The Sacramento Kings are heading into a roster phase that looks a lot less fluid than fans might expect. With the rebuild moving forward and two major trades now sounding unlikely, the group Sacramento has in place may be the one it rides into the 2026-2027 season. That might not be the glamorous answer, but it does set up a roster that should be plenty interesting.
A big part of that picture starts with Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine. Rather than dwelling on the idea that either one has to be moved, the Kings may be better served by leaning into the new defensive help around them. This younger wave gives Sacramento more resistance on that end, which could free up both veterans to do what they’re paid to do: score.
LaVine, in particular, could benefit from a cleaner fit now that DeMar DeRozan is gone. The two have shared the floor on two different teams, and the pairing has often looked like a case of two players getting in each other’s way.
Without DeRozan, LaVine may finally have enough room to settle into a rhythm. That’s why Sacramento should at least consider starting him at shooting guard.
The Kings have options, but they need to see how he functions in this new setup. If it clicks, it could even help make him more tradable down the line.
The bigger story, though, is that the roster finally looks more balanced. Sacramento has spent too much time overloaded with guards and shooters while coming up short on defense, wings, and forward depth. Scott Perry has clearly worked to correct that over the past year or so.
The Kings still have a guard-heavy look, but the distribution is better than it used to be. They have only two true point guards in Darius Acuff Jr. and Isaiah Stevens, though Malik Monk has also handled point guard duties. At shooting guard, Adam Flagler, Nique Clifford, Emanuel Sharp, and Daeqwon Plowden give Sacramento a solid rotation.
On the wing and at forward, the Kings now have real numbers to work with. De'Andre Hunter, Alex Karaban, Precious Achiuwa, Keegan Murray, and Jonathan Mogbo give them five players who can fill power forward or small forward roles. Clifford and Plowden can also slide to the three, and Sacramento should seriously think about using Sabonis at the four.
The center spot is even deeper. Sabonis is joined by Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell as dedicated centers, while Mogbo and Achiuwa can also play the five. That gives the Kings a useful mix of size and versatility depending on what the matchup calls for.
For now, the plan appears to be simple: start the season with the 13 players under NBA contract and lean on the three two-way signings for support. Sacramento is close to the first apron of penalties, and this team can’t afford to cross that line. That reality is a major reason Russell Westbrook wasn’t retained.
There may still be opportunities to make moves later, but the Kings are unlikely to add more free agents. The early part of the season should be about sorting out what works, what doesn’t, and which players deserve more minutes once the picture becomes clearer.
There’s plenty of young talent here, but plenty of uncertainty too. Acuff is only 19 and is being asked to open the season as the starting point guard for an NBA team. How he handles that pressure, along with the rest of the young core, will go a long way toward shaping what this roster becomes.
And while Sacramento may have improved its structure, the bigger reality hasn’t changed much. The Kings are still nowhere near the playoffs, much less true contention.
This season is another step on the road back. Still, it’s a roster with enough energy and upside to keep pushing the franchise deeper into the rebuild.
In Other News...
Kings Fans Should Be Watching Daeqwon Plowden Very Closely
Daeqwon Plowden has already done enough in Sacramento to move from a two-way look to a standard NBA contract, and that alone says plenty about how the Kings view his place on the roster. After appearing in 32 games last season and making seven starts, he showed enough scoring punch and enough comfort around the edges of the rotation to earn a longer runway heading into camp.
The bigger question now is where the minutes come from, because the Kings have bodies in front of him and a few different ways to arrange the wing spots. Plowdens best opening appears to be tied to the reshuffling on the perimeter, but he still has to hold off established names and keep proving he belongs in Doug Christies late-game mix if he wants this next step to turn into something more permanent. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Finally Got An Early Sign On Alex Karaban
Alex Karabans summer with Sacramento got off to a delayed start after the ankle injury kept him out of the California Classic, but once he got back on the floor in Las Vegas, the Kings finally had a chance to see why they were willing to make him a first-round target. The 29th overall pick arrived with some real expectations attached, especially for a team trying to build out its next core, and the early returns were uneven enough to leave some questions hanging.
Karaban was quiet through his first three Summer League outings, then found another gear over the final stretch and gave Sacramento a much better glimpse of the player it hoped it was getting. For a Kings front office that traded up to land him, the encouraging part is not just that he looked more comfortable, but that the trajectory shifted quickly enough to suggest there may be more here than a slow summer start. [Read more 🡒]