Dylan Cardwell has given the Kings something they can use right away: real rim protection.
That matters because Domantas Sabonis is locked in as Sacramento’s starting center, and his return from a torn meniscus changes the whole conversation. Sabonis is the three-time All-Star, the offense runs through him, and last season he averaged a double-double with 15.8 points and 11.4 rebounds while functioning as a playmaking hub who initiates and finds open teammates.
What he does not do is protect the paint at a high level. His career average of 0.5 blocks tells that story.
So Sacramento may lean into double-big lineups, and that is where Cardwell enters the picture. The second-year undrafted center was one of the team’s best shot blockers last season even though he appeared in less than 70% of the Kings’ games.
He averaged 1.5 blocks, which would have placed him in a five-way tie with players such as Ryan Kalkbrenner and Robert Williams III. He also had multiple five-block games, including one against the Portland Trail Blazers and another against the New Orleans Pelicans.
One of those five blocks against New Orleans came on a game-saving denial of Zion Williamson.
That kind of production gives Sacramento a cleaner defensive answer alongside Sabonis, while Sabonis handles the offensive creation. It also puts Cardwell in direct competition with All-Rookie teammate Maxime Raynaud, which sounds unusual on paper given that Raynaud was a top-10 rookie and Cardwell went undrafted.
Raynaud absolutely has a case, but his skill set overlaps with Sabonis more than Cardwell’s does. The 7-foot Frenchman can attack closeouts from the three-point line and has a soft floater in the pick-and-roll. If his three-point shooting improves, the fit becomes easier to sell next to Sabonis.
For now, the preseason is where Doug Christie gets to sort through it. Sacramento has five preseason games in October, including two against the Los Angeles Lakers, plus matchups with the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Trail Blazers. The sample will be small, and the stars usually don’t go much beyond 24 minutes in preseason action.
Raynaud may be the more talented long-term bet, but Cardwell might be the better fit next to Sabonis when the season opens.
In Other News...
Kings Just Made A Painful Rebuild Choice For Beam Boys Chemistry
The Kings are leaning into the chemistry they have built around their young Beam Boys group, and that means keeping Precious Achiuwa in the fold as Sacramento tries to shape its rebuild. The core has mostly been made up of rookies, with Achiuwa giving the room a veteran presence, and the front office believes that continuity matters as the team looks ahead.
Sacramentos decision was not made in a vacuum, though, because the payroll squeeze has forced some hard choices. By committing to Achiuwa, the Kings had to sacrifice flexibility elsewhere, and the move underscores how much the organization is weighing short-term roster balance against longer-term development. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Just Got Hit With A Brutal 2026-27 Message
The Kings spent much of last season trying to survive the injury fallout that wrecked a 22-60 finish, and the hope around the roster is that a healthier run from Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, Zach LaVine and DeAndre Hunter can at least give Sacramento a fairer look. The front office also added rookies Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp, while bringing back Precious Achiuwa, giving the group some new pieces to sort through after a year defined by absences and instability.
Still, the early market is not buying much optimism. FanDuel Sportsbook has Sacramentos 2026-27 win total at 20.5, the lowest projection in the NBA, which is a harsh number for a team that believes last seasons record was as much about health as talent. The gap between what the Kings think they can be and what oddsmakers expect is wide enough to hang over the offseason, especially with the roster already reshaped by the departures of DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook. [Read more 🡒]
Doug Christie Faces A Starting Decision Kings Fans Know Is Huge
The Kings are sorting through one of those early decisions that can tell you a lot about how Doug Christie wants this roster to look once the games start counting. With Darius Acuff Jr., Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis already in place, the final starting spot comes down to DeAndre Hunter or Maxime Raynaud, a choice that pits proven perimeter defense and spacing against a bigger, more versatile frontcourt look.
Hunter fits the cleaner basketball argument because he can help balance the lineup without crowding Sabonis, while Raynaud brings size and offensive skill but also some overlap with the All-Star center. There is real pressure on Sacramento to get this right, too, with the NBAs lottery changes making the old safety net of chasing position far less useful, which means Christies call is less about experimentation and more about finding the five that can win now. [Read more 🡒]