, which means Achiuwa will be asked to back up Sabonis in the meantime. Sacramento would clearly like to see what that position looks like when everyone is available.
The Kings open the season against the L.A. Clippers at Intuit Dome on Wednesday night, with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. PT.
In Other News...
Doug Christie Is Quickly Becoming A Serious Kings Problem
Doug Christie inherited a messy situation when he took over as Kings head coach in 2024 after Mike Brown was fired, and his first full season did not exactly offer much breathing room. Sacramento was dealing with a poorly balanced roster and a run of injuries, and even with some roster improvement since then, the early signs around this preseason have not been encouraging for a team trying to stabilize itself.
Christies approach has also reportedly rubbed some players the wrong way, adding another layer to a job that already looked fragile from the outside. Now there is growing speculation that he may not be the coach by the end of the current season, which leaves the Kings facing a familiar question: whether they can find any real traction before the season slips further out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Monks Kings Role Suddenly Feels Far Less Clear
Malik Monks place in Sacramento suddenly feels more uncertain than it did just a few months ago. He has not appeared in the Kings preseason games, with ankle soreness cited as the reason, and that absence comes against the backdrop of a summer in which the team reportedly tried to move him in both the 2025 offseason and during the regular season but could not find a deal.
Monks limited playing time has only added to the questions, especially because there has been no official explanation beyond the soreness. For a Kings team still sorting out its rotation and direction, the situation leaves Monk in a familiar but uncomfortable spot, with speculation about his future lingering even as the preseason moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Face One Early Concern Even With Sabonis Ready
The Kings head into the regular season with a healthier roster than they had at times during camp, and that alone should ease some of the anxiety around a preseason that ended 0-5. Domantas Sabonis is back in the mix and says he feels good health-wise, while Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Ben Simmons are also available as Sacramento tries to turn a revamped group into something workable right away.
Even so, the biggest early question may be less about who is on the floor than how often each piece gets to stay there. With so many potential contributors and plenty of roster change to sort through, the coaching staff has to establish rotations on the fly while also being mindful of smart minutes management, something Sabonis pointed to as the group settles into the grind of the season. [Read more 🡒]