The Kings won’t get any easing into the new season. Their first two division games come right away, starting with the Clippers on Oct. 21 and then the Warriors in Sacramento’s home opener on Oct. 24, according to KCRA’s Sean Cunningham, who reported the schedule Monday citing sources.
That opening stretch says plenty about where the Kings are starting from: mostly the same group as last season, facing two Pacific Division opponents with very different looks. The Clippers, in particular, are almost unrecognizable. Four of their five starters are now elsewhere after a busy offseason that sent James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers for Benedict Mathurin and a protected first-round pick that turned into the No. 5 pick.
Los Angeles also moved Kawhi Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors for Gradey Dick and Brandon Ingram, while John Collins left for the Detroit Pistons on a three-year, $51 million deal. With Indiana’s pick, the Clippers took Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, a player former Kings coach Jerry Reynolds thought could have been a sleeper fit for Sacramento.
That makes the opener a sharp test for a Kings team trying to build on continuity against a roster that has been blown apart and rebuilt. The Clippers still had the upper hand in last year’s season series, winning three of four, including two blowouts and one tight one. Sacramento’s lone win came in the third meeting on March 14, when Russell Westbrook posted a triple-double and DeMar DeRozan, Maxime Raynaud and Precious Achiuwa combined for 75 points.
The Warriors arrive next, and their visit to Golden 1 Center on Oct. 24 gives Sacramento another familiar opponent right away. Golden State has also had a quiet offseason, declining to match the Memphis Grizzlies’ three-year, $30 million offer sheet for Quinten Post and missing on the LeBron James sweepstakes in embarrassing fashion. Like the Kings, the Warriors are bringing back the same roster, with reports indicating the organization is viewing next season as a gap year.
Last season’s series ended even, and Sacramento’s best night came early. Westbrook delivered a 23-point, 16-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in a 121-116 win over Golden State on Nov.
- The Warriors answered by taking the next two, including a 34-point rout on Jan.
Their third meeting drew league attention for tanking after a miscommunication between coach Doug Christie and forward Doug McDermott led to an early foul on Seth Curry while Golden State was in the bonus and trailing. The Warriors still won 110-105, and the league review found no intention to tank.
Sacramento closed the regular-season series by evening it a few days before the end of the year. Devin Carter scored 29 points in that game, giving the Kings their 22nd win and worsening their lottery odds for the No. 1 pick.
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Cavs Fans Will Recognize The Scorer In This Wild 4 Team Proposal
The Lakers are still sorting out a roster crunch as they sit one player over the limit, and the front office is weighing the usual late-summer fixes, from a trade to a waiver move, to get down to 15 before the season opens. Around that backdrop, a proposed four-team framework has started making the rounds, one that would send Bronny James to the Knicks and bring Malik Monk back to Los Angeles while the Lakers continue shaping the roster around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
For Sacramento fans, the eye-catching part is less about the Lakers bookkeeping and more about how much moving pieces are being discussed in a deal of that size. The concept has been floated, but nothing is official and no decisions have been announced, leaving the Kings involvement, like the rest of the proposal, in the realm of possibility rather than something set in motion. [Read more 🡒]
Zach LaVine Just Added Pressure To The Kings Backcourt Debate
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LaVine is also in a position where the numbers matter beyond a video game rating. He picked up his $49 million player option this offseason after Sacramento traded for him in February 2025, and now he has to help define what this backcourt looks like with Acuff. LaVine has talked about believing in the talent on the roster, pointing to the groups camaraderie and work ethic, but the real test will be whether that confidence turns into fit, production and a clear pecking order alongside a rookie who is already drawing attention. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Still Face One Russell Westbrook Decision That Could Reshape Backcourt
Russell Westbrooks next move is still very much in play, and the Kings are one of the teams that could end up shaping it. Sacramento brought him in before the 2025-2026 season and would have reason to explore bringing him back, but the roster math has already made that conversation tricky. Westbrook is a free agent after Denver declined his player option, which has only widened the field around a veteran guard who still draws attention wherever he goes.
For the Kings, the issue is less about interest than timing and flexibility, and that is where the uncertainty lingers. Salary-cap constraints have complicated any attempt to keep Westbrook in the fold, while outside buzz has him linked to other NBA possibilities and even overseas interest. Sacramento would like to keep the door open, but for now the path to a reunion is still clouded by the kind of cap decisions that can reshape a backcourt in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]