The Sacramento Kings’ 2025-2026 season was defined by the stuff nobody wants to remember: injuries, bad breaks, and a long stretch where almost nothing clicked. But even in a year that went off the rails, there were still a few moments that gave the season some life. A lost campaign can still leave behind a handful of bright spots, and Sacramento had more than a couple worth holding onto.
One of the earliest came from Zach LaVine, who opened the season looking every bit like the scorer the Kings hoped they were getting. He topped 30 points in five of the team’s first six games and was averaging 29.5 points per game to begin 2025-2026. That start is easy to overlook now, especially after the season went sideways and LaVine became a lightning rod for the team’s problems, but the early production was real.
Russell Westbrook also delivered one of the season’s signature moments. The newly retired Westbrook remains the king of triple-doubles until Nikola Jokic breaks the record, with 209 regular-season triple-doubles, the most of any player.
He’s also the only point guard in NBA history to record a triple-double against every active NBA franchise. He logged his first one in Sacramento on November 14, 2025 against the Wolves, a reminder of the unique place he still occupies in the league’s record book.
For a team that finished with just 22 wins, even a short winning stretch stood out. The Kings’ longest run of the season was four straight victories from January 11 to 16, 2026, and it included a win over the New York Knicks. The good feeling didn’t last long - Sacramento followed it with a franchise-worst 16-game losing streak - but for a brief window, the Kings had something to build on.
There was also a quick payoff from the 2025 draft. Sacramento took Maxime Raynaud in the second round, and it didn’t take long for that pick to matter.
With Domantas Sabonis injured, Raynaud moved into the starting center role and showed he could handle it. On December 6, 2025, he recorded his first career double-double, and he finished the season with 18 total.
Then there was Dylan Cardwell, whose rise became one of the feel-good stories of the season. He went from undrafted to two-way player to a standard NBA contract in just a matter of months.
The contract came on February 5, 2026, and it marked another step in a run that brought appreciation, joy, and elite rim protection to the Kings. For an organization that needed any kind of lift it could get, that was a welcome one.
In Other News...
Kings Just Created Flexibility Around Darius Acuff Jr's Biggest Need
The Kings have quietly opened a little more breathing room in their roster construction by restructuring DeMar DeRozans remaining deal, spreading the $10 million owed across the next three seasons and trimming about $7 million from this years payroll. The move keeps Sacramento below the luxury tax threshold and gives the front office some much-needed flexibility as it works to round out the roster.
That matters because rookie Darius Acuff Jr. is currently the only dedicated point guard on the team, and the need for another organizer is obvious. Sacramento is now in position to pursue veteran help for those final two spots, with names like Ben Simmons and Cam Payne in the mix as the Kings try to stabilize the backcourt around their young guard. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durants Reaction To Russell Westbrooks Retirement Will Hit Thunder Fans
Russell Westbrooks decision to retire after 18 NBA seasons closed the book on one of the leagues most electric careers, and it also sparked a familiar round of reflection from one of his most notable former teammates. Kevin Durant, in a recent interview, said Westbrooks announcement caught him off guard while looking back on the years they shared together in Oklahoma City, where the two helped define a memorable era for Thunder basketball.
Westbrook had offers from the Kings and the Wizards before deciding to walk away, a reminder that there were still paths left if he wanted to keep going. Instead, he leaves with an MVP award, multiple All-Star nods and a legacy that already has people around the league revisiting what he meant to the Thunder, and Durants reaction only adds another layer to a retirement that will linger in Oklahoma City for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Face A Brutal Reality Fans Know All Too Well
The latest ESPN NBA Summer Forecast is not exactly a comforting read for Sacramento, putting the Kings at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 19-win projection for the 2026-27 season. It is the kind of forecast that lands especially hard for a franchise already coming off a 22-60 finish, even if the bigger picture still points toward a rebuild built around a young core.
Rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. is the face of that next wave, and the hope in Sacramento is that development and chemistry can make the gap between expectation and reality a little less bleak. The forecast itself leaves room for that possibility, suggesting the Kings could land closer to 25 wins if the right pieces stay healthy and start fitting together, which at least gives this roster something more concrete to chase than another long season of empty nights. [Read more 🡒]