The Sacramento Kings’ latest preseason loss carried a lot more weight than the final score.
Sacramento fell to the Golden State Warriors in another close game, but the real concern arrived late and came in the form of injuries. Maxime Raynaud left on crutches, while Darius Acuff limped off the floor. With two preseason games still left, the Kings are already staring at the kind of health problems that have haunted them before.
That’s a familiar nightmare in Sactown. Last season’s injury trouble started early, with Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis both getting hurt in the preseason.
Sabonis returned quickly, but Murray needed more time. By the end, Sabonis, Murray, Zach LaVine, De'Andre Hunter, and Drew Eubanks all missed significant stretches, and that doesn’t even include the smaller injuries that kept other players sidelined along the way.
This time, the fear is that the story is repeating itself.
Raynaud’s exit was the alarming one. He was taken off the court in a wheelchair during the second quarter after suffering a right knee injury.
He was clutching the knee and in obvious pain. Credit went to Ben Simmons, who stayed with Raynaud and helped escort him to the back.
Acuff’s issue looked less severe, at least on the surface. He was limping near the end of the game and afterward, but Sacramento can afford to be cautious there.
There’s no reason to push him through the final preseason games if the team can avoid it, especially with the regular season still ahead. Acuff remains an important piece of what the coaching staff is planning.
Raynaud’s situation is the one that could matter most in the long run. Sacramento has enough depth at center and power forward to get by without him for the moment, with Sabonis, Dylan Cardwell, and Precious Achiuwa expected to handle the five. But Raynaud is also in a critical stretch of his development after a breakout rookie season, and he needs a strong sophomore year to keep building momentum.
That’s what makes this so frustrating for the Kings. A setback like this doesn’t define Raynaud’s future, but it does complicate both his growth and Sacramento’s broader rebuild. For now, the attention shifts to the injury update and whatever comes next.
In Other News...
Kings Suddenly Have Two Roster Concerns Fans Can't Ignore
The preseason results have not gone Sacramentos way, and the latest loss came with a tougher subplot than the scoreboard. The Kings dropped their third straight exhibition game, even as Darius Acuff Jr. flashed with 25 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds, and Ben Simmons made his team debut with a modest but steady line. It was the kind of night that offered a little bit of optimism in spots, while also reminding the coaching staff that the roster is still sorting itself out.
The bigger concern came late, when Maxime Raynaud went down and had to be wheeled off the floor after exiting near the end of the second half. His injury adds another layer of uncertainty to a team that is already trying to figure out its best combinations, especially with De'Andre Hunter struggling again and leaving questions about where he fits. Sacramento gets another preseason look next against Portland, but right now the rotation picture feels more unsettled than encouraging. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Karaban Already Faces A Tough Kings Rotation Reality
With two roster spots still open, the Kings are already looking at a crowded forward mix, and Alex Karaban is feeling the squeeze before the season even starts. His preseason work has offered a glimpse of why Sacramento likes the fit, but his minutes have been limited and have shifted depending on who was available around him.
Karaban did flash enough in exhibition play to stand out against some of the veterans in the mix, which only adds to the intrigue as the Kings sort out their rotation. Even so, the regular season picture still points toward established options getting the early edge, leaving Karaban in the kind of wait-and-see spot that can define a young players first run with a team. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Simmons Just Put One Kings Storyline Under The Spotlight
Ben Simmons finally got back on the court for the Kings in a preseason matchup with the Warriors, giving Sacramento its first real look at how he might fit after more than a year away from NBA action. His debut was brief, just over eight minutes, but it was enough to underline why the Kings are treating this as a gradual process and why health remains such a central part of the conversation around him.
Simmons said he felt good about being back and stressed the importance of staying healthy while playing with more aggression, which is exactly the balancing act Sacramento has in front of it. The Kings are not rushing the ramp-up, and there will be plenty of attention on how his return develops from here, especially with the team hoping the slower build leads to something more durable once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]