The Sacramento Kings already know what their backcourt looks like. Darius Acuff Jr. and Zach LaVine are locked in there. The real puzzle for Doug Christie is how the rest of the front line comes together, and one idea that has clearly gained traction is pairing Maxime Raynaud with Domantas Sabonis.
That possibility came up in intel gathered by Spotrac’s Keith Smith, who spent 11 days in Las Vegas during Summer League talking to teams. One Kings assistant coach told Smith the staff believes Raynaud’s game gives Sacramento room to think bigger.
"He had such a strong rookie season for us, even though we didn’t expect him to play as much as he did. We think we can probably play him with Domantas Sabonis some too, because of their skills," a Kings assistant coach told Smith.
"Also, did you see him stepping out to shoot it more? We think that’ll be part of his game moving forward."
That kind of talk fits the season Raynaud just put together. The No. 42 pick from two drafts ago finished as the lone second-round selection to make either All-Rookie team, landing on the second team after a year that looked nothing like a typical rookie campaign.
Raynaud averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 57.1 percent from the field, a mark that ranked ninth in the league. When Sabonis was out, he didn’t just fill space - he held down the middle of the Kings’ front court and looked like far more than a late second-round flier.
His best stretch came after the All-Star Break in March, when he won Rookie of the Month and really started rolling. In 15 games, the 7-foot-1 center averaged more than 17 points per game. A Kings press release noted that he joined Otis Thorpe and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only rookies in NBA history to put up 250 or more points and 125 or more rebounds while shooting at least 59 percent from the field.
Raynaud also delivered some eye-catching single-game performances. Late in March, he exploded for a career-high 32 points, added nine rebounds and hit two 3-pointers against his national teammate Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. Not long after, he powered Sacramento to a 126-122 win over the Brooklyn Nets with a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double.
After that game, Raynaud made a statement that matched the confidence he’s shown on the floor.
"The Spurs have Wembanyama, Denver has [Nikola] Jokic, and the Kings have me," Raynaud said following the win.
The big question now is whether his outside shot becomes enough of a weapon to keep him on the floor next to Sabonis. That’s the hinge point for any two-big look, and it’s the part of Raynaud’s game Sacramento is watching most closely.
He’s also kept building this summer on the international stage. Raynaud played in French National Team FIBA qualifiers and looked like one of the team’s best options.
He missed France’s opener, then returned against Finland and led the way with 16 points. The performance included multiple dunks and strong finishes around the rim, a reminder that his game still brings plenty of force inside.
For a Kings team that has bigger decisions coming on Sabonis’ long-term future, Raynaud’s development has to stay near the top of the list.
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LaVine said he still believes in the culture and the potential around the group, and he pointed to the promise of a backcourt pairing with rookie Darius Acuff as part of why he sees a path forward. Sacramento has also tried to reinforce that vision by adding new players out of strong college programs, a sign the front office is still betting on cohesion and development as much as talent. [Read more 🡒]
Keegan Murray Could Shape The Kings Offense In A New Way
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One of the more interesting possibilities involves Keegan Murray in pick-and-roll actions with Acuff, a pairing that could give the Kings another layer to explore. Murray has not spent much time as a screen-setter, but if that part of his game grows, it could open up more options for Sacramento and help unlock a different kind of offensive flow than the one fans have seen before. [Read more 🡒]